“Jagadhita: The World We Create” Becomes the Theme of UWRF 2018
UBUD (03/12) – Yayasan Saraswati as the official organizer of Ubud Writers and Readers Festival have just announced the theme for this year’s edition which is “Jagadhita”. Being held from 24 – 28 October 2018, the annual literary festival will invite more than 150 writers, artists, thinkers and performers from across the world for its 15th edition. Just like last year’s installments with the themes inspired by Balinese or Hindu’s philosophy, “Jagadhita” is the individual pursuit of universal harmony and prosperity as one of life’s primary goals, interpreted in English as ‘The World We Create’. “Last year’s theme, ‘Sangkan Paraning Dumadi’, or ‘Origins’, was an important reminder of our shared humanity,” explained Founder & Director Janet DeNeefe. “At a time when disparities rather than shared values are shaping political decision-making, we’ll ask what harmony and prosperity looks like in 2018, and consider the tensions that have emerged between personal and collective fortunes in contemporary life.
She then added that with this theme, it enables us to explore the world and celebrate the contribution from the writers, artists, thinkers and activists from across Indonesia. Along with the launch of the theme, the Festival also launched the UWRF18 artwork by Balinese artist, Budi Agung Kuswara, known in the art community as Kabul. The artwork, titled Anonymous Ancestors, is Kabul’s attempt to take a moment in time and interpret it for the modern day. It is a beautiful piece with the color blue as the main attraction and a collage illustration of a Balinese woman taken from 1930’s photo. Kabul interprets the theme as not just an the accumulation of numbers, but also as a flow of knowledge from generation to generation, like water, which can be consumed by anyone.“In Bali, the pursuit of collective harmony and prosperity can be seen almost everywhere,” concluded DeNeefe. “At a time when the rapidity and severity of global events can make us feel fractured and dissonant, this year’s Festival compels us to pause and reflect on how we can strive for harmony and prosperity in the world we create.” Can’t wait for the announcement of speakers for this year’s edition. Find out more about the festival on their official website.
