THK Tower at Nuanu City: Sharing the Balinese Tri Hita Karana Philosophy in Today’s Phy-gital World
On Saturday, 28 September 2024, Bali’s sustainable travel destination Nuanu Creative City will reveal to the public its latest innovation, the Tri Hita Karana Tower (THK Tower). Nestled by the coast of Nuanu’s Luna Beach Club, the tower is practically a lighthouse, albeit one which has been redesigned for today’s reality— one is both physical and digital (phygital). The 30-metre tall structure was designed by French architect, Arthur Mamou-Mani, whose construction was realized with the help of Balinese bamboo and rattan artist, I Made “Chiko Wirahadi” Purnawan. At night, it comes alive with an immersive artist-AI-powered light show, produced by DELIVERED, a Bali and Dubai-based multimedia production company which frequently collaborates with the creative city.
The THK Tower was named after the Balinese Tri Hita Karana philosophy, a core principle of the Balinese people which calls for every individual’s harmony with Parahyangan (the spiritual world), Palemahan (mother nature) and Pawongan (fellow human beings). The people of Bali revere and practice these principles in their daily lives. At a time when Bali suffers from economic, social and environmental issues at the hands of over-tourism, the THK Tower’s light reminds and helps everyone who sets foot in Bali to also revere and practice the Tri Hita Karana philosophy.
This has been done with hopes of restoring balance to the island so that visitors can experience a harmonious Bali, which benefits not only themselves but the nature around them, their spiritual beliefs and the local people. This is why the THK Tower at Nuanu Creative City is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Reduced Inequalities and Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
To support its light show, the THK tower has been equipped with over 1,000 light fixtures, 18 projectors, a built-in custom sound system and a climate control box. The first and current iteration of the light show has been made by three artists: Pablo Alpe, Ben Helm, and Maksim Ha, who have all utilized Artificial Intelligence to generate individual abstract art light show segments. Despite using generative AI, in a statement to Arts Help, DELIVERED Producer, Sasha Bazarkin shared that artificial intelligence was only used as a supporting tool for the artists; as it is important to ensure that each artist’s vision of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy is delivered accordingly. In the future, the project looks forward to welcoming more artists with even more diverse backgrounds and visions to create the THK Tower light show installations.
The THK Tower’s night-time projections may look as though they had come straight from the future, however, the tower’s physical form, which is visible during the day, was built entirely from reclaimed materials such as rattan and wood that had been acquired from an abandoned railway bridge. The tower’s central body takes the shape of a traditional weaved basket, with three fabric-like structures enveloping it. This was done intentionally to recall the three-part philosophy of the Tri Hita Karana. “The whole idea is that it is not a static installation, but a living, breathing piece of art, where every line, hole and curve represents a piece of Bali’s forests and history,” says architect Arthur Mamou-Mani. At the end of the day, For Chiko Wirahadi, a Balinese bamboo and rattan artisan who helped Mahmoud-Mani to construct the tower, “It [The Tower] is a physical symbol of Tri Hita Karana, when before it was an abstract feeling.”
The Tri Hita Karana Tower (THK Tower) at Nuanu Creative City serves as a physical and digital representation of Bali’s core philosophy, the Tri Hita Karana, which promotes harmony between the spiritual, natural, and human worlds. Through its innovative design, blending traditional materials with cutting-edge technology, the THK Tower stands as a beacon of sustainability, unity, and balance in a world increasingly defined by both physical and digital experiences. Its immersive light shows and architectural symbolism offers visitors a reminder to respect Bali’s environment, culture, and people, contributing to a future where tourism and local life coexist harmoniously. The THK Tower is more than just a landmark—it is a living embodiment of Bali’s values.
Find out more about The Tri Hita Karana Tower and other initiatives by Nuanu on their website www.nuanu.com or Instagram @nuanu_city.