Gianyar, Bali – SMK Negeri 1 Sukawati, a vocational school known as a center for arts and culture education in Bali, is now taking a step further into the digital era. Through a community service program led by lecturers from the STIKOM Bali Institute of Technology and Business, the school successfully held a Virtual Exhibition—an interactive 3D-based exhibition of student work that can be accessed from anywhere.
The program, titled “Implementation and Training of Online Virtual Exhibitions at SMK Negeri 1 Sukawati Gianyar,” ran for several months (January–May 2025). Its primary focus was developing creative content production skills and mastering modern virtual exhibition platforms.
This community service activity was carried out by a team of lecturers from STIKOM Bali, consisting of:
- I Gede Suardika, S.Kom., M.Kom. (Chairman)
- Dr. Ni Nyoman Supuwiningsih, S.T., M.Kom.
- Gusti Ngurah Aditya Krisnawan, S.S., M.Hum.
- Ir. Joko Santoso, M.Kom.
The head of the organizing team, I Gede Suardika, explained that this activity arose from the need for a digital exhibition platform that could accommodate students’ creativity without being limited by space and time.
“We want students’ work to be displayed not only on classroom walls or school galleries, but also accessible to anyone from around the world. Especially in today’s creative industry era, where digitalization is inevitable,” he said.
The main platform used in this activity is Virtualex, a Virtual Exhibition application based on online multiplayer 3D technology, developed by the community service team. With this application, visitors can explore the virtual exhibition space as if they were in the real world, complete with avatars, room navigation, and clickable works for further information.
The implementation of this activity includes several important stages:
- Needs analysis and development of training modules
- Procurement of equipment and installation of Virtualex software
- Digital literacy and creative content design training
- Simulation and implementation of the virtual exhibition
- Monitoring and evaluation of activity results.
In addition to technical training, students also received direct guidance in designing digital works for the virtual exhibition. The results were very satisfying. The target achievement rate averaged 90%, with success indicators including:
- Installation of the Virtualex application
- Hosting one full virtual exhibition
- Publishing two digital training modules
- Involvement of dozens of students and teachers in the training
As a form of ongoing support, the community service team also donated two Android tablets and a premium account for the Virtualex application. This will enable SMK Negeri 1 Sukawati to continue hosting digital exhibitions independently in the future.
In his remarks, the Acting Principal of SMK Negeri 1 Sukawati, Mr. I Made Soma, S.T., M.Pd., expressed his gratitude and expressed his hope that this program would be the starting point for digital transformation in the arts education environment and could become a sustainable collaborative activity.
Gianyar Regency, as the center of Balinese arts and culture, has great potential in the creative industry. This collaboration between higher education institutions and vocational schools is considered a strategic step in encouraging the rise of a digital-based creative economy.
The success of this activity is expected to serve as a good example that can be implemented in other vocational schools in Indonesia, particularly in the fields of art, design, and information technology.
“The Virtual Exhibition is not only a solution during the pandemic, but also a new way to convey artistic messages in the digital age. We hope more schools will be inspired,” concluded Suardika.