Merry Wong
Jul 17, 2025
SAKA Museum, AYANA Bali’s groundbreaking cultural and knowledge center, marked a major milestone on 11 July 2025 with a special event titled Lila Cita Sukaning Manah, Balinese for “Sincere Intent, Joyful Heart.” The spectacular evening brought together key figures from the worlds of art, academia, media, government, and business to recognize their support for recent achievements: the official completion of four major exhibitions at SAKA Museum, and the institution's growing global recognition as a new leader in cultural curatorship, architecture, and sustainable design.
In the past year alone, SAKA Museum has received notable international accolades including being named one of TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024, the Kyoto Global Design Award 2024 (Top 100 for Environmental Design), and most recently, designation by Prix Versailles as one of the World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2025. These honors affirm SAKA Museum’s leadership in blending cultural preservation, innovative design, and sustainable practice.
The event also marked the full realization of SAKA’s four latest exhibitions, each curated by leading local and international experts to provide immersive and educational journeys into Bali’s rich cultural landscape.
Kasanga, curated by Gurat Institute, invites visitors into the sacred atmosphere of Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence. Spread across three floors, the exhibition weaves sculptural reliefs, archival photography, installations, and film into a multisensory experience. Kasanga seeks to preserve not just the tradition of Nyepi, but its emotional and philosophical dimensions; something that words alone cannot express.
Subak: The Ancient Order of Bali, presents a dynamic portrait of Bali’s UNESCO-listed irrigation system. Through multimedia exhibits, films, and a captivating hourly light-and-sound show, visitors engage with the ecological and spiritual intelligence of Subak. Subak is both water management and a living philosophy. This exhibition aims to illuminate the beauty of that wisdom and the community it sustains.
Panca Maha Bhuta, reveals a rare collection of sacred objects and artworks, presented through the Balinese understanding of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. This exhibition is about connecting with the unseen forces that have shaped Bali’s rituals and creativity for generations.
Twilight Journey offers an immersive dome experience developed by Bali-based multimedia artists Wahyudi Chandra and Raden Cahyoko (Kokok). Using interactive audiovisual technology, the installation evokes the starry skies of Nyepi night, guiding visitors through a meditative visual narrative of Bali’s sacred geography. Twilight Journey was created to evoke both wonder and presence, it’s an invitation to look outward and inward all at once.
The special event tonight was about community and to honor how far SAKA Museum came together in such a short time, and the many hands and hearts that have shaped this space. Appreciation is given to curators, collaborators, and partners who support the realization of the SAKA Museum. Lila Cita Sukaning Manah was a moment of sincere thanks, and a celebration of what’s possible when art, heritage, and shared purpose come together.
With these four major exhibitions now complete and celebrated on the world stage, SAKA Museum reaffirms its mission to serve as a vital platform for cultural storytelling, design, and sustainability, both within Indonesia and globally.
SAKA Museum
Jl. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361
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