Paintings by Spies to go on exhibit

Paintings by Spies to go on exhibit

JAKARTA (JP): To celebrate Indonesia's 50th Independence
anniversary, the Goethe Institut Jakarta in cooperation with
Ministry of Culture and Education will hold a paintings
exhibition called "Walter Spies in Indonesia" at Wisma Seni Rupa,
Gambir, Central Jakarta, from Sept. 15 to 24.

The exhibition will feature 10 original paintings of German
artist Spies (1895-1942), four of which courtesy of the State
Presidential Palace. The paintings of 17 Balinese artists
influenced by Spies will also be on display.

The exhibition will also screen a documentary film on Moscow-
born Spies and its closing ceremony traditional Balinese dances
will include a performance by dancer Bulantrisna Djelantik,
artist Teguh Ostenrik and composer Alex Dea.

Spies, who lived in Indonesia from 1923 to 1942, moved to Bali
in 1927. He not only had a strong influence on local painters
through his "magic realism" style, but his choreography of one of
Bali's most famous dances, the Kecak, is the one we know today.

While Spies has a well-known reputation in Bali, he remains
virtually unknown in Germany and other European countries. (als)