A large-scale exhibition entitled Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance will open in February 2011 at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, one of the world’s most respected institutions for Asian art. This is big news. Exciting news. The show includes works on loan from numerous international collections, many which have never before been exhibited publicly. Unusual ritual objects ranging from palm-leaf offerings to gilded palanquins will complement the more familiar Balinese art forms such as sculpture, masks and textiles.

To say this show will be large-scale is an understatement; well over 100 objects are to be exhibited, and a richly-illustrated 416-page catalog (below) is due for release on 10 February, 2011. Pre-order the catalog at amazon.com now for just $29.70. That’s one third off the $45.00 release date cover price.

The author, Natasha Reichle (Associate Curator of Southeast Asian Art at SF Asian, below) and a team of researchers, conservators, and designers have been preparing for this landmark exhibition for several years. Here’s a blog post from over a year ago, evidencing the intense and wide-ranging preparations that a major show like this requires.

The museum is also preparing a variety of multimedia and interactive programs, and performances and workshops will be held during the show’s seven-month run. Such a long run will allow many thousands of people to enjoy the exhibition, and to learn a bit more about Bali, an island which in spite of its wild popularity is often misunderstood. Hats off to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum and many generous sponsors for supporting such an important and timely exhibition.