ASEAN TRiPPER July 2014 | Page 14

Indonesia URBAN VIBEs Events and happenings in Southeast Asia’s major city centres Thailand Gentle War - Peggy Wauters and Nir Segal Continuing till August 10, 2014 100 Tonson Gallery 100 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd, Bangkok All this month, and into the next, the prestigious 100 Tonson Gallery is staging a unique artistic pairing with a joint exhibition featuring Peggy Wauters and Nir Segal, visual artists based in Belgium and Israel respectively. Curated by Brian Curtin, the new show is entitled Gentle War and is a curatorial project that highlights both artists’ methods. Wauters intricately crafts objects and collages derived from mythological symbolism, while Segal appropriates functional materials from everyday life. Both artists are engaged in processes of isolating and studying the resonances of their forms in order to further explore significance for the contemporary context. Wauters is inspired by the carnival culture of her hometown and her works carry a disturbing quality, reflecting collective superstitions and otherworldly beliefs. Segal is interested in the absence of narrative for disposable materials that can function across a range of contexts, which he examines for the potential to weave associations and imbue meanings. www.100tonsongallery.com Phuket Yacht Race Week July 16 – 20, 2014 Cape Panwa Hotel, Phuket The 36th Annual Bali Kite Festival Date: TBA (July) Padanggalak Beach, Sanur, Bali The Bali Kite Festival is a very important annual celebration among the Balinese, as they regard the art of kite making and piloting very highly. The event is also highly anticipated by the international community, as it provides a rare opportunity to enjoy seeing these gigantic traditional kites in action. Many of the kites have assumed increasingly bombastic proportions over the years, measuring up to 4 m in width and 10 m in length, and most are incredibly intricate in their design – built to resemble sailing ships, dragons, sharks, horse-drawn carts, butterflies… in fact almost anything but regular kites. The festival takes place in the windy season, July and August, and the tradition of the kite festival traces its roots back to the agrarian background of the Balinese. The kite-flying tradition stems from the fact that these windy summer months were after the harvest, and so the open fields provided large open areas of land. www.bali-indonesia.com/events-calendar.htm The 36th Annual Bali Arts Festival Continuing till July 12, 2014 Various Locations, Bali It’s always fun to visit Phuket, but during the Phuket Yacht Race Week, now in its 10th year, it gets even better. The race week comprises 4 days of world-class yacht racing and 5 nights of magical, beachside parties at the 5-star Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket. The regatta is run over 6 or 7 classes, including cruising, bareboat, and charter yachts. It’s a competitive, high-octane racing event for the serious boats, and fun-filled courses around the islands for the less serious racers. Come out and enjoy the fun on the high seas, and stay for fun on the dry land after the sun goes down. www.phuketraceweek.com 14 Locally known as ‘Pesta Kesenian Bali’, the Bali Arts Festival, which takes place from every second Saturday of June to the second Saturday of July, is a yearly celebration of exhibitions and performances of various kinds of artworks and cultural achievements. Like the kite festival this arts festival is now in its 36th year, and the event continues to gather locals and international visitors together each year for a series of celebratory festivities, with locations that range from the Niti Mandala Renon Square to the Denpasar Arts Centre. Enjoy daily performances and exhibitions and discover more about the unique heritage of this fascinating island paradise. www.bali-indonesia.com/events-calendar.htm