The long-awaited reopening of the National Art Gallery (NAG) yesterday (June 21) was a grand affair, with the introduction of 4 exhibitions and the announcement of the Young Contemporaries Awards, or Bakat Muda Sezaman (BMS), 2021 winners.
NAG in Kuala Lumpur has been closed since August 2020 for renovation works.
Now open to the general public, guests are greeted on the foyer by artist Shafiq Nordin’s barely manic-looking revolving set up, titled Anti Panic Buying. Inspired by bread cabinets left empty in the course of the lockdowns of the previous two years, this art work is a loaf of bread gone Pop Art. It is the primary section of the new Singles showcase, which can see two different modern artists presenting their works in the approaching months.
A touchscreen on the entrance of the National Art Gallery permits you to digitally view chosen works from its everlasting assortment. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
The sight of main crowds – greater than 1,500 every weekend – at Ilham Gallery’s “Ilham Art Show 2022” throughout the capital is a welcome post-pandemic growth of how main artwork establishments and galleries have been attracting younger and culturally-savvy artwork lovers by way of their doorways, whereas common artwork fans are additionally having fun with the return of the artwork gallery expertise.
Nation reunites with nationwide assortment
NAG’s foremost new exhibition Nusa, which options 466 artworks chosen from the nationwide everlasting assortment, takes up 5 gallery areas, particularly the Reka, Tun Razak, 2A, 2B and 3B. It delves into the narratives of the South-East Asian area, stimulating dialog on social and cultural constructions, financial actions, symbols and rituals, in addition to id and variety.
The official reopening ceremony of the National Art Gallery on June 21 attracted a big crowd desirous to view the 4 exhibitions on show. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
“We hope this will enable visitors to broaden their horizons and give them a new perspective on the ethos of South-East Asia.The National Art Gallery is a space where you can gain inspiration and let your imagination roam free,” says Amerrudin Ahmad, director basic of the National Art Gallery.
Nusa, a long-term rotating exhibition, will run for 3 years on the National Art Gallery.
The third exhibition is a extra understated providing in the type of the Fotoseni exhibition which shows 130 bodily and digital copies of photographic work (from 1963 to 2020) from the nationwide artwork assortment.
Enter a digital world
On the highest ground of the gallery is Walking Through A Songline, an immersive pop-up gentle set up that’s primarily based on a part of the National Museum of Australia’s internationally acclaimed exhibition Songlines: Tracking The Seven Sisters. This is a collaboration with the National Museum of Australia and Mosster Studio.
Immerse your self in ‘Walking Through A Songline’ a digital pop-up gentle set up primarily based on a part of the National Museum of Australia’s ‘Songlines: Tracking The Seven Sisters’ which revolves round tales of the First Australians. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
(*4*) says Justin Lee, Australian excessive commissioner to Malaysia.
Walking Through A Songline will probably be on till Sept 11.
The BMS 2021 main prize winner is Muhammad Hassanuddin Yusof for his Red Dining set up piece. Other classes are the Jury Awards, Visitors’ Choice Online and Visitors’ Choice On-Site.
The upgrading and renovation challenge at NAG value RM4mil, with funding by the ministry. The foremost roof, with the idea of “Gajah Menyusu”, nonetheless retains NAG’s id in upholding conventional artwork in a recent context.
