Mercu tanda baharu Pulau Pinang RM100 juta dibuka Disember ini

 

GEORGETOWN: Galeri Seni Lin Xiang Xiong, mercu tanda budaya baharu bernilai kira-kira RM100 juta di The Light Waterfront, Gelugor, kini memasuki fasa akhir persiapan menjelang pembukaannya pada 14 Disember ini. Pembinaan galeri lapan tingkat itu telah siap sepenuhnya dan kerja pemasangan lebih 300 karya seni sedang giat dijalankan. 

Galeri ini dijangka menjadi simbol keyakinan budaya serta hubungan global Malaysia. Seni binanya yang diinspirasikan oleh bentuk penyu melambangkan umur panjang, kebaikan dan kemakmuran dalam budaya Cina, selain menjadi ikon semula jadi Pulau Pinang. Reka bentuk itu menyerlahkan gabungan antara alam, seni dan falsafah. 

Dengan keluasan 86,929 kaki persegi, galeri ini berpegang pada falsafah "Seni untuk Keamanan" yang diilhamkan oleh pengasasnya, Profesor Lin Xiang Xiong – seorang artis, usahawan dan pejuang keamanan melalui seni. Galeri ini dibayangkan sebagai ruang hidup yang menghubungkan manusia merentasi sempadan geografi, sejarah dan pandangan, sambil memupuk empati serta refleksi terhadap keamanan sejagat. 

Lebih 300 karya seni asli akan dipamerkan secara kekal, disertai koleksi berputar melebihi 1,000 karya yang menjejaki perjalanan kreatif enam dekad Profesor Lin di Asia dan Eropah.

Selain pameran tetap, galeri ini akan menganjurkan simposium antarabangsa, pameran artis jemputan dan program pendidikan untuk memperkukuh dialog antara Timur dan Barat melalui bahasa kreativiti. Beberapa aras bangunan turut menempatkan ruang pejabat, kedai dan restoran, menjadikan seni sebahagian daripada kehidupan seharian serta menawarkan pemandangan indah pantai Pulau Pinang.  

Profesor Lin sebelum ini terkenal di peringkat antarabangsa sebagai penyokong kuasa seni dalam membina perpaduan. Pada 2016, beliau menganjurkan pameran UNESCO bertajuk "Seni untuk Keamanan – Dialog Budaya antara Timur dan Barat", yang menyeru artis bertindak sebagai pendamai global.

Apabila dibuka Disember ini, Galeri Seni Lin Xiang Xiong dijangka menjadi destinasi seni dan budaya unggul Malaysia — menggabungkan seni bina berinspirasikan lautan dengan pengalaman reflektif yang mendalam.

-berita harian online.

Lawatan Rasmi YB Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya ke Kuantan, Pahang

 

17 JULAI 2023: YB Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan, Timbalan Menteri Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia (MOTAC) telah mengadakan lawatan rasmi ke Kuantan, Pahang pada 17-18 Julai yang lalu. Turut hadir sama Ketua Pengarah Kraftangan Malaysia, YBrs. Puan 'Ainu Sham binti Haji Ramli disantuni oleh Pengarah MOTAC Pahang, Mohd Fharid bin Saidu dan Pengarah Kraftangan Pahang, Encik Juhari bin Azmi.

Antara tempat lawatan yang dikunjungi oleh YB Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan ialah  Perkampungan Tenun Pahang Diraja Tunku Azizah di Pekan, Usahawan Logam, Kampung Jaya Gading, Bengkel Usahawan Kraf RM Batik, Medan Warisan, Bengkel Usahawan Kayu KPK Design & Furniture, Bazar Serambi Teruntum di Kuantan serta beberapa lokasi di Temerloh iaitu  Pusat Inkubator Kraf, Inakraf dan Warisan Craft Wood. 

Selain itu, YB Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan juga mengambil kesempatan untuk menghadiri Sesi Dialog bersama Usahawan Negeri Pahang di Galeri Perbadanan Kemajuan Kraftangan Cawangan Pahang bertempat di Kuantan. Sesi Dialog ini telah membuka ruang dan kesempatan kepada usahawan tempatan mengeluarkan idea dan pendapat untuk disampaikan terus kepada YB Timbalan Menteri MOTAC.

-MOTAC.

Hari Terbuka Parlimen 2023... Jom Pi Ramai-ramai ( 6 & 7 Mei 2023 )

 

-Parlimen Malaysia.

ArtMalaysia e-magazine February 2021

 

Art Malaysia are proud to present our 2nd issue of ArtMalaysia e-magazine. Click this- https://am.artmalaysia.org/publication/issue-2/

-ArtMalaysia Magazine facebook.

Postponement Of LANGKAWI ART BIENNALE 2020 To October 2020

It is with deep regret that we have to re-schedule the Langkawi Art Biennale 2020. We started working on this event since 2017 and there has been many changes for various unavoidable reasons. But the safety of our participants and visitors are more important. Due to the outbreak of Covid-19 worldwide, many of our participants from various countries have been advised not to travel or are unable to travel due to travel bans.

So, after careful consideration, we have decided that it is best to postpone it to 2 OCTOBER – 2 NOVEMBER 2020. Participants are invited to attend the first period, ie 2 OCTOBER – 8 OCTOBER 2020. (An itinerary will be sent out by email to all participants).

Then the exhibition will continue on to 2 November 2020, to give more time for more visitors to enjoy the hundreds of paintings in so many media, the many sculptures of different materials and the thought-provoking installations.

However, a few sculptors have already arrived in Langkawi for the Pre-LAB 2020 Sculptors workshop session, where they will search Langkawi for suitable ‘raw’ materials to be turned into works of art. This would be one of a series of Pre-LAB 2020 sessions to keep the ‘fire’ burning and create interest and awareness leading up to the main event – LANGKAWI ART BIENNALE 2020.

To all participants – we thank you very much for your patience and support. Such are the challenges of organizing an event, in our uphill task towards making Langkawi, an international contemporary art destination!

-Persatuan Pengurusan ArtMalaysia.

https://www.langkawiartbiennale.com

Route to KL Biennale 2020 tour highlights community arts

KOTA BHARU, Sept 20 -- The National Visual Arts Development Board has taken an initiative to uplift the community arts nationwide through a tour programme dubbed Route to Biennale 2020 (RTB2020) since August.

Its deputy director-general Amerrudin Ahmad said RTB2020 was held in conjunction with the second edition of country's largest visual arts festival, Kuala Lumpur Biennale 2020 (KLB 2020) scheduled for next year, aimed at putting Malaysia as a unique and exciting art tourism destination.

“The RTB2020 programme started in August with Kuala Lumpur as its the first location followed by Penang.

“Next, for the eastern zone, it will be held on Oct 19 at Kampung Pulau Gajah, Pengkalan Chepa Kelantan, before being brought to Muar, Johor; Langkawi Island, Labuan Island and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,” he told Bernama after chairing the KLB 2020 eastern zone tour programme meeting here yesterday.

He said the approach for the festival’s second edition was more inclusive in terms of locations, compared to the first edition which took place at the National Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the change was made so that more members of the community could enjoy the event.

Amerrudin also explained that the event could serve as an added value in promoting local culture through different programmes such as exhibitions, demonstrations, local arts and cultural activities.

“For instance, the object and decorations of a traditional boat called ‘Perahu Kolek’ from Kelantan will be highlighted during the eastern zone programme. In addition, traditional performing arts including ‘Dikir Barat’ and ‘Rebana Ubi’ will also be promoted, as well as craft-making demonstrations,” he said.

He added that efforts to preserve local culture and heritage were important, not only to help maintaining the identity of a community, but could also provide potential source of income for the locals.

Preserving the local arts and cultural heritage could also help to popularise a specific location as a preferred tourist destination, he added.

-bernama.

"Gegar Keningau" carnival promotes keningau as interior tourism destination

KENINGAU, Sept 13 -- The ‘Gegar Keningau’ Carnival has been very effective in promoting Keningau as a tourist destination in the interior areas, said Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony.

He said since it was launched three years ago, the programme has brought more than 10,000 visitors to the district each time the carnival was held.

“The success of bringing outside visitors has proven that the programme organised by the Keningau Youth Club with the Keningau District Office has been very effective and should be continued,” he said at the launch of the ‘Karnival Gegar Keningau’ in conjunction with Malaysia Day 2019 here last night.

The text of his speech was read out by Sabah Assistant Minister of Rural Development Rasinin Koutis.

Various activities have been lined up for the programme which will be held at the Keningau Municipal Field beginning yesterday until Sept 16.

He said 24 government departments and agencies will open their stalls to provide service to the public while almost 100 local entrepreneurs will promote and sell their products there.

Among the activities which will be organised are a children’s singing competition, a modern dance contest, and a creative ethnic dance contest.

-bernama.

Look at arts as economic building platform

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (Bernama) -- The arts field needs to be seen as a platform which is able to compete towards national economic development through the production of various works of local young artists, said Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik.

He said that art collections had asset rich potentials which would create new dimensions to become new professional and historical potentials to the nation in future.

‘’This Young Contemporary Award plays an important role in highlighting talented local young artists with the potential to turn our works from various mediums and style in their works.

‘’Since the competition was introduced and has now entered its 25th edition, many artists at the international Biennale and Triennale levels have been successfully turned out,’’ he said in his speech when launching the Young Contemporary Award (BMS19) at Balai Seni Negara here, tonight.

He said that many of the young artists were also successful in building their careers and creating a name for themselves at the local and international levels such as Shamsuddin Wahab, Syafiq Nordin, Syed Fakharuddin who had exhibitions including in New York, Japan, South Korea and China.

"Other than offering professional career experience as young contemporary artists, the art field is also a platform to build international ties and branding Malaysian arts abroad,’’ he said.

According to Bakhtiar, in conjunction with the 2020 Visit Malaysia Year, the organisation of KL Biennale at the Balai Seni Negara was set to attract local and foreign visitors and indirectly turn the arts event into one of the tourism events.

The organisation of BMS19 was also in line with the objective of the ministry to turn out knowledgeable human capitals with skills, creativity and innovation in the tourism and cultural sectors.

A total 168 participations were received and only 44 participants qualified to the final with works themed ‘Bebas’ (Free) via the installation art works including in the form of conventional arts such as painting, printing and sculpting.

At the event, Samsudin Abdul Wahab won the main award and received cash RM30,000 while two more categories contested, namely, special jury award and visitors’ choice award each offered prices of RM7,000 and RM2,000 to the winners.

-bernama.

Penang plans cargo container art district

Creative hub: An artist’s impression of the Penang Arts District.

The project will have a built-up area of 9,290sq m.

GEORGE TOWN: If all goes well, Penang will have an art district mainly made with cargo containers.

Planning has started for the RM30mil Penang Arts District (PAD) with the planning permission application submitted last month.

PAD director Tony Pua, also Petaling Jaya Utara MP, called on stakeholders of the art community to provide input to the detailed building plans in dialogue sessions with the project’s lead designer, BYG Architects Sdn Bhd.

PAD is slated to be a contemporary arts hub on 3.7ha near the corner of Gat Lebuh Macallum and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.

Pua said PAD would not only be a tourist destination but also a place for the local art community to promote their work.

“The dialogue sessions are important to get participation from everyone and make the place a success,” he told reporters yesterday.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the planning permission was submitted two years after the project was announced in 2015, and the delay was unavoidable due to the proposed Komtar-Bayan Lepas Light Rail Transit alignment, which is nearby.

The dialogue sessions will be held next Wednesday (3pm), next Thursday (10.30am) and Nov 10 (2pm) at Penang House of Music, Level Four, Komtar.

A session will also be held in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 2 at Next Academy, AG-7, Glomac Damansara, at 2.30pm.

To register, login to www.penangartsdistrict.com, e-mail stephanie@pceb.my or call 04-261 6161.

-thestar online.

Restored building in KL is now an arts hub

The facade of the Our ArtProjectsZhongsan building in KL. Photo: Our ArtProjects

Homegrown arts consultancy OUR ArtProjects is planning to start 2017 with a bang as it launches its own gallery at Kampung Attap in Kuala Lumpur next month.

The OUR ArtProjects gallery will be located in a row of restored 1950s interconnected shophouses in Kampung Attap, that once housed the Selangor Zhongshan Association, among other merchants.

The entire building, which consists of 12 units nestled in three interconnected shophouses, will be called OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan.

OUR ArtProjects is involved in helping transform this building into a creative hub with the support of a grant from Think City, a community-focused urban regeneration organisation.

Neighbouring tenants will include Malaysia Design Archive, The Ricecooker Archives, Tandang Store, Bogus Merchandise, Artist Studio, Reading Library by Amateur Collective and others.

“Most of the tenants will be having their first ever physical space at OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan. It’s an exciting project as the entire building will be a centre for art, design and research,” says Snow Ng, one of the OUR ArtProjects gallery directors.

Visual art will get the spotlight first when OUR ArtProjects gallery opens at OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan next month. Its inaugural exhibition will be Great Leap Forward, a solo exhibition by the late artist Nirmala Dutt, who died on Dec 5.

The exhibition, which opens on Jan 7, centres on Nirmala’s 1990s output. It had been planned earlier this year.

Nirmala Dutt’s Penan Landscape (1999), acrylic on canvas.

“Nirmala was really one of the pioneering contemporary artists to explore the role of artist as a social commentator. Moreover, her artistic concerns also mirror what we recognise as art, that inspire us to think critically about the world, about the country and about our society,” says Ng.

Nirmala (1941–2016), who emerged in the late 1960s, had a career that spanned documentary photography, painting, silkscreen, collage and public art.

Established in 2013, OUR ArtProjects focuses on identifying and representing important practices in Malaysian art, with an emphasis on emerging and mid-career talents. It also aim to introduce significant art practices that have emerged in neighbouring countries.

Ng adds that the OUR ArtProjects gallery would be holding talks and workshops in future, as well as exhibitions from senior and new artists alike. These will include a showcase from veteran artist Wong Hoy Cheong, and an exhibition of printwork from upcoming artist Mark Tan.

“I hope the gallery can raise more awareness and appreciation for old and new forms of art, and also encourage critical thinking,” says Ng.

The rest of the tenants at OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan building will be opening up in stages, from February onwards.

The Malaysian Design Archive, a project to map the development of graphic design in Malaysia, will share a space with The Ricecooker Archives, which was previously known as The Ricecooker Shop, once a punk-based record store.

The Ricecooker Archives’ space will include a mini-museum, library and info-shop of South-East Asian rock’n’roll artefacts and documentation.

“For the Malaysian Design Archive, this new space will continue what we do online and how we will benefit further from a physical space. Documenting and researching Malaysian design through the generations will remain our central focus,” says Ezrena Marwan, one of the Malaysian Design Archive founders.

Wan Hazril (left) and Alak Idle – the main men behind Tandang Store – will be opening their second record shop at the OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan building in February. Filepic

Elsewhere, the Tandang Store, an independent record shop, will be opening its second outlet at OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan in early February.

“This new Tandang Store will be open daily – regular work hours. The space is bigger and we will be working hard to fill it up with all kinds of music … punk, reggae and dub to South-East Asian obscurities and non-mainstream indie,” says Alak Idle, one of Tandang Store’s owners.

Tandang Store will be stocking up on vinyl, cassettes, CDs, fanzines and DIY merchandise. Alak adds that the original Tandang shop at the live venue Rumah Api in KL will be maintained – but it will only be open during weekends and gig nights.

“There is a lot of coolness about this OUR ArtProjects@Zhongshan shophouse … so much fresh energy coming from the art community and the design activists. So it’s great that there is a music desination like Tandang Store in the mix. You need some noisy neighbours,” says Alak.

-thestar online.

Langkawi World Travel Photos Exhibition 2016 ( 25 December 2016 ~ 30 January 2017 )

Date: 25 Dec 2016 - 30 Jan 2017

Venue: Underwater World Langkawi, Pantai Cenang Langkawi.

Participants from:

- Malaysia

- Belgium

- Brunei

- Cambodia

- Canada 

- China 

- France

- Great Britain

- Hong Kong

- Holland

- India

- Indonesia

- Japan

- Laos

- Myanmar

- Pakistan

- Singapore

- Spain

- Swiss

- Taiwan

- Thailand

- Turkey

- UAE

- USA

- Papua New Guinea

-Street 2 Street facebook.

1MCAT 2016 Art Bazaar @ Balai Seni Visual Negara, Kuala Lumpur ( 26 ~ 27 November 2016 )

-Malaysia Community Art Tourism - 1MCAT facebook.

‘Give tax incentives to help art industry’

Attention to detail: Ch’ng explaining his art work to Chew at the Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian artists have urged the government to offer tax incentives for the purchase of paintings to help the industry grow.

Penang Art Society president Ch’ng Huck Theng said artists not only required a channel to promote their paintings, but also needed to earn a living by selling their work.

He noted that it was difficult to inspire new blood when existing artists were striving hard to stay.

“I am appealing to the government to give tax incentives to corporate companies as a way to encourage them to buy more paintings,” he said at the opening of the society’s arts exhibition at Wisma MCA here yesterday.

The exhibition is part of a series of programmes for the month-long Blossom Arts Festival, organised by the Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Consultative Council to promote arts and culture in Malaysia while providing industry players a platform to showcase their works.

In responding to Ch’ng’s call, event chairman Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said helping those in the arts and culture industry sell their products was indeed one of their goals when setting up the council.

“We have submitted the proposal to the Tourism and Culture Ministry,” she said.

The Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister said paintings could be a good investment because their value could increase in the future.

Being the oldest registered art society in the country, the Penang Art Society held its exhibition here for the first time, showcasing 22 masterpieces and three sculptures from its members.

The opening ceremony was also attended by some 200 artists from Asian countries like Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan.

Admission to the exhibition, which opens from 11am to 8pm on weekdays, and from 10.30am to 8pm on weekends, is free.

Visit www.blossomartsfestival.my, the Facebook page of Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia for more details or contact 03-22033971/3978/3979.

-thestar online.

http://www.artgallery.gov.my/

Ministry To Continue With NBOS Programmes - Mas Ermieyati

photo: MOTAC facebook

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- The Tourism and Culture Ministry will continue to carry out programmes with the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) concept to boost the country's tourism and cultural sectors.

Its Deputy Minister Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said various events and high impact programmes had been carried out since the NBOS initiative was introduced in September 2012.

"The implementation of the NBOS programmes not only contributes to the sustainability of the tourism industry, but also boosts the country's cultural sector," she said when opening the 'Gamal' photography exhibition organised by a non-governmental organisation, Street-to-Street, in collaboration with the Malaysian Tourism Centre (MaTiC), here, today.

The exhibition is showcasing 37 photographs of facial expressions by 28 photographers starting March 1 to 30.

This year, she said the government was targeting more than 30 million tourist arrivals with RM103 billion in revenue.
-bernama.

A paradise for bargain hunters

The weakened ringgit, a new outlet mall in Kuala Lumpur’s outskirts and year-round sales are compelling reasons for avid shoppers to visit Malaysia.


To leverage the love for shopping among Asians and Middle Eastern travellers, which made up 91.2 per cent of Malaysia’s tourist arrivals in 2014, the government and private sector have rolled out a slew of initiatives to encourage higher visitor spending.

The chief reasons that make Malaysia a value-for-money shopping destination is the weakened ringgit against major currencies as well as a hassle-free tourist refund scheme implemented at eight international airports since April 1, 2015. There are also duty exemptions on a wide range of merchandise like jewellery, cosmetics, fragrances and computers.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has timed three sales periods to coincide with peak travel periods in Malaysia: the week when the annual Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix is held in April, the Middle East summer holidays around mid-year and the year-end holiday season. These nationwide sales periods are promoted by Tourism Malaysia to overseas markets.

Noraza Yusof, head of tourism, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, said City Hall is also looking at introducing shorter sales periods that coincide with international brands to increase sale impact. This will further cement Kuala Lumpur’s position as a preferred shopping destination with a strong value-for-money proposition, she added.

Travel consultants too are benefiting from the nationwide sales periods.

Adam Kamal, CEO of Rakyat Travel, has created shopping packages that coincide with the 1Malaysia GP Sale, 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (July to August) and 1Malaysia Year-end Sale (mid-November to January).

He said: “Tourists from the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei have been very receptive to these three-day, two-night packages. We offer a range of accommodation in the Bukit Bintang area and airport transfers. Those who buy our packages come here only to shop, as savings can be as much as 70 per cent off normal retail prices.”

Ally Bhoonee, executive director of World Avenues, a major player in the Middle East inbound market, said: “This recognition has helped the tourism industry to promote shopping more aggressively, especially now that the weakened ringgit provides more bargains and reasons for tourists to visit Malaysia. At the same time, it brings in more revenue to the country.”

To make shopping in major areas more conducive for pedestrians, Kuala Lumpur City Hall built covered walkways linking shopping malls in the Bukit Bintang area with its surrounds in late 2014. Shoppers can now walk in comfort through a 4.5km covered elevated pedestrian walkway that links Berjaya Times Square mall to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur through Sungei Wang Plaza mall.

In July, Kuala Lumpur’s first outlet mall, Mitsui Outlet Park Klia Sepang, opened less than a 10-minute drive from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the LCC terminal Klia2. This is the second outlet mall to open in Malaysia, following Johor Premium Outlets which opened in 2011.

Conceived as a last-minute shopping venue, Mitsui Outlet Park Klia Sepang provides a free baggage storage service, where shoppers can leave their luggages while they shop. The outlet also offers a flight check-in centre which allows visitors to obtain their boarding passes, while a flight information display system allows travellers to check flight information without leaving the site.

Welcoming the debut of an outlet mall near the airport, John Chan, business consultant, Kris International Traveltours, said: “We bring tourists here as a last shopping stop prior to their departure. The offerings are a boon to travellers as it offers very good buys. It also allows them to dispose of their excess ringgit prior to departure, and this benefits the local economy.”

Furthermore, overseas visitors will benefit from the Super Pass, a travel guide-cum-discount booklet. It was published in April and acts as a discount voucher book with savings of up to 70 per cent on retail, attractions and F&B.

“(The Super Pass) helps travllers to plan their holiday better before arriving in Malaysia,” said Alex Wong, senior manager - global marketing at Apollo Knight.

-TTG Asia.

1MCAT 2014 Records Sales Of RM21 Million

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- The 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism (1MCAT) Festival 2014 has managed to record sales of RM21 million compared to RM11 million recorded during the festival last year.

National Visual Art Development Board chairman Datuk Mahadzir Lokman said the amount was recorded within seven months through the 117 programmes carried out nationwide.

"This year's 1MCAT saw the participation of 876 artists in 117 programmes, including the Niah Painter Camp, International Art Book Fair in Kedah and the Kampung Art Feast in Melaka."

He said this at the closing of the 1MCAT Festival and the Portraits of the World Exhibition at the National Visual Art Gallery here today.

The festival was aimed at showcasing the roles of art as the catalyst for solidarity and harmony among the multi-racial people in the country, while at the same time, luring more foreign investors to invest in Malaysian contemporary art.
-bernama.

1MCAT Festival To Be Held Throughout Country

Tourism Malaysia ~ Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia facebook

KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 (Bernama) -- About 2,000 arts activists will display their works during the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts Tourism Festival (1MCAT) throughout the country for six months starting June 16.

National Visual Arts Development Board chairman, Datuk Mahadzir Lokman said the festival would be an opportunity for arts activists to showcase the nation's treasures through local works of art.

An estimated 140 arts programmes have been planned, including exhibitions, art residency programmes, book sales, bazaars, auctions, painting competitions and forums.

Meanwhile, the board's corporate communications director, Faridah Hanim Abd Wahab said the programme, which is being held for the fifth time, has been extended from the previous duration of three months to six months.
-bernama.
http://www.artgallery.gov.my/

The 5th Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival (MCAT) 2014 - ( 16 June ~ 31 December 2014 )

-https://www.facebook.com/1mcat.my

River bank to be turned into open-air 'art gallery'

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (left) and National Visual Arts chairman Datuk Mahadzir Lokman.

KUALA LUMPUR: Art lovers have more reason to rejoice as Malaysia is set to have more outdoor space to showcase works of local artists.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said plans were afoot to transform part of the Gombak riverbank behind the Ministry's office here into an art space.

"When I met the Prime Minister two days ago, he suggested we have an open space for local artists to display their work. "Once the River of Life project to clean up the river here is done, the space behind my office here will be turned into Malaysia's own Bayswater," he said in reference to the street in London known for its thriving art community. The project, he said, is expected to be completed by year-end.

Speaking at the Young Contemporaries Award 2013 presentation ceremony at the National Visual Arts Gallery here Wednesday, Mohamed Nazri also said the gallery will soon be known by its original name, the National Art Gallery. "This is to reflect the various forms of art that are exhibited within the gallery, which is not just in visual form," he added.

At the ceremony, seven outstanding young Malaysian artists received the award under seven categories. The biennial award, which has been given out since 1974, recognises Malaysian artists below 40 who produce uniquely expressive works of art.

The grand prize is a cash prize of RM20,000 and an artistic trip to an Asean country, and another five jury special awards come with a RM5,000 cash prize each. There is also the Visitors' Choice Award, with a RM2,000 cash prize.

Among the famous names who have been recipients of the award are Ponirin Amin, Awang Damit Ahmad and Lee Kian Seng. All 28 works submitted for the award are open for public viewing at the gallery until March 31.

-thestar online.

Malaysian Art Impresses Art Lovers In Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- Leading curator Ch'ng Huck Theng was overwhelmed when more than 200 people from the art fraternity here turned up for the first overseas Matrade-sponsored 'Discover Malaysian Art' exhibition on Thursday night.

In a glittering setting at a multi-level building owned by Malaysian Jason Yeap, more than 30 works by 30 Malaysian artists captivated the art lovers, some of whom had not chanced upon Malaysian art before, but were nevertheless, impressed.

"We are showcasing 50 years of Malaysian art since our independence. It's a unique exhibition. We are showing the art scene of a country that has various races, different religions and many cultures, all living in peace and harmony.

"Tonight, we are pleased to share with you the beauty and progress of Malaysia, through Malaysian art," said Ch'ng.

Ch'ng , who studied art in Australia, paid tribute to MATRADE chief executive Datuk Wong Lai Sum who has been instrumental in bringing Malaysian art to Australia.

Meanwhile, Wong said the art industry in Malaysia had seen robust growth with many artists making a name internationally. "There is also a growing contemporary art scene in Malaysia with a new breed of emerging artists across various disciplines and genres in art.

"Recognising the potential of Malaysian art as a brand and product, MATRADE is proud to provide a platform for Malaysian talents to showcase their creativities to fellow Australian art patrons, collectors, gallery owners and supporters of the arts," she said.

Among the guests were Bruce Atkinson, President of Victoria's Legislative Council; Melbourne's Deputy Mayor, Susan Riley; Jason Yeap, chairman of National Gallery of Victoria Foundation and Malaysian Consul General, Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya.
-bernama.