by Simon Soon

I’m convinced that the fascination with kitsch is driven by a complex feeling that displays just as much affection as repulsion for the subject. Liew Kung Yew’s one man show in Petronas gallery, Cadangan-cadangan untuk Negara Ku, is no exception – and I was trying to get this out of the artist.

By Eva McGovern

With names such as They, The Kioue, Tha-B, The A80s, The Damis, Mile09, F-code, Jo Tribe, Phobia Klik and Vector Crew to name a few of the pyseudonyms, graffiti artists in KL are committed to their practice. The largest and longest and perhaps most well know ‘gallery’ of their work used to be the along the banks of the Klang River by Pasar Seni LRT. Beginning in 2006 it soon became an organised project with artists being invited to contribute which eventually led to 300 meters of artwork on display by over 30 artists.

by Sharon Chin

When I was young, I was babysat by my grandma, together with my cousin sister. She would spend the day with us, teaching us how to be proper ladies. I wasn’t any good at being a lady, but the nice thing about days with Po-po was that we always got a present that was some kind of stationary. She would buy two different things, and then we had to choose. One time, the choice was between this awesome pencil case (like seriously, it was blingin’) and a small box of Luna Staedtler colour pencils. It was the one with a boat on the cover and 12 barely 10cm-long pencils inside. My cousin got the pencil case (much to her delight), which left the colour pencils to me. It was my first box, and I loved them. These pencils have a very rough texture, but their pigment is intense. They are great for frottage, which is a technique where you put a piece of paper over something and rub a a pencil/crayon over it. I used to do with coins so that I had my own multi-coloured paper money.

by Joe Kidd

There was a time when a lot of the works (musical, lyrical and beyond) by “punks” were pretty much informed, influenced or even “rehashed” from literature or the ideas presented by books, poems, architecture, art movements etc

By Eva McGovern

Graffiti. Is it art or is just vandalism? Perhaps by now, after numerous articles in the popular media have posed this question some answers need to be provided. Even better, a realisation that this is actually the wrong question to ask. A more interesting one could be to consider whether or not graffiti is strong enough as an art form to function within mainstream contemporary art. Or is its recognition and respect only to be found within its own alternative sub culture?

by Tunyaporn Hongtong

It has come to a point where I’m not sure if this exhibition is recognised solely as a platform for promoting the works of new Thai artists or that there’s an expectation that these artists would soon join the ranks of their predecessors to become the hot new thing in Thailand’s contemporary art scene. After all, the exhibtion is known to be a launch pad for the career of some of Thailand’s most well-known contemporary artists (Arin Roongjang, Porntaweesak Rimsakul, Yuree Kensakoo etc.). Reflecting on this, I reckon it does work both ways. And actually… why waste time doubting it anyway? It’s a good art project when you get right down to it.

By Eva McGovern

I love super heroes. As a child, instead of your average imaginary friends, I had the League of Justice. Superman, Wonderwoman and Batman were my closest allies in fighting crime in the living room. Good times.

by Sharon Chin

I’m too misanthropic to believe that Earth Hour was much more than a massive, feel-good PR stunt. But as our house dutifully doused the lights during that stipulated hour on 28 March, I found that being plunged into a physical darkness was more welcome than I’d ever anticipated.

It inspired a series of posts on, above and/or around the idea of ‘darkness’. Thoughts on Darkness by various contributors will be released daily. As an introduction, I reproduce here an excerpt of a gmail chat I had with an artist friend in Yangon, Myanmar.

by Yusuf Martin

There is an image refusing to leave my head. It’s of a youth, guitar in hand, kampung serenading. This iconic image, for me, represents all that is Malaysian, the serenity of idyll, the incumbent artistic muse and preponderance to nostalgia.

by ARTERI

20 slides x 20 seconds. Photos from Pecha Kucha Vol.6 at Urbanattic, Capsquare.

By Eva McGovern

Arresting in its criticality and positing of the most urgent questions surrounding art production and public engagement, the Jakarta biennale is a much needed respite for jaded art tourists. Its curatorial commitment, as well as sheer production has a stirring potency for multiple audiences. And its strategy to reclaim public spaces and cultural experiences in a city with a of population of 9 million people is without a doubt, a formidable self appointed challenge. Mission statements that look at the local, regional and international through the work of artists under 40, and all with a connection to Southeast Asia makes, for once, makes perfect sense as a remit, both conceptually and in its display

by Sau Bin

Art practitioners are purveyors of meanings, through their artwork providing a link to apprehend the self and the society, produced and consumed for both themselves and the society, nothing more nothing less.

by Simon Soon

In our attempt at profiling some of the more unusual spaces around the region, and in the spirit of looking beyond the four walls of the gallery and museum (though not exactly beyond), I thought of bringing Thomas Kinkade’s Signature Gallery in Malaysia to our readers’ attention. I’m not entirely sure when the gallery opened in Malaysia, but I’m quite positive it has been around for more than a few years, having discovered it on one of my summer holidays back in Malaysia during my university days.

by Sharon Chin

Pecha Kucha Night Vol. 6 last Tuesday (31 Mar 09) was great. The fun vibe and enthusiastic crowd were especially welcome coming straight from the relative sombreness of Galeri Petronas’ Art Appreciation Series. Of course, the two events are not to be compared, since Pecha Kucha was held at cute new hotspot Urbanattic, and featured two words so dear to people’s hearts: free beer.

by Sharon Chin

I trickled in late, but still managed to catch the better part of Beverly Yong’s introductory talk on contemporary art in Malaysia at Galeri Petronas on Tuesday. The turn out was pretty good. I mean, all the seats were filled. This was 6.30pm on a weekday so… kudos to you fellow die-hards.