I am not a good window shopper. And\nI do not regard mall-ing as a very culturally enriching experience save only on\ntwo conditions: Books Kinokuniya and my mission of the day — the search, the\naim, the inquisition — the art gallery as a newcomer to the mall experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the escalators pulled me up,\nfloor by floor, I was lulled by the feel-good spiral of consumerism. The imagery\nat KLCC made me wonder if all urban experiences were likewise. The\nmanipulation, the attraction and the relentless signs are becoming\nindispensable elements in our commercially saturated environment. How does the\nhitherto ‘dignified’ art gallery, participate in the war of images in a\nshopping complex?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jolted from my daydreaming at the\nend of the escalator, no sooner did I land myself on the 3rd<\/sup> floor.\nGaleri Petronas; my first destination. By her side, with not a trace of\nthematic coherence were mini galleries of Nusantara-esque furniture, sedikit\natas kraftangan, the usual usual, but well-stocked to service the tourist\ndemand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Galeri Petronas: Corporate outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Boldly stepping into the corporate\ngrays of the gallery, I anticipated a refreshing current exhibition. On display\n‘today’ was The Petronas’ Trans Himalayan\nExpedition<\/em>. My cynicism prevailed as I suspected that Petronas, owing to\nthe absence of any other scheduled exhibitions between a large time gap, could\nnot resist the self appraisal. Or perhaps, the Malaysia Boleh staple is growing\nrather stale for my appetite. Nevertheless, the gallery is theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had to admit that the gallery’s\ncontemporary ambiance leaves a good, first impression. Wedged into the exact\nfloor plate of the Twin Towers, Galeri Petronas makes no qualms of its\ncorporate outlook, a testament to Malaysia’s largest GLC and its contribution\nto the art industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The current exhibition comprised a\nsequence of still images with corresponding text on the left, at an\nuncomfortable distance. I believe that the old adage, that “a picture says\na thousand words” rings true and that the text, although meticulously\nwritten were of little effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Relatively, the exhibition spaces\nhere are generous and are more conducive to larger exhibitions compared to the\nother mall-bound galleries I would be visiting later. The main ambulatory opens\ninto smaller rooms for AV displays and is adequate for talks by artists, which\nhappens regularly enough, and usually sharp after work at 5.30pm.\nUnfortunately, a resource centre, rather small, unattended and closed at my\ntime of visit, is unnecessarily hidden from view by a wall, on the way out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I walked out I could not resist a\nglance at the gallery shop, which despite its strategic position, was rather\nsmall and had the occasional souvenir paraphernalia on display. I reckoned that\nthey could have extended their merchandise to include not only ‘post cards’\nfrom previously featured exhibitions but books and reproductions from important\nand current works throughout the world. But do not fret, however small the\ncollection, Books Kinokuniya offers a reasonable substitute and is a mere 5\nminutes walk from here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only staff members I saw were\nall centred at the front desk. I assumed that the rest were busy at work elsewhere.\nSimilarly, I was dismayed to have noticed only one other visitor to suffer my\nloneliness. However, I am sure this is not the usual scenario, especially\nduring other exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turning around to capture a\nphotograph, I asked myself, if indeed people would care to drop by a gallery\nonce in a while, as they would if they were to go for a movie. Could it be that\nthis gallery escapes their notice? Moreover, with no entry fares to dissuade\nvisitors, it really does not hurt to drop in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n City Square: Forgotten corner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to KLCC, City Square is no\neye candy. But we are told not to judge a book by its cover, aren’t we? The\nquestion is: does the content make it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the galleries here have been\naround for some time. Not more than ten galleries litter three storeys of City\nSquare. While a few galleries are endowed with deeper spaces, most of them snug\nin either thin or small rectangular shapes. Hence, galleries choose either a\n‘legible’ display of works by being more selective, or settle for a more cluttered\nlayout. Some qualify for the ‘cute’ category, like the Gajah Gajah Gallery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I strolled around armed with a\ncamera, I sensed the emptiness of the walkways and the piercing quick stares by\nloitering strangers. I pondered on the lack of variety that unfortunately plagues\nthis somewhat forgotten corner of bustling Ampang. With an absence of variety,\nthe mall attracts less window shoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Location is an important factor, but\nit does not typically promise a loyal following. Continued patronage is awarded\nto galleries whose collections are of a high standard and who possess strong\nrelationships with prominent artists. That was what the galleries here told me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Easily enticed by the iconic wide\nwhite background, I was attracted by the two larger galleries on the 2nd<\/sup>\nfloor, Artfolio and Artspace. The right proportion between display and\nbackground is of great benefit to the viewer’s concentration — at least for\nthe works by veteran artists Ibrahim Hussein and Eng Tay which furnished those\nwhite walls. On the other hand, the scarcity of space and income makes the\nacquisition of a ‘perfect fit’ an economic challenge, which many other\ngalleries cannot afford. Upon my second visit to City Square, I chanced upon a\nsmall exhibition of abstract works on the ground floor organized by Masters-A\nart gallery. Evidently, even with two shop lots, the exhibition could not fit\ninto their respective properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It appears that competition is not\nreally an issue despite their numbers. Each gallery has a niche-following by focusing\non specific genres or works by key artists. Even so, galleries do work together\nfrom time to time on specific projects whether or not the work is displayed\nwithin their premises or is transported to a larger exhibition space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As with my journey out of Galeri\nPetronas, I left City Square with a sense of regret; that while the lure of\nlower rent keeps galleries here happy, I imagined that much more could have\nbeen done to improve the image of the vicinity. It would be a most opportune\npartnership, if these individual galleries could conglomerate into a brand of\nart houses, in order that a larger audience might take notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Star Hill Gallery: Exclusive establishment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently the crowning jewel of all\nYTL’s properties, Star Hill must be congratulated for its re-branding exercise.\nWhen one was dressed in a shirt and corduroy pants as I was on that day, one\ntruly felt that one did not belong here. To add more salt to the wound, my\nminuscule spending power assured me I could not afford anything as well. Well,\nthat and the surveillance assiduously provided by the respective floor\nconcierges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n True, one is left in no doubt that\nthis is an exclusive establishment, but I question if the added ornamentation\ncould have been more subtle and less superficial. The advertised ‘newness’ of\nthis place is amazing, because apart from tacky woody column-dressings, paddy\nfield-like planter boxes on balconies and new pieces of furniture, the design\nhas not changed much. But it is the new ‘image’ that really counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Muse floor, where almost ten\ngalleries are located, sits on the top floor. There has been much publicity\nabout Star Hill. I think I should be forgiven then when I had expected the\nPhotographer’s Gallery and the Loft Gallery to be much larger than they are. Paintings and Photographs 1954-2005<\/em> was\ncurrently on show during my visit. The layout was reasonably well spaced and\nwas large enough to cater for small talks and more visitors. Unfortunately, as\nmy luck would have it, the front desk was unattended to again. I was left to\ncommunicate with a brochure of the current exhibition and the adjacent guest\nbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, my patience was not\nrewarded after returning again to an empty desk an hour later. Many galleries\nstill advertise for a full time assistant, which is normally perceived as a\nboring job. A gallery manager who related this to me dreads the search of\nfinding an enthusiastic apprentice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Photographer’s Gallery departed\nfrom the normal white tones and was instead rendered in red. But the balance\nachieved between the colourful red and the monochrome photographs did much to\nplacate my worries that the wall could overwhelm the displays themselves. As\nmentioned before I thought this gallery should be much larger. Then again, we\nare not privileged enough to have many talented artistic photographers in\nMalaysia (I read some article about this a while ago), as most tend to be\ncommercial photographers. While I expected more variety and space from both\ngalleries, I was reasonably satisfied at the end after weighing it in light of\nthe forgone lettable area which is crucial to the success of Star Hill’s\nboutique ambiance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One should not be too critical of\nYTL’s involvment, no matter how small. In many ways, under the leadership of\nTan Sri Francis Yeoh, YTL has proven to be a strong supporter of Malaysian\ntalent, and one can only expect their patronage to grow stronger in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from these two galleries, I\nmanaged to walk into other galleries such as Art Seni and The Gallery@Star\nHill. The other galleries seem to either be unmanned, in which case a number\nwas given, or their staff seemed too shy and hid behind their interior walls,\neven upon my entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One person told me that the average\nnumber of visitors on a given weekday numbers not more than five but numbers do\nnot really matter. There will always be onlookers who are content not to buy\nanything; the kind who say “…very nice, very beautiful…”\nstatements which do not materialise into purchase. By contrast, there are\nalways some permanent clients who return to buy works from a specific artist\ntime and time again. I was delighted to have had a very long and meaningful\nconversation with a lady from one of the galleries here (she didn’t want me to\nquote her) who has been in the business for nine years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What about the shoppers?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Visiting galleries and much less,\nshopping for art, are not common in Malaysia, especially the latter. Like any\nother product, no investment means less demand and vice versa. Not\nsurprisingly, there are not too many full time artists around. Most are forced\nto take part time jobs to nourish them with an income with which our purchasing\nhabits do not secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We, the public have an enormous\nresponsibility to patronise and provide healthy criticism for art. Smaller\ngalleries also await our patronage and our purchase, because, after all, art is\na profit making enterprise. If it is not, how can we demand more from the\nartist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though the current lack of\nenthusiasm for art is not the province of galleries alone, it does not preclude\nthe responsibility of galleries to open the eyes of the general populace to the\nimportance of art as a necessary manifestation of a civilized society. By\nmeticulously crafted methods of ‘enticement’, the patronage of these galleries\ncan gradually encompass a wider audience and not just the assumed ‘educated’\nand privileged few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, no business in a mall\noverlooks the importance of an attractive fa\u00e7ade. The gallery’s context within\na shopping environment necessitates a more engaging theme, something which will\nentice a shopper. Also, a tourist or any other shopper at KLCC would have no\nclue on what’s on at Galeri Petronas; an unnecessary predicament due to the\nlack of clear and attractive signage anywhere else but within their own\npremises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the contrasts may seem utterly\nhuge, galleries in a mall could learn a thing or two from IKEA, that great\ngallery of the art of lifestyle. The one lesson that can be learned from these\nplaces are that shoppers are great multi-taskers. It is imperative that people\nfeel that they can kill more than two birds with one stone. The galleries could\nreally use a good ‘cafe’ besides a good ‘bookshop’ and a children’s area for\nkids to enjoy art as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regular lunch-hour talks with\nrefreshments in the gallery and at the concourse level would be a good idea. [How about getting artists to engage with the\nmall in their works? – ed.<\/em>] They should comprise leading or upcoming\nartists, product designers, thinkers, philosophers, architects, designers etc.\nThe objective could be to broaden the horizons of what the public considers to\nbe ‘art’ and how it is influenced by ‘life’ in all its complexity. Hence, a\nhuge part of a public gallery’s responsibility to the public involves the\nmotivation to ‘educate’. And while our education system has largely failed our\nyoungsters, where nurturing talents are concerned, there is great scope for art\ngalleries to provide an antidote to these worsening conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our galleries, whether for public\nenjoyment or for commercial purposes need to be more radical in the face of\npublic indifference. In many developed countries, galleries have taken the\nopportunity to reinvent themselves, not as tombs to the past, but living\ntemples of artistic expression. The contemporary gallery of today should be a\nsuccessful amalgamation of great architecture, recreation, education, social\ncriticism and great art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n Postcript:<\/strong>\nOn the evening of 4 Mar 2006, Star Hill Gallery’s Muse floor was officially\nopened by the current Director General of the National Art Gallery. In a brief\n15 minute opening speech, he elaborated on the threefold purpose of art as seen\nthrough the lens of the Malaysian government. According to him, art should not\nsimply be encouraged as a form of entertainment, but an economic activity, an\narchive of ‘history’ and lastly a means by which a society develops culturally.\nBut alas these statements opened up more questions than mere aims, especially\nwhere loose terms like ‘history’ and ‘culture’ are concerned. I am tempted to\nbelieve that it instantaneously highlighted exactly where the National Art\nGallery had failed. If anything, this should provide enough impetus for\ngalleries in malls to be pioneers in aspects where government controlled\ninstitutions have been indifferent to. A good start in that race would be the\nthorough interrogation of the aforesaid three points and their repercussions.\nThat way, in the future, we may have the fortunate chance of not having certain\nworks censored or declared in absentia by authoritative figures in the\nambiguous name of ‘cultural incompatibility’; another euphemism for a selective\nhistory of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further readings: Robert Venturi’s Complexity\nand Contradiction in Architecture<\/em> and Learning\nfrom Las Vegas.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n ~~~ <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zhin Teng is a trained architect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First Published: 05.04.2006 on Kakiseni <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I am not a good window shopper. And I do not regard mall-ing as a very culturally enriching experience save only on two conditions: Books Kinokuniya and my mission of the day — the search, the aim, the inquisition — the art gallery as a newcomer to the mall experience. As the escalators pulled me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7758,7781,7766],"tags":[3917,4374,4369,4370,4367,4372,4373,640,4371,4376,4368,535,4366,4375,2950,3604],"language":[7785],"writer":[7957],"class_list":["post-27897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artikel","category-seni","category-seni-visual","tag-architecture","tag-art-seni","tag-artfolio","tag-artspace","tag-city-square","tag-eng-tay","tag-gajah-gajah-gallery","tag-galeri-petronas","tag-ibrahim-hussein","tag-loft-gallery","tag-masters-a-art-gallery","tag-national-art-gallery","tag-star-hill-gallery","tag-the-gallerystar-hill","tag-the-photographers-gallery","tag-visual-arts","language-inggeris","writer-zhin-teng-ms"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27897"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38524,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27897\/revisions\/38524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27897"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=27897"},{"taxonomy":"writer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myartmemoryproject.com\/ms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/writer?post=27897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}