Art KL-itique

Semiological. Intertextual. Structuralist. These common descriptors of Ismail Zain’s oeuvre do a disservice to his artistic output, in its establishing of an academic distance between the viewer and the artwork. As Ismail once said, “I don’t want to think of my work as being unique, symbolic, visionary, not even privileged.” In this tribute exhibition , a number of works are chosen/ commissioned, and shown together with Ismail’s own works loaned from public collections. Such display approach demands its exhibits to only be interpreted against Ismail’s art philosophy, a difficult effort due to an arbitrary arrangement and unclear groupings. Wordy works by Nasir Baharuddin and Noor Azizan Rahman Paiman, demonstrate how challenging it is to visually represent concepts such as intertextuality (and perhaps should not be attempted?) Redza Piyadasa – The Malays – A Cultural History by R Windstedt, 1961, First Published 1974 (2008) ‘The Pavilion’ greets the visitor, the decorative ...

...In the next section, Nur Hanim Khairuddin’s concise and illuminating essay traces the development of independent “Artist Initiatives” that “…challenge the hegemonic control of institutional and commercial sectors”. Self-expression and public engagement go hand in hand, and associating these initiatives with the underground music scene is rightfully highlighted. That collectives grow into institutions, is indeed food for thought. Most fascinating is the discussion around interdependence , where Hasnul J. Saidon remarks, “(i)t’s [about] power. No matter what you call it, you want to call it independence, there is a structure behind it and I’m interested to see that structure. I want to see it visible. If it is possible, I want to see who gives you money, who supports you, who writes about you, who creates discourse, who creates the taste.” Yes, I want to see it too. Hasnul J. Saidon - KDEK!KDEK!ONG! (1994) Quotes from the roundtable discussion in “The Art Market” section in...

Infrastructures is the easiest book to read among the three volumes of Narratives in Malaysian Art published so far , even though it contains no colour pictures. Topics revolve around people and structures in the local art scene, that support how art comes into being here. Essays which document historical events are incorporated with transcribed forums and interviews, to combine into a straightforward read about facts and opinions. The volume begins with an abridged (39 pages!) essay by Syed Ahmad Jamal – ’25 Years of Malaysian Art, 1957-1982’ – which lays the groundwork for the topics elaborated in this book. Instigators drive the development of the art world, be it pioneering makers, passionate collectors, or curriculum designers. The remarkably strong-willed independent spirit described, still applies to the current situation, and that is comforting. Syed Ahmad Jamal - Lencana Balai Seni Lukis Negara (1984) It is imperative to consider the idea behind each of the five s...

Sidestepping the capitalist mode of defining spaces as private versus public, a collective of architects presents the Common , hereby referred to as “…the commonly-owned shared spaces of the modern project of housing…” This initiative is currently exhibited at the Tehran and Venice Biennales of Architecture, and local enthusiasts are treated to a “copy” of the exhibition with a focus on the Razak Mansions estate scheduled for demolition in 2017. These “spaces of encounter” project a uniformity which repeating patterns are aesthetically pleasing, yet restrained in its socially-binding proposition. Neighbours come and go, where common issues debated relate to the inhabited environment. Are corridors a sufficiently large space to produce useful discourse? Snapshots of pictures in catalogue for Framing the Common: Kuala Lumpur   “How do we frame Razak Mansions’ idea of the commons, as a concept that stages itself around the term “pubic”, “community”, and the “social”, as it...

After admiring the precise compositions and abstract sandscapes in photographs of a famous coastal area, one has to ask – why did Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah not develop these coloured Ektachrome slides during his lifetime? The current custodian of Sultan Ismail’s archive made it known that Photoshop was utilised to equalise faded colours and remove unsavoury stains. Which makes appreciating these pictures an interesting experience – was this red head scarf as vivid now as then? Are the faint lines among the sand an original design or a current development? How many authors are there in each photograph? Notwithstanding conceptual concerns, looking at the output of this pioneering Malaysian photographer remains hugely enjoyable, as I await the subsequent follow-on exhibitions. Installation snapshot 

… Looking at an early painting by Cheong Laitong, one is reminded of the glass mosaic mural on Muzium Negara’s façade. Perhaps a photograph can better pique public interest; another suggestion for curators is to work together with external parties, such as the Malaysia Design Archive who currently hosts articles about art & culture written in the 1950s. One featured writer is Mohamed Salehuddin, whose ‘At the Kampung Shop’ hangs in the Angkatan Pelukis SeMalaysia (APS) section. The straightforward picture shows a Malay lady buying rice from a Chinese merchant, her driver and car in the background. That this scene be proposed as an “…indictment of Chinese economic exploitation…”, infers that critic Redza Piyadasa’s sensitivities were ahead of his time. Mohamed Salehuddin – At the Kampung Shop (1959) A 1995 newspaper article by Ooi Kok Chuen describes Salehuddin as a social activist, who was once imprisoned for his anti-colonial writings for Majlis , a magazine that eve...

… Moving on from colonial pictures, “FORMATION”  highlights local artists active during the period from 1920s to 1960s. Galeri 1A is demarcated into ten sections corresponding to art groups, each segment clearly labelled with introductory wall texts. Such segregation sidesteps chronological issues, but risks pigeonholing artists and their affiliations. Nonetheless, this effective display approach works great to describe the burgeoning art scenes across Malayan locations and ethnic communities, hence turning the emphasis upon artists' background and influences. From court painter to Chinese artists in Penang & Singapore, to Kuala Lumpur’s turn as an art hub, the presented timeline is a straightforward one. K. K. Lau – Let There Be Space for All Things (1970) Art societies such as the Penang Impressionists, Yin-Yin Art Circle, and 南洋书画社, were formed in the early 20th century, but the earliest exhibited artworks are made in the early 1950s. This highlights the main con...