"art, ritual, and performance are seamlessly interwoven"

The photograph above reminds us that art, ritual, and performance are seamlessly interwoven within the traditional cultures of Bali and cannot be separated. When objects are removed from their contexts and placed in museum settings it is all too easy to view them only as artworks and not as essential components of the cultures of which they were a part. To some extent this is unavoidable, but in this exhibition, which features some 130 objects drawn primarily from international museum collections, we are making a special effort to highlight the interrelation and oneness of these elements within the fabric of the island’s life.