Art of Love

Cherry Blossoms, Heavenly Stars

A weekend voyage exploring tales of love, devotion and the healing power of art in the war-torn kingdom of mid-18th century Surakarta.

Traveling 2,5 century back in time, our travelers get to immerse in the story of a lovelorn queen, her grief-stirred truntum design, and the iconic batik's role in restoring both her errant king's ardor and the prestige of their once mighty royal court.

Guests relive the vanished elegance of renaissance Surakarta as recreated by royal chefs and master performers --bringing to life the wisdom of the ancient saying: "no gem can be polished without friction, nor (hu-)man perfected without trials".

Nyala Budaya Mangkunegara

Junior among Mataram's 4 royal courts, the Mangkunegara princedom has always had a reputation for balancing tradition and innovation.

It was this very legacy that H.E. Prince Mangkunegara X wants us to help develop: the design and showcasing of a signature program that promotes the principality's culture and history as a relevant living heritage -- signaling the ambitions of his new reign.

Our modest but unique 2022 year-end pilot project quickly went viral. Long lines of visitors queuing to participate in our interactive immersive workshops that for the very first time allow the public to engage directly with royal dancers, scribes, and chefs!