text by Ari Mustikawati
image courtesy of Kendra Gallery

Since opening its doors to the public in June this year, Kendra Gallery has been attracting some attention for their 'Frontline' exhibition. 'Frontline' is a compendium of works from ten well known Indonesian artists with all proceeds from sales being donated to orphans and underprivileged children in Bali and Java. We stopped by for a chat with the people behind Kendra and the 'Frontline' initiative.

Tell us about you. How did you come to be running an art gallery here in Bali? Bruno: I'm a founding shareholder of Uma Sapna and a collector of Asian contemporary art. Opening an art gallery adjacent to the Uma Sapna resort in Seminyak was the perfect opportunity to combine both my interests with my desire to promote Bali as destination for lovers of contemporary art. The idea of making Kendra Gallery's first show a non commercial, charitable event was seen as a way to give something back to the place that has provided such fertile ground for my activities. I have known Claire for a long time, her academic background is in art history and her work experience in both public and private galleries in the Unites States were a good fit to manage Kendra.

When did the gallery open and what sort of reaction from the public have you received? The gallery opened on 7 June 2008 to large crowds drawn by an excellent exhibition called 'Frontline' and by the charitable auction held that evening. Drawings by well-known artists Agus Suwage, Budi Kustarto, Chusin Setiadikara, Filipo Sciascia, Kokok Sancoko, Putu Sutawijaya, Roberto Coda Zabetta, S. Teddy D, Ugo Untoro and Yuswantoro Adi were auctioned with all proceeds going to support the Bantul and Bali Kindergarten Projects and the Jodie O'Shea Orphanage as we believe these associations are doing necessary work to improve the lives of children who need our help. Since the opening, the gallery has attracted large numbers of visitors interested in seeing works by these high profile painters as well as architecture students who come to see the elegant, minimalist design of the gallery building.

What are your goals and aspirations by opening Kendra Gallery? We have many goals and aspirations: we hope to have a positive and dynamic effect on the contemporary arts scene in Indonesia and to express our commitment to the place that nourishes and inspires us; we plan to make both charitable initiatives and the promotion of social awareness issues a regular element of our activities at Kendra Gallery.

How effective is fund raising through art? How successful was the auctioning of the artwork and who does the program directly benefit? Fund raising through art has proven historically to be highly effective. Whether it is performance, such as music and dance, or sales/auctions of works of art, the public tends to respond generously to this combination of inspiration and high ideals.

Is the commitment to charitable causes and foundations a permanent project for Kendra? Although the Kendra Gallery's primary activity is the promotion of contemporary art, our commitment to giving back to the community and supporting social projects will continue. We have contacts with other charities and associations working in Indonesia and will make fund-raising a regular part of our work