NEKA ART MUSEUM

The Neka Art Museum is a private museum founded and inaugurated in 1982 by Wayan Suteja Neka, a leading collector of Balinese art. The works selected trace the history of Balinese painting through the influences it has undergone over time, from traditional painting strongly imbued with religion (such as Kamasan) to its more contemporary forms (whether in the style of Batuan, Pengosekan, Penestanan...) integrating the works of Western painters; such as Bonnet, Covarrubiasn Théo Meier, Hofker, Hans Snel...

The museum also showcases Balinese expatriate artists who have influenced the art world and left their mark on Balinese cultural life. The quality of the museum's selection is a source of inspiration for many local artists, and helps us to understand the evolution of Balinese art.

The works exhibited chronologically and thematically in the park's six pavilions are all accompanied by an English-language description. Here's what each pavilion contains

Balinese Painting Hall. Four very different rooms depict traditional Balinese art. The puppet theater is also staged with wayang works. In the last room, the village of Batuan is showcased for its paintings and artistic development since the 1930s.

Arie Smit Pavilion. This pavilion is dedicated to the Dutch painter Arie Smit. Some of his works are on display.

Photography Center. This showcases the work of American photographer Robert A. Koke: black-and-white photographs taken between 1937 and 1941. They show ceremonies, dancers and village life.

Lempad Pavilion. This pavilion showcases the collection of I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, a Balinese sculptor and architect who died in Ubud in 1978.

Indonesian Contemporary Art Hall. A space dedicated to Indonesian artists who have come to work in Bali.

East-West Art Annex. The top floor features works by living and deceased foreign artists who have left their mark on the country's artistic history, including Johan Rudolf Bonnet, Antonio Blanco, Theo Meier and Louise Garrett Koke.

The museum is built on a hill overlooking the River Wos. If you're lucky enough to be there on a cloudless day, the view of Gunung Agung and Gunung Batur is breathtaking... Enough to make you want to stroll here! A must-see for a good introduction to the history of Balinese art.

There's a bookshop and café inside the museum.