About the Eugene Museum in Bali
(Excerpt from the official website/boilerplate of the museum)

“Located approximately 10 minutes from the World Heritage site of Tanah Lot Temple, and surrounded by lush greenery and water, the permanent Eugene Museum in Bali is scheduled to open in mid-2026. This permanent museum is being created by a collectors’ union rooted in Asia and Indonesia, with a vision for the next generation in Asia.

Designed by Indonesia’s leading architect Andra Matin in close collaboration with Eugene Kangawa, Eugene Studio—a Japanese contemporary artist born in the United States—the museum was conceived specifically for Kangawa’s works. It allows visitors to experience the coexistence of nature and humanity across a one-hectare site.

The museum was designed as reviving unused rice field land—avoiding existing trees, aligning with the paths of sunlight and constellations, and using reused terracotta materials to embrace aging over time. The resulting space, thoughtfully created by the artist and architect, may be described as a contemporary ruin.

In addition to workshops and nighttime tours, the site will feature a playroom, restaurant, library, and a “museum stay” accommodation program.

Goldrain, Imagination, Waves of Light, A Thousand Strata, The Eternal Road.
Through experiences both inside and outside the museum, visitors will encounter shimmering golden rain, step into waves of light, be surrounded by tens of thousands of falling leaves, and dive themselves in massive golden paintings, celestial bodies, and light.Each work experience is designed to change significantly depending on natural conditions like weather and time of day, much like a landscape.

The museum was born from a movement led by Eugene’s collectors’ union following his major solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, with the conviction that such works should be housed permanently.
The area where the museum is located is called Emerald. Aimed at enhancing the natural and environmental charm of the region, it will also feature restaurants and overnight accommodation programs. The initiative collaborates with the surrounding areas, including nuanu creative city, the adjacent Tanah Lot Temple area, and the Canggu region, to communicate the full appeal of the location.

— Eugene Museum in Bali, 2025”

Read the full text here

About Andra Matin

Indonesia’s Andra Matin (b. 1962) is among the nation’s most distinguished architects. His accolades include a Special Mention at the 2018 Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition and the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2022—one of the highest honors in the Islamic world. His diverse portfolio encompasses residential projects, museums, mosques, and public facilities. Notable works include Blimbingsari Airport, Potato Head (2010), and Tubaba Mosque (2017).

Born in Bandung, West Java, he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Parahyangan University in 1981, worked at Grahacipta Hadiprana from 1990 to 1998, and established his own practice in 1998. Today, his Bandung-based firm employs over 40 staff members.
www.andramatin.com

Comment by Architect Andra Matin

“For the Eugene Museum in Bali, it is essential that the architecture harmonizes seamlessly with Eugene’s works while reflecting the traditions, culture, and spirit of Bali. My practice is rooted in a profound respect for nature, and I feel a deep affinity with his art. This project delicately weaves together art, human activity, and nature, embodying elements that speak to cosmology.

In Bali, there is a traditional residential arrangement known as the Natah System, in which community life revolves around shared spaces that foster rest and connection. Inspired by this system, the museum is envisioned as a place of symbiosis—between the architecture, nature, Eugene’s works, and its visitors—making full use of local materials and craftsmanship, such as terracotta.

I hope this museum will become a landmark in Indonesia where people can encounter exceptional contemporary art and architecture. Through the combined efforts of an Indonesian architectural team and a Japanese contemporary artist, we aim to create spaces and experiences shaped by highly refined craftsmanship. My wish is for people in Indonesia and around the world to feel a genuine sense of connection with this place.”

Eugene Kangawa/EUGENE STUDIO

Eugene Kangawa (born 1989, USA) is known for abstract painting and installations centered on themes of human existence, time, and history.

His exhibitions and projects include EUGENE STUDIO The New Sea/After the Rainbow (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 2021–22); de-sport: (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2020); 1/2 century later. (Shiseido Gallery, Tokyo, 2017); and 89+ (Serpentine Galleries, London, 2014), among others.

Following international recognition of his solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo—centered on “symbiosis” and the “power of imagination,” at which he became the youngest artist to hold such an exhibition—a permanent museum dedicated to his work, brought to life by the vision and dedicated efforts of collectors across Asia and ASEAN, is now under construction by a local operating organization on an approximately one-hectare site near a UNESCO World Heritage site in Bali. (The Eugene Museum in Bali is scheduled to open in 2026.)

His short film has also been selected for—and received awards at—several international film festivals, including the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the Brooklyn Film Festival, and the Pan African Film Festival.

He currently works near Tokyo at Atelier iii—a lush studio designed and DIY-built by the artist and his team—together with a diverse, cross-disciplinary staff.
the-eugene-studio.com

Comment by Eugene Kangawa

To begin with, I would like to express my gratitude for the wonderful proposals and opportunities—possibilities I could never have imagined on my own. Visiting Indonesia and connecting with friends there was truly a joy. A cross-border initiative like this is only possible thanks to the generous support and encouragement of so many people, and I hope it will become a meaningful place for everyone involved.

Meeting architect Andra Matin was profoundly important. Current themes under discussion for the museum include Meta-Nature, Diverthing (Divert+Thing, a coined term), Symbiosis, and The Power of Imagination. Early on, I suggested the idea of not placing the building at the center of the site; Andra found common ground with traditional Balinese village layouts and connected the idea to their traditions.

This time, we have shared intricate details of each work, leading to a fascinating process in which the spatial design of the artworks and the architecture are developed together. The entire building itself feels like a single work of art, with some areas—like my own atelier—bathed in natural light and changing dramatically with the time of day. The same work will look entirely different in the daytime and at night. I believe this is one of the ideal conditions for artworks: a harmonious engagement with all elements of nature, existing together with architecture, landscape, and the people who visit.

Andra calls this concept “Museum as a Village.” My hope is that, including the works themselves, it will be an open and welcoming space for all.