In Cambodia, most cases of arts censorship are linked to the notion of protecting and preserving culture. Kai Brennert examines how different generations of civil servants and policymakers are shaped by their lived experiences, which in turn influence their view of “cultural preservation”.
The tale of a pioneering woman Indonesian filmmaker converges with the mission of a group of women film researchers, as Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights how archives and historical records often render some stories invisible.
Finding Ratna Asmara and the Herstory of Indonesian Cinema Read More »
Zikri Rahman menghuraikan tentang filem-filem yang ditapis secara tegas dan peluang yang terlepas akibat tindakan tersebut.
Yang Ditapis, Yang Terlepas Read More »
Researcher Linh Le interviews artist-curator Bill Nguyễn, in a wide ranging conversation about historical and contemporary censorship in Vietnam.
Podcast: Freedom for Artistic Expressions in Vietnam Read More »
Alia Swastika, the Director of the Jogja Biennale, offers a bold analysis of ruangrupa’s documenta fifteen, one that frames their artistic direction as an opening of new pathways that are long overdue.
documenta fifteen: Dreaming of a New Cartography Read More »
documenta fifteen closed on 25 Sept after its customary 100 days, which were filled with controversies and generated intense debate in the global art world. To mark the end of the exhibition, ArtsEquator has created a timeline to track the key incidents over the past two years.
documenta fifteen Ends, But The Timeline Continues Read More »
In a country with a range of national and international laws to protect artistic rights, Reaksmey Yean questions the reality of freedom of expression for artists in Cambodia.
Artistic Freedom in Cambodia: When Legal Safeguards Are Not Enough Read More »
នៅខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០២០ អាជ្ញាធរកម្ពុជាបានចាប់ខ្លួនអ្នកចម្រៀងរ៉ែបវ័យក្មេងពីររូប គឺ គា សុគន្ធ និងឡុង ពុទ្ធារ៉ា ទាក់ទងទៅនឹងពាក្យពេចន៍រំលេចនៅក្នុងបទចម្រៀង ដីខ្មែរ របស់ពួកគេ ដែលចេញកាលពីខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០២០។ បទចម្រៀងនេះបានទាក់ទាញឱ្យមានការទស្សនារហូតដល់ជាង ២,២លានលើក អំឡុងពេល៥ខែបន្ទាប់ពីការចេញផ្សាយ។ បទដីខ្មែរ នេះជំរុញឱ្យយុវជនខ្មែរទាំងឡាយក្រោកប្រឆាំងនឹងការគាបសង្កត់ អំពើពុករលួយ បោះបង់ចោលគ្រឿងស្រវឹង ហើយយកចិត្តទុកដាក់លើបញ្ហាទឹកដី។ នៅក្នុងបទចម្រៀងនេះ សុគន្ធរ៉ែបថា៖ «ខ្ញុំចាប់កំណើតកើតនៅលើដីកម្សត់ មានបេះដូងអព្យាក្រឹត ប្រឆាំងជាមួយនឹងជនក្បត់ វ៉ៃយកកេរដំណែល ក្រវែលអ្នកគាបសង្កត់ ជួយជាតិតាមសំឡេង ឱ្យគេឮតាមបទ។ ខ្ញុំអ្នកសៀមរាបរស់នៅលើដីប្រាសាទ មានឈាមវរ្ម័នក្លាហានមិនបាក់ស្បាត ឈរតំណាងទឹក តំណាងដី តំណាងសាសន៍ លើកទង់ជាតិកម្ពុជា ស្មើមេឃ ស្មើអាកាស។» ពាក្យពេចន៍របស់សុគន្ធ គឺពោរពេញទៅដោយមនោសញ្ចេតនា ជាតិនិយម ជាពិសេសពេលដែលសិល្បកររូបនេះរម្លឹកដល់អ្នកស្ដាប់ថា ៖ «យើងបើអស់ដីគ្មានអ្វីនៅទៀតទេ… សាសន៍មួយចំនួនកំពុងតែឈ្លានពាន ពេលដែលបាក់សាមគ្គីគេនឹងមកទន្ទ្រាន…» បើទោះបីជាបទចម្រៀងទាំងមូលមិនលើកយកពាក្យ «វៀតណាម» មកពណ៌នាក៏ដោយចុះ ក៏បញ្ហាទឹកដីដែលបានរំលេចនៅក្នុងចម្រៀងមួយបទ នេះធ្វើឱ្យអ្នកស្ដាប់យល់បានថា ជាការសំដៅទៅរកបញ្ហាព្រំដែនដ៏រស៊ើបមួយជាមួយនឹងប្រទេសវៀតណាម ទៅនឹងការចោទប្រកាន់ជាយូរយារណាស់មកហើយថា
សេរីភាពសិល្បៈនៅកម្ពុជា ៖ នៅពេលដែលការការពារតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់មិនគ្រប់គ្រាន់ Read More »
Kiri Dalena, one of the artists at the controversy-ridden documenta fifteen speaks with Pristine De Leon about the uneven dynamics between global exchanges and local needs, between lumbung and rigid hierarchies, between what has materialised and what was dreamed.
“It Has Been Dreamed”: Kiri Dalena on documenta fifteen Read More »
Burmese artists make art in exile in Thailand, finding refuge and showcasing cross-border solidarity for artistic freedom.
Art in Exile: Burmese Artists in Thailand Read More »
In a wide-ranging historical analysis of censorship in the Philippines, from Marcos (Senior) to Marcos (Junior), Katrina Stuart Santiago lays bare the myth of artistic freedom in the Philippines. In the process, she identifies a mounting conservatism, and new kinds of censors.
Creativity, Conservatism, and Censorship: A Philippine Snapshot Read More »
Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights the inequalities faced by the arts in Indonesia which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Censoring the Pandemic in Indonesia Read More »
Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu mombongkar masalah yang dihadapi oleh bidang seni pada masa pandemi.
Menyensor Pandemi di Indonesia Read More »
Baik buku yang dilarang mahupun frasa yang tabu, dunia seni kita telah menyaksikan semuanya. Ikuti kuiz kami untuk mengetahui tentang penapisan seni di Malaysia!
Kuiz: Sejauh Manakah Pengetahuan Anda Tentang Penapisan Seni di Malaysia? Read More »
From banned publications to forbidden phrases, the arts has seen it all. Take our quiz, here to learn about arts censorship in Malaysia!
Quiz: How Much do you Know About Arts Censorship in Malaysia? Read More »
Zakir Hossain, a celebrated poet and migrant worker in Singapore, wrote a poem, which sparked a response from the state. Diana Rahim reflects on the power of words, wielded to question, and words wielded to control.
The Power of a Poem Read More »
“If satire is so toothless, then why are cartoonists so often badly bitten?” Ann Lee reviews RED LINES: Political Cartoons and the Struggle Against Censorship by Cherian George and Sonny Liew. The distribution of this book, which examines the boundaries of free speech, has been banned by the Singapore government under its “Undesirable Publications Act”.
RED LINES: 60 Global Cartoonists Talk Fear And Favour Read More »
A new collection of poems and essays bears witness to the bravery of ordinary citizens since the brutal military coupe of Feb 2021 in Myanmar.
Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring Read More »
A new collection of poems and essays bears witness to the bravery of ordinary citizens since the brutal military coupe of Feb 2021 in Myanmar.
Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring Read More »
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 unless Balai reinstates pieces removed from Ahmad Fuad Osman’s exhibition immediately. Fuad Osman’s critically praised
Leading art collectors put pressure on Balai Seni Visual Negara Read More »
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 show at Balai, At the End of the Day Even Art is Not Important (1990
Arts censorship: At the end of the day, this is not new Read More »
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 to incidences of nudity on the Singapore stage changed, and how have changing policies on
Unravelling the History of Nudity in Singapore Theatre Read More »
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 find writing a review of his performance exceedingly difficult. How do I cram so much data into such a tiny space? The
C(l)ocked: “Catamite” by Loo Zihan Read More »
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 built an international name for itself as a gem of a festival – a small,
In George Town, a Proxy War for the Nation Read More »
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 charge sheet that the public procession is to publicise the cause of “the illegal detention
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 recently announced plans to amend a law to stamp out fake news, the latest step
Malaysian court jails, fines artist for clown caricature of PM (via Reuters) Read More »
“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 ban, authorities in the Southeast Asian city state said the film “Radiance of Resistance” was
Singapore bans film focused on indicted Palestinian teen Read More »
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 issues of culture, human rights and religion have also appeared in periodicals, newspapers and blogs.
Faisal Tehrani: From Poster Boy to Pariah Read More »
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 the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur (JFKL), “Escape from the SEA” was a group exhibition featuring
No Escape from the C: Reflections on Censorship and Curation in the Pangrok Sulap case Read More »
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 Hendry, 32, after she was found guilty of screening the documentary. Read the rest of
Activist Lena Hendry fined RM10,000 over unapproved documentary screening Read More »
