“Kuasa Tinggi” High Voltage
A Extension of the Ideal
The same ‘notthatbalai’ art festival, the same spirit of inclusivity, happening at the same venue, Lost Generation Space. Last year’s festival was far from perfect due to our inexperience and limited resources, yet “notthatbalai” bristled the local art scene and sparks creativity among musicians, youth-led NGOs and progressive art practitioners.
Our comeback in this edition, “Kuasa Tinggi” – An extension of the Ideal, scrutinize hierarchies of power that curtail and condemn the democracy of art and culture. This time around, the entire visual art exhibition has been curated with the aim of a thematic and congruous exhibition to invigorate the creative and innovative cells of the Malaysian art scene. Refinement of our programming had us put more emphasis on the guided tour exhibition for school children. By taking the time to explain the approaches and processes behind the artworks, we aim to enrich and alleviate art education.
We also carry forward last year’s cross-domain cooperation to create networks of interchange between the tripartite of art; audience, artists and works of art. Fully embracing hybridity, we encourage cross-discipline art creations and venturing into the unknown. Extending this open invitation to fellow progressive artists from neighbouring countries, “notthatbalai” – Kuasa Tinggi forms a network for cross-cultural exchanges simultaneously breeding multiple processes in making art. Also by allowing audiences to enter the artists’ realm of vision and experience “notthatbalai” provokes an atmosphere of open and critical dialogue where critics of artworks are unreservedly voiced at forums, artists sharings and talks. By stimulating multiple spaces for frank discussions, artists, filmmakers, performers, musicians are accountable for their work, while audiences gain access to processes and rationales behind the work of art. These copious dialogues enable the appreciation and sensibilities of art to move on to another level.
Dates of festival
17th to 21st July 2005
Venue
Lost Generation Space
Thought-provoking conversations aside, notable provocations from this year edition include
Indian based Bharanathyam dancer Rahul Acharya intimate and riveting dance amidst art installations ; exhibits that interrogate the abuse of power from the police by Fahmi Redza ; Aisyah Baharuddin’s menstruating and taking a dump at corruption; Saiful Razman and Rahmat Haron vulnerably strip to bare-bones performance. Nyoba Dance smashing performance enclosing the public and the private between audience and performer and many more.
Due to the nature of the programme of “notthatbalai” and other progressive youth-led groups, a local art institution decision to discontinue contemporary art studies greatly disappoints us. Despite attempts by Lostgens’ to have an open dialogue, up to today there is no response other than warnings to art students to steer clear of certain forms of art. We strongly feel that this moralistic and smothering perspective which instilling an attitude of ignorance and suppression inhibit and regresses art. Thus we sanguinely proceed onto organizing more events with the ethos of “notthatbalai” festival.
Visual Art
Aisyah Baharuddin • Bahar b. Hayat • Carrie Tan • Chan Chee Chyuan • Chin Mun Woh • Driv Loo Chee Kiong • Fahmi Reza • Fairus Ahmad Yusof • Gan Siong King • Gerric De Jong ( Holland ) • Hamir Soib • Helen Guek Yee Mei • Ili Farhana Norhayat • Joe Kidd • Joseph Teo • Liew Teck Leong • Low Yi Chin • Loy Chee Luen • Gnute • Melvin Beh Hwa-Meng • Muzzafar Kasim • Muid Latif • Ng Kim • Patrina Roach Reddey • Radio – Woon Jun Wei • Rath • Shieko • Shirley Wong • Sim Kien Shiong • Sun Kang Jye • Teng Jing Ping • Teoh Joo Ngee • Yong Pui Leng
BlueSkyRock • Hermit Hysteria – Amanda Shin, Mils Gan • CreativeNERVES – Ily Kartini Mohd Shukri, Iwani Khalid, Noor Adlina Zainal Rashid, Nur Raihana Abd Latif • Kurma Manis – Khairul Anuar, Rafiq Izarudin • Peta – Badruddin Syah, Mohd Azri bin Abdullah, Norlisham bin Selamat
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Short Film
Ang Yee Sien • Badaruddin Ismail-Pak Din • Chi Too • Denvin Loo • Farah Maizura Ali • Herman Ishak • Idora Alhabshi • Jeffrey Loh • Kang Hock Yong • Kannan Thiagarajan • Khoo Eng Yow • Kim Peakcock ( Hong Kong ) • Kok Kai Foong • Lam Li • Liew Seng Tat • Lor Yew Mein • Low Tuck Chuan Lynn Chen • Maizul Effendy Baharudin Arus • Nazim Esa • Nik Haslinda Binti Husain • Petrina Roach Reddy • Sam Hui • Sven Tang Chee Lok • Tahi Moore ( New Zealand ) • Taman Medan Project Short Films – Faiz Tahir, Hanisah Othman, Hazim, Nisha • Tan Chui Mui • Vincent Leong • Yeo Kien Kiong
Music Performance
Fallen Leaves • Francis Wolf • Hasnul J.Saidon • Istihany Marlina Mohd. Anuar Izzy • Izuan Shah • Jasemaine Gan • Jerome Kugan • Kim peakcock ( Hong Kong ) • Lisa Zahran • LISSA • Mohd Azmyl Bin Md Yusof & Tengku Azhari Thengku Azizan • Noor fahmi Haris Ismail • Peter Brown • Soundscape – Crispy Yam Toasted?, Destroyer, Zeolot Bulletin • Street Horn Syndicate • Yootha Yong
Talk/Discussion
Hassan Muthalib • Hasnul Jamal B.Saidon • Kho Tong Guan • Luk Chee Chew • Ray Langenbach & Wang Hoy Cheong • Yap Sau Bin
Curatorial Team
Law Adviser Dato’ Dr Lam Peng Chong JP • Curator Yeoh Lian Heng • Secretary Chaw Siew Poh • Treasurer Analiza Bt Mohd • Visual arts Coordinator Lam Tsu Jiun • Visual arts Assistant Analiza Bt Mohd • Music Coordinator Joseph Teo • Music Assistant Tan Sei Hon • Film Coordinator Jimmy Choong Meng Wah • Film Assistant Tan Hui Koon • Performance Coordinator Yeoh Lian Heng • Performance Assistant How Teng Keng • Graphic Designer Lim See Mooi / Lam Tsu Jiun /Tan Hui Koon • Web Designer Jer Shyang / Chaw Siew Poh • Typist Ng Wei Mei • MC (Opening ceremony) Pang Khee Teik • Maintenance Technician Zulfadli Jafar • Translator Wong Siew Lee • Flea Stall Name Woo Mei Hoe • Volunteers Chawirat Tan Paisam /Jeffrey Loh /Lawrence Choong /Fujii Loh Yeen Teng /Joan Kan Puei Ee /Alice Lau Suk Yii /Khong Jia Ching
Absolute One-Stop • Agkillah Maniam • Ai-fm • Art Space • Chien Soo Ting • Chuah Chong Yong • City Art Gallery • Dasein Academy of Art • Dato’ Dr Lam Peng Chong • Felicita Fedelis a/p Yusof • Galeri Seni Maya • Kaki Seni • Khoo Eng Yow • KL Lifestyle • KLUE Magazine • Kok Kai Fong • Nur Muna bt. Mazlan • Ong Koon Kiong • Pn. Siti Rohani bt. Md. Hashim. PKT (Pengetua) • Pn. Siti Sarimah Shaik Abd. Rahman (PKHEM) • Poh Swee Hiang • Prof. Redza Piyadasa • Ramli Ibrahim • Seksan Design Sdn. Bhd. • Shyen Hoh • St. George’s Girls’ School, Macalister Rd. Penang • U-Wei bin HajiSaari • Vmag • Wah! Fm • Wong Taysy • Young Club • 张景云 • 马金泉 • 陈亚财 • 颜思海 • 专业美术中心 Art Specialist Centre • 合益贸易有限公司Hup Yik Trading Sdn. Bhd. • 戴炳煌 • 蔡锦南 • 吴仲顺
Why, Where, How “notthatbalai” art festival
Insurrection & Conviviality in Independent Autonomous Zones
A reflection of the attitudes and culture of the times, art influences society and vice versa. In 2003, Malaysia had a new prime minister succeeding an incumbent of twenty two years who was apathetic to the arts beyond its economic value.
For young artists to find strength in artistic freedom, independent art spaces are pivotal as communal meeting points for critical discourse and expressions from artistic, NGO and intellectual communities looking beyond the needs and regulations of commercial galleries and national institutions. Autonomous and open-ended zones that allowed art practice to transverse social networks and media were found in collectives from the 90s such as Spacekraft and Rumah Air Panas among others. Lostgens collective and “notthatbalai” festival continue the paradigm in the same vein as envisaged at Chow Kit Fest 2002, organized by Spacekraft collective.
“notthatbalai” festival arises as a statement by Ili Farhana Norhayat, Saiful Rahman and Lostgens’ TsuJi Lam and Yeoh Lian Heng dismayed at the negligence of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia in engaging young artists, concomitantly promoting an attitude of hierarchal submissiveness. Finding little avenues for arts operating outside the conventional norms dominated by established artists, regulations of nationalist agendas and censorship, “notthatbalai” aims to proliferate progressive alternative artists-run initiatives and happenings which conveys the themes, ideas and concerns of young and radical Malaysian cultural and art workers. Lostgens’ believe that artists should work in an atmosphere of open engagement advancing critical discourse among young art practitioners.
This independent art festival embodies the spirit of sharing, creating and giving, welcoming individuals from diverse artistic disciplines across generations, race and social background initiating a field of relations among cultural workers and artists. By instigating an autonomous space free of control from commercialization and institutional control, the public has direct interactions with the artists. This instils a broader understanding of the local arts scene and appreciation of the arts, forging shared knowledge that crosses boundaries within disciplines and mediums of art. Providing an alternative space for artists to experiment, share and showcase works unsuited to the traditional gallery culture, “notthatbalai” festivals infuses the visual arts and performance scene with the robust spirit from progressive Malaysian youth-led NGOs, underground music and indie films.
