Murianews, Kudus – When visiting Bali, make sure you can see the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) statue in person. This proud statue from Indonesia is a combination of art and technology.

Referred to as a combination of art and technology, of course when it comes to the manufacturing and construction process. This statue was made with a really complicated plan.

This 121 meter tall statue is the 4th tallest statue in the world for the sculpture category. The 182 meter high Vallabhbhai Patel statue in India is the first.
The GWK statue is even taller than the famous Statue of Liberty in New York, USA. The iconic Liberty is only 93 meters high.

The GWK statue itself is located in the GWK Culture Park, Ungasan, South Bali. Balinese artist, I Nyoman Nuarta is the designer and creator of this large statue in Bali.

With a height of up to 121 meters, this statue can be seen from Kuta, Sanur, Tanah Lot and Nusa Dua. Even when you get off from Ngurah Rai Airport, this statue can be seen from afar.

GWK was inspired by a story rooted in Hinduism about Garuda seeking Tirta Amerta. According to this story, Garuda eventually agreed to become Lord Vishnu’s mount.

The construction process was very long, starting in 1997 under the era of President Soeharto who was still in power. After being shut down due to the 1998 economic crisis, GWK was finally inaugurated by Joko Widodo on September 22, 2018.

GWK can once again be considered an extraordinary work of combining art, technology and architecture. This statue is made of copper plates and steel construction inside. The total weight is estimated up to 4000 tons.

Thousands of sheets of copper sheeting fixed in this way to the steel frame. Welding combined elements of technology and art. This is done after the surface details are done in accordance with the texture of the statue.

Welding also uses its own technique, thus leaving the parts intact like a sculpture. Most of the ingredients come from within the country, while small details are imported from abroad.

To make this statue look old, the copper is deliberately made to look like it’s corroded. With some substances, the copper attached to it appears green, as if exposed to rust.

Especially for the golden crown, the material used was imported from Italy. It comes in the form of small carbon fiber panels.

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From afar, these coins shimmered like real gold. This sheen makes GWK look so elegant when seen from afar.

While the steel construction built inside the statue is designed in this way. Inside this statue is also equipped with an elevator because its height is equivalent to 23 floors of a multi-storey building.

But inside there are only two rooms which can be visited by tourists. On the 7th floor, you can witness the history of the sculpture and the materials used for its manufacture.

While on the top floor that can be visited, there is a viewing window which is right on GWK’s arm. This room also had a glass floor, under which a silent steel construction could be seen.