I know that Denpasar is an urban city which surely comes with creative spaces, but in my clouded touristy mind, I thought those spaces are hubs for traditional arts – the barong dancers, the painters, the carvers. It wasn’t until a friend invited Twosocks and I to Taman Baca Kesiman that I realized that the urban art scene is alive and well in Denpasar.
Nestled nearby the Sanur area, Taman Baca Kesiman offers a breezy room surrounded by shelves brimming with books that made me drool – a complete collection of Pramoedya Ananta Toer and YB Mangunwijaya’s works, Planet Banksy, an alternative take to the history of the Communist Party in Indonesia, punk subculture documentation, and many more. We heard that the space is founded by a renowned human rights activist in Bali, which would explain the impressive collection of social science books. The library area is surrounded by outdoor sitting areas, a tiny cafe, a lush frontyard where the owner practices permaculture, and an open backyard where discussions on films as well as concerts by Balinese indie bands take place. The vibe reminds us of a quieter Kineruku in Bandung, a place where we could also easily while the hours away with interesting books. We will definitely return the next time we come to Denpasar, hopefully in time to see a concert or discussion.
Taman Baca Kesiman
Jl. Sedap Malam 238
Kesiman, Bali
The Dusty Sneakers 
Ooh the place is magical! I’d love to live there. 🙂 boooks….
So would we, Andine! The books really made me drool.
yeay, we’re definetely going there next week! thanks for the info. 😀
Hurray! Have fun on the road trip, you guys 🙂
aaghhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Love the books.. Really wanna read that book, The tragedy of Cambodian history. I always love reading any topic relating to history. Just like, back to the old time, imagine I was there and found out the answers of some question marks of the history that’s still blurry.. 🙂 ..
That’s how we felt too! Taman Baca Kesiman, and similar places like Kineruku in Bandung, always feel like a Narnia-esque portal to another world. Let us know if you have other favorite reading / creative spaces, we’d love to visit.
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