Current Exhibition

TONTONAN, TATANAN, TUNTUNAN
Keris dibuat dengan sentuhan rasa dan ekspresi untuk memenuhi kaidah-kaidah keindahan bentuk visualnya (tontonan). Demikian pula keris dibuat dengan pemenuhan kaidah-kaidah atau pakem yang rumit pada kedalaman makna yang religius, magis dan mistis (tatanan). Keris dengan segala bentuk dan kelengkapannya memiliki tuntunan perilaku dan pemaknaan kehidupan bagi masyarakat Nusantara. Keris, a straight or wavy-bladed dagger, is created by combining feeling and expression to achieve its visual form. Besides, it is also created with complicated rules to fulfill its deep religious, magical and mystical meanings. Keris, with all of its parts, reflects the main core of human life and also guides human attitudes.

KREATIVITAS, RASA, DAN PIKIRAN
Keris digunakan untuk kegiatan-kegiatan keagamaan, upacara-upacara religius dan magis, namun keris juga benda yang dapat difungsikan secara teknomik sebagai senjata penusuk dan sebagai kelengkapan busana. Keris dibuat sebagai manifestasi daya kreativitas, parasaan, dan pikiran yang mendalam bagi seniman pembuatnya (mpu) Keris is commonly used for religious and magical events and ritual. Meanwhile, keris also functions as either a stabbing weapon or as a functional part of a Balinese man’s costume. It is the manifestation of creativity, feelings, and thoughts of the artist (mpu) who made it.

RAGA DAN NIR RAGA
Sebagai sebuah hasil budaya leluhur yang adiluhung keris memiliki peranan yang cukup kompleks dalam kehidupan masyarakat tradisional. Keris senantiasa lekat dan tidak dapat dipisahkan dari diri dan kehidupan mereka sebagai suatu kelengkapan hidup yang demikian penting. Tidak hanya fungsi fisiknya sebagai sebuah alat (raga) namun juga nilai-nilai spritualitasnya (nir raga) yang bersifat psikologis : untuk ketenangan dan kenyamanan hidup. As a product of high culture inherited from the ancestors, keris has a complex role in traditional society. It cannot be separated from humans as a prominent component for their lives. Not only its physical function (raga) as a weapon, keris has spiritual values (nir raga) with psychological qualities for composure and comfort in life.

RAGA, RASA, DAN PIKIRAN UNTUK RITUAL
Dalam Agama Hindu berkarya seni merupakan salah satu bagian dari ritual keagamaan. baik pada bidang seni tari, seni rupa, dekorasi, dan lain-lain. Seni dan agama menjadi sesuatu yang tidak dapat dipisahkan dari proses ritual mereka. Bagi masyarakat Hindu di Bali, berkarya seni sebagai salah satu aktifitas keagamaan membutuhkan daya kesadaran raga, rasa dan konsentrasi pikiran yang tinggi. Konsep religi masyarakat Bali mengenal “ Panca Yadnya” (5 jenis upacara) yaitu, Dewa Yadnya, Manusa Yadnya, Bhuta Yadnya, Pitra Yadnya dan Resi Yadnya. Based on Hinduism, art is part of religious ritual, including dance, fine art, decoration, and so forth. Art and Religion are two things that cannot be separated from the ritual process conducted in everysociety. Hindus in Bali believe that creating art is a reflection of religious needs, physical consciousness, feelings, and high concentration. Balinese religious concepts are “Panca Yadnya” (5 rituals), namely: Dewa Yadnya (ritual for God), Manusa Yadnya (ritual for humans), Bhuta Yadnya (ritual for demons), Pitra Yadnya (ritual for ancestors), and Resi Yadnya (ritual for holy persons).

Past Exhibitions

Solo Painting Exhibition by Jero Mangku R. Soebroto

The tragic event of 12 October 2002 has left people who live in Bali with many mixed emotion. We feel violated and terribly hurt by this act of violance. We mourn for all who were directly affected by the bombing, and are deeply concerned about the future of Bali in particular, and Indonesia in general.

That’s why Neka Art Museum presents
painting exhibition LIVING IN HARMONY for healing Bali
from the pain story.

Jero Mangku R. Soebroto (Wahyu Brahmantoro Purwanto) was born in 1937 in Tulungagung, East Java. The artist started to point on his own in 1953, then went, on to study at the Indonesian Fine Arts Academy in Yogyakarta, Central Java. He left the academy in 1960 and lived in Bali, where he taught painting at the Central Saraswati High School and Senior Teachers’ Training School in Denpasar. As a member of the CITRA artists’ group in Bali, he always participated in its exhibitions.
Soebroto worked as a poster illustrator for the Balinese Provincial Government Information Office. He taught at the Indonesian Fine Arts School in Denpasar, and was an assistant in the Lanscaping and Construction Division for the Badung regional Government. Soebroto was a lecturer in fine arts in the Tehnical Department of Udayana University in Denpasar.
Since 1992, Jero Mangku R. Soebroto has been active in Hinduism, serving as pemangku (temple priest) at Pura Agung Blambangan in Banyuwangi, East Java. In 1996 he finished his studies in the priesthood at Widya Srama Hindu University of Indonesia in Denpasar. This was officially recognized by the Central Administrative Council of Hinduism for Indonesia.

Soebroto’s works are in the Neka Art Museum (Ubud,Bali), National Art Gallery (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), and several private collections in the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, and Spain.

Exhibitions:

2002
“Living in Harmony : Paintings by R. Soebroto “, Solo Exhibition; Neka Art Museum, Ubud, Bali
2002-2003
“Crossing Boundaries: Bali, a Window to twentieth Century Indonesian Art” touring group exhibition; Asia Society AustralAsia Centre
1994
“From Ritual to Romance: paintings Inspired by Bali”, group exhibition; Singapore Art Museum.
1989
Group exhibition; West Germany
1998
First Indonesian Paintings Triennial ;Jakarta
1982
Group exhibition with Sudarso, Agus Djaya, R.M. Moerdowo, A.A. Rai Kalam, Gung Wayan Tjidera, and others; taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) Art Centre, Jakarta
1979-1992
Group exhibitions, bali Art Festival; Taman Budaya Art Centre, Denpasar.
1979
Solo exhibition; Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Australia
1958-1960
Group exhibitions; Indonesian Fine Arts Academy (ASRI) , Yogyakarta , Central Java
1956-1959
Group exhibitions; Tulungagung, East java

JEJAK – JEJAK TRADISI DALAM EKSPRESI MODERNS

July 09, 2006 – August 09, 2006

Painter : Dosen of Senirupa at ISI (Institut Seni Indonesia) Denpasar

*I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, The Dagger Attack on Rangda* (1930s) The Neka Art Museum Celebrates Its Silver Jubilee This July!**	In 1975, Suteja Neka went with his friend the Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet (1895-1978) to visit art museums in Europe. At the British Museum in London, Suteja Neka saw rare works of Balinese art. He realized that such pieces should be in Bali for Balinese and visitors to study and enjoy. Suteja Neka envisioned establishing a museum for works by Balinese, other Indonesian and artists from abroad who were inspired by the life and land of Bali. Suteja Neka and his wife Gusti Made Srimin first opened the Neka Art Museum on 17 July 1976. The Indonesian government officially recognized it on 7 July 1982. The Neka Art Museum has a significant collection of Balinese art works in many styles from several different periods. It also has pieces by leading post-independence artists of Indonesia and by expatriate artists who contributed to the development of modern Balinese art. In addition, the Neka Art Museum displays works by international contemporary artists. To celebrate the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognition of Indonesian keris (traditional dagger) as a great achievement of cultural heritage for world humanity in November 2005, a new Keris Exhibition Room will be opened at the Neka Art Museum. Join us in a series of special events held throughout the year to commemorate the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Neka Art Museum.

*I Wayan Sudiarta, Sejiwa* (detail) Fine Arts Education Exhibition 15 February – 15 March**	Faculty, alumni and students of the fine arts education program of Ganesha University of Education (Undiksha, Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha; formerly Teachers’ Training College, IKIP, Institut Keguruan Ilmu Pendidikan) in Singaraja in the region of Buleleng, North Bali, will hold their first exhibition at the Neka Art Museum of paintings, sculp-tures, ceramics, graphics, photo-graphs and video works. This marks the start of celebrations for the Neka Art Museum’s twenty-fifth anniversary.

	*17th century royal Balinese keris, Ki Baju Rante (Venerable Armored Coat)*
Keris stabbing in trance during temple ritual Keris in Culture: Daggers and the Arts, Bali Revival Exhibition of Paintings and Launching of Books 22 July – 22 August	Dozens of antique and new keris from the collection of Suteja Neka, paintings from the Neka Art Museum with keris in them along with photographs by its curator Garrett Kam showing keris in Balinese costumes, ceremonies and dances are highlighted. This will be complemented by an exhibition of traditional Balinese paintings from private collections in Jakarta organized by Larasati Auctioneers and Friends of Larasati. Two books will be launched: The Neka Art Museum in Modern Balinese History: Art and the Passage of Time by Garrett Kam, and Mimpi Jadi Kenyataan compiled by Kardi Suteja and Wahyu Suteja, sons of Suteja Neka and Gusti Made Srimin. NOTE: The opening gala event is by invitation only.
*Affandi, Balinese Fishing Boats* (1975), detail Affandi Centennial Exhibition 12 August – 16 September 2007**	In commemoration of the one-hundredth year of the birth of Indonesia’s pioneering modern Expressionistic artist Affandi (1907-1990), an exhibition of his paintings in Balinese collections will be held at the Neka Art Museum. Similar events will take place in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Singapore. Suteja Neka was a good friend of Affandi and was the first to promote the artist’s unique works in Bali. The Neka Art Museum has one of the largest single collections of paintings by Affandi on permanent display. In addition, a seminar on the artist is being planned.

*Abdul Aziz, Waiting to Dance* (1983), detail Abdul Aziz Retrospective Solo Exhibition** 16 December 2007 – 13 January 2008	This is the first major solo exhibition of works by the late contemporary Javanese artist Abdul Aziz (1928-2002), who was a good friend of Suteja Neka. Aziz shared his knowledge of Western art with Suteja Neka, who in return promoted the artist’s paintings in Bali and honored him with a separate room for his works in the Contemporary Indonesian Art Hall at the Neka Art Museum. This event closes the Neka Art Museum’s year-long Silver Jubilee celebrations.