Bali. Life in two worlds

Cracks, or leaks, have appeared in the holiday paradise of Bali, where millions of tourists flock every year.

Rama Surya has tried to capture the thrilling, complex but also sometimes amusing contrasts between the traditional and modern Bali in his black and white photographs.

His pictures contradict diametrically the glossy tourist brochures, whose bright, vibrant colours depict Bali as an Island of the Gods, a tropical paradise.

This exhibition, “Bali. Life in two Worlds”, consists of 35 works by the photographer Rama Surya. These are complimented by ten photographs dating from the 1920s & 1930s, as well as fascinating ethnographical objects from the vaults of the Frankfurt Museum of World Culture which lend a tangible connection to Rama Suryas photographs. The aim is to bring into focus the co-existence of Bali’s diverse cultural aspects and the influence the rest of the world has on the Balinese community.

Rama Surya has been Photographic Editor of the magazine Latitudes in Bali since 2000. He lives with his wife, the writer Susi Andrini, and their two children in Sanur, Bali.