Neka Art Museum — A Paradise to Explore the Art and Culture of Bali, Indonesia
By: Travel Duniya
Tags: Adventure, Travel, Tourism, Travel Tips, Travelling

Neka Art Museum is a museum and art gallery established by Wayan Suteja Neka, a famous wood carver and Balinese art enthusiast. In 1976, the museum was built but inaugurated in 1982 by the Ministry of Culture & Education. You can explore the exhibits of sculptures and Affandi Paintings displayed in 6 different buildings built in a garden compound of Balinese style. The museum is located in Kedewatan village on Jalan Raya Campuhan, at the northwest of Ubud center.

These six buildings are designed with ancient Balinese layout and architecture which have the vast collections of sculptures, paintings, and traditional keris daggers of Bali, which belonged to the founder, who was also a generation of Pande clan of smiths in Bali honeymoon package from India.

The First Building

It houses varied ranges of Balinese paintings and four exhibits. In Exhibit A, you can explore the rich Balinese paintings from classical wayang paintings of Kamasan style which depict the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana and Balinese and Javanese legends and myths.

In Exhibits B and C, the museum displays paintings having western influences which were developed in Ubud in the 1920s and later became popular as paintings in Ubud style. The Dutch painter Rudolf Bonnet and German artist Walter Spies have brought the influence to introduce their unique techniques of shadows, lighting, subject anatomy and perspectives. There are Batuan paintings from the village in Exhibit D.

The Second Building

Named after the Dutch-born painter of Indonesian origin who lives in Bali, Adrianus Wilhelmus (Arie) Smit, the second building is known as the Arie Smit pavilion. This art pavilion was set up as a tribute to the artist for his presence in Ubud arts by Neka.

There are two floors in the pavilion, the first pavilion depicts the creations of young artists who belonged to the ‘Young Artists Movement’ which was generated in 1960 by Smit, with the likes of Ketut Soki, Nyoman Chakra and others in expressionistic, contemporary, and abstract arts.

On the second floor, you can see the works of Arie Smit in different painting styles and themes which show the community living in Bali and the imaginations of natural landscapes of Bali.

The Third Building

It presents the epic photographs. You can spot the archive collections in this building with black and white photos taken by one of the oldest expatriates in Bali, American Robert Koke, which dated back to 1930s.

The Fourth Building

This building refers to Lempad pavilion, named after the late Balinese architect and sculptor, Gusti Nyoman Lempad, who is popular for his own Balinese paintings and styles. He used to work on epics and local legends and his theme also includes the rural village life of Dubai family tour package.

The Fifth Building

It houses the modern and contemporary arts from Indonesian artists with five exhibits.

The Sixth Building

It houses a combination of Eastern and Western styles. This 2-story complex is devoted to the arts of well-known International and Indonesian artists.

The first floor has the works of well-known Indonesian artists, including Soedjono, Affandi, Srihadi Soedarsono, Nasyah Djamin, Widayat, Ahmad Sadaji, Bagong Kussudiardjo, and Abas Alibasyah. On the second floor, it houses the creations of international artists, including Rudolf Bonnet, Antonio Blanco, and Miguel Covarrubias.

Along with the six main art complexes, you can also find the founder’s own passion in Neka Art Museum with his Keris Dagger collection. You can spot his beautiful 272 carved daggers in this museum that he has collected in his lifetime.

These well-designed daggers are the living epitomes by master smiths in the past and all of them are laid well out in order in the glass displays.

What else to know about the Neka Art Museum?

Visiting the Neka Art Museum is both an educational tour and a glimpse to the past which enlightens the minds of visitors with details about the history of the development of Balinese art and the techniques used by traditional artists. You might also meet the founder himself, who will avidly explain and show the process of making keris dagger and his compassion of Arie Smit, the living legend, who also belongs to the Pande clan of smiths in Bali.

In the museum, you can spot the well-known facilities, such as tropical greens, airy meeting halls, refreshment store, ample parking, and restrooms for a fun day at the museum. On the Jalan Raya Ubud main road, you can also visit the Agung Rai Museum of Art in Ubud.

The Design

The overall design of the museum reflects the traditional architecture of Bali and each building here has a unique function. Visitors can walk along a range of art galleries, ranging from paintings to contemporary Balinese art, along with art influenced and created by foreign artists in Dubai tour package from India.

Opening Hours, Location and Entry Fee

Neka Art Museum is strategically positioned at Jalan Raya Sanggingan Campuhan, at Ubud Bali.

The entry fee at Neka Museum is IDR 50.000 per person and free for children below 12 years of age.

Opening hours

· National Holiday — Closed

· Monday to Saturday — 9:00 to 17:00 Hrs

· Sunday — 13:00 to 17:00 Hrs

Getting in Neka Museum Ubud Bali

When it comes to visiting Ubud Bali, you will definitely need a transport facility to get there. But only a meter taxi is available if you are expecting for public transport in Ubud. It is always best to hire a meter taxi if you spend the night at Ubud and want to get around in this place. Don’t worry, there is no lack of meter taxis here. You can easily get one for yourself. If you like to get around Ubud from somewhere else in Bali, you can also get car rental.

We recommend you to have a car rental with a well-trained driver as finding a place for parking is not easy here. You may end up parking on the sides of the street sometimes as finding parking space is not easy. So, it is always wise to rent a car with driver at Ubud. You can also visit another museum along with Neka Museum, which deserves your attention, i.e. the Arma Museum.