Through the vision, considerable efforts, and direct involvement of collectors connected to Asia, the ASEAN region, and Indonesia, construction has begun on a permanent museum dedicated to the works of Eugene Kangawa / EUGENE STUDIO, based on his solo exhibition The New Sea / After the Rainbow at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo(2021-22).Located at the foot of a UNESCO World Heritage area in Bali, the Eugene Museum in Bali will be situated on a one-hectare site with facilities totaling approximately 5,000 square meters. The main building is being designed in dialogue between Indonesia’s leading architect, Andra Matin, and Kangawa himself, and is scheduled to open to the public in 2026.
We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to all who proposed ideas beyond anything we could have imagined and dedicated themselves to making this permanent museum a reality.
Last November, preparation room for museum was opened in the capital, Jakarta, and the project was announced in Indonesia at the end of May this year. The architectural part of the museum, set on a 1-hectare site surrounded by the sea and greenery, is being designed by Andra Matin, a prominent Indonesian architect who won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2022. The entire architecture is being developed to integrate seamlessly with the Eugene's works. The Eugene Museum in Bali has been mentioned in Indonesia, as well as in the main editions of the Financial Times (UK) and Le Quotidien de l'Art (France).
Although there are still several years until the opening, we hope that this museum, situated in a wonderful town rich in greenery at the foot of a World Heritage site, will be open to children and various generations. For detailed information and comments from Eugene Kangawa, please refer to the museum's operational website below.
*The construction, operation, legal affairs, public relations and all related activities of this museum are carried out by a local joint venture under local laws. The surrounding region and the entire area are supported mainly by local people, public office, and a multinational team from over 50 countries. Eugene Studio is responsible for overseeing the artworks in the museum.
Outline (Eugene Museum in Bali official website *external site)
Announcement | 個展「新しい海」(東京都現代美術館,2022年)がもととなり、多様な地域の方々の手によって常設美術館へ。Eugene Museum in Bali/ユージーン・ミュージアム・イン・バリが世界遺産の麓にて。(2026年 一般開館予定)
この度、アジアとASEAN地域、インドネシアに縁のあるコレクターズユニオンによって、東京都現代美術館の個展「新しい海 After the rainbow」(2021-22)がもととなる寒川裕人/ユージーン・スタジオの作品の常設美術館がバリの世界遺産一帯の麓にて計画され、現地運営組織によって建設が開始されました。本館建築はインドネシアを代表する建築家アンドラ・マティンの設計と寒川の対話によって設計され、一般開館は2026年と予定されています。(本常設美術館「Eugene Museum in Bali (ユージーン・ミュージアム・イン・バリ)」は約1haの敷地に合計約5000平米の施設と予定されています。)
本美術館は、緑豊かな周辺地域と美術館の運営を担う現地共同企業体により、現地法に基づいた建設・ 運営・法務・広報等全般の活動が行われています。また、関連する美術館周囲は重点開発区域として現地および多国籍のチーム、地域の官公庁によって支えられています。
まずはスタジオより、私どもの想像を遥かに超える常設美術館をご提案くださり、ご尽力くださっている方々に心より御礼申し上げます。現地の皆様にとって大切な場所となることを願っています。
詳細は美術館の公式webサイト(英語/インドネシア語 *外部サイトへ移動します。)
(下記、美術館公式webサイトより)
“海と緑に囲まれた1haの敷地に広がる美術館の建築のパートには、イスラム圏の建築における最高賞のひとつとされるアガ・カーン建築賞やヴェネチア・ビエンナーレ国際建築展特別賞を受賞し、インドネシアを代表する建築家アンドラ・マティン（Andra Matin）が設計を担当しています。
またミュージアムコミュニケーション・マネジメントパートは、グッゲンハイム・ビルバオやV&Aをはじめとする世界の数多くの美術施設を担う英国のチームSuttonとVivinが担当しています。
先駆けて2024年5月末にはインドネシアにて美術館より計画が発表され、本国では多様なメディアに取り上げていただき、他にもイギリスのFinancial Times本紙や仏Le Quotidien de l’Art本紙ほか、香港やフィリピンなどのメディアでも取り上げて頂いております。
美術館より、インタビュー動画が公開されています。下記よりご覧いただけます。"
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Eugene Museum in Bali について
（下記、美術館の英語版ボイラープレートより直訳・引用しています。）
自然林の間をぬって作られる施設面積約5,000平方メートルのなかには、金色に輝く雨、無限の海、輝く巨大なペインティング等の10を超える部屋や、緑に囲まれたエントランスレストランやライブラリー、ステイプログラムなどがあり、深い体験が、世代を超えて一日を通して提供される場所です。 自然との共生をコンセプトとした建築で知られるインドネシアのアンドラ・マティンの建築空間は、作品と見事に調和し、世界観を存分に感じられる贅沢な空間となっています。
寒川裕人による、愛や偶然、光と影、自然またはメタネイチャーなどをテーマとした大規模なインスタレーションや絵画は、分断されつつある現代を生きる人々を惹きつけ、2021-22年に開催された東京都現代美術館における同館最年少での個展の反響は世界へと広がり、インドネシアを含む多様な地域に波及し、常設で世代や国境を超えて世界中の人々へ届けられるべきという多様な地域の方々の支持と期待感と共に、自然に恵まれ、国際色豊かな場所であるバリでの常設美術館「Eugene Museum in Bali」へと繋がりました。
美術館の隣にはインターナショナルスクールが開校され、Eugene Museum in Baliでは、自然・物理と哲学が融合した作品群と、現地の豊かな自然が調和し、自然と作品、そして訪れる人々による新しい共生の場が地域からも期待されています。”
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約2年後の一般開館に向けて日々、過去シリーズに加え新作を含めた制作を行っております。緑溢れる場所にて、子どもから様々な世代までにひらかれた美術館になればと願っております。
About Eugene Kangawa / EUGENE STUDIO
寒川裕人(Eugene Kangawa)は1989年アメリカ生まれの現代美術家。
インスタレーションや絵画を中心に、過去に東京都現代美術館での個展「新しい海 After the Rainbow」↗︎(2021–22)や、金沢21世紀美術館「de-sport:」↗︎(2020)、青森県立美術館「青森EARTH2019：いのち耕す場所」(2019)、資生堂ギャラリー個展「1/2 century later.」(2017)、サーペンタイン・ギャラリー (ロンドン)「89+」(2014)の参加ほか、コレクション展など多数。
また、東京都現代美術館での最年少の個展の反響が広がり、様々な地域の方々の手によって、常設美術館「ユージーン・ミュージアム・イン・バリ」が、バリの世界遺産の麓一帯の約1haの敷地にて建設されています。 (日本語の詳細はこちら。↗︎緑豊かな約 1haの敷地にて、絵画やインスタレーション作品で構成される美術館は、インドネシアの建築家による設計で、2026年に一般公開が予定されています。)
そのほか、アメリカで発表された短編映画はロードアイランド国際映画祭、パンアフリカン映画祭、ブルックリン国際映画祭、ヒューストン国際映画祭ほか複数の映画祭でオフィシャルセレクションの選出や受賞↗︎ほか、初期の活動については2017年に『アート×テクノロジーの時代』(宮津大輔著、光文社新書)にて、都市計画やバイオテクノロジー、人工知能などの研究開発への招聘や活動についてまとめられ、チームラボ等とともにその分野において日本を代表する四つのアーティストとして著されています。
2016年に設立されたスタジオでは、様々な分野のスタッフが、日々制作やリサーチを行っています。
Outline (Quoting from the Eugene Museum official website *external site)
“Located ten minutes from the famous Tanah Lot Temple, at the base of a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Eugene Museum in Bali is a permanent museum set amidst lush greenery and the ocean, established with various communities from around the world. The museum’s architectural design, by Indonesia’s renowned architect Andra Matin, features permanent artworks by Eugene Kangawa / EUGENE STUDIO (hereafter referred to as Eugene), blending seamlessly with nature, art, and architecture. Visitors can deeply experience this harmony on the museum’s 1 ha site, which is set to open to the public in 2026.
The 5,000 m² museum, designed to weave through the existing trees, will feature over ten rooms showcasing artworks such as Golden Rain, Infinite Ocean, and large, luminous paintings. The museum will also include a restaurant, library, and stay programs, offering a space where visitors of all generations can immerse themselves in deep, enriching experiences day and night.
Eugene’s paintings and large-scale installations, which explore themes such as love and chance, light and shadow, and nature or meta-nature, resonate with people navigating the complexities of contemporary life. Notably, Eugene’s solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in 2021-22—where he became the youngest artist to hold a solo exhibition—drew long queques despite being held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this exhibition reverberated globally, reaching diverse communities, including in Indonesia. With the strong support and expectations of communities who believe his artworks should be permanently exhibited and accessible to all generations worldwide, the Eugene Museum in Bali was established in the naturally rich and internationally vibrant setting of Bali.
Adjacent to the museum is an international school, poised to become a new hub from Asia, offering educational programs developed in collaboration with neighboring countries.
At the Eugene Museum in Bali, Eugene’s experiential works, which integrate nature, physics, and philosophy, will harmonize with the region’s rich natural beauty, and are anticipated to create a space where nature, art, and visitors coexist in harmony.
*The museum, which provides beautiful and truly astonishing experience, will feature approximately 15+ permanent installations, including Eugene’s signature installations, ‘Sea Garden,’ ‘Goldrain,’ and ‘Everything Shines,’ which reflect his enduring theme of symbiosis. The museum is managed by a joint management team of the museum and the area.
*In late-2023, in preparation for the museum development, a preparatory room was established in Jakarta, housed within the same building as the HQ of Art Jakarta.
*As “Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy”
For more details: https://eugene-museum.com/en/
For more articles: https://eugene-museum.com/en/#news
Press enquiries on this matter: https://eugene-museum.com/inquiry/
Correspondence
Indonesia / Vivin
UK, US, FR / Sutton
The construction of the art museum, which is set to commence within the year, will be situated in Tabanan Regency, a wonderful area adjacent to the international school that opened last year, and is envisioned as the concept of a next-generation society. As an open museum, it is expected to collaborate with the local community to create a new way of life, born out of the resonance between Kangawa’s works and the surrounding area.
The architecture of the museum, surrounded by the sea and greenery, is being designed by Andra Matin, an award-winning architect of Indonesia who received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and is progressed in such a way that the entire building is a work of art.
This museum is a continuation of the ‘New Sea’ of Eugene Kangawa / Eugene Studio, as well as a permanent museum for children and all generations, a slightly new form of museum and a place for social practice.
We express our gratitude to those who have supported and proposed this project both domestically and internationally, especially individuals from Indonesia and the APEC region. Meanwhile, at the studio, we are working towards the scheduled public opening approximately two years from now. This involves the daily creation of artworks, comprising over 15 series, including both past and new pieces.
The museum will include several new works as well as paintings and installations, including ‘Critical’, ‘Goldrain’, ‘Light and Shadow inside me’ and ‘Everything Shines’.
Comment from Eugene Kangawa
“First and foremost, I am sincerely grateful for this wonderful opportunity in such a truly beautiful place as Bali, Indonesia, at the foot of a World Heritage Site. Visiting Indonesia and engaging with friends there has been a true joy. I would like to thank the people who have said they wanted to make it a permanent museum, and those who committed to the realization.
This museum will be open to all generations. It is a great honor for me to see my works and solo exhibitions go beyond the framework of a touring exhibition and become a permanent museum.
It is an important place in Indonesia, and I hope that we can carefully nurture it with the people around us.There are still a few years to go before the museum opens, and I look forward to its completion as we receive architectural drawings and landscape developments on a daily basis.
The Asia I have lived in is becoming increasingly sophisticated. When I first visited this new city, I strongly felt by both the splendor and weight of what the world of the future needs. I can say that the whole city's approach and what I and we have been doing occurred naturally at the same era.
A few years ago, I became interested in understanding the language of Bahasa Indonesia, and I came across the word “Nusantara”. The word means “archipelago”. The appearance of being together, even if there are contradictions, a true symbiosis. In fact, the world is also an archipelago. I am going to take time for a deeper understanding of this word in the future.
I have always been interested in the history of Asia, upon receiving this opportunity. Bali felt familiar, both as an environment and as a geographical location. This evergreen place, visited by a wide variety of people, is geographically one of the centers of the world.
In 2016, I held an exhibition of the potential of a cityscape with low-rise buildings and an agriculture-centered city model. When I visited this area, it felt similar to the image I had envisioned at that time.
Reflecting often on the distance between art, society, life, and daily living, upon receiving this opportunity, I felt a new way of connecting them. From solo exhibitions in museums and experiences in self-built atelier, I believe there are still entirely new possibilities for art and the future direction of society, much like the vast ocean that lies ahead.
I believe that one of the fundamental roles of contemporary art is to freely embody the systems and ecologies that the world needs, without being constrained by stereotypes or market demands. The world has not been improved by technology and business alone. Both philosophy and real places are needed. If even one person who visits can have the opportunity to reflect on something, it might lead to changing the world.”
Comment from Andra Matin
“There are similarities between Eugene’s works and mine which includes our admiration to the sun, breeze and shadow.Visioning the museum to be accessible by everyone, I believe the space can be a subtle palette to the beautiful artworks created by Eugene.”
The primary focus for Eugene Museum in Bali is to capture Bali's tradition, culture, and soul, and blend them organically with Eugene's artworks. My architectural approach is deeply rooted in a respect for nature, and I feel a strong affinity with Eugene’s works.This project delicately blends art, human behavior, and nature, incorporating elements that are deeply significant to cosmology.
In Bali, there is a traditional residential system known as the Natah system, which creates shared spaces for relaxation and builds a community around them. In this project, the shared space will serve as a collaboration between architecture, nature, Eugene’s artwork, and the visitors. Building on this system, we will make the most of local materials and techniques.
I hope this museum will become a destination for experiencing exceptional contemporary art and architecture in Indonesia. An Indonesian architectural team and a Japanese contemporary artist are joining forces to create immersive spaces and experiences through exceptionally delicate techniques. I hope that people in Indonesia and around the world will have the opportunity to experience this unique creation.