The appreciation of fine art has been an increasingly important movement within Balinese culture over the past decade. However, no institution has done more for the fine arts than Museum Rudana, a large, modern art museum located in the town of Ubud, about 35kms from Bali’s main city, Denpasar.
The Museum Rudana is a three-storey building boasting a wide selection of fascinating artwork from some of Bali’s most honorable artists, including the well-renowned I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, and the popular Ida Bagus Made. These major names can be found on the third floor of the building, the location of Museum Rudana’s classical fine arts collection.
The remaining floors boast a range of interesting artists. Modern artwork collected from across Indonesia can be viewed on the second and first floors of the museum. In addition to this, a number of expatriate-turned Balinese-style artists, such as the always prevalent Antonio Blanco, have displays available throughout the floors.
The Museum Rudana contains more than 400 original paintings, some of which date back more than 160 years. The museum is situated next to the Rudana Gallery, which currently offers an exquisite selection of fine art pieces for public sale. Visitors touring Ubud will be able to reach Museum Rudana effortlessly using taxis, which can be hired for a day at around RP50,000.
Need to Know
- What is it? a large art museum portraying classical, traditional and contemporary Balinese and Indonesian art
- Opening hours: 9:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday; 12:00 to 17:00, Sunday
- Entrance fees: adults RP20,000; children free
- Where: Jalan Rai Pudak, Peliatan Ubud, Bali
- How to get there: taxis are the easiest form of transport to Museum Rudana. It is not convenient to walk there from central Ubud