Contemporary art, entrenched in local themes and cultures, deals with depictions of the ‘here and now’. This is the art that’s going to be the new currency in a future world that would undoubtedly wonder about what life was like ‘back in the 2000s’!
Get the feel of the contemporary art scene in Malaysia at the festival to be held from July 2 to September 30.Want a piece of this future history? Get on a plane to Malaysia and make a beeline for the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts Tourism Festival in Putrajaya. To be held from July 2 to September 30, this festival will be one of the most important congregations of contemporary artists in South East Asia. This is a great way to buy some art, get a feel of the contemporary art scene in the country and have a great vacation because Malaysia offers so many options to holiday seekers.
Celebrating the New
Contemporary art in Malaysia has seen a big leap in the last two decades and artists like Abdul Latif Mohidin and Tew Nai Tong have splashed across the global art scene with great flourish. One of the most successful drivers of this growth has been the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts Tourism Festival organised by the Ministry of Tourism in Malaysia. This initiative aims to provide Malaysian artists with a global platform to showcase their work as well as give young artists and hopefuls a reason to stick to the fine arts.
In its fourth year now, the festival expects to welcome more than 40,000 visitors to its participating art galleries for viewing and acquiring new contemporary artworks. With that kind of a crowd, make sure you’ve booked a comfortable hotel before you leave for your Malaysia trip.
What to Expect
Although the city of Putrajaya near Kuala Lumpur will host the festival, you can expect to walk in on an art exhibition nearly everywhere on your Malaysia trip. Galleries across the country will display explosive and thought provoking works by established and upcoming artists and you’d be in for a treat witnessing new and unexplored subjects become the mainstays of exhibited works. You can expect to find a lot of oil and acrylic works as these are the preferred mediums of most Malaysian artists. But also look out for screen printed works on silk and for sculptures.
The city of Putrajaya near Kuala Lumpur will host the festival. Photo Credit: WilliamGraphy / FlickrMalaysia is a rising star on the contemporary arts scene and this will be your chance to meet some prominent artists like Ivan Lam, Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Anurendra Jegadeva and Yee I-Lann. Some other artists expected to display their works are, Suhaimi Fadzir, Yap kim Boon and Juhari Said. Some of the top galleries that are expected to show these artists’ works are Valentine Willie Fine Art, Wei Ling Gallery and New York Gallery. Several installations, seminars, art auctions (must visit!) and competitions will form the fringe events associated with the festival.
One of the biggest reasons for you to be a Malaysia tourist during the festival is that you can buy a new form of art projecting a different culture and varied themes that affect all of Asia, in a way. Remember to pack your top credit cards because contemporary art pieces by Malaysian artists often come with pricey tags!