Join From Memory to Reinterpretation: Activating Archives Through Contemporary Practice, a collaborative workshop led by Chiara Goia and Sanur Archive, exploring how historical photographs and personal archives can become living materials for contemporary storytelling.
In the late 1920s, researchers and collectors captured Bali's ceremonies, rituals, gamelan orchestras, and everyday life. They pressed recordings into shellac and stored it all in archives abroad. For decades, this material remained largely inaccessible to the island it belonged to. Arsip Bali 1928 has spent years repatriating it from collections across Europe and the US, restoring it, and returning it home.
Bali 1928: Live Score Cinema resurfaces that footage every month through the end of 2026 — rare archival film with a live score and live narration, each edition a meeting of past and present.
Set against the backdrop of Osaka Castle, Radit Mahindro from Potato Head will be hosting a session exploring the musical dialogue between Bali and Japan, while spotlighting the hybrid crossovers that link these sounds to other regions. We’ll listen to how the rhythms of Balinese gamelan, rindik, jegog, and kecak were woven into the work of Yellow Magic Orchestra, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Haruomi Hosono, and even merged with Japanese noh in the soundscape of iconic anime Akira, tracing how these traditions travel beyond borders and shift into new forms.
Drawing from colonial archives of Bali, Agung Pramana traces how cultural representations were shaped, displaced, and solidified through colonial systems and museums.
Utilising the medium of printmaking, archives are manipulated as a decolonial strategy to reopen history, question the authority of representation, and reformulate how we interpret the past today.
Explore stunning works by well-known artists and local communities that reveal the rich meaning behind Bali’s sacred Nyepi traditions. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, cultural insights, or a peaceful moments surrounded by beauty, the spirit of KASANGA awaits.
Nuturang are going to take a closer look at the colonial architectural traces that still stand amidst the bustle of modern-day Denpasar. Through the markets and historic old buildings, they will explore how Denpasar was once part of the colonial narrative that influenced the city's appearance and the identity of its people.
Together with Marlowe Bandem, archivist and founder of Bali 1928, we will explore how tourism, initially introduced as an economic strategy, transformed into a force that significantly shaped the city's cultural landscape. This transformation simultaneously challenges a new generation of artists to negotiate between market demands, global pressures, and the local voice.
Often called a continuous stage for the arts, Bali has produced a rich and varied archive over time, including texts, photos, audio, and digital records. The photographic archives from the Colonial era are especially interesting. Discover more about them by attending a public lecture with Marlowe Bandem, the founder of Bali 1928 Archive.
Ubud Art Ground proudly presents our first major exhibition, Parallels: Legacies in Flux. 50+ artists. One space. Countless stories. A meeting point of heritage, memory, and contemporary expression.
This month’s Klymax Movie Night brings together four captivating films celebrating Bali’s rich heritage. PAHIT MANIS, Night Forest blends animation and archival art to show how Balinese storytelling can inspire care for the environment. Solahang: Balinese Dance Through Archival Lenses reveals rare 1930s footage of dance and music, offering a fascinating glimpse into Bali’s artistic past. Bali Tryptic: Between the Mountain and the Sea explores Balinese beliefs and history, tracing how ancient rituals and colonial encounters shaped the island’s identity. Miracle of Bali: The Midday Sun, narrated by David Attenborough, immerses you in 1960s village life with mesmerising gamelan, Legong dance, and the artistic legacy of Walter Spies. Together, these films invite you to experience the timeless spirit and cultural depth of Bali.
