By Lainie Yeoh
Majlis Himpunan Warga Seni PH (Pakatan Harapan), Auditorium MATIC, 15 May 3pm
Despite the name (Assembly of Artists PH), this is not officially sanctioned by Pakatan Harapan, nor does it seem to be organised by Pakatan Harapan supporters (although political allegiances in the arts have been tenuous lately, so who knows). This event aims to be a townhall on the future direction of the arts and entertainment industry in Malaysia, to produce a “Grand Design Industri Seni dan Hiburan” (Grand Design Arts and Entertainment Industry) proposal to the government.
Most stakeholders don’t seem to know about this event. Someone should probably go and take notes, just in case (share those notes, or videos, if you do). There is no official event listing, but you can find the call on Facebook.
Global Open Call: 100 Days Festival — An Arts Festival For The New Malaysia
An initiative by Malaysian arts practitioners, the 100 Days Festival is an invitation to artists in visual, literary and performing arts to create work that articulates their vision and hopes for a new Malaysia. Show your work to the world anywhere between 18th Aug 2018 (100 days since the change of government in Malaysia), and 16th Sept 2018 (Malaysia Day). This is a decentralised initiative, so choose your platform and make it available to others — the hashtag is #100hari.
More details for this idea announced by Huzir Sulaiman here.
George Wong & Yeo Tze Yang: Cheap Spirits, at OUR ArtProjects, 18 May – 9 June. Exhibition opening 17 May, 7pm.
Cheap Spirits pairs the works of two artists together: Singapore-based photographer George Wong, and Singaporean painter Yeo Tze Yang. Come pass the time in this exhibition that zooms in on the big moments and emotions in mundane scenarios from everyday existence. Free admission, and refreshments are served during the exhibition opening. More info on the exhibition here.
This gallery is located wtihin the larger Zhongshan Building, a creative hub worth an exploration.
Jack It! Vol 19. Feat Pasca Seni, at InTun Nation, 15 May 8pm
Acoustic music, poetry, and open mic performances are available at Jack It!, an event for the ruthless, the passionate, and the overdriven performers and crowds. Every show aims to be a celebration and hardcore lepak session. For this volume, the opening act is Ara Elyse, and the main music performance is by Pasca Seni.
More info here.
Artists in Residency from Taiwan, at RAW Arts Space, 5-19 May, 12pm–7pm.
Two Taiwanese artists are in residency here, specialising in mixed media (Chou Ming-Yi) and digital images/video art (Teng Wen-Hsin). In conjunction with the residency, both artists have solo exhibitions.
Chou Ming-Yi: 犬的未來考古學 — The Future Archeology of Dogs
Teng Wen-Hsin: 超時空 Wifi -Transcendental Conversation
If you visited this exhibition on the 12th of May (Saturday), stick around and there will also be Soun(d)ance 12 at 8:30pm, featuring a live performance with dance and music (RM20 donation recommended for the performance).
More info the the exhibition here.
Optimism is Ridiculous by Natee Utarit, at National Art Gallery, 13-31 May
Presented by National Art Gallery and Richard Koh Fine Art, this exhibition presents a selection of 25 artworks by leading contemporary Thai visual artist Natee Utarit. There are three themes within the larger series, featuring three components; paintings of human beings, animals, and objects. This show presents animal paintings, highlighting social contexts and other understandings of the outside world by contrasting Asian-ness against a postcolonial, product-based inspiration.
More info here.
Issues in studying the Japanese avant-garde by John Clark, Bilik Tanjung (1st Floor), Cultural Centre, University of Malaya, 18 May, 10:30am.
Eminent art historian John Clark is in town for an ILHAM Public Lecture, and as all who enjoy art history should know by now, this means co-organisers Visual Arts Program of UM will also host an accompanying lecture. This seminar explores the development of a complex ecology for modern art in Japan at the beginning of the twentieth century.
All are welcome to attend. More info available here. This talk is in conjunction with the ILHAM Public Lecture listed below.
Image: Kobayakawa Kiyoshi (1899 – 1948), Dancer, or “Curved Line of the Instant” (Dansā, or Setsuna no kyokusen), 1932, ink and color on paper, Seattle Art Museum.
ILHAM Public Lecture: John Clark on ‘Raden Saleh and Juan Luna’, at ILHAM Gallery, 19 May, 3pm
ILHAM’s public lectures aim to increase access to arts dialogues and talks from major scholars in visual arts — leading art historians, curators and more. Speaker John Clark is Professor Emeritus in Art History at the University of Sydney and award-winning author of several books on art in Asia. He will be comparing Raden Saleh and Juan Luna, two major Southeast Asian European salon painters of 19th century who produced iconic work about Europrean colonial rule. An earlier version of the lecture was recently presented in National Gallery of Singapore.
Admission is free, but seats are limited. Do attend early if you can — the gallery is currently showing the Patani Semasa exhibition, and the gallery shop is worth a visit too. More info on the talk here.
Image source: (left) unknown photographer, Raden Saleh wearing his four Orders, Florence, 1877, photograph. (right) Gaston O’Farrell, (copyist) Self-Portrait of Juan Luna, ca. 1895, 26.12 x18 cms, López Memorial Museum, Manila
OPEN CALL: Feminism & Pop Culture, deadline: 31 May
A special mention for this open call to go on a fully-funded networking trip to Berlin. The focus of the 10-day event will be on intersectional feminist perspectives of women working in arts and culture, particularly related to pop culture. Participants will also attend Pop-Kultur 2018 festival and various cultural events, and meet fellow practitioners.
The call for applications is open to Malaysians as well. Fully funded by Goethe-Institut, in cooperation with Missy Magazine.
More info here.
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