Who would’ve thought that an abandoned theme park from the ‘90s would be a fitting site for a design festival? For the third edition of Jiā Curated Kiosks, they transformed Bali Festival Park—reputedly known as one of the most haunted sites in Bali, long branded a “ghost town” by locals—into a vibrant backdrop to host the four-day event.
Yet JCK03 was anything but eerie. On the contrary, its sun-drenched, weathered and graffiti-covered structures and overgrown paths added a layer of dimension and rugged charm that beautifully frame the artistry of the installations and crafts on display.
Those familiar with the previous editions of Jiā Curated Kiosks will be pleasantly surprised by the ambitious scale of this third instalment. With over 100 brands across architecture, product design and textiles, the event was an expansive celebration of creativity, with participating brands fully embracing the theme of ‘gotong royong’.
“The spirit of gotong royong has always been a fundamental part of Indonesian society. The idea of working together as a community to achieve common goals is also something that we strongly believe in at Jiā,” shared Budiman Ong, co-founder of Jiā by OCK. “From the start, we knew we wanted to build a strong design foundation, and in order to do that, it is necessary to have this mentality among multidisciplinary creatives to complete the ecosystem.”
Spanning functional wares to experimental forms, a shared attitude of exploration runs through the exhibiting brands. From Sacred Monkey’s furniture crafted from fallen trees, Greenman Banana Paper Studio’s sculptural paper creations made from banana fibres that appear to waft weightlessly, to handmade upholstery made of repurposed felted wool by Kita Bisa Design and Gridwerk’s customisable ceramic tiles which explores diverse firing methods and techniques, these makers embrace the imperfect finishes and surprises that surfaced in their creation process.
“The spirit of gotong royong has always been a fundamental part of Indonesian society.”
Within this backdrop, the dialogue and interplay between nature and materiality felt intensified. At Ong Cen Kuang’s pavilion, the brand introduced the Kapuk Dome Light, their largest lamp design to date, made from textured Tyvek paper manipulated to resemble a stack of fluffed-up pillows. As night fell, the dome-shaped lamp, alongside other sculptural lamp creations from the brand, cast a soft, diffused glow over the all-white display.
Reimagining everyday functions, Singapore-based design and manufacturing company Industry+ presents a curation of limited edition pieces, from Sdanley Shen’s “Roadinary” lamp which repurposed asphalt sourced from regions across Japan, to Daiki Tado’s driftwood stools, which reveals natural patterns formed by insect bites and the erosion of waves.
This edition also deepened its focus on creative exchange with a series of conversations under 360° Design Dialogues, curated in collaboration with Design Anthology. Spread across four days, these discussions featured industry leaders such as Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa and Indonesia’s Andra Matin, who explored the nuances of cross-cultural work, materiality, and the importance of collaborations in their practice.
“The idea of working together as a community to achieve common goals is also something that we strongly believe in at Jiā.” – Budiman Ong, co-founder of Jiā by OCK
Reflecting on Jiā Curated Kiosks, JCK03 amplified more than just its scale. Just like the first two, the design festival successfully collaged the creative pulse and points of view of the present day while also giving a glimpse into its potent potential. The 8-hectare park, already being considered for even greater use in the next edition, stands as a metaphor not only for the possibilities for the next event, but also the vibrant creative landscape it represents.
“When we started planning for JCK03, we recognised the need to push boundaries—not just in terms of scale or venue, but in uniting diverse creative forces,” shared Yang Yang Hartono, one of the organisers of the event. “Our goal was to create an inclusive environment that brings together creatives, whether emerging or seasoned, young or old, independent or corporate. This commitment to raising the bar and pushing boundaries will continue to drive us as we plan for the next edition of JCK.”
