Press: How Ubud Open Studios is Helping to Revive Art Tourism in Bali
Excited to see our vision and dreams for Ubud Open Studios make it to NOW! Bali.
Thanks to Richard Horstman for the great questions.
“NOW! Bali Magazine talks with Mila Shwaiko, co-founder and director of Elami & Co, the organisational team behind the Ubud Open Studios (UOS), to learn more about the visionary programme.
Visual art is one of the original cultural icons that, during the first wave of tourism, between 1920 and 1942, helped position Bali on the international tourist map. Throughout the past few decades, however, the luxury villa, lifestyle experience, and wellness tourism sectors have quickly evolved and thrived, with art and cultural tourism taking a back seat.
One of the significant barriers to making the Bali art infrastructure sustainable is the lack of information and data related to its stakeholders. These include fine art galleries, art spaces, institutions, museums, individual and collective workspaces and studios, and knowledge of scheduled activities open to the public. While social media portals Facebook and Instagram have had massive positive impacts, dedicated art tourism projects designed to connect stakeholders and domestic and international visitors are yet to be fully appreciated and realised for their enormous tourism potential.”