ROOTS: Tracing a Century of Walter Spies in Bali

ARMA Museum, Ubud, Bali
24 May – 14 June 2025

One hundred years after the German-Russian artist Walter Spies first set foot in Bali, his legacy returns to the island through an ambitious exhibition titled ROOTS: One Hundred Years of Walter Spies in Bali. Curated by the multifaceted author, filmmaker, and cultural consultant Michael Schindhelm, the exhibition explores Spies’ enduring impact on Bali’s cultural and artistic landscape, while interrogating the broader implications of Western influence on the island over the past century.

Presented by the Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger | KBH.G in collaboration with ARMA Museum in Ubud, ROOTS comes to Bali following its debut in Basel, Switzerland. Unlike conventional biographical retrospectives, ROOTS weaves archival research, contemporary artworks, documentary film, and performative installations into a compelling narrative that examines Bali’s entangled histories of colonialism, tourism, and cultural resilience.

At the heart of the exhibition lies Villa Iseh, a retreat built by Spies in 1937 in Karangasem. Once a haven for the artist, it later drew cultural icons such as Yoko Ono, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger—symbolizing the beginning of Bali’s image as a mythical paradise in the Western imagination. From this symbolic ground, ROOTS begins its exploration of the forces that have shaped Bali’s modern identity.

Spies, born in Moscow in 1895, arrived in Bali in 1927 after living in Yogyakarta and Bandung. A painter, musician, filmmaker, and ethnographer, he helped catalyze what would later be called a Balinese cultural renaissance. He co-founded the Pita Maha artist collective, reimagined the Kecak dance with Wayan Limbak, and played a role in institutionalizing Balinese arts through the Bali Museum. Yet, despite friendships with figures like Margaret Mead, Otto Dix, and Charlie Chaplin, Spies’ name remains little known in Europe—while in Bali, he is revered as a pioneer of modernism.

ROOTS interrogates this dichotomy with a critical lens. The exhibition draws connections between Spies’ romanticized vision of Bali and the complexities of the island’s postcolonial reality. “This is not just a historical retrospective,” Schindhelm explains. “It’s a collective memory project that aims to position Spies’ legacy within the context of Bali’s transformation into a global tourism destination. It is a story of shared heritage—and shared responsibility.”

The exhibition features new commissions and contemporary works by Balinese artists Made Bayak and Gus Dark. Bayak, known for his “Plasticology” series, confronts issues of consumerism and environmental destruction, while Gus Dark reflects on cultural displacement and social change through a bold, graphic visual language. Both artists engage with the contradictions of preserving cultural identity in the face of global pressures—mirroring the contradictions that Spies himself embodied.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public programs and film screenings across Bali, culminating on 14 June at ARMA Museum with a final screening and a student-focused award ceremony. Admission to all programs and exhibitions is free, thanks to the support of Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger.

A central element of ROOTS is Schindhelm’s docu-fiction film of the same name, which positions the ghost of Walter Spies as a spectral presence drifting through contemporary Bali. The film juxtaposes historical narrative with present-day encounters, including performances and conversations with Balinese creatives like choreographer Wayan Dibia, dancer Dewa Ayu Eka Putri, and musician Putu Tangkas Adi Hiranmayena. Through these artistic collaborations, the film invites audiences to reflect on the legacy of cultural exchange—and cultural imbalance.

Agung Rai, founder of ARMA Museum, sees ROOTS as a timely intervention. “Walter Spies contributed to the preservation of Balinese culture at a time of great change. Today, Bali faces a different kind of transformation, and exhibitions like this help us reflect on where we’ve come from and where we’re going.”

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ROOTS: One Hundred Years of Walter Spies in Bali
ARMA Museum, Ubud | 24 May – 14 June 2025
Film screenings begin 21 May across Bali
Free Admission

For more information: kbhg.ch | armaubud.com