Kuala Lumpur - FIVE groups of artists have come together to explore a question they deem pertinent: “Where is batik heading to?”
However, they think they should not be the ones offering the answers. Hence, they are inviting everyone to explore the question with them through their installation arts.
Initiated by events organiser Fashion Inc Sdn Bhd, the installation exhibition titled Mana Batik will be unveiled tomorrow by actress and producer Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina at The Annexe Gallery, Central Market.
Fashion Inc director Dodi Mohammad said the five groups of artists comprised a group of UiTM graduates, and four groups each made up of a batik painter and an artist pursuing another discipline.
“The objective of this installation exhibition is to take batik to a different level. So much has been done on batik, but we are not too sure where batik is heading, and therefore we are exploring the question with everyone else through this exhibition,” said Dodi.
He promised members of the public that the exhibition would offer a brand new experience.
“They will see something they have never seen before, that comes from the chemistry between the batik painter and an artist of another discipline.
“The installations are not just beautiful art pieces. Each of them touches on an issue; each of them is thought-provoking,” he said, citing the work by the UiTM graduates that derived from the Malay folklore of daydreamer Mat Jenin, which would actually tell people that “it`s not wrong to dream”.
The issues highlighted are closely connected to our daily lives, he added.
Batik artist Masrina Abdullah and space installation designer Caecar Chong will conjure Dance, Dance, Dance that is essentially a giant batik lampshade-like structure rotating from the ceiling.
“Masrina`s batik works attract me with their harmonious mixture of colours set against a wise play of lines and lights.
“We are adding another dimension to her works here, with lights from a different source,” Chong said, adding that Masrina`s 2m-high batik masterpiece will be set aglow with three specially designed sets of lightings to encourage visitors to look at batik from various perspectives through active interaction.
While it was a big piece of cloth to work on, Masrina said the challenge was to paint the many sides of the structure, measuring 3m in diameter, in order to enhance the visual effect from every angle it was viewed.
Batik`r`us by graphic designer Kamil Yunus and batik artist Nizam Ambia invites visitors to have fun in the batik world through five stand-in standees.
“We feel that we do not have the right to say what batik is, so we`ve obtained the answers from many people and compiled them into five main categories, but the real answer lies in everyone,” Nizam said.
“Batik has become so versatile, the world of batik sees no boundaries,” he added.
Batik artist Khalid Shamsuddin Arshad will collaborate with fashion designer Melinda Looi to steer visitors` attention towards environmental conservation.
Khalid will be painting on a 35m-long piece of material which Looi will drape on mannequins for the artwork titled River.
“The subjects will mainly be flora and fauna to remind visitors of the beauty of Mother Nature,” said Khalid.
The exhibition will play its part in boosting the local art scene, too. The organisers will be channelling RM50,000 collected from the sale of the installation arts towards a grant for budding artists set up under Central Market.
Source: thestar.com.my (13 Desember 2007)
