Yogyakarta, May 6, 2026 — The Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta, through its Faculty of Fine Arts and Design (FSRD), is holding a film screening ROOTS: One Hundred Years of Walter Spies in Bali, by Michael Schindhelm, on Friday, May 8, 2026, at 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM Western Indonesian Time, held at the Sasana Ajiyasa Building, 2nd Floor, FSRD ISI Yogyakarta.
This activity serves as an academic space for students, lecturers, artists, and the public to re-examine Walter Spies's legacy in Bali and his influence on the formation of Bali's modern art, cultural, and tourism landscape. Through film screenings and discussions, ISI Yogyakarta reaffirms its role as an art higher education institution that is not only oriented towards artistic creation but also towards strengthening critical studies, historical reflection, and in-depth cultural interpretation.
Movies ROOTS presenting a re-reading of Bali as a continuously moving and negotiated cultural space. This film not only presents Bali as a tourist “paradise,” but also raises questions about art, colonialism, exoticism, cultural representation, and global tourism. Thus, this activity is important in building students' critical perspectives on the relationship between art, history, identity, and the cultural industry.
The film screening agenda will be opened by the Dean of FSRD ISI Yogyakarta, Muhamad Sholahuddin, S.Sn., M.T. After the film screening, the activity will continue with a discussion with Yudha Bantono from Bali Art Focus and Wiwik Sri Wulandari, M.Sn., a lecturer from the Fine Arts Study Program at FSRD ISI Yogyakarta.
Through this forum, students are invited not only to be spectators but also active readers of artistic and cultural issues. This activity aligns with the role of ISI Yogyakarta as a higher education institution for the arts, which encourages students to think critically, identify problems, collect data, and analyze cultural phenomena logically, reflectively, and in a way that benefits humanity.
Film screening arrangements ROOTS also demonstrates ISI Yogyakarta's commitment to expanding opportunities for interaction between art education, artistic practice, cultural research, and art community networks. Collaboration with various parties in this activity is part of an effort to strengthen an open, dialogical art ecosystem that is relevant to contemporary cultural dynamics.
As a leading arts higher education institution in Indonesia, ISI Yogyakarta continues to offer academic and cultural programs that bring together artistic creation, research, and appreciation. Activities such as film screenings ROOTS being a concrete form of ISI Yogyakarta's contribution in building art and cultural literacy, while strengthening the institution's position as a center for art knowledge development that impacts society.
Movie screening ROOTS: One Hundred Years of Walter Spies in Bali Open to the public and free of charge. Limited spots. Registration can be done via linktr.ee/bukusenirupa. For more information, please contact +62 895-3231-05919.
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