In December 2025, the landscape of Jatiluwih in Tabanan, Bali, underwent an unusual transformation. Rows of zinc sheets appeared across the rice fields, installed by farmers and local residents as a form of protest against tourism policies and regulations affecting the area.
Jatiluwih has long been recognized as part of the subak landscape designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. It is often celebrated as a symbol of harmony between humans, nature, and Bali’s traditional irrigation system. Yet this incident revealed a more complex reality: beneath its celebrated beauty lie real and ongoing tensions.
This moment became a starting point for artist Putu “PW” Winata, who has been conducting research and engaging directly with Jatiluwih since 2024. Through field observations and close interaction with the subak environment, he has produced more than a hundred works, exhibited in cities including Bali, Yogyakarta, Jakarta, and New York.
In this exhibition, the landscape is no longer presented as whole or serene. PW’s paintings are constructed through layered forms, lines, and shifting textures, evoking traces of labor, currents of air, and continuous change. The inclusion of zinc elements within the exhibition space serves as a stark reminder of the protests that unfolded on the land itself.
“Jatiluwih: A Beauty Interrupted” will be held at Sika Gallery, Ubud, from March 27 to April 19, 2026. Through these works, Jatiluwih is presented not only as a heritage site, but as a living landscape—one shaped by an ongoing tension between beauty, competing interests, and the sustainability of its community.
Curator Arif Bagus Prasetyo notes that PW’s work develops a critical visual language through the juxtaposition of dense imagery and empty space. This strategy reflects the dilemma of the subak system: deeply rooted in spiritual and ecological values, yet increasingly pressured by the demands of modern tourism.
According to Arif, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on who truly benefits from Jatiluwih’s iconic beauty—and who is left at its margins. Cultural heritage, he emphasizes, is not merely something to be seen, but a living system that calls for fairness and balance. []
Exhibition Information
“Jatiluwih: A Beauty Interrupted”
Solo Exhibition by Putu Winata
SIKA Gallery, Ubud
March 27 – April 19, 2026
Open Tuesday to Sunday
10 AM – 6 PM
Free entry
