Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) in Ubud Bali

Ubud is loaded with art museums and it takes sometime to work your way through them.

I visited the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), which is located on Jl. Pengosekan in downtown Ubud.

According to the brochure the ARMA was opened by the Indonesian Minister for Education and Culture, Prof. Dr. Ing. Wardiman Djojonegoro on June 9th 1996. The museum is administered by the ARMA Foundation which was set up on May 13th 1996.

The idea behind the ARMA is an art museum featuring some of Bali’s most famous painters and also an arts center with dance, theater, music and classes in all the above.

I rode down Jl. Hanoman and entered there. After parking I strolled in and paid my 20,000rp admission which included a tea or coffee in the coffee shop.

Walking the pathway towards the art building I passed the main outdoor stage which was being prepared for an evening performance. Two young ladies told me they were playing drums for a male group of dancers who were supposed to be ‘water’. More traditional dances such as the Kecak and Legong dances are performed here at 7.30pm on Sundays as well as on the New and Full moons.

The basic layout of artwork at the ARMA is in 2 buildings. I entered the first one which is called the Bale Daja. The downstairs section houses temporary exhibits including some very dark looking contemporary works. I don’t pretend to understand what some of the artists were getting at but death and struggle seem to be right up there.

There is a sign saying no smoking and no photography. I obeyed the no smoking sign however the whole time I was at the ARMA I didn’t see anyone working apart from the ticket counter and the coffee shop, so went ahead and took photos.

There seems to have been some re arrangement from what my guide book says and according to my reckoning the first floor of the Bale Daja also contains the ‘Ruang Walter Spies’, a section devoted to the famous European artist who lived in Ubud from 1927-1942. I must say that Walter Spies definitely has a masterly touch and a unique style. His paintings of traditional Bali life seem older than they are because of the sepia colors.

There are also examples of the Balinese Wayang or puppet style and the Batuan style where artist pack the painting with detail. Its almost detail overload and you have to go over the whole thing closely to pick out what’s happening. The real life scenes are often humourous and often religiously based.

Here is an example of the Wayang style. The artist is unknown and the title is Kumbakarna Attacked by Monkeys (this is from the Ramayana epic).
An example of the Batuan style is this painting by I Dewa Made Kundel entitled ‘Procession’.

There are some fine example of Wayang painting hanging over the balconies and the second floor shows of the work of I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (this 1950 piece entitled ‘Dance lesson’) among others. This piece is by Ida Bagus Nyoman Rai and is entitled ‘Rajapala’.

Across the garden is the impressive Bale Duah. The entrance is guarded by a Hindu statue of a female princess and 2 geese. The interior is darker than the other building and smaller (1,200 sq meters compared to 3,300sq meters). The content of this gallery ranges from contemporary to a selection of Bali’s famous expat artists including works by Arie Smit, Theo Meier and Donald Friend.

One of the most famous paintings on display is one of a Javanese nobleman and his wife from 1837. The artist is Raden Saleh Sjarief Bustaman.

I saw some very large abstract and otherwise conglomerated works by Indonesian and foreign artists. One of the most famous Indonesian artists here is Affandi, famous for his heavy use of paint, layering in on almost in a model style.

A short stroll across from the Bale Duah brought me to the gift shop which is located under the same roof as the gamelan orchestra set up. This is the complete set up and I snapped what looked to be the most important chunk.

I’m no art expert but managed to enjoy walking around and spent about 90 minutes checking out the art.

The ARMA is open daily from 9am �6pm
JL. PENGOSEKAN,UBUD,GIANYAR 80571
Telephone: (0361) 976659
info@armamuseum.com