Photo: ISI BALI Rector, Prof. Dr. Wayan Kun Adnyana, delivering his presentation at the international symposium Sea-ing The Land: Nyegara Gunung, held from September 21 to 28, 2026, at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University.
The Southeast Asia Program (SEAP) at Cornell University, United States, invited the Rector of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts Bali (ISI BALI), Prof. Dr. Wayan Kun Adnyana, to serve as a speaker at the international symposium Sea-ing The Land: Nyegara Gunung, held from September 21 to 28, 2026, at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University.
Prof. Kun Adnyana delivered a presentation entitled “Nyegara Gunung: Flowing Lines and the Metaphor of the Vessel,” which explored the artistic iconography of water and waves through line-based visual representations and diverse stylistic approaches in Balinese painting. The symposium was moderated by Professor of Southeast Asian Art History, Prof. Dr. Kaja Maria McGowan.
In addition to Prof. Kun Adnyana, another ISI BALI academic, Dr. I Gusti Sudarta, who also serves as Coordinator of the Theatre Study Program, was invited to present a Plastic Wayang performance as part of the symposium’s accompanying program. Dr. Sudarta collaborated with Professor of Music Prof. Christopher J. Miller and composer Peni Candra Rini. The performance received an enthusiastic response from members of the university community and Cornell University alumni in Ithaca, New York.
Prof. Kun Adnyana’s Victory of Sailing Selected for Cornell Museum’s Permanent Collection
In addition to delivering his academic presentation, Prof. Kun Adnyana’s artwork entitled “Victory of Sailing,” measuring 140 × 160 cm and created using Chinese ink and acrylic on canvas, was selected for the permanent collection of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. The work joins a collection of approximately 40,000 works of art and visual objects by distinguished artists from various countries, including sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966) and painter Agostino Brunias (1730–1796).
The invitation to participate as a symposium speaker also provided an opportunity for ISI BALI Rector Prof. Kun Adnyana to discuss potential academic collaboration between ISI BALI and SEAP Cornell University. In discussions with SEAP Director Prof. Eric Tagliacozzo, Prof. Kun Adnyana reached an agreement on several collaborative initiatives. These include opportunities for SEAP students to participate in ISI BALI’s international programs, as well as visiting professorship arrangements between the two institutions.
