Leading art collectors put pressure on Balai Seni Visual Negara
by Kathy Rowland In a first for Malaysian art history, a Collectors’ Petition signed by 55 private art collectors have warned Balai Seni Visual Negara that they will no longer be lending works from their collection to Balai in future…
Arts censorship: At the end of the day, this is not new
By Kathy Rowland (1400 words, 8 minute read) Balai Seni Visual Negara Malaysia (Balai) is once again accused of censoring artists’ work. The victim this time is noted visual artist Ahmad Fuad Osman, who was honoured with a mid-career solo…
Unravelling the History of Nudity in Singapore Theatre
By Akanksha Raja (2144 words, nine-minute read) The naked body on stage (even if only imagined) has a potent social power: taboos surrounding the body can shock and offend some Singaporeans. But when did this start? How has public response…
C(l)ocked: “Catamite” by Loo Zihan
By Ray Langenbach (1213 words, 5-minute read) In this over-the-shoulder ‘clocking’ of Loo Zihan’s solo performance I see the silhouette of my own head looking on from the side. Having worked extensively with Zihan over the past several years, I…
In George Town, a Proxy War for the Nation
By Kathy Rowland (1165 words, 5-minute read) Coloured ink on paper. Only a society that polices gender and sexuality can turn ordinary photos into weapons of mass gay conversion. Over the past eight iterations, the George Town Festival (GTF) has…
Artist charged for illegal one-man procession from Hong Lim to Parliament House (via The Online Citizen)
Seelan Palay, a local artist, has been charged by the Attorney-General’s Chambers for participating in a public procession from Hong Lim Park to the National Gallery, and to the Parliament House on 1 October 2017. It is written in the…
Malaysian court jails, fines artist for clown caricature of PM (via Reuters)
A Malaysian artist and prominent opposition activist was jailed for a month on Tuesday for publishing a caricature of Prime Minister Najib Razak looking like a clown, a ruling likely to exacerbate concern about free speech. Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy…
Singapore bans film focused on indicted Palestinian teen
“Singapore has banned a film festival from screening a documentary later this week that features a teenage Palestinian female activist whose arrest last month has made her a symbol of resistance to Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. Justifying the…
Faisal Tehrani: From Poster Boy to Pariah
Since he broke into the literary scene in his teens, Malaysian writer and academic, Dr Faizal Musa, better know by his pen name, Faisal Tehrani, has written several best selling and critically acclaimed novels and short stories. His articles on…
No Escape from the C: Reflections on Censorship and Curation in the Pangrok Sulap case
By Carmen Nge (1110 words, 10-minute read) The dust appears to have settled on the recent controversy surrounding the removal of Malaysian art collective Pangrok Sulap’s artwork Sabah Tanah Air-Ku from the art exhibition, “Escape from the SEA”. Organized by…
Activist Lena Hendry fined RM10,000 over unapproved documentary screening
KUALA LUMPUR: A human rights activist has been fined RM10,000 Wednesday by the magistrate’s court here for screening a Sri Lankan civil war documentary which had not been approved by the Censorship Board. Magistrate Mohd Rehan Mohd Aris sentenced Lena…
Happy Ending To Beauty and the Beast Controversy in Malaysia
PETALING JAYA: Just like the fairy tale itself, the controversy over Disney’s live-action film Beauty and the Beast will have a happy ending in Malaysia. According to an industry insider, the movie has been approved for release in Malaysia with…
How Sensitive is this Banner Artwork by Pangrok Sulap, Really?
Earlier today Malaysian landscape architect, Ng Sek San uploaded several images of Pangrok Sulap’s artwork, a collective of woodcut print pieces that had been removed from an exhibition for being err… too sediyes. To read the rest of this article click here.
When Your Privates Become Public: From Synge to M1 Fringe
By Corrie Tan (2043 words, 15-minute read) It was January 26, 1907, a Saturday night in Dublin, Ireland. Audience members, rowdy and revolted, were pouring out of the Abbey Theatre after the premiere of playwright J. M. Synge’s The Playboy…
