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Bagus Pandega: Daya Benda | Cultured
Aug 25 2025
From the swinging ’60s to Bagus Pandega’s interactive modernism, these are the exhibitions you should have on your radar this season.
“Daya Benda” by Bagus Pandega
Where: The Swiss Institute
When: September 30, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Why It’s Worth a Look: Indonesian artist Bagus Pandega’s interactive contraptions respond to you just as much as you respond to them. A tree branch submerged in liquid slowly turns to metal. An oxygen machine linked to native Indonesian plants and minerals works overtime the more humans are in a room, exhaling carbon dioxide. With his sculptures, Pandega foregrounds the relationships between humans, natural resources, and constructed worlds.
Know Before You Go: The delicately connected nature of his sculptures and their audiences nods to the extractive politics that have impacted Indonesia since colonial times—from the nutmeg trade to palm oil to the nickel that powers your laptop and smartphone.