Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. May 2017
CLIENT: ARMA Museum // Clean up Bali Fundation
ACTION: This mural is an important statement to the Balinese people to clean up Bali of the growing amount plastic bags an bottles which are presently thrown on the ground, rivers and beaches.
Thirty years ago Bali had very little plastic and many products were made or wrapped in banana or palm leaves. This has been replaced by plastic wrappers, bottles and bags which are endangering rice paddies, marine life and the health of all the Balinese people.
Balinese children helped create the concept and paint the mural at Arma Museum. The mural utilises the Balinese belief in the Tri Murthi, the three manifestations of the gods being the creator (Braham/ Past), the destroyer (Shiva/ Present) and the preserver (Vishu/ Future).
The children of Bali are the future of the Bali and if they are made aware of the dangers plastic garbage produces then they will start to clean the island and make an example to the older generations.
Letter written by Devi Mariandani, a young Balinese who participated from conception to the realization:
I think in ARMA the place is very beautiful and many children came there.
And I am very glad to see my own paintings. I say thank you very much Tono for painting me! My opinion before I learn in Mrs Sarita’s house clean Bali I think the garbage is not important for my own health. But after learning at Mrs. Sarita’s house and in the new ARMA Museum I know that rubbish is important to be destroyed from this island of Bali so we do not destroy our health .. I am very happy with Mr. Tono because it is already we are in the garden without trash because there is no litter to seen in the garden and it is beautiful. I was very surprised because I did not expect to see my photo which is depicted on the mural. I thought that the picture on the mural would be a photo of us all. I liked it because of the painting can in my own mural. I was very impressed with Mr. Tono because he already wanted to paint a photo of me, Wayan and Tarisa in the mural and it became an inspiration for me because it was really pictures of children. There is meaning and it is praiseworthy for all children and the best thing about the murals are all children painted on all of the murals.
I really enjoy the music and the songs with the theme of garbage. It is very important and it teaches us how to destroy garbage plastic. I do not really listen to the fairy tale because that time were still walking in Museum but I know a little story that is titled inviting rain. I like to tell you about the rain. ARMA museum was very memorable for us as it could teach us how to handle plastic waste. My favourite thing about the museum is it is beautiful and there is no
rubbish scattered altogether and very beautiful paintings and sculptures of great quality.
My favorite photo is my own picture that Pak Tono painted. The message is the most important thing I got in ARMA – Don’t throw garbage in our place and keep Bali clean and avoid buying and throwing away plastic waste.
In the future I hope Bali will avoid plastic waste and no one will throw plastic waste into the river, the sea or any place because it is so dangerous to our health.
I want to show children the way to Clean Bali.
Dan saya sangat senang karena melihat lukisan saya sendiri. Saya mengucapkan banyak
trima kasih pada Pak Tono karena sudah melukis saya! Pendapat saya sebelum saya belajar
di rumah Bu Sarita eara bersih Bali saya menganggap sampah itu tidak penting bagi
kesehatan saya sendiri. Tapi selelah belarjar di rumah Ibu Sarita dan di ARMA Museum baru
saya tahu bahwa sampah itu penting untuk dimusnahkan dari Pulau Bali ini agar kita tidak
mengganggu kesehatan kita semua.. Saya sangat senang pada Pak Tono karena sudah
mematret kami di Kebun tanpa sampah karena kalan ada sampah kebun kelihattan tidak
indah dan kota. Ya saya sangat terkejut karena saya tidak menyangkan foto saya yang
dilukiskan di mural. Itu saya piker foto yang ada di mural itu foto kami semua. Saya suka
sekali karena bias melukis di mural saya sendiri. Saya sangat terkesan pada Pak Tono karena
sudah mau melukis foto saya, Wayan dan Tarisa di mural itu menjadi inspirasi bagi saya karena foto kita masing !!! ada artinya dan itu patut dipuji bagi seluruh anak-anak hal yang terbaik dari mural itu adalah semua anak dapat melukis di mural itu masing-masing.
Ya saya sangat menikmati musik itu dan nyanyian yang bertemakan sampah dan itu.. Sangat
bermakna kami karena di sana mengajari kami bagimana cara memusnahkan sampah
plastic. Saya tidak begitu mendengarkan dongeng itu Karena waktu itu kita masih jalan di
museum tapi saya tahu sedikit ceritanya yaitu yang berjudul mengundang hujan. Saya suka karena menceritakan tentang hujan. ARMA
Museum sangat berkesan bagi kami karena dapat mengajarkan kami bagaimana cara
menangani sampah plastic. Kesukaan saya di museum tempatnya indah dan tidak ada
sampah yang berserakan sama sekali dan lukisan yang sangat indah dan patung-patung yang
berkwalitas. Foto favorit saya adalah foto say sendiri yang dilukis Pak Tono. Pesan
terpenting yang saya peroleh di ARMA yailu Buanglah sampah pada tempatnya dan jaga Bali
supaya terhindar dari sampah plastic.
Di masa depan saya igin Bali terhindar dari sampah plastik dan tidak ada orang yang
menbuang sampah plastic ke sungai, laut maupun sembarang tempat karena itu sangat
berbahaya bagi kesehatan kita semua. Saya mau menunjukkan pada anak-anak cara
menbersihkan Bali.