Art KL-itique

A major contemporary art museum and its recent move of introducing Asian artists to its Western audience, is among the topics covered by Guggenheim Museum associate curator Sandhini Poddar, at her recent visit to Shalini Ganendra's. The low turn-out can be attributed to rain and an art auction , as one ponders the sorry state of affairs if indeed local curators chose to attend the charity sale over this experience sharing. Tracing the development of Guggenheim exhibitions from 2008 to the present, a logical approach sees one blockbuster show leading to significant individual retrospectives, then onto region-specific surveys. This macro-to-microscopic progression implies a visionary curatorial strategy, but each iteration is still susceptible to certain pressing questions. The intention of Western museums to extend coverage of Asian art will always be suspect, especially for the Guggenheim as it builds its largest outpost in Abu Dhabi. Installation view of Cai Guo-Qiang - Cry

After Chi Too's zine which featured photographs of himself in a pinafore, Sharon Chin returned from her successful performance at the Singapore Biennale, to compile her "Mandi Bunga" illustrations into a zine . Hand-drawn curves and black ink fills are simple yet underrated in this age of technology, where the zine's picture quality was sufficient to print a good-looking reproduction. Poster / final page of Sharon Chin's "Mandi Bunga (2013)" zine "Day Zero Night Hero" showcases Ivan Lam's sequential series of 3 resin-encased works that portray straightforward binaries of time-bound notions, where familiar imagery and strong contrasts typify the artist's urban aesthetic. Visual appeal is a primary objective, seen in the pleasing hues that bind the first picture, the spatial constructs of the second, and the solidified waves in the third. Persistent effort is required to control industrial resin, its multi layered effect gloss

The catchy “2 + 2” theme simplifies the presentation of recent works by established artists, as a wealthy target clientèle quickly snap up market-relevant and distinguished works. This is apparent for auction darling Ahmad Zakii Anwar, whose first three sales out of five pastel drawings are for an ethnic Malay man, a smoker, and one attractive peach-coloured portrait. Following on his recent series of works, 'Ketuanan' and 'Rumah Pisang' by Jalaini Abu Hassan stand out for its metaphorical content. The former shows Soekarno with stained shirt holding a parang , the backlit former Indonesian president and bloody doorway, forming a sinister scene that overshadows the lovely floral fabric floor. White light shines into a kampong house in the latter, where bunches of ripening bananas lie on the ground shielded from the blinding blaze. Both paintings are executed brilliantly, and immediately allow the Malaysian to inject interpretations of social realities. Jalaini A

Note: An attempt to write an op-editorial about art auctions in Malaysia,  where such commentaries are not available.  . Written in mid-November 2013. Over the course of a month, the 3 houses together realised RM 8,993,050 for Malaysian and Southeast Asian art sales. The total tally signifies an increased interest in local and regional art, but barely registers a blip when compared to the record-breaking sale of $691,583,000 (RM 2.21 billion) at Christie’s New York. The two-hour Post-war and Contemporary evening sale offered only 69 lots where 63 were sold, including the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, $142,405,000 (RM 456 million) for Francis Bacon’s "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" (1969). This gaudy figure easily obliterated the record previously set by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” at $119,922,496 (RM 384 million) at Sotheby’s New York in May 2012. Obviously Malaysia’s art market still has a long way to go, but the more important differentiation factor is t

Note:  An attempt to write an auction summary report about art auctions in Malaysia, where such reports are not available.  Written in mid-November 2013. Unabated, Malaysian art auction fever fuelled Masterpiece’s South East Asian Modern sale on a Sunday afternoon at Sheraton Imperial, which realized RM 3,610,750 for the astounding 152 lots it sold. The total scored closer to the higher end of the RM 2.83-4.27 million pre-sale estimates as five works fetched over RM 100,000, and another five over RM 50,000. Only 8 out of 160 lots were bought in, as the firesale achieved an amazing 5 percent buy-in rate by lot, and 14 percent by value. The afternoon’s highlight belongs to Ibrahim Hussein’s “Val Bon” (1985), a busy picture featuring the artist’s signature sinuous lines, which drew a number of bids before expiring at RM 594,000 (est. RM 350-500,000). The work was just recently sold at Christie’s Hong Kong in May 2013 for HKD 870,000 (RM 358,941), signalling a remarkably quick turnover

Former Anak Alam members Mazlan Noor and Hassan Majid get together to exhibit different dispositions, their works poorly hung in an alternate manner that severely impairs proper appreciation of either artists' works. Hassan's paintings initially grab attention with their distorted faces and phantom silhouettes, strangely triggering my imagination of how Cheong Lai Tong may have drawn Avatar characters in the midst of morphing ala Matrix Reloaded . When the medium is pared down to simply pen and ink, like in 'Di Bawah Terik Mentari', spectral portrayals dissolve within a well-drawn darkness. Few rounds around the exhibits later, the viewer starts to become enchanted by Along's concentric circles, its serenity punctuated by dots in Takashi Murakami colours. Poems accompany these works by the long-time Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka book cover designer, whose humility many praise in the exhibition catalogue addendum. Mazlan Noor - Bulatan dan Titik Taharah (2012) A

After news broke about super typhoon Haiyan striking east Philippines, Sharon Chin embarked on an inspiring solo auction of her sketch and stencils used for her recent performance at the Singapore Biennale. Malaysian art collectors and industry players proceed to jump onto the art for charity bandwagon, swiftly putting together an auction with significant contributions from many artists, space provider, and even catalogue printer. Logistics and publicity were efficiently arranged, the privileged wielding their mobilising power with fruitful intent. Auction lots were priced below market value and its buyer’s premium generously waived, although only an Art Friend will describe these middling-quality works as "very cheap" . Opportunity knocks for the ardent collector whom gets an artwork, a tax-deductible receipt, and a certain peace of mind. 37 out of 40 lots sold for RM 572,500, but it is unclear how much of the total goes to Mercy Malaysia. Ramlan Abdullah - Minaret

Wei-Ling Gallery's annual showcase deploys narcissism as its unifying theme, which early communication likely led to a wonderfully coherent display, all artists successfully producing theme-relevant artworks. Following on recent editions of 18@8, a commercial tie-up required each artist to work on a Furla Candy bag, which were subsequently auctioned off to aid animal welfare organisation SPCA. A typical large-scale work by Zulkifli Yusoff greets and confounds the viewer, its overlapping strips of cloth and coloured resin resembling an architectural plan. References to the story of a tortoise and two birds are prominent only as texts, as the similarly patterned bag nabbed the highest auction price. Anurendra Jegadeva's version features cut-out felt icons, referencing modern society’s fallacy of worshipping personalities, a delightful diversion from his serious painting of a Burmese militant monk. Furla bags: (left) Zulkifli Yusoff - The Birds and the Tortoise; (right) Anu

Expanding on the previous  A4-sized theme , this fund raising showcase allows artists to contribute on a larger dimension this year. Signature styles prevail, where Chong Siew Ying's charcoal landscapes and Zuraimi Rahim's aluminium construct flank an in-your-face political finger by Phuan Thai Meng. Recent evolutions see Marvin Chan depicting children faces on epoxy, as Ahmad Zakii Anwar experiments with pastel to draw a man's head. Eschewing a change of medium to explore other subjects, Kow Leong Kiang and Gan Chin Lee paint attractive nudes that take after post-Impressionist portrayals of human desolation. Twisting bodies in small spaces describe both paintings, although scattered rubbish in the latter evoke a more powerful (Freud-like?) struggle. Chin Kong Yee's early portrait projects less strain at first glance, but the bald head, blue table, and stacked chairs, delineate a central figure of personal importance. Chin Kong Yee - Standing portrait of C.B.G (2

Korean contemporary art reveals a sensibility seemingly informed by a colonial history of foreign occupations. Its aesthetic congruence amalgamates a Chinese emphasis on illustrated forms, clean lines & natural textures from the Japanese, with an American brand of flamboyance. Harbouring a desire to see Korean art up close since viewing pictures of Shin Meekyoung's beautiful soap vases, it is a joy to appreciate works from Taksu Singapore's "New Waves , Korea" exhibition at the Jalan Pawang gallery. Hong Sungchul's prints of human hands on elastic strings prove remarkable, its 3-dimensional spectacle projecting a fresh originality, that disrupts modern society's familiarity with flat digital images. Hong Sungchul - String Hands 0247 (2013) Hard-edged immediately comes to mind while viewing this collection, a description especially applicable to Yoo Bongsang and Kim Kunju, whose precise and polished constructs depict an artificial finish not see

8 months have passed since I last visited the year-long "Fabrics of Society" exhibition, a duration coinciding with an ongoing endeavour to understand Malaysian art. A better appreciation for Khalil Ibrahim's batik emerges, his figures' sensual contours and rippling muscles drawing a vitality rarely seen in works by student Ismail Mat Hussin. 'They are Singing Hujan Tengahari at Meridien' by Ismail Zain explores repeated patterns and colour juxtapositions, its perfect symmetry invigorated by a painted waterfall gushing through the middle. Mentioned a number of times in Reactions – New Critical Strategies , pioneer photographer HRH Sultan Ismail displays a great sense of framing, best appreciated in a recently released monograph. 'Trade Tricycle' captures a scene still seen today outside Bidor's famous Pun Chun 品珍 noodle house, as the taste of wu gok and sight of petai bunches drift into mind momentarily. Photography, history; Memory, sensibi

Expounded brilliantly in the exhibition introduction, "It's Still Life" "breaks away from the documentary approach... and ventures into the more technically-demanding world of still life photography." Quoting another line, "the often-cited test of still life photography is that you can't just take a picture - you have to make it." A number of the photographers struggle mightily, isolating plain objects in black & white or forcefully fabricating ineffective effects. Farah Azizan displays abundant skill in composition where an assemblage of natural textures creates luscious pictures, utilising unexpected objects such as candle wax and chicken feet. Colourful backgrounds are utilised to set off subversive objects in Paul Gadd's works, its prettiness concealing an uneasy and personal presentation. Farah Azizan - Birds of A Feather... Together #2 (2013) Dolls become captivating subjects for two photographers with different approaches.

A 3-year collaboration between Perth's Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the MoMA series presents the second of its five shows titled "Van Gogh, Dali and Beyond" . Among the master paintings and monochromatic photographs, repetition of forms bind my two favourite displays. Elmer Schooley's 'German Landscape' feature rows of prostrating figurines on a brownish background, their small variations in posture resulting in a picture that depicts weightless mass. Arman's 'I Still Use Brushes' is wickedly sarcastic and successfully expresses a neurotic obsession to accumulate found objects, while commenting on the popularity of colour field painting during this time. Arman - I Still Use Brushes (1969) AGWA 's collection holds much Australian aborigine art, yet what draws attention is Ken Unsworth's 'Suspended Stone Circle'. Smooth dinosaur egg-shaped rocks are suspended in a cir

Framing - be it a physical border or a contextualised concept, are inherent to any artwork as we perceive it. Bayu Utomo Radjikin's attempt to frame (in galling red & black) 13 young artists as the next generation , seems a little gratuitous considering that a number of them have exhibited at House of Matahati. The scarlet wall behind Seah Zelin's 'The Unknown Adventure' sets the tone, where very large works are displayed on a contrasting background. Associating a seminal artwork with size is perilous, notwithstanding the corresponding higher price tag. Painters Haslin Ismail and Fadilah Karim's large canvases draw familiar styles, as Chong Ai Lei continues to struggle  while depicting a vibrant outdoor scene, let down by the subject's lack of personality. Many of the participants stagnated after a promising start, hopefully because of a sophomoric slump and not due to being shrouded by the cloud of fame. Akhmal Asyraf - The Distance Between Us (2013

Barring 'Apologies to J. Anu', the 14 photographs exhibited pose a familiar reminder of an unpleasant August memory. Garbed in a Malaysian schoolgirl pinafore, chi too dresses himself in a symbol of racial demarcation, an identity crafted by Yee I-Lann in her recent installation at "Kedai Commemorate". That project was among the secondary exhibits in the embarrassing M50 programme, which the artist theatrically comments on via kawaii or contemplative poses. Consistent with his absurd-yet-intelligent output, the photo captures memorialising " the only event that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the country which unfortunately failed miserably" reveal rudimentary questions. Subtlety, quality, public awareness, and ultimately censorship of the artworks shown then, bring to light an uneven curatorial approach and lack of leadership by the National Visual Arts Gallery. Apologies to Yee I-Lann (2013) In 'Apologies to Samsudin Wahab', a g

Outstanding artworks absorb the viewer in "Bersama", a diplomatic exhibition that attempts to "explore the relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia". Beginning with portraiture as academic art, Hoessein Enas' works remain inferior when compared to his idol Basoeki Abdullah, whose sliver of blue injects vigour not seen in Hossein's rigid figures. Another Indonesian AD Pirous is recognised as a pioneer in melding abstraction with Koranic calligraphy, although such approach has been utilised by Syed Ahmad Jamal since a decade earlier, whose 'Chairil Anwar' is a fine example that pays homage to the famous poet. Nearby, vibrant lines and local colours overlap in the delightful 'Kaligrafi Pohon Hayat' by Siti Zainon Ismail. Her whimsical illustrations are shown together with performance artist Arahmaiani's sketches, whose paintings of analytical dimensions and words project a stunted narrative. Chang Fee Ming - Caressed by the Moon (200

After the momentary highlight of appreciating modern Malaysian artists (permanent exhibition hopeful ), a stop over at the National Visual Arts Gallery rekindled the routine disappointment felt in previous visits. Artworks shortlisted for the Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Contemporaries Award) 2013, display an alarming lack of originality, notably among established artists like Samsudin Wahab's frozen meat and Ali Bebit's talking lips. Sloppily made video art submissions bore within the first minute, the exception being Fuad Arif's atmospheric meditation of God's name, a relevant exhortation amidst the ongoing Allah controversy. Nonsensical constructs range from a giant shuttlecock to a football field, as artists struggle to impress in an intelligent or artful manner. Some exhibits transported sand into the gallery space to recall beach memories, a move as dull and uninspiring as an old cupboard displayed. BMS '13 hopeful: Yim Yen Sum - Where I Come From II (2013)