The Role of Institutions in the Malaysian Art Infrastructure: A Roundtable Session (Edited Transcript) of the visual arts in while our institutions take a more peripheral Roundtable hosted and supported by Galeri PETRONAS, on 19 June 2013. Conversation in Malay translated by Teratak Nuromar. role. However, now more than ever, the institution must come into play to help shif the power away from the consumer to the producer. Tere is a need to balance public values and private interests, and recognise the fact that we need to support the artists working outside the conventions MODERATORS of the gallery system, support deeper critical engagement, and curatorial Suryani Senja Alias (Session 1; M1) frameworks, increased education and public programming. Kathy Rowland (Session 2; M2) Te artist should remain at the centre of art activities, and the role of the PARTICIPANTS institutions remains crucial if we are to continue to privilege the artist National Visual Arts Gallery and his work over the demands of the market. (Faizal Sidek, Prof Dr Ramlan Abdullah) Johor Art Gallery (Nor Alisa Abdul Rahman) Melaka Art Gallery & Galeri Seni Rakyat (Syahidah Abu Sah) Art Museum (Jennifer Linggi) Muzium dan Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM (Zolkurnain Hassan) University of Malaya Art Gallery (Abdul Aziz Abdul Rashid) Galeri PETRONAS (Badrolhisham Tahir, Erna Dyanty) CIMB (Iqbal Abdul Rahim) Alliance Française (Marine Moncaut) Badan Warisan Malaysia (Elizabeth Cardosa) Goethe-Institut (Rolf Stehle) The Japan Foundation (Kyoko Kugai) 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism (1MCAT) (Ramzi Abu Yazid) Five Arts Centre (Marion D’Cruz) Rimbun Dahan (Angela Hijjas) Soka Gakkai Malaysia (Katherine Chui, Chan Yin Kwan, Joanne Foo) Tamparuli Living Arts Centre (Yee I-Lann)

GUESTS NMA PROJECT: Hasnul J. Saidon Nur Hanim Khairuddin Rahel Joseph Beverly Yong Valentine Willie Wairah Marzuki Zainol Shariff (Zabas)

74 75 Session 1: than I do. Also, we are supported by many institutions here. We will Building, Programming, Collecting, Funding, continue. Connecting: What are some of the practical issues faced by institutions involved in Malaysian art? targets, benchmarks and best practices Rimbun Dahan: main house view; exhibition opening M1 Let’s begin with the first sub-topic: What are the targets, benchmarks and best practices for our art and art-related institutions? When M1 Perhaps we can ask one of the more structured institutions. Rimbun you have reviews of your institutions, or when you are setting up Dahan is an example of a family-backed institution. Can we hear a bit your institutions, what do you look to as best practices? Which about Galeri PETRONAS’ aspirations? What are the standards they institutions do you emulate? Are you following an internal direction? aspire to and what targets do they look at in order to go forward? What are your targets? What are your best practices? Badrolisham I joined Galeri PETRONAS in 2009, so by that time the Gallery had Angela Hijjas I’m not very good at best practices and benchmarking. I think the Tahir already established itself as one of the more prominent galleries Malaysian art scene has changed so much since we started in 1994, promoting Malaysian art. In terms of best practices, we aim to be 20 years ago. We now have to look at generational changes and the the leader in promoting Malaysian art. When I say “the leader”, it is changes in the Malaysian art world. 20 years ago, there was not a lot important to remember that we don’t want to upstage the National of institutional support. So it was wide open. Whatever you wanted Visual Arts Gallery (NVAG/Balai) – we want to complement what to do, you did, and it would have an impact on somebody. So it was NVAG is doing. fairly easy to make a difference. I think now that has changed because things like residencies are being run by many institutions. They offer So by taking that cue, we are concentrating more on young artists space for artists to work. So, from our point of view at Rimbun Dahan, who have recently graduated. In 2010, we started an exhibition series we’re having to look at how to sustain a privately funded organisation called ‘Young Malaysian Artists’ as we wanted to promote works by that depends on one individual at the moment to fund everything. young artists who were not known by commercial galleries. While We’ve got a few ideas and we will continue residencies, but it has promoting ourselves as a world-class gallery, we have tried our best to be more cost effective and it has to benefit more people. not to exclude young artists. So we try to bring them into Galeri PETRONAS as a way of giving back. So with all the resources that Hence, for the residencies, there has been a little change of focus we have, and the facilities that we provide, we try to equally support from Australia to Southeast Asia, as you get a lot more bang for your both young and senior artists. buck with regards to artists from Southeast Asia. The residencies also make more of an impact for these artists as well. While Australian In terms of benchmarking, we try to aim as close as possible to artists are very talented and very grateful for the opportunity, they institutions such as MoMA or the Guggenheim so we have some are exposed to a lot of other opportunities in Australia. So we’re sense as to what we need to aim for. Although we have to admit looking more to the region, to ASEAN, and we hope to expand the that art development in Malaysia is not as advanced as in Europe idea of that. But in terms of best practices, it’s pretty hard to define. and America, we try to actually put ourselves on the same level My daughter is ultimately going to take over. She has a stronger as international galleries. This, combined with the shared values background in organising and managing limited amounts of money within the PETRONAS philosophy, is how we aim for best practices

76 77 in the gallery so that the exhibitions we organise also reflect these They bought art for the office and also to try to support the young best practices. artists of that era through buying their artwork. So again, just to underscore what I have been saying: it’s the software that we are Marion Earlier this year, we had a reflection retreat on 29 years of Five Arts, lacking in this country. d’Cruz and working as a collective was one of the things that came out as a best practice. Collectives are tricky and it can be very difficult but for us it has worked because being a collective allows us to be very inclusive, it allows for all kinds of dissident, tricky suggestions and opinions to come in, and it allows for new voices, from the younger generation, older generation, etc. In many ways, it’s much easier to have an artistic director to just run the company, but working as a collective has meant that it’s not just reflective of the 14 members Bank Negara Malaysia Museum & Gallery: but often includes voices of those who we call Friends of Five Arts building view; exhibition launch with Tun Endon Mahmood Centre as well. And the second best practice, which I think is very important for a vibrant, independent NGO, is how to do big things M1 Where money is no issue, would you consider adopting the practices with small money. of galleries or national institutions in Singapore who, when they do not have the local talent, hire international curators to set up their Iqbal I can discuss experiences at both CIMB and Bank Negara since I’ve museum or curate or write for them? Because that happens quite Abdul Rahim been involved in setting up the museum at Bank Negara. In the case a lot. It happens also in Europe where they hire curators from New of Bank Negara, we were lucky because they have RM450 billion in York or from Asia depending on the exhibitions they want to show. reserves. So we were then able to buy the best, which is a Malaysian So has that ever been in discussions in terms of benchmarking? habit. It’s a beautiful building and you should actually go and have a look at it. The gallery space is superb. The building’s designed by Iqbal As a national institution, even considering buying a work of art that Serena Hijjas from Hijjas Kasturi Associates. But with all of that, wasn’t Malaysian was problematic. We [Bank Negara] had a lot of where we fell down flat was in the area of education and training. backlash from the arts community for not supporting Malaysian We didn’t have the manpower to run a proper art gallery. We didn’t art when we bought four artworks from Southeast Asia. This kind have the strength, we didn’t have the knowledge. We didn’t have of attitude is the problem here, and we would get a lot of resistance people who could write about art within the art gallery itself. We for getting someone from MoMA or the Guggenheim to come in to had the best of everything, but when it came to running the gallery, help. Again, the software is the problem. So if you want to get foreign we couldn’t. We had the hardware but no software. So that was brains to come in, that’s even more difficult than buying a foreign our main problem. CIMB, on the other hand, is a simpler case. We artwork. will promote art, we will help artists simply by buying. We don’t have a space to show and we won’t have a space to show probably Valentine When you talk about best practices, one of the first things you because we’re a profit-making organisation; we’re a bank, we’re not Willie must get rid of is this idea that culture is a part of tourism. It is not an art gallery. Bank Negara has a national agenda in promoting art, about art and tourism and getting high worth individuals to come in supporting artists to achieve a certain quality. So it’s a different and buy Malaysian art. What’s important is freedom of expression, ballgame altogether. For CIMB, we’re collecting because we actually The idea that [art] can express something freely. Institutions have want to build a collection for our workplace. Some of it will be for become fearful and that’s an issue that’s not just in Malaysia but also public consumption but most of it will be for our own offices. This is, in Singapore and other Asian countries – the idea that, you know, I think, exactly how Bank Negara started collecting as well in 1962. culture is a little bit of a handicap.

78 79 M1 So are you saying that the problem is the fear of freedom of middle or upper classes. We would like art to also be accessible to expression or fear that people will express themselves too freely rural communities. Last year, we worked with Raleigh International, that is prohibiting our institutions from adopting best practices? they were working in four and they were able to go to places where we couldn’t. So we chose 20 , we made prints of them Valentine For example in Singapore, the cultural tourism there is essentially and gave Raleigh four sets of each. So they had an exhibition in the to make the tourists stay longer and spend more money. It’s not kampung, and if there were no galleries, they had the exhibition in to reach out to Singaporeans, not to tell Singaporeans about their the Balai Rakyat or the Community Hall. What I would also like is history, it seems essentially to make tourists stay longer. And that’s for the Art Gallery to give more exposure to our artists. I noticed, all wrong. That’s where Malaysia is different and we actually have when I was going through the Gallery’s art catalogues from the time state museums all over the country. There is an effort to reach out to it was formed in 1984, that all the artworks in the catalogues looked the locals. Tourists are fine. Let them come. But it shouldn’t be the very similar. The art has not changed either in style or in subject. primary motive for spending money on culture. We shouldn’t reduce So I was thinking that probably this is because the artists are not it to just a commodity. It shouldn’t just be about buying something. exposed. Unfortunately, because we are under the Cultural Board, we Artists need spaces and the best spaces like Galeri PETRONAS and are not an independent body and we don’t get our funding directly. Bank Negara and Balai need to be open in their thinking and know So we don’t have adequate funds to bring artists out of the state. that it’s okay for them to be that dissenting voice. This year, we have our own building and I’m hoping to invite more international artists, Southeast Asian artists in particular, to come to Faizal Sidek One of the biggest challenges the National Visual Arts Gallery faces Sabah to share their experience with Sabahan artists so our artists in Malay is that there are secretariat and administrative changes every three can learn from them. That’s my hope, really. I like Rimbun Dahan’s years so our approach and direction has to change as well. NVAG policy, and Valentine Willie has done a lot to promote Sabah arts, has to satisfy the needs of all its stakeholders. What I am about to and so Rimbun Dahan and Valentine Willie are our inspiration. share with you is in the 10th Malaysia Plan – some long and short term plans. Our aim is to always support the development of visual arts in Malaysia, supporting not only artists but all relevant parties in the country. As you know, the name of the gallery has changed from National Art Gallery Malaysia to National Visual Arts Gallery. This means that the scope has widened considerably as it is not just paintings and sculptures we are focusing on – we are looking at other art forms such as photography, ceramics, etc. We are also spreading our wings to every region in the country. For example, in the northern part of the country, we have been speaking to Langkawi Development Sabah Art Gallery: building view; Corporation to open a gallery there. We also have plans to establish Art Reach programme by Galeri PETRONAS a gallery in Pahang and to perhaps enter into a collaboration with galleries in Sabah and . So there are quite a few extensive Abdul Aziz I’ve been working at the UM Art gallery for three years. This is the first development programmes planned and we need the support of all Rashid time I’ve attended something like this. Before this, we didn’t know parties, not only artists. how to access information with regard to policies, best practices, setting benchmarks in the country. Our Vice-Chancellor had told us Jenifer Linggi I actually joined the Sabah Art Gallery in 2009, and my background is that we had to educate ourselves and get the relevant information not in the arts, but my main hope for the Art Gallery was to promote from institutions like the universities in Taiwan. We also looked art in the rural areas, because I think people associate art with the at what the Singaporeans had done. They don’t have many artists

80 81 there but they can run their galleries very well. I think we should spent. In the old days, Balai used to collect everyone, so the collection start a forum and establish networks so if we want to implement was the repository of what was going in the Malaysian art scene – the or change policies and so on and so forth we can tap information good and the bad. from each other, because it is very hard, especially for people like me with no background in the arts. You can feel lost because there’s no Wairah During my time, we set up a registration of the collection. We have template that you can follow and it’s very difficult to find the network Marzuki indexed basically all the works that we have so we have a database or construct the infrastructure whereby you can go and say, okay, which sets out the subject matter, the medium, the artist and the how do you run an art gallery in a university? particular period. It’s a simple database.

Erna Dyanty Just to add that, one of the best practices that corporate galleries or The collection hasn’t grown that much because even though our institutions have done in my observation is to actually train young national institution has been around for 55 years, I think the collection administrators, whether they have an art background or not. Islamic remains under 4,000 pieces. So it’s still small in comparison to Art Museum has done this; perhaps Galeri PETRONAS has done Singaporean art institutions. There is a lot of difference of course this too with its previous staff. Secondly, education-wise, I think when you look at how National Art Gallery (NAG) was set up. So UNIMAS and UKM have a higher arts management course. However, for that reason I think more emphasis has to be taken to enlarge the the course does not concentrate on working in art galleries and NAG collection because artists in Malaysia are versatile, they are museums, it concentrates on performing arts. So, perhaps we need all well trained, they are very exposed. The budget for the collection to introduce more arts management into our education. comes out of the larger administrative budget, which is used to pay for staff salaries, among other things. institutional collections Ramlan I’ve been on the board for about a year and a half. When we changed Abdullah our policy resulting from the new Act, we chose to change our name M1 The second topic that we’re going to approach is actually quite to Lembaga Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara. That’s what we specific, and it’s very important because it sets the direction for the are called now. We now have the Act to refer to. There are about country. How do institutions in Malaysia collect art, and how does forty-five sectors in the Act that you can read on the net if you are that define our sense of aesthetics? Because it really reflects our interested, and one of the sectors refers to the acquisition policy. We collective aesthetics when we see a major collection in the National have only a budget of RM1 million to buy artwork in a year. It might Visual Arts Gallery or in a major corporate gallery of a corporation sound a lot but in reality it’s very little. We have looked at acquiring that has been seriously collecting consistently for 20 to 30 years, work throughout the year. We have a committee to look into this, and the question that we want to address today is, what sort of and the first thing I asked for is the acquisition policy. They have a acquisition policies and curatorial strategies do we have in our written policy but it was never followed because of the changes of art and art-related institutions in Malaysia? Who sets it? Is there leadership throughout these few years. an acquisition committee or does one person decide on what to acquire? So, of course, the experts will discuss possible acquisitions and we will go through all of that in a very systematic way. We will spend Valentine Balai was one of the first institutions and perhaps the only institution the budget, but like I said, the budget is so small, we can’t buy very in Malaysia to have their entire collection online. This is an important much. With that budget, we could buy one-and-a-half Latiff Mohidins function of a public institution so that everyone knows what exactly and the budget would be finished. It’s a shame for us, actually for the is in the collection. The collection should be accessible to the public country. We have to move on, to look into other criteria including as it involves the question of transparency – how public money is building the profiles of artists. We are also dependent on proposals.

82 83 We cannot simply go to a show and just pick up a work because of the but unfortunately a lot of the people who are on the committee are administrative bureaucracy. After some period of time, people will not artists, so they don’t really understand. propose works to us and we will pick it up from there; the curators will review it and advise us upon it. Iqbal At CIMB, we’re guided by looking at living artists and intending to get the best of their works. That’s because we’re building our own M1 So the proposal usually comes from the curatorial team only or are collection, so we want to acquire the best. there also third party proposals? With regard to Bank Negara, when we set up the policy, we looked to Ramlan Usually from galleries. Australian museums. We looked at the National Gallery in Victoria (NGV), we looked at the National Gallery in Canberra, for their M1 How long does the process of acquiring take? policies on how their collections represented their communities. NGV in Melbourne has a very good collection of Victorian artists, Ramlan The shortest period of time is three months and the longest is six and a few foreign artists. We looked at it and decided that what we months and we have a year to wrap up the thing. need is a gallery that represents all because the Bank, the central bank, represents all Malaysians. Nur Hanim I had the privilege of being part of the curatorial team in the Khairuddin acquisition committee of NVAG for several years. So whether we Also, originally there was a space in the gallery for residencies. follow the policy or not, I think sometimes we just cannot avoid the Unfortunately, we had to take that away to increase the gallery space, intervention of those at the top because, for instance, I remember but what remained was the objective that the collection could be used once we had to purchase an artwork, and not a very great artwork for people to study Malaysian art. Again, to represent some of the at that, just because someone in the Ministry wanted us to acquire older artists, we spent over half a million at an auction buying one it. So institutions have to deal with that sort of thing. piece of batik. For BNM it was very much to represent the nation, to educate the nation. So that’s a very pleasing idea obviously. Another concern is regarding the criteria for acquisitions. I’m quite amazed with my colleagues from the Sabah Art Gallery, because you For CIMB, it’s very much looking at contemporary artists but getting are still new and yet you already have 3,000 works in your collection. the best works, whether we buy directly from the artist or through a So do all donated works get absorbed into the collection? gallery or on the secondary market. Bank Negara has an acquisition policy; I’m currently working on CIMB’s policy. Jennifer We’ve got two ways of acquiring paintings. One is through our Karya Pilihan Tahunan, which is a competition. So these are the highest Badrolhisham There have been no acquisitions made since 2009 until now because quality of works in our collection. And we also purchase works. We of a directive from the management. do get donations, which would be part of our collection but these would be categorised under the donation category. Yee I-L ann Whenever I have an exhibition, my first option for selling my work is to our art institutions. When these institutions don’t buy my artwork, Some of the donated paintings are by important artists so we it’s usually bought by a foreign institution, from New Zealand, categorise them under our important collection as well. I only Japan, Australia, etc. It breaks my heart that our institutions are not have RM20,000 to buy paintings in a year. So you imagine how collecting the storytelling that I want to share with my community, desperate I am in trying to choose the best paintings. But we also and this is just me – multiply that by every other artist in the country. have the same problem like you were saying with regard to top-down The country is losing their art. For Galeri PETRONAS, as a major intervention. I’m trying to have a committee to decide on acquisitions institution, not to collect for four years is horrifying.

84 85 Nor Alisa Our funding to buy art comes from the Johor government. In terms M1 We’re going to go through three sub-topics now. The first one Abdul Rahman of actually buying art, there’s very little budget because they prefer is conservation and maintenance policies and practices of our in Malay us to organise competitions and the winning artworks from these institutional collections. The second one is, how do our institutions

competitions will then be absorbed into the collection. Most of the approach programming; and the third is art funding – are we putting artworks in our collection come from competitions and donations. our money in the right place? What sort of funding is there out there If we want to acquire artwork, if it’s below RM10,000 we can make for the arts and who are the recipients? the decision directly, anything above that, we have to take it to the Board. Once that happens, there are often administrative delays so we prefer to acquire works below RM10,000. However, recently, we conservation and maintenance have nominated an art advisor to advise the state government on acquisition and programming so this year we are applying to acquire M1 What are the conservation needs and what are the maintenance works which are more than RM50,000. There is no set budget or policies in our institutions? When we talk about conservation and policy, basically approval is given based on each individual proposal. maintenance policies, it can be from the way you handle a There is a preference to collect works by Johorean artists but we are from the moment it comes into the institution to thinking about hoping to extend this eventually. conservation, lighting, temperature, control and damage restoration. Is there a process or system? And are the people who are in charge Syahidah The Melaka Muzium Board has 24 museums and 11 galleries. We get of conservation and maintenance trained? Do they know anything Abu Sah a budget from the state and federal governments. The acquisition about conservation and how do you address this in your institution? in Malay budget is RM50,000 which is shared amongst the museums and galleries. The budget is for the acquisition of artefacts – paintings fall Iqbal For Bank Negara Malaysia, again, we looked to the Australian under this. So far we have not acquired local art but we have bought museums and galleries. We looked to the standards maintained by artworks by French and Italian artists as well as a Chinese ink work most of the Australian objects conservators. depicting views of Melaka. We are also subject to intervention from the top. Acquisitions are made based on proposals which have to Originally, there were a couple of people who were working in be approved by the board of directors. We have tried to expand the conservation and were in charge of looking after the paintings. Again collection by asking artists who exhibit with the galleries to donate because it is such a big organisation – with four buildings – a lot of one painting and to give the gallery a 10 per cent commission from the paintings require constant conservation care, especially works the sales of the show. In return, the galleries cover the artist’s logistics on paper which do not do well in our climate. and exhibition costs. We have 281 works in our permanent collection with some loaned works from Dutch collectors and a Malaccan artist. When the Bank looks to acquire, they look for work which does not require conservation because otherwise it just wouldn’t make sense. If you have already spent money acquiring the work, spending money repairing it on top of that would be very difficult to justify. When it comes to reframing, most of the time you do have to re-frame because the frames that these paintings come with are not exactly museum quality.

Valentine In the private sector, we send paintings that need restoration to Singapore. If we need to restore the painting, I insist that the Balai Seni Lukis Melaka; Balai Seni Lukis Johor process must be reversible. So they cannot just add to a painting.

86 87 That process must be reversible because in future there may be a problem because the Art Gallery is in the Chancellory building and better technique in doing this. It’s an expensive process, you know, after 5pm, we have no more air-conditioning. Fortunately, because especially restoring a work on paper as it’s more sensitive to the we found mold on some of the works, the auditor has recommended climate. If you keep it in a non-air-conditioned room, it has to stay that the air-conditioner is kept on as otherwise valuable paintings in a non-air-conditioned room. If it’s living in an air-conditioned in the collection would be damaged. room, keep it in air-conditioning all the time. Don’t move it around because condensation happens even on canvas. The important thing M1 In terms of condition checking, maintaining the condition of the to remember is if the room is not air-conditioned, it must be filled artworks, what are the institutional practices? How often do you with air, there must be ventilation. monitor the condition of the artworks? Is it a regular check and how often should that be? Iqbal That’s easy enough for a gallery, but in a building like Bank Negara air-conditioning stops at five o’clock. It is the same problem for us at Iqbal At Bank Negara, condition checks are conducted daily. With regard CIMB because come five or six o’clock, there is no more centralised to artefacts, we have mostly coins so checks are based on visual air-conditioning. If you put a painting in a warm room forever, it will indication. The Bank has 1,700 artworks and so the conservation team adapt. If you put it in a cold room forever, it will adapt. If you keep has to do rounds of inspection – it can’t all be done on a daily basis. changing the temperature however, that’s when the cracks appear, that’s when the mould sets in. Ramlan Balai has already invested a few hundred thousand ringgit into a new lab at the gallery and an officer was sent to do his Masters in Erna When the Islamic Arts Museum started, it was very specific to conservation at Sheffield Hallam University. We have also a few artefacts. Now it’s paintings, it’s also ceramics, textiles, etc. and staff who are locally-trained who studied conservation from other they have a specific conservation department. Most of the people museums in the country. there are UiTM students who graduated in fine arts. So they have the skills, they have the know-how, but they need the watchful eye We are constantly training and we also provide conservation of a trained head of department, who trains them on conservation services to other institutions such as University of Malaya. We have matters. a conservation and maintenance unit and a conservation lab. We have curators who are in charge of managing the conservation of works The Head of Department used to emphasise two things. One is that in the collection and in our exhibitions. Our curators decide which art is meant to die at some point. So if you don’t want it to die, put in works need to be conserved. Australian galleries have done some a box and leave it there. Secondly, don’t move it from cold to warm conservation workshops and training with us, as has the National temperatures. We try to prevent this happening because with our Museum. We have also sent people to India for training. weather, mould is a major issue. Angela I often liken my role at Rimbun Dahan to that of a housekeeper. M1 Encik Aziz, I remember you were saying that in UM you had quite To ensure that the collection and the artists and the public get the a lot of valuable works from way back in the 1950s. So how have best outcome possible, we have to look after the works. So I check they been kept and have you addressed any issues of conservation every day; the dehumidifiers are checked twice a day. With regards because you also have works by the famous Indian artist M.F. Husain to the collection that we have at the hotel in , there are daily – how have you approached this so far? issues. It’s about people opening the doors, the walls have got holes, you get condensation behind the painting which nobody Aziz We do have older, rare works in our Museum. Fortunately, we do notices until suddenly it blooms. And we have a collection of Chinese have an ample system with a dehumidifier and so on. We had a out there that dates from the 19th century. And so it

88 89 requires everything to be looked at as often as possible. The earlier And for external shows, we also do condition reports which are you see it, the easier it withstands; the longer you leave it, the more compiled and passed to whoever the organiser is and we keep a problematic it becomes. copy of the reports for ourselves.

Syahida At the Melaka Art Gallery, issues relating to conservation have not Rahel Joseph Just out of curiosity, are the works in Bank Negara and Balai insured? in Malay come up. The works we buy are in good condition and so far donated works have also been in good condition so there has been no need Iqbal The central bank doesn’t insure anything. Literally they have this for any conservation work. In my experience, there was one work thing called self-insurance. Since they are actually regulators of that needed conservation – we sent it to Balai as we do not have insurance in the country anyway, there doesn’t seem to be a need conservation experts in the Gallery. for the Bank to insure the works.

Nor Alisa Conservation issues so far have been mostly in the case of artefacts. Elizabeth The British Council does not insure the works in their collection in Malay We have about 200 important works in the collection but most of Cardosa because they have, you know, 20,000 works in their collection them are in good condition as the acquisitions were quite recent. throughout the world, and they have very good systems in place to manage the collection, from tiny pieces to full-fledged sculptures that We had some damaged sculptural works which were then returned sit in parts, which are shown in lots of road shows and exhibitions to the artists to fix, with all costs covered by Johor State Gallery. throughout the world. At the moment we are in the process of learning how to conserve and manage artworks properly. We are also learning how to use the They have an indemnity policy because insurance would be dehumidifier/climate control equipment in the Gallery. completely prohibitive. So this could be something that some of the national institutions want to look at. I mean, if you’re travelling Zainol Sharif We need to also discuss insurance policies, not only against damage an exhibition to Hong Kong, and you’re bringing out 50 works, you and mishandling but also theft and pilferage. I think insurance should couldn’t afford to pay for the insurance. include protecting against former staff taking artworks home. (Laughter). Suryani Taking off my moderator’s hat, just to add that when I was at Khazanah Senja Alias they had insured all their art pieces as furniture, or fixed assets. This Zolkurnain We insure our collection under the USM Treasury every year. We also means that the value actually depreciates with every year, which is Hassan have an in-house conservation team. We have a curator to monitor counter to what actually happens with valuable pieces of art that in Malay the lighting, moisture and so on, and have the necessary equipment. rise in value over the years, depending on the artist and the work of art. So there was actually a review of the collection, in terms of We have had some conversation issues with some of the works in insuring it as art, and to have a policy of reviewing it every two years. the collection and we sent the works to NVAG for conservation. We have also brought in a conservator from Singapore to do some Wairah For the NVAG, there’s a panel to review the collection I think every conservation work on one of the Ibrahim Hussein works in our two years. collection. Kathy How do you manage your collection in terms of protecting it Badrolhisham At Galeri PETRONAS we do condition reports for artworks in the Rowland from theft or intentional damage? How does that work, say, in an gallery exhibitions as well as when we display art in all our subsidiary organisation like CIMB where you’ve got the works in your collection offices, so there’s always a condition report done when the work dispersed all over the place. How do you keep track of the works so arrives and when it leaves the space. that they don’t disappear?

90 91 Iqbal There will be a record of where a work is. So if it’s in a bank manager’s conservation, there are actually some people here who have links to office, for example, and it goes missing, he’s responsible for it in experts and who have worked together with institutions in Australia terms of damage. However, if someone slashes a painting, there’s should you require assistance in this area. nothing you can do to stop them. You can have CCTV cameras to record their actions and you can catch them later but the damage programming is done. M1 Let’s move on to the next sub-topic, which is art programming. As M1 And the cost to repair would come out from your budget, right? institutions are usually for the public, one of the ways to engage the community or the public is through programmes. This could be Iqbal Yes, it has to, there’s no other way for that to work. programmes with kids or programmes that relate music to artwork, or programmes that deal with education. Rolf Stehle For me, it was very interesting to hear about the state of conservation and protection of art. It might be interesting to have a seminar on So how is this structured in Malaysian institutions? Do you actually the restoration and conservation of arts, getting experts in Europe study who you want to target, which demographic? For example, and the other Asian countries to talk about this because it seems about 75% of the population in Malaysia are under 35 or under 40, to be very pertinent. so should institutions try to reach out to younger people through their programming? What is the impact of your programmes? Do you Kathy When I was with the Australian High Commission, we worked ever monitor your programmes to see whether they reach the kind with Balai in bringing in conservation experts from the Ian Potter of audiences or attract the traffic that you want in your institutions? Conservation Centre in Australia to run workshops to train staff. And how do you document it? Do you keep videos, documents, reports of your programmes? One of the questions that came up was whether any of the institutions here had scholarships for people to actually go overseas and study Badrolhisham In a year, we have possibly eight to 10 shows. With every show, we conservation management. Is there such a structure now? have accompanying programmes which involve young kids, teens and adults. And with every show that we organise, we have accompanying Ramlan Balai recently sent someone to do their Masters in conservation catalogues. So it’s a permanent documentation of everything that has and they have also sent staff to India to train in conservation so yes happened during the year. And then, of course, we have a compulsory there is such a structure – but it’s a fairly recent development. curatorial walk-through with the curator who explains the objectives of the exhibition. Elizabeth Can I just say that there are many other institutions apart from universities that run courses which are very specific to art restoration, whether it’s paintings, whether it’s textiles or any other medium?

There are some very intensive short courses available – there are a lot of other places that actually have it; India is a good example. So if institutions are really interested, they should investigate further. There’s a lot of information out there that’s available. Galeri Petronas: gallery view; street art workshop

M1 It’s a good idea to highlight now that one of the purposes of this Katherine Soka Gakkai try to do side activities to complement the exhibitions. roundtable is for networking. So for institutions that lack expertise in Chui We are a Buddhist-based organisation and we depend a lot on our

92 93 volunteers. We have the art education team who are made up of Rahel Actually, if you don’t mind, maybe I’ll speak first in the context of volunteers and we discuss with them how to enhance the visitors’ Galeri PETRONAS where much of the programming was in education. experience when they visit the exhibition. For example, we try to We looked at it really in terms of strategies to bring in new visitors. organise art workshops by the artist and also prepare exhibition I think in the past, people were content to walk into an exhibition guides which help to enrich and deepen the public’s understanding and view the artworks without really knowing or understanding very of the exhibitions. We also try to organise other kinds of activities much, but I think people now do want to have more of an experience like children’s programmes. Currently we have a carving exhibition when they come to a gallery – people want to be educated. When we and in conjunction with the exhibition, we have organised a variety looked at the programming, it was also to come out with programmes of programmes that are targeted to different age groups from clay that would bring in new audiences – people who might not normally workshops to children’s programmes which we promote to schools, walk into the gallery. and even to kindergartens as we want children to come visit the exhibition. But our objective is mainly to enhance their sense of So we did programmes in connection with the exhibitions, but we also appreciation for art and to deepen their knowledge. did stand-alone events. For example, we got the children’s theatre company Jumping Jellybeans to come in to do a performance for Ramzi 1MCAT organised programmes for schools. We started with schools kids – it was a production based on a surrealistic painting – and a lot Abu Yazid in the whole state of Pahang, to reach school kids from Form 1 to of adults and children came, families who normally wouldn’t have Form 5 and their teachers, through the Ministry of Education. We walked into an art gallery. We also tried to do more cross-cultural wanted to give to students within that state exposure to art. Many events with performing arts and music and it’s about bringing people of the government schools do not have the facilities to teach, to in – new audiences. I think museums and galleries all over the world engage students in art. So what we did was organise a competition are looking to give their visitors a whole experience. for them. The Ministry of Education was involved. We engaged several artists to be brought in to mentor the students and they I-Lann What we are doing is a little bit different. We spend a lot of time learned a lot and the teachers were very happy. thinking about programming and we’re asking the community what they want. For example, Tamparuli has a lot of craftspeople Another programme we organised involved a shopping complex so we will have programmes that are craft-orientated but we will engaging an art school, in this instance, Saito College. They try to also include programmes on architectural experiments that invited the students there to produce sculptures and the works we’re doing with materials. So the programming is always trying were displayed at Sungai Wang Plaza. So these are the sorts of to be contemporary in that sense by juxtaposing different kinds engagements. It’s a way of exposing students to the market, which of disciplines together and also respecting place. The audience is very important. is immediately living within that community, so our programmes should not feel foreign nor should it feel imposed upon them. The M1 So your target audience is mostly tourists? programmes should become very easy to take part in.

Ramzi Our target segment is both locals and tourists. We want to expose Aziz On our campus, we set up a booth for our artist-in-residence at and educate locals on art, and also reach out to the international campus events so that the community has the opportunity to watch tourists who come here to Malaysia. them paint, in this way exposing the UM community to art.

M1 Can we just wrap it up with Rahel: how did you approach and structure programming with your seven years in the Australian High Commission?

94 95 funding us have been working and have been talking about funding with the different government departments without much success because M1 Ok, can we go to funding, which is, I think is a very popular topic, there’s often changes in the government departments. It’s not the and hopefully a very exciting one. individuals who work there but it’s really the agencies themselves that are the issue here. When we hear about art funding in Malaysia, it’s either very elusive and very difficult to get, with everyone putting in proposals but not The issue of taxation and arts organisations not being given charity necessarily getting funding, or it’s the other case where we hear of status in this country is because of laws that date back to the corporations spending millions on various events. British and the Communist threat and the difficulty of getting registered as a society and non-profit has plagued us until today. So are we putting money where we actually require it in the arts, and what sort of funding is out there? Is it easy to find? Who usually So when I was at kakiseni and went looking for sponsorship, receives this funding in Malaysia? What are the aims, criteria and corporations would say that, “We would like to give you money but structures of funding programmes, and how transparent is funding in we need to have this money tax-deductable”, and unfortunately we Malaysia? When we talk about funding here, we also want to know were not able to give them tax-deductable status. Every artist will about sponsorship grants, residencies, awards and whatever other tell you the same story. funding is out there. With visual arts, I’m not sure what the situation is like here, but I’ll Marine I just have one question, when a company is sponsoring an event, give you a brief historical context from the US. The reason that the Moncaut do they get a reduction on their annual tax? I want to know if this US has a system of private philanthropic museums – we can think is available here because for Alliance Française, the grant we get of the Guggenheim, of all the major galleries in the US which are from the government is very little compared to what we can get privately-funded – is because basically the US Government instituted from companies. this tax law that allowed huge tax deductions for corporations funding art. So the Rothchilds and everyone else who made money Ramzi This is the same question which was forwarded to Ministry of Tourism building the railroads in the US were given a way to re-channel their and Culture’s Secretary-General last Saturday, where we had the money. So instead of giving it to the government, the money would event Borak-Borak Seni. They will certainly look into this seriously be channelled towards society to build these institutions. and I think in next year’s planning, there may be proposals based on the feedback from this platform of meetings and talks. So the I think something like this will then address some of the issues Secretary-General is aware of this. about how institutions like Balai can attract support from private collectors in the region. Iqbal Last year, there was RM80 million disbursed for grants for the performing arts and fine arts. We don’t need to discuss whether there are grants or But this issue of tax exemption is something that has been brought not. The fact is they need to be disbursed, they were not disbursed last up in every seminar that I’ve been to, going back to the seminar that year. There were many organisations who went out looking for money Zabas organised in 2001, and excuse our frustration because we keep from the government, from the Ministry, who were just turned away. being told that it’s going to be implemented. It’s just interesting that We know the money exists but where is it? this context works everywhere else in the world but not here.

Kathy I just want to give you another context, and I defer to the ladies M1 So how about corporations – I assume that it’s easier to track here who have been working on this for the past 30 years. A lot of corporation funding from foundations?

96 97 Iqbal We don’t have an arts programme per se. Our pillars are education, today. And they are getting substantial sums of money. But I think development, health, sports. the problem here is not how they acquired the funding but how they manage the funding and this is why I think we all as a unit should Rolfe Goethe-Intitut’s funding is divided into 11 regions. Each region is given reach out to these collectives and teach them how to manage the a particular sum of money and allocations will be set aside for the funds. different disciplines. We decide how we want to spend the money – whether on rent, salaries, programming, etc. We are constantly M1 HOM actually takes the initiative of raising funds themselves, thinking of ways to get funding, from ASEF, for example, or from using their own funds from sales of their artworks to help younger Europe. There are some possibilities but you have to know about artists and to document work, as well as to reach out to Southeast them and the application process can be quite time-consuming. Asian artists and build networks and connections using KL as a hub. Perhaps Hanim can speak to us about this? Marion The Krishen Jit-ASTRO Fund as you know is very simple, very small. After Krishen died we proposed to ASTRO who has been a long-term Hanim The best person to speak about this is Bayu [Utomo Radjikin] himself. sponsor of Five Arts, the idea of this Fund that would be instituted I’ve just been with HOM for a few months but basically HOM has in his memory. So ASTRO gives us RM35,000 a year. this fund called Tabung Seni Matahati which was created about five years ago under the initiative of Permata Hatiku. So basically they We get between 40 to 80 applications in all areas of the arts including called artists from three countries to organise a charity show and a film and documentations. We give out about four to five grants a percentage from the sales was channelled into the fund. This fund year, ranging from about RM2,000 to about RM10,000- 12,000. It’s will be used for artists who fall ill or have an accident and it also all very transparent. The applications are there, the grants are all supports small projects and art programmes. Perhaps the best thing up there on our website. There’s a public announcement through a is to refer to our website, HOM Art Trans. And can I just add a little press conference, and we take about 8% of the RM35,000 for admin, bit about Ministry funding since Tuan Ramzi is here. I think it’s very photocopying and organising the panel meetings. There’s a selection good that you’re here to represent the government because this is panel and we are now going into our eighth cycle. So, we’ve given a very important issue. It’s good that we are speaking openly today. out 29 grants over the last seven years amounting to RM256,000. I think it’s important to mention here that Kakiseni have been doing a M1 So just quickly wrapping up our session, we’ve talked about lot of work over the last few years and so now there’s a whole bunch targets, benchmarks, best practices where we have seen a variety of grants for the performing arts community that we’ve all applied of ways that institutions look at best practices. We’ve also looked for. They are trying to work with the Ministry and there are lots of at acquisition policies. Some have written ones, which they don’t teething problems, but money is being granted out to the performing follow, while some have informal policies, and there’s quite a bit of arts. Perhaps we can start something for the visual arts. intervention from the top which makes it difficult. Also there is the problem of a limited and constrained budget which is a big issue for Valentine You know when we talk about funding, one of the things that scares a lot of our institutions, which probably explains the sad state of our us about today’s discussion is the duplications. PETRONAS, National institutional collections around the country. In terms of conservation Visual Arts Gallery, all aspiring to promote and educate on visual and maintenance policies, there seems to be a huge gap in this area arts but because there is so much duplication, there’s less funding, and there’s a serious need to address this in all institutions. With isn’t there? art programming, some institutions needs are more sophisticated and clearer than others in terms of what they want. So maybe this Erna I need to just also add that I do know that there’s some funding is a way to network and connect to each other and learn from the going to smaller groups, art collectives – I don’t think they are here more developed art programmes. And lastly, funding is an important

98 99 subject because it seems that there is funding out there but it doesn’t done various advocacy work with the Ministry of Culture or other seem to be applied where it is needed. There’s also a serious issue government agencies, but what happens, often enough, is that these of trying to incentivise corporations in Malaysia where we have efforts die away and we end up reinventing the wheel again with more and more very wealthy corporations who feel that they every new organisation. Also, we have situations where for example, need incentives to invest in art or in art activities, so there’s a big the University of Malaya gallery had to go to Taiwan to seek advice opportunity there I see. on policy frameworks when really there are people within the country with the necessary expertise who could help them.

Session 2: Perhaps I’d like to kick off the session by asking people here: who does your institution serve? Roles, Responsibilities, Relevance:

How do and how can institutions contribute to the Iqbal In the art sphere, we serve ourselves. Our purchases are for our own development of the Malaysian art scene? office beautification, for edification. We are not likely to buy past historical works. Our aim is to be forward-looking. Perhaps in the future, we will have smaller shows in Menara CIMB in KL Sentral M2 In the last session, we covered a lot of ground. We’ve had institutions and promote a small number of artists. We can’t do more than two sharing some of the issues and problems that they face. And it’s shows maximum per year. But it would be our way to support the obvious that there is a commonality that runs through all of these visual arts scene here. We do have plans to commission artists to issues we have been talking about: how engaged our institutions make new work and in that way we can help develop artists and are in shaping policy, in responding to policy, in fact in very simple support the fine arts community. The programme is an initiative of terms, actually knowing what the policy frameworks are that govern the CEO. I look after it with the support of CSR. This is something our industry. The other issue is transparency, as there are some very new for us. It has never been done before. very clear cases we have heard where we have good policy, good people in place, a lot of inventiveness, but decisions that are made Syahidah Our target groups are local and foreign artists. We look to them to by curators, art administrators and directors often get overridden in Malay provide content and, given our location in the middle of the tourist by people who are above them in the political power chain. So we district, tourists are our target audience. There is a commercial have a policy framework but there’s a lack of transparency in the aspect to our efforts. way it is implemented. There is also the issue of education – or the lack of it. We need a cohesive arts education policy that doesn’t Our Gallery was the inspiration of Yang di Pertua Negeri Melaka, Tun just look at sponsorship and training programmes for curators and Kadir Yaakob and one of his ideas was that the Gallery would be a gallery managers but really incorporates visual arts in our education place for tourists to buy paintings that were indicative of Malaysian system as a whole. If we look at Singapore’s arts policy and even with culture. Paintings at our gallery are priced at RM3,500 and below all the problems of the Singapore government’s involvement in the so tourists essentially can acquire these paintings and take a piece arts, schoolchildren are learning about their visual artists in their of Melaka back with them. We also provide space to UiTM Melaka classrooms. They will all know who Georgette Chen is. And this is students to hold their graduation shows and their other activities. what needs to be done on this very level. And Valentine also raised We have also worked with them in running school programmes for an issue that I think is relevant – the lack of networks and exchange primary and secondary school students at the Gallery. of information so the result is a lot of duplication. I mean, even in this room there is a huge resource of institutional memory. We all Badrolhisham For us at Galeri PETRONAS, it is for the benefit of our stakeholders have stories, we have all sat on panels, written position papers, and the public at large. We hold art exhibitions for the art fraternity,

100 101 for children and designers. Our target is also to enhance the visibility please stakeholders, please the artists, and the public at large. So of PETRONAS, to promote the corporate brand. Balai operates for the nation, the country, the people.

M2 Is there a national agenda as well? Beverly Why is a National Visual Arts Gallery important?

Badrolhisham In a way. This year, we are going to celebrate Galeri PETRONAS’ Ramlan Well, it’s got the directive from the Minister. (Laughter). I have to 20th anniversary so to celebrate this as well as Malaysia’s 55th say that because that is what I observe, sitting on the board. Anniversary, we are holding the Merdeka Awards Exhibition. In this exhibition, 17 recipients of the Award will be highlighted alongside M2 So it seems to me then that Balai is engaged in this area of practice, Nobel Prize Winners. and spending public funds, based solely on a document, or a law. Where does Balai locate the value of visual arts in Malaysia? M2 What are some of the conflicts faced, trying to square serving the corporate body with also serving the public? Iqbal To be fair, I think what Professor Ramlan is talking about is a recent thing for Balai. Back in the days when it was in the Majestic Hotel, Badrolhisham PETRONAS as a Government Linked Corporation has to play a role as Balai was a lot more accessible and it was a lot more open in the way well to support the nation. While we don’t have to celebrate Merdeka it treated visitors and the way it ran exhibitions. It was less top-down Day, for example, we do have to be patriotic in a different way. In this as it was being run by artists, people like the late Tuan Syed Ahmad way, Galeri PETRONAS is guided by PETRONAS Corporate Social Jamal and Puan Wairah. And they had curators like Sharifah Fatimah. Responsibility and PETRONAS’ shared values. These people were the ones who made the country beautiful and who understand what people would want to see. They knew what Marion PETRONAS closed down their performing arts group last year. They was required to get people to come to the Gallery. Now it is run had a full time performing arts group with full-time paid position by bureaucrats. You don’t have people who love art running these musicians and dancers. spaces. You don’t have people who care about the importance of the Pago-Pago or the Malaysian Series. That’s the problem. M2 Why support the arts? What is the value of art to your institution? Is it for the national agenda, art for art’s sake, art for society? For Balai, for example, why is the arts important? Why does Balai deserve to receive public funds?

Ramlan Why NVAG exists really goes back to history. It was mooted by the Prime Minister of the time and then, of course, its establishment was proposed by the and . Everything National Art Gallery at Te Majestic Hotel (1957-2002); has been about national agenda. The Government funds Balai, and National Visual Arts Gallery at Jalan Tun Razak. it takes RM16 million to run the Balai. RM9 million is for salary allocation to pay 200 staff annually, and the rest of the budget is to M2 Why is the arts important in our society? run programmes, things like that. I think we are doing everything. We are going pro-active and reactive towards whatever is mooted I-Lann Art is important in our society because it brings about dialogue about by the government or the public. When I say reactive, it is coming some of the issues we face. The arts can be a softer approach to from top-bottom kind of delegation where, as far as the agenda various issues whatever they may be, they can bring about thoughts is concerned, it just changes because of the necessity of trying to and dialogue, discussion of ideas, widening conversation. It is another

102 103 language, a mode of expression, a facilitator to tell stories, express Rolfe There is a definition by the European Council in Strasbourg: Culture emotions etc., sharing and communicating the good and the bad. Art is everything that is connected with the life of an individual living can be really useful as it can help transcend differences and prejudice. within a society. Access to culture is a basic human right. And culture and the arts create opportunities for the development of society. Our The motivation behind setting up Tamparuli was because we felt there artists are very important in our society, no matter whether it’s here was a growing need in Sabah for spaces, apart from institutions like or Europe and I also think it’s a privilege to work for them and with the Sabah Art Gallery, for people to express themselves. I basically them and we have to do our best for them. see this space as a vessel or a facility for people to tell stories, to express what they’re thinking, what their emotions are, to mark Katherine As I mentioned just now, the ultimate aim of our organisation is time and place, storytelling. I believe residencies are so important peace. And we believe that in order to achieve peace, it is through especially between Semenanjung [the Peninsula] and Sabah and culture, art and education. So supporting the arts is very important Sarawak, so that there is more dialogue across the South China Sea. in our organisation. As we are an NGO, we do not have the type of Which is why I straddle both sides. funds museums or galleries enjoy. We believe that it is through art and culture and all the artistic exchanges that we can conduct at I think art is a great communicator – for example in Sabah, we our centre that we are able to bring people together to appreciate are known for our music. And it connects you, the way it creates art in that sense. camaraderie. So to me, this is where art can be really useful especially for dialogue, expression, openness. Zabas As long as something is cultural, it will be contested. When things are contested we have to always be aware of political developments. Jennifer Our target audience is the younger generation and also the artists. Art Things change according to politics. Everything is run according to as medicine to your soul. Art is a way of expressing yourself. I don’t self-interest. Corporations have their own agendas, the government want people to think that you need to be academic to be successful has its own agenda. in life. Art gives them a way to express themselves in different ways. Now, what do we do then? What do artists do? I guess in some ways, One of the ways our programmes support artists is by giving artists a we have to try our best to make sure that the constitution that we platform to sell their art. They are particularly geared towards young believe in should always be upheld. There’s no such thing as catering artists in particular. One of the ways of doing it is to sell the artists’ only to a particular community. paintings at Sabah Art Gallery, as it is the only platform for artists. The agendas of the government, of the ministries, of the corporations M2 Maybe Tuan Ramzi, you can actually answer that question. Why should be monitored by us. We should all be on our toes always and does your institution support the arts and where is the arts located oppose anything that seems to be chauvinistic, that appears to be in our national dialogue? marginalising others. We should also ask what constitutes Malaysian art? We never seem to ask that question enough. If you recall the Ramzi When we first started the project, I was asked the same thing: Why Sidang Seni that was held by PETRONAS a long time ago, my pet do you want to promote the arts? So I explained to the management question about art always is: what is it? team that, when you visit or Vietnam or Indonesia, the first thing you see when you walk out of your hotel is art galleries. But in Marion We have a lot of problems right? That’s very obvious in the art scene, Malaysia, when you walk out of your hotel, you see 7Elevens. So we in the whole country, but if we don’t start seriously thinking and having wanted to promote the galleries in Malaysia to attract tourism and the political will in measures small and big to fix the education system to make Malaysia an art destination. then it is game over. If we don’t start fixing it from Standard 1, it’s over.

104 105 M2 Thank you Marion. Thank you Zabas as well for articulating I think that either the policy is unclear or the implementation of the policy so clearly some of the complexities and the dangers, and also how is sporadic. art is contested because art is valuable, and I think those are the two things that I wanted to bring to our discussion. From some the I-Lann I did an Australian High Commission residency at the Gunnery Studios things that you shared today, we know that there are huge numbers in Sydney 10 years ago – that was a very important residency for me. of problems and these problems are systemic, and they are also The Gunnery Studios was housed in a four-storey building. The top deeper in some institutions. floor held the artist residency studios and they had a public gallery on the street level. The NAVA office was one floor down from the And secondly, that art has value and that it is essential that we do Gunnery Studios. So the NAVA office, because of its location, was something to try and change the conversation so there is a way very much in touch with real art workers and real artists and real that institutions can form some kind of collective voice that has an things like residency programmes. They were not in an isolated, impact on the wider national political policy-making frameworks in bureaucratic office situation. They were very much operating in a this country. Is there interest in forming some kind of institution that living art centre. I think perhaps some of the policy advisor types brings people together? Because I think it’s been mentioned that within the Ministry in Malaysia are a little bit removed from the arts very rarely do the different stakeholders that we have here today practitioners. And while these big conferences are inspiring, I think come together in a room and speak openly and frankly. Do you have that the Malaysian arts scene needs to get a lot tighter and simpler any ideas or do you have any knowledge of other arts groups which and fresher, and I think one of the main problems is criticality. There’s have done something similar? very little real self-criticism.

Zabas Malaysia is a member of ICOM International Council of Museums and So today is a good example of the kind of stuff that should happen our representative is Muzium Negara, and I think this should be made more. So basically, two things are lacking: One is interaction, real known, especially to museums and galleries in Malaysia: that there interaction by policy makers and art workers so that you’re engaged is an international voice that can be of assistance to us in many ways and art workers are involved with policy. especially in the education/training of museum personnel. I guess we have to ask Muzium Negara for more information because Muzium The second is criticality, meaning the curating, the writing, the Negara is our representative. When I was in Galeri PETRONAS, I newspaper, media. I think actually the young artists who are fresh applied for the Galeri to be part of ICOM but to be a member of graduates have a much easier time now than any other time in ICOM they said you have to go through Muzium Negara. I did, but I Malaysian art because there are so many spaces around KL that never got an answer. are open to young artists. In fact, people are hungry for new art. The people that I think are really suffering are the contemporary artists M2 Do you know if there are organisations outside Malaysia that do or the more critical artists – there’s almost no art space for them, no advocacy work in visual arts? Australia has an organisation called physical space, and also very few writers and curators that are able NAVA, which brings together art galleries and museums, together to articulate about their work. So to me, those are the main things. with artists, art educators, curators, art critics and so on, and what Proximity between policy makers and art workers, and criticality. they do is advocacy work. That side of the arts.

They research, for example, issues relating to taxation or acquisitions Marion There are some very interesting art initiatives that are happening and they will then be in a position to speak with a collective voice in this country like the Chow Kit Kita project, Rumah Ibadat. There to influence the policy-makers. It does seem from what we were are quite a few of these small initiatives by young artists who just hearing today that one of the key problems within the institutions is decided, enough already, we’re just going to go out there with very

106 107 few resources but with a bunch of people who are willing to volunteer I think the role of media hasn’t been talked about. I think now we have and do whatever they need to do to bring the arts into the community. social media and more activism in media. So, we should think about And what’s interesting with the Chow Kit Kita project is that people how media can work towards changing or addressing some of the dire started to notice the work. needs of the institutions. There could be quite interesting changes that can be made without having to change the whole leadership. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I think recently Khazanah gave them funding to run other projects because they recognised they were M2 I think what we are talking about is a lobby group, a focus group doing good work. So there are some good initiatives out there, and that brings together the different stakeholders so that’s perhaps it’s about matching the power and the money with these projects something that might be for a follow-up forum, or would any which are already happening, sometimes without any funding. government institutions or private institutions like to volunteer to take that role? M2 From what you describe, while it’s fantastic, I think it could also be read as a breakdown of the institutions here. Institutions here have What are some of the visions that you all have for the future of your basically failed, and therefore artists have found strategies on their institutions? What kind of role you would like it to play within the own to circumvent the institutions and create work. framework of the country?

But I think the question I would like to put forward is about forming Zolkurnain We have plans and aspirations to be the centre for curatorial and some kind of voice, creating a platform and having a collective voice in Malay exhibition technology. We have experience in doing consultancy work that represents some of our shared interests and then being in a in these areas, particularly for exhibitions, so we want to extend our position to influence the policy. So we are not actually waiting for services in the Northern states. the policy to be written and then kind of pulling out our hair and saying, well, this is ridiculous. M2 Angela, could you talk to us a little bit about where you see the future of visual arts in Malaysia going? Suryani I think it’s an enormous challenge to change the system because a lot of our art institutions are very entrenched within the legal and Angela I think it is a hard question, Kathy. Listening to the conversation political framework, as well as the bureaucratic framework. So, any now, it seems that we have been the beneficiaries of policies that massive change to the system has to come from the leadership. are totally different from Singapore’s and we are very critical of I think we have serious leadership issues when it comes to our what Singapore has produced, but because we’ve had no funding national art institutions or museums that come under the purview and things are difficult for artists, it’s a different scenario here. of the government. So it’s not easy to address issues in order to change, because the best and fastest change that can come about I think we can’t run away from the definition of culture and the arts is through a change of leadership on whatever level. But having as critical for all human beings, and people will do it anyway, whether said that, there’s also another way to push change forward, which they are supported or not. I don’t know that I can give you a bigger is to link up with all the relevant parties and create a network and answer. a strong lobby of people. We lack that, we don’t have a strong collective voice, people just complain on their own and then go For us at Rimbun, we support artists. That’s really all we do and almost back into their little box. So I think collectively we need a voice without exception we have never been disappointed. We’ve always and we need to focus towards changing the system and getting it had good results, except for very few examples. And I think if you moving. That’s the only way I think the institutions can actually give artists an opportunity to concentrate on their work physically be revamped as well. and give them the mental space as well, you’ll get a good result.

108 109 The problem in Malaysia is political will – we’ve all been dancing within within our Malaysian context. So thank you very much and around this topic. hopefully something will come out of this.

The government is not a player in helping to develop a national culture. We’ve talked about multiculturalism but really it’s — monoculturalism. It’s not open for public debate. The full recording of the roundtable can be found at Malaysian Art Archive and Research Support. www.mars.org.my It’s not there for us to talk about because it’s just not allowed. We

can talk about it privately but it’s definitely not on the institutions’ The NMA Project would like to thank: agenda. And until that happens, I don’t really see there’s going to Galeri PETRONAS be much change. Encik Rosli Abdul Rahim and his team at Galeri PETRONAS The moderators, participants and guests attending the roundtable Tan Sei Hon, Tan Kui Hoon M2 It may not even be a programme, but maybe looking at conservation Malaysian Art Archive and Research Support (MARS) work or sharing your expertise. How do we bring together different for documenting the roundtable session Adeline Ooi and Ong Jo-Lene stakeholders into some kind of platform whether it’s formal or Project Assistant Chiang Xi Ning informal to work together and to share your problems and also your strength? Is there an interest? Is there a possibility after Image courtesy of: Rimbun Dahan this meeting? Sabah Art Gallery Galeri PETRONAS I-Lann Another thing I want to say about institutions is that institutions Balai Seni Lukis Melaka Balai Seni Lukis Johor should have their finger on the pulse. And I think what’s happened Balai Seni Visual Negara to our institutions is that they’re becoming irrelevant and they’ve been left behind. And the artists are actually moving faster than the institutions are.

So the institutions need to see not just what’s happening in terms of our national art but in terms of what’s happening internationally. They’re terribly behind even if you compare things regionally, with Indonesia and Philippines. I mean this year I’ve got six shows, all of them are outside Malaysia. Four are in Europe. It’s frustrating.

Marion Some good news. ASWARA in September will be offering a degree in Arts and Cultural Management. I have no idea if it will be good, bad or ugly but we’re offering it.

M2 Thank you for sharing so openly and being so open to challenges and criticism. Also for being, I think, self-reflective and self-critical. Every organisation here has come and shared their flaws as well as their strengths. And we couldn’t have asked for a much more open and progressive conversation about where institutions stand

110 111 about the participating institutions johor art gallery national visual arts gallery The Johor Art Gallery was reopened as a dedicated visual arts gallery in 2003. Its The National Art Gallery was founded in 1958 by an Act of Parliament. Since 2011, it building, a 100-year-old former residence, was previously home to the Johor Heritage has been known as the National Visual Arts Gallery (NVAG), and administered by Foundation (Yayasan Warisan Johor) as a centre for artefact exhibitions. the National Visual Arts Development Board. The Johor Art Gallery aims to be a state centre for visual arts education, collection, NVAG is Malaysia’s largest visual and contemporary arts institution. Its goals are exhibition, documentation, and reference. It started assembling its permanent col- threefold: lection in 1994. This collection houses works by significant local artists like Syed t 5PBTTFNCMFBQFSNBOFOUDPMMFDUJPOUIBUNJSSPSTUIFDSFBUJWJUZBOEBTQJSBUJPOT Ahmad Jamal, Fatimah Chik and Yusof Ghani. of Malaysian art and culture t 5PSFTUPSF QSFTFSWF EPDVNFOUBOESFTFBSDI.BMBZTJBOBSUIJTUPSZ The Gallery holds three non-permanent exhibitions annually, geared towards public t 5PQSPNPUFBOEVQMJGUUIFRVBMJUZPG.BMBZTJBOWJTVBMBSUCZPSHBOJTJOHFYIJCJUJPOT  arts education. It organises various programmes, including an open competition seminars, workshops, competitions, and other art activities both at home and themed around Johor state arts and culture, youth painting contests, and abroad workshops for teachers and students.

Its premises off Jalan Tun Razak include seven gallery spaces, an auditorium, a con- servation lab, and a resource centre. melaka art gallery & galeri seni rakyat Opened in 1993, the Melaka Art Gallery occupies the first floor of a nearly 200-year- With exhibitions being its core business, NVAG has organised over 700 exhibitions old Dutch building. It has eight different gallery spaces of varying size, with an esti- during its period of existence. As a public institution, all its programmes are geared mated 5,293 square-footage in total. towards providing the Malaysian public access to art and artistic discourse. Among these programmes is the Young Contemporaries show and competition, which show- Originally known as the PERZIM Art Gallery, it was dedicated solely to the painting cases young and emerging artists. and sculpture collection of Rahime Harun, former director of the National Art Gallery. Since its reopening in 2006 however, the Melaka Art Gallery has been hosting solo NVAG currently boasts a permanent collection comprising over 4,000 works across and group shows by Malaysian and international artists. With commercial exhibitions, all media, which include paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, video art and the Gallery takes a 10% commission and participating artists donate one work to the installations. This collection is available to scholars as a resource for reference and Gallery’s permanent collection. The Melaka Art Gallery holds three to five exhibitions research. The collection is continually boosted by new purchases and commissions of this kind annually. by its Acquisitions Committee, which selects works based on their significance to Malaysian art and national history. About half of all local visual art publications There are currently over 281 works exhibited in the Melaka Art Gallery with 86 of from books and catalogues to magazines and brochures are produced by the NVAG. these works belonging to its permanent collection. To date, it has published over 500 titles. The National Visual Arts Development Board has entered into sharing schemes with museums in Sabah and Sarawak, and Galeri Seni Rakyat is a collaboration between the Melaka Museums Corporation is working on opening a branch of the NVAG in Langkawi. It also has plans to host a (PERZIM) and Kumpulan Pelukis Negeri Melaka (KPNM). A commercial gallery, it Kuala Lumpur Biennale in the near future. was opened in 2008 and is dedicated to exhibiting the works of local artists.

112 113 Galeri Seni Rakyat occupies a two-storey shoplot, with seven gallery spaces of varying event, held from July to September each year, the festival features contemporary size, and an estimated 5,244 square-footage total. The gallery takes a 10% com- art produced by internationally acclaimed Malaysian artists through a series of mission, with another 10% commission paid to KPNM. Both the Melaka Art Gallery exhibitions and seminars nationwide. and Galeri Seni Rakyat host the 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism (1MCAT) programme, held between July and September annually. The inauguration of this first official art tourism festival was held at Galleria Seri Perdana in 2010. One of the objectives of the festival is to position Malaysia as a reputable destination for art enthusiasts in the region to enjoy contemporary artworks, sabah art gallery in line with the theme “Malaysia, Your New Art Tourism Destination”. The Sabah Art Gallery which was founded in 1984 recently moved into a permanent building after more than two decades of sharing facilities with the State Museum and The 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Tourism Festival serves as a platform for art enthu- organising exhibitions at a variety of venues in and around . siasts, gallery owners, artists as well as the new generation of collectors to acquire new contemporary artworks, share ideas, exchange information, and forge business A long-held dream of the Director and Founder of the Gallery, Datuk Mohd Yaman alliances. The festival is expected to attract more high-yield tourists, which in turn Hj Ahmad Mus, the Gallery finally opened its doors to the public in January 2013. will increase the tourism industry’s contribution towards the economy. Housed at the Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre (Pusat Konservasi Balai Seni Lukis Sabah), the Gallery is located on a 1.7 hectare plot of land at Mile 2, Jalan Penampang, Kota Kinabalu. muzium dan galeri tuanku fauziah, universiti sains malaysia Muzium dan Galeri Tuanku Fauziah (MGTF) officially opened in 1982, but began to Its current collection amounts to approximately 3,000 works, out of which 1,000 assemble its core collection a decade previously, when Universiti Sains Malaysia’s are categorised as part of the Special Collection. While previously the collection Humanities and Fine Art programmes were first introduced. Curators T.K. Sabapathy was spread out to various locations, now all the artworks in collection are stored and Wan Zakaria Wan Ismail acquired artworks and artefacts for the museum based within the new building. on their artistic and cultural value, for pedagogical purposes.

The Gallery holds five major exhibitions annually and several private exhibitions every MGTF aims to be a world-class teaching and research museum, rooted in art, culture year. The exhibition programmes include annual exhibitions such as the New Talent and science. It preserves, restores and documents the artworks in its continual- Exhibition, Invitational Artists Exhibition and Women Artists’ Exhibition. State wide ly expanding collection. It also houses traditional musical instruments, clothing, programmes include the Sabah Annual Art Award, which is the most prestigious theatre equipment, and folk games which are used in the University’s Performing art awards in Sabah. International programmes include the Folk Art Exhibition held Arts programme. in conjunction with the Sabah International Folklore Festival and a yearly exchange exhibition held in Tokyo. MGTF’s Doric-columned building – once USM’s main library – is furnished with lecture halls and learning spaces. The museum offers research services for those interested in Malaysian visual art, pertaining specifically to its permanent collection. It offers 1malaysia contemporary art tourism (1mcat) curatorial, installation, writing, publishing and legal assistance for art and culture 1MCAT, an initiative of Tourism Malaysia and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture projects. MGTF has often been invited as a consultant to individuals, communities, Malaysia, showcases the 1Malaysia Contemporary Arts Tourism Festival. An annual and a variety of schools, government departments and private companies.

114 115 university of malaya art gallery galeri petronas University of Malaya Art Gallery (UMAG) was founded in 2011. It is housed in convert- Galeri PETRONAS was established by PETRONAS, Malaysia’s national oil and gas ed office spaces. The seed of its collection are a number of paintings from the 1950s company. First opened in 1993 at Dayabumi Complex, PETRONAS’ former headquar- by such pioneers as Chen Wen Hsi and Cheong Soo Pieng, which were previously at ters, the gallery moved to its current location under the prestigious PETRONAS Twin the University’s Asian Art Museum. Towers in 1998. The spacious circular gallery of 2,000 sq meters is a major venue for visual arts in Kuala Lumpur, and as part of PETRONAS’ CSR objective, promotes UMAG seeks to promote art as a part of the academic process in the University. It and contributes to the development of art in Malaysia. also aims to aid local art practitioners in increasing their profile abroad. The Gallery hosts regular solo and group shows, as well as exhibitions of work by University of Galeri PETRONAS manages and administers the PETRONAS sponsorship programme Malaya students. It runs an artists-in-residence programme. UMAG plans to dedicate for visual arts. As such, the corporation provides and maintains the gallery as a some of its space to serve as a commercial gallery in the future. world-class venue for Malaysian artists to display their artworks. The gallery also hosts foreign exhibitions to encourage exchanges between local and foreign artists for their mutual benefit. cimb CIMB is a conglomeration of many other banks that have been absorbed into the To further promote and contribute towards the development of art, the gallery also CIMB family. Over the years, CIMB has been lucky enough to have inherited some offers a wide range of art appreciation and educational programmes, in addition to of the art from the banks that have been absorbed and this has allowed for a very exhibitions. Forums and seminars discussing various art issues are organised on varied collection. Today, CIMB’s collection of artworks is dedicated to the support of a regular basis. The Galeri also manages a corporate art collection of XXX works. modern and contemporary Malaysian and Southeast Asian artists, and is displayed mainly in CIMB’s main corporate headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Most of the core collection can be viewed by visitors to the building. alliance française de kuala lumpur Alliance Française is a unique association that aims to promote French language and The CIMB collection includes paintings, sculpture, glass works, and batiks. culture all around the world. Founded in Paris in 1884 and state-approved in France These works are displayed to their fullest effect with strict conservation factors taken since 1886, Alliance Française is a non-profit organisation giving the opportunity into consideration. Southeast Asian works are represented by Indonesia, Thailand to anyone to learn the French language and enjoy French culture. Today, Alliance and Singapore, some of which are gifts from visitors and CIMB offices in the region. Française is a huge worldwide network consisting of more than 1,000 centres estab- lished in more than 130 countries and teaching over 400,000 students. Moving forward, CIMB looks to expand the collection to have a broader range of works that truly represents Malaysia and the region. CIMB’s philanthropic arm, Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur (AFKL) has had a foothold in Malaysia since CIMB Foundation has also been active in supporting the arts, among its many areas 1961 and is the main organiser of cultural events such as the French Art and Film of interest. The CIMB Foundation was established in 2007 to ensure that CIMB may Festival (FAFF), and Fête de la Musique. FAFF is a nationwide French themed festi- serve each community in which it has business interests not only commercially but in a val held annually in Malaysia since 2002. It is the Malaysian version of The French holistic manner. Programmes are selected based on its three main pillars: Community Spring in Asia, which is also held in other South East Asian countries. This French Development, Sports and Education. CIMB Foundation is also active in disaster relief “rendez-vous” in Asia is aimed to provide the opportunity to all Asians to get closer work, urban renewal and environmental sustainability projects. to French lifestyle and culture.

116 117 AFKL operates from four centres in Kuala Lumpur: Lorong Gurney (main centre), goethe-institut Bangsar, Lake Side Campus of Taylor’s University and HELP College and Technology The Goethe-Institut is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institution opera- (HELP CAT). AFKL is not only a unique French language centre whose reputation is tional worldwide. There are 149 Goethe-Institutes in 91 countries. The institute is an firmly established but also an exceptional social and cultural advocate, with multiple autonomous body and politically independent which works on the principle of dialogue events held throughout the year. It has established partnerships with local organisers, and partnership. The Goethe-Institut Malaysia has been in Kuala Lumpur since 1962. cultural institutions and artists to work on promoting art, crossing borders. The Institut promotes the study of German abroad and encourages international cultural exchange. It also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information badan warisan malaysia on its culture, society and politics. Its educational and training products enable mo- Badan Warisan Malaysia (The Heritage of Malaysia Trust) is the leading national her- bility in an international learning community. With its network of Goethe-Instituts, itage NGO with a reputation for excellence in heritage conservation services spanning Goethe Centres, cultural societies, reading rooms and exam and language learning nearly 30 years. As an independent registered charity, its role is to raise awareness centres, they have played a central role in the cultural and educational policies of of heritage issues and advocate for a conservation-friendly environment in Malaysia. Germany for over 60 years.

BWM works throughout Malaysia, cooperating with community groups, institutions, The Goethe-Institut monitors trends in Germany and encourages cultural collabora- the private sector and all levels of Government to promote the conservation and tion across the globe by organising programmes of events and making contributions preservation of our historic buildings and places. It plays a pivotal role in advocacy to various festivals and exhibitions in the fields of film, visual arts, dance, music, through a range of activities including heritage education, and initiates research and theatre, literature and translation. documentation of our heritage assets as well as contributing to debates at interna- tional, national and local levels, on the quality of our built environment. the japan foundation kuala lumpur Since 1985, BWM has undertaken various building conservation projects. Many of The Japan Foundation is a non-profit organisation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs these projects have won accolades and awards locally and internationally. For the of Japan and was established in 1972 with the purpose of promoting mutual cultural past 13 years, BWM has been involved in cultural heritage tourism, the development exchange between Japan and other countries. There are 22 overseas offices around of heritage walks and tours, and integrated and sustainable management of heritage the world and the Kuala Lumpur office (JFKL) was established in October 1989. The sites in Malaysia. BWM operates two heritage properties – the Heritage Centre and three main areas under Japan Foundation are cultural/art exchange, intellectual Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman in Kuala Lumpur, and 8, Heeren Street in Melaka’s UN- exchange and Japanese language education. The KL office in Mid-Valley City has a ESCO World Heritage Site. BWM supports the work of artists by providing venues for library that is open to public, a Japanese tatami room and four classrooms where exhibitions and programmes including Malaysia’s first Digital Arts Festival, DA+C, Japanese language classes are conducted every day. As JFKL is not equipped with with the theme “The Future of Heritage” held in 2011 at Suffolk House, Penang. 8, facilities to organise events, Japan Foundation normally works closely with Malaysian Heeren Street has been a venue for contemporary art installations for MAPFest, public institutions. the Melaka Art and Performance Festival, since its inception in 2009, while 2, Jalan Stonor continues to provide an alternative exhibition venue for fine art practitioners Some of Japan Foundation’s recent projects in visual arts include Japanese Photography and art colleges, especially those drawing upon the knowledge of traditional arts and from the 1970s to the Present at KL Library and Media/Art Kitchen at MAPKL, Publika crafts while practising in a contemporary milieu. in 2013.

118 119 five arts centre Rimbun Dahan will continue the residency programme at Hotel Penaga in George Five Arts Centre was founded in 1984 by theatre directors Krishen Jit and Chin San Town, Penang, funded and managed by the hotel. The residency has also now expanded Sooi and dancer-choreographer Marion D’Cruz. Artist Redza Piyadasa and writer to include contemporary dance. In exchange for the support given, Rimbun Dahan has K.S. Maniam were the first members of the collective at that time, making it a “gang been able to choose works from the artists and has an extensive collection of works of five”. The aim and focus of Five Arts Centre, then and now, is a commitment to from all the artists they have hosted, which is a remarkable record of the programme. Malaysian creativity, experimentation and articulating multiple Malaysian identities. Five Arts Centre has grown into a collective of artists and producers dedicated to generating alternative art forms and images in the Malaysian creative environment. soka gakkai malaysia The collective’s scope of work now includes theatre, dance, music, visual arts and Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) is a non-governmental organisation which was estab- young people’s theatre, as well as multidisciplinary work. lished in 1984. “Soka” means “value-creation” while “Gakka” means “society”. It is a lay Buddhist organisation based on the life affirming philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism. From 2004 to 2006, Five Arts Centre was the manager of Arts Network Asia, a The fundamental aim of SGM is value creation where SGM members strive to actively regional organisation supporting arts work in Asia. In 2006, ASTRO and Five Arts promote the values of peace, culture and education rooted in the core philosophy Centre launched the Krishen Jit-ASTRO Fund to support artistic work by Malay- of humanism, compassion and respect for life. The construction of SGM culture sians and others committed to the development of the arts in Malaysia. To 2013, the centres throughout Malaysia are the physical manifestation of SGM’s commitment Krishen Jit-ASTRO Fund had given out a total of 29 grants amounting to RM256,000. to peace. These centres, which were constructed through funds contributed by SGM members, serve as venues for a wide range of cultural and educational activities to promote peace, hold art and educational exhibitions, cultural performances, interfaith rimbun dahan dialogues, public lectures and seminars. Funded by Hijjas Kasturi Associates, Rimbun Dahan was established as a residency for Malaysian and Australian artists in 1994. For 20 years, the Residency provided SGM holds various art and educational exhibitions in their culture centres as well as artists with accommodation, a living allowance and studio space for a year followed in educational institutions with the objective to help inculcate an appreciation for by an exhibition. From 2014, for reasons of sustainability, the residency no longer art. These comprise exhibitions by Malaysian artists, be they up-and-coming artists offers the fully funded year-long programme, but only three or six month residencies or well-established ones, exhibitions by international artists, thematic exhibitions with limited opportunities for exhibitions. covering topics like peace, women, children, environment, and so on, as well as touring exhibitions to the various states in Malaysia. About 10 years ago, Rimbun Dahan started inviting artists from ASEAN countries for three-month residencies. They found that while there were many cultural differences To complement the exhibitions, the organisation also organises accompanying ac- between Malaysia and Australia, there seemed to be even more with the immediate tivities such as art talks, art workshops, video screenings and children’s activities neighbours in ASEAN, where artists had very limited opportunities and of which most among others to enhance the sense of appreciation for the exhibitions as well as Malaysians remained ignorant. As well it seemed to be more financially rewarding for people to enjoy and gain new knowledge through the process for self-discovery. to sponsor artists from less developed economies. One of the early objectives of The exhibitions and accompanying programmes are supported by SGM volun- the Residency was to encourage closer cultural links between Malaysia and Aus- teer-members. These activities also serve as a platform for different groups of people, tralia. Rimbun Dahan is currently planning to build a residency in rural Australia for especially the youth of SGM to learn the spirit of contribution to society, the spirit Australian and ASEAN artists that will be managed by a regional gallery. of volunteerism and to be involved in a healthy lifestyle.

120 121 tamparuli living arts and heritage centre The Tamparuli Living Arts and Heritage Centre, Sabah is planned as an independent- ly-run community facility dedicated to the celebration of local culture and the arts. Located at the edge of the Tamparuli township, the property covers 4.2 acres of Native titled land at Batu 22, Kg Tamparuli, Jalan Tenghilan-Tuaran. It comprises two wooden buildings. The Tamparuli Living Arts and Cultural Heritage Association is the non-profit organisation entrusted with the establishment, development and management of the Centre. It was officially registered in May 2012 and consists of nine Sabahan members, each with eclectic interests in the arts and cultural fields. In establishing the centre, the Association seeks to develop, nurture, preserve and promote appreciation of the living creative arts of and Malaysia, to create a community resource centre for culture and the arts and a living library of indigenous and economic plants used in Sabah, and to showcase sustainable development in local architecture and renewable energy production. The Centre also hopes to establish an artist-in-residence exchange programme for visiting artists, writers, researchers or cultural producers in general, especially between peers from other parts of Malaysia, with the intention to encourage dialogue, understanding and exchange between com- munities in Malaysia. At December 2014, plans for the Centre are currently on hold. about the moderators Suryani Senja Alias is the founder of CULT, an art advisory company. Previously, she was at Khazanah Nasional for five years including a secondment to the Prime Minister’s office for policy work. She helped develop Khazanah’s creative industry investment strategy, and conceived the Khazanah Heritage and Art Initiative which shaped its art acquisition policy and corporate art collection, as well as funding for strategic projects like artist residencies and art documentation projects.

Kathy Rowland is a Malaysian researcher, writer and editor. Her articles on culture and arts policy have appeared in publications in Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. In 2001, Kathy and Jenny Daneels co-founded the online arts magazine, kakiseni.com, which they ran until 2010. She edited and introduced Staging History: Selected Plays from Five Arts Centre 1984-2014 (pending), Huzir Sulaiman Collected Plays, 1998-2012 (launched in June 2013) and Krishen Jit: An Uncommon Position (2003). She teaches part time at the Faculty for Creative Industries, LaSalle College of the Arts, Singapore.

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