Gianyar, Regency

Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA)

Museum ARMA is one of the largest private museums in Ubud besides the Neka Museum and Rudana Museum. This Museum is located in Pangosekan, Ubud, on 4500 m2 of land. Two multi-storey buildings with Balinese Architecture are the main hall, where the museum’s collections of painting are housed.
The ARMA Museum collection numbers about 200 paintings, consisting of local and outside painters. Among them are the classical paintings of Kamasan puppets, the traditional painting style of Batuan, Ubud’s traditional painting style, modern painting of Indonesian painters, also foreign painter’s who lived in Bali, such as Rudolf Bonnet, Walter Spies, W.G. Hofker, Le Mayeur, and so on.
Museum ARMA is in the control of the ARMA foundation. This museum is a result of an obsession of a travelling art seller named Anak Agung Rai. This man who was born on 14 July 1955 worked hard to sell the paintings to tourists at Kuta Beach. From his daily activities that are much associated with the tourist and paintings, Agung Rai was then able to distinguish the painting, whether it be good or bad. And from there, suddenly came his love of paintings. As well as selling paintings, Agung Rai also collects paintings.
Finally as a result of this continued work, the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia, Dr. Ing Wardiman Djoyonegoro opened the ARMA Museum on 9 June 1996. Besides housing painting works from famous Indonesian painters, ARMA Museum is also a place for art and culture performances like Balinese dances, theatre, and musical performances. Seminars, workshops, or art discussions are also often held there. This is possible, because the ARMA Museum area is very large and shaded. (Gung Man)