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ix photographers displayed their work capturing the lives of Balinese people and their environment at an exhibition recently organized by the Independence Journalists Alliance.

The photo exhibition recorded the real condition of the island, including a critical look at social changes.

The exhibition featured the work of Zul T. Edoardo, Johannes P. Christo, Nyoman Budhiana, Yudha A. Riyanto, Made Nagi and Miftahuddin Halim.

Zul T. Edoardo, for instance, displayed seven pictures entitled Bumi Villa.

"The construction of villas has *robbed' the island of its fertile soils. There will be no rice paddies left in the next few years if the authorities do not stop this rampant development," Edoardo complained.

Nyoman Budhiana presented six photos displaying the Hindu ritual of Tumpek Landep.

The ritual aims at purifying all metal tools and weapons like kris, swords, daggers and other traditional weapons.

The pictures also showed a drastic transformation in the ritual. In the past, the ritual was only used to cleanse traditional metal weapons.

Now, it is used to cleanse all metal products such as cars, machinery, computers and television sets.

Photographer Johannes P. Christo portrayed the lives of young Balinese punks. Despite the flood of Western pop culture, Balinese youth still maintain a strong respect for their culture and traditions.

Yudha A. Riyanto portrayed the lives of traders at various Balinese traditional markets.

"Supermarkets and hypermarts are flooding into Bali and are challenging small-scale market traders," the artist said.

Made Nagi featured various art and cultural festivals in Bali, while Miftahuddin Halim's pictures investigated mixed-marriage.

Curator Edy Purnomo from Malang Meeting Point said the photographers had closely interacted with their communities to capture the lives of the people.

"Their visual ideas are reflections of their neighborhood.

"They captured social phenomenons occurring within their own communities," the curator said,

Anthropologist and art observer Jean Couteau confirmed the photographers showed their strong understanding of the complexities of modern day Bali.

"The island and its people are undergoing drastic social changes," noted Couteau, who has lived in Bali for years.