ROOTS exhibition revisited Walter Spies’ century in Bali

Ubud — The "ROOTS: One Hundred Years of Walter Spies in Bali" exhibition at ARMA Museum in Ubud traced the German-Russian artist’s legacy through contemporary Balinese art, film and installations, while examining a century of cultural exchange and Western influence on the island.

Hosted at ARMA Museum from 24 May to 14 June 2025, the exhibition marked one hundred years since Walter Spies first arrived in Bali, a milestone widely cited in coverage of the project and its accompanying programmes. The show was presented in Bali following an earlier iteration by Swiss cultural foundation Kulturstiftung Basel H. Geiger | KBH.G, and was produced and curated by author and filmmaker Michael Schindhelm.

According to the foundation and the curator, ROOTS was conceived not as a straightforward commemoration but as an exploration of Spies’ role in Bali’s cultural memory and of the broader postcolonial legacy of Western modern culture on the island. The exhibition narrative connected his presence to themes such as mass tourism, environmental pressure and contested cultural identities that continue to shape how Bali is represented to the world.

From artist’s legend to shared heritage

Walter Spies was born in Moscow in 1895 and later became known as a German artist whose work in painting, music and photography helped shape modern Balinese art in the 1920s and 1930s. He arrived in Bali in 1923 and remained closely associated with the island’s development as an artistic destination until his death in 1942, when the ship carrying him as an internee sank off Sumatra.

Coverage of ROOTS emphasised how the exhibition treated Spies less as an isolated genius and more as a historical presence woven into Bali’s evolving relationship with foreign artists and visitors. Articles describing the project noted his links to international cultural figures and the role of sites associated with him, such as Villa Iseh in Karangasem, in attracting later generations of global visitors.

Central to the project was Schindhelm’s docu-fiction film ROOTS, which portrays Spies as a spectral or metaphorical figure moving through contemporary Bali, encountering artists and communities while reflecting on the consequences of Western influence. The film’s framing as fiction underscores that it is an imaginative device rather than a documentary record of Spies’ actions or views.

Schindhelm and KBH.G described the wider project as an enquiry into collective memory and “shared heritage” between Bali and Western modern culture, using Spies’ legacy to question how foreign narratives have shaped perceptions of the island.

Balinese perspectives in the exhibition

Local reporting highlights that ROOTS was built around collaboration with Balinese artists and cultural practitioners, positioning their work as a counterpoint to an exclusively Spies-centred story. Contemporary artists such as painter Made Bayak and graphic artist Gus Dark contributed works that addressed topics including karma, reincarnation, waste and social critique, linking historical influence to current environmental and cultural concerns.

Media coverage also notes the involvement of dancer Dewa Ayu Eka Putri, choreographer and scholar Wayan Dibia, musician and researcher Putu Tangkas Adi Hiranmayena, and ARMA founder Agung Rai among the programme’s collaborators. Their participation in performances, discussions and other public events formed part of an effort to situate the exhibition within ongoing debates about cultural preservation, tourism and identity in Bali.

ROOTS further expanded its historical frame by referencing the 1965–66 mass violence in Indonesia, including a "living room 1965" space within the exhibition’s sequence of rooms. This juxtaposed Spies’ earlier presence with a later traumatic chapter in national history, signalling that contemporary accounts of Bali cannot rely solely on narratives of artistic discovery and harmony.

Film screenings and public programmes

The docu-fiction film ROOTS was scheduled for a series of screenings at eight venues across Bali between 21 May and 14 June 2025, including Kulidan Kitchen and Space, Danes Art Veranda, ARMA Museum, Taman Baca Kesiman, ISI Denpasar, STIKOM Bali and Uma Seminyak. The programme culminated on 14 June at ARMA Museum with a special screening and an award ceremony for local students.

Local outlets describe the exhibition itself as organised into five themed rooms and two dark spaces for film screenings, charting an arc from imagined paradise through spiritual journeys, mass tourism, the 1965 period and water-related religious practices. Together, the exhibition and film series invited visitors to reconsider both the mythologised figure of Walter Spies and the island’s complex cultural transformations over the past century.

Sources

• NOW! Bali – 'ROOTS' Exhibition: One Hundred Years of Walters Spies in Bali
• Michael Schindhelm – ROOTS: One Hundred Years Walter Spies in Bali
• Detik Bali – 100 Tahun Walter Spies, Bali Dipenuhi Karya Sarat Kritik Sosial
• Senidibali – ROOTS: Tracing a Century of Walter Spies in Bali
• Bali.live – ARMA Ubud: Walter Spies' Legacy Meets Modern Balinese Art
• SuaraBali – Seabad Walter Spies di Bali: Pameran ROOTS Singgung Masa Depan Pulau Dewata
• TheIndonesia.co – ROOTS of Ubud: Walter Spies, Art, and Bali's Cultural Awakening
• Bali-gid.com – Exhibition at ARMA Museum dedicated to Walter Spies
• NusaBali.com – Walter Spies dalam ROOTS, Kisah Seratus Tahun Pengaruhnya di Bali
• Tribun Bali – Pajang Lukisan Tema Karma & Reinkarnasi Hingga Kritisi Sampah, Roots 100 Tahun Walter Spies di Bali
• Tatkala.co – Memperingati Seratus Tahun Walter Spies dengan Pameran ROOTS di ARMA Museum Ubud