Here in Ubud we are oh so grateful to be the lucky town on the island that hosts the wonderful TEDx conference each year. Hosted in 2017 at Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets, the TEDxUbud conference blew us away with the quality of both the event and presentations. We’re (not so) quietly naming it the event of the year!!! It is unparalleled, in our minds, to any other event in Ubud. And with tickets now on sale for the 2018 extravaganza happening on May 5th, we thought we’d go back and look at some of our fav presentations and performances from last year. So shift gears into procrastination mode, grab some snacks and enjoy the riveting viewing with our fav videos from 2017 below:
My body is my authority – Kartika Jahja
Prepare for complete and utter chills. Kartika Jahja, of ‘Tika and the Dissidents’ is a musician and feminist. Long before the #MeToo movement, Tika hit the nail on the head with this TEDx speech. The empowering talk addresses issues such as body shaming, hijab shaming, sexism in the music industry and the concept of virginity. She also performed her song “Tubuhku Otoritasku (My Body is My Authority)” later in the evening, you can watch it here.
How we can hack the surfaces around us with projection mapping – Joe Crossley
Creative-mind Joe Crossley takes us on a journey through the artistic endeavours and incredible potential of projection mapping. Joe has used the form of new media to make statements with indigenous communities about reconciliation. He reveals ways in which this kind of artistic technology can bridge the gap between cultures. Watch till the end to see some seriously Jetson-like possibilities of where this technology could take us into the future.
Why perfect solutions don’t guarantee perfect decisions – Lana Kristanto
It was the desire to do good for underprivileged people that lead Lana Kristanto to uncover an interesting facet of human decision making. Through her experience in distributing safe stoves to women in need of cooking instruments that wouldn’t create toxic fumes, Lana uncovered an interesting part of human behaviour. Using decision science (a blend of psychology and economics) she unravels this behaviour into a theory that we can all relate to.
Balinese shadow puppet theater with a twist – Made Sidia
Sit back and relax while you watch this sensory experience that is Made Sidia’s (Bali’s most acclaimed shadow artist) shadow puppet theatre. The myth of Ramayana told through the medium of traditional Balinese shadow puppet theater with use of modern media and innovations- including using a projector instead of oil lamp, human puppets, ‘wayang listrik’ and skateboarding across the stage to maximize the mobility of the puppeteers. Over 50 puppeteers, dancers and musicians came together for this performance.
FEATURE IMAGE CRED: VIKTOR WANG. BANNER IMAGE CRED: SUKI ZOE.
AUTHOR
SARA O’BRIEN
Sara is the founder and editor of UbudHood. Originally from Australia, she has called Bali home for the last four years and has no plans to leave. With a serious love for ‘Ubud’ she has combined her love of writing and background in photojournalism to create UbudHood. She is a strong supporter of ethical tourism and believes it’s our duty, as foreigners, to respect cultures that aren’t our own. When she’s not playing with her puppies or eating her way through the hood, Sara spends her time taking photos, listening to live music or whirring herself into a creative storm of convoluted ideas.