Indonesian Street Artist Bomb Da Love Spreads the Message of Unity with Show at ALLCAPS Gallery in Bali
Indonesia is often referred to simply as the most populous Muslim country in the world, is a deeply complex society made up of over 300 indigenous groups who live on 18,000 islands across an area the length of the United States. Like all places with deep religious, and racial differences faith and culture are often used to divide people. Especially in the arenas of politics and power.
Since 2015 an unknown artist referring to himself as a U.A.O. (Unidentified Artistic Object) based in Jakarta, sometimes working alone and sometimes with a large crew has painted the “Bomb Da Love” symbol of a heart with paint drips throughout Indonesia.
According to the artist,
“The initial idea came when I imagined to create a simple visual icon of drawings or signs which reflect a “stilasi” of love.
Stilasi defines as a form to create, simplify, or change an object/form without leave its original form.
Learning and inspired from the streets, Bombdalove started in Jakarta since early 2015. The streets and public space become a media to investigate and conceive life directly, and find freedom. Public space gives an opportunity to meet and interact with different people; origin, race, skin colors, languages, have a religion and agnostic . (Love is connecting people).”
As 2016 ended with populist movements in the United States and Europe using racism and xenophobia to divide populations ALLCAPS Gallery in Bali decided to showcase Bomb Da Love with a solo show to spread love and create conversations about diversity, unity, and love. Bali is a perfect example of the true diversity which makes up Indonesia, with Balanise Hinduism being ever present in nearly every place you walk on this island filled with thousands of temples and offerings laid on the ground, on walls, and literally all over the place.
Walking off the motorcycle filled Bali streets, the first thing you are greeted with at ALLCAPS is a sign that says “I Love You.” As you enter the gallery space the Bomb Da Love show is broken into three sections, “Rabbit Gangs,” “Gardening after Bombing,” and “Imagine Bombdalove, Love is My Religion.”
The final space you visit in the gallery is a deeply moving piece called “Imagine Bombdalove, Love is My Religion.” With stark black walls the first thing you notice in front of you are the two circular drawings of religious symbols, one set splattered in what looks like blood and the other side clean.
This is religion in our world today, on one side you have the small minority of Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu extremists who make all the headlines, and the majority of the worlds people of faith who live and practice their beliefs in peace on the other side. In fact in a place like southeast Asia the way these faiths are practiced are often right next to one another as the prayers coming from the Mosques, Temples, and Churches echo past each other.
In the middle is the graffiti artist, a representation of Bomb Da Love spraying his can of love out into the world. On each black wall are written words in english and Bahasa Indonesian. According to the artist,
This work start from 20 percents of my restlessness when I see conflicts in the world which intentionally used to eliminate diversity only for politics and power. Imagine Bombdalove tries to imagine if mankind lives in peace as in lyric “Imagine” (John Lennon). Whatever your religion, I Love You.
Imagine Bombdalove is a simple way to keep my dreams and believe that human was born to share and spread love and use it as a magical weapon for a peaceful world. Bombdalove invites us to imagine the world as a better and colourful place for our children.
As we left the show we began to see Bomb Da Love tags throughout the streets of Bali. A truly beautiful message that reminds me of the Ibn Arabi poem (and Ziggy Marley song of the same name), whose lines read:
“I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love’s camels take,
that is my religion and my faith.”
