Malaysia, Truly Asia… And Now, Truly Art, Too!

1MCAT Art Trail Shuttle. photo: Boboy 

KUALA LUMPUR, 15 July 2013 – The 1MCAT, Malaysia’s premier contemporary art tourism festival, is back with more exciting art to please the senses, ignite conversation and stir thought.

Organised by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, 1MCAT will run from July to September 2013. The festival aims to introduce foreign visitors to a gripping facet of the country.

“Malaysia’s natural wonders have been its biggest draw for many years. However, we recognised that our contemporary art industry was burgeoning and compelling – an attraction in itself! 1MCAT highlights the best of what the industry has to offer, and the festival is also a way to support our local players by giving them the limelight that they truly deserve,”  explained the Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz.

Initiated in 2010, 1MCAT offers a myriad of activities. Its extensive programme promises something for all, from the general art enthusiast to the budding art collector.

Activities this year will take place in shopping malls around Kuala Lumpur, and there will also be art fairs, auctions and exhibitions during the three-month period. This year’s 1MCAT also introduces a novel new feature, a 1MCAT Art Tour Shuttle, which will ferry visitors from selected hotels to Shopping Complexes in the capital.

“The festival has grown by leaps and bounds and our team has worked tirelessly to make this year even more exciting than before. We are especially excited about our Art Tour Shuttle, and we’ve also got activities lined up in other states, promising a true art journey across Malaysia,” Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri added.

Looking to large international cities where art museums and events are major attractions in their own right, 1MCAT hopes to enrich the Malaysian tourist experience by offering them one more avenue to enjoy the country and to understand Malaysian culture and her people.

To encourage attendance, entrance to almost all the festival events are free, and visitors – both foreign and local – are encouraged to take in as much as they can.

“The well-known catchline ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ still rings true, but with 1MCAT on the rise, we may soon be hearing ‘Malaysia, Truly Art’, too,” said Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri.

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1MCAT – EVENT SUMMARIES:

ART IS VALUE:
Contemporary Malaysian art’s investment potential is showcased via art auctions and fairs this year. Don’t miss the pounding of the hammer at auctions organised by Henry Butcher Art Auctioneers, The Edge, and other private bodies.

Want a masterpiece to call your own? Art Expo Malaysia 2013 and ArtMalaysia Art Tourism Fair, both in September, will leave you spoilt for choice.

ART TO THE PUBLIC:
Take a breather from a busy day of shopping or sightseeing by indulging in a spot of art and culture at the following malls: Publika, Pavilion KL, Starhill Gallery, fahrenheit88, Sungei Wang Plaza, Galeri Petronas in Suria KLCC and Central Market.

The malls’ activities run the gamut from art exhibitions to public installations. 

ART IS INSPIRING:
1MCAT is also supporting the website and e-Directory launch of the 1001 Malaysian Artists Art Exhibition, and a nationwide art competition, which will see our country’s brightest talents unleash their potential in a bid for artistic recognition.

ART ON THE GO:
Having trouble getting to all the art-centric destinations in the capital? Hop on the 1MCAT Art Tour Shuttle which will transport you from one spot to the next. It’s a veritable art tour on wheels!

1MCAT also brings art to you through Tourism Malaysia’s Pop-up Art Space, a mobile art gallery that will be travelling to Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu.

ART AROUND MALAYSIA:
Contemporary Malaysian Art’s home may be Kuala Lumpur, but events have also been scheduled elsewhere in the country, from the Kinta Riverfront in Perak, to Galeri Seni Johor in Johor.

Other participating states include Penang, Pahang, Kelantan, Melaka, Perlis and Kedah. In Sabah and Sarawak, the exhibitions look at more traditional cultures, offering viewers an insight into the traditions and forms that continue to inspire our contemporary artists today.

For the full 1MCAT activities and schedule, the Art Galleries Directory 2013, and the Futurist Art Tourism Competition form kindly visit www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my or click on the following link –
http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/my/Web-Page/Events-n-Festivals/2013/7/1Malaysia-Contemporary-Arts-Tourism-Festival?evty=2013&evtm=7&page=/1
-Tourism Malaysia.