The Weaver at the Melaka Art and Performance Festival

"The Weaver" installation view at TTCLC in Melaka, 2011

My new work "The Weaver" was shown at Tun Tan Cheng Lok Centre in Melaka during the Melaka Art and Performance Festival last weekend (18-21 Nov). The installation draws heavily on the Maternity Home history of this Heeren Street site and the most private of trauma, embedded in both memory and body …

The body still remembers how the end of love was pronounced in anger, and the fear found no comfort in the empty bed. It is like a movie, I know. It is not real, I know. It is Death. Somehow, the maternal instinct is determined to bring death to life. 

Like Psyche, a journey to the Underworld seems inevitable...

digital print on fabric, embroidered and sewn by artist, 3.5 x 1.5 m

shots captured during sewing process

把死生回來，黃錦樹在他的小說中建議。 現實中流產的生命和愛情，就在藝術的想像里回魂吧。 

the Individual and the collective

How does it feel to be part of them?
They need me. Or perhaps, I need them more than they do.
In either case, please do not separate us.

Saturday composition

- Raindrops vaporizing at different speed, Seputeh

- Rectangular in perspective made of pig skin, Seputeh

- Dusk drawing on broken glass, Rawang

- Magnificent yellow hibiscus in NEC college, Kajang
- Another angle of rectangular in perspective, Seputeh

- Tropical fruits in Sotheby's auction catalog, Singapore

- Interior Orchids in morning light, Singapore

A step further toward the visible

 To read "The Shape of a Pocket" by John Berger.
Be a receiver.

去趕集的小動物

Motivated Gorilla.

Who shall follow me?

Animals on way to rally.

 The Mimesis of Resistance. 
“IF we cannot defend it in reality, we defend it in mime.” Stuart Hall
By defending in mime, the reality becomes imaginable/possible.

Photoquai 2011 - Artist's Complete Selection

Museum du Quai Branly, Paris, France

Workers from Côte d'Ivoire preparing the show before the opening

"mer.rily" in the museum's garden, installation view

In total, 13 diptychs are shown at a calm passage.

M written on slate found in the garden.

The 3rd edition of PHOTOQUAI biennial exhibition of world images organised by the musée du Quai Branly in Paris takes place on the quays of the Seine alongside the musée du quai Branly and in the museum’ gardens from 13th September to 4th December 2011.

Three Malaysian photographers (Minstrel Kuik, Khee Teik Pang, Tan Chee Hon) are selected after having encountered with the Curator Françoise Huguier in Kuala Lumpur early this year.

Below is the complete selection that I have proposed to Photoquai. The choice of diptych was originally not a formal consideration but to provide the audience a more complete narrative by showing more images extracted from the series "mer.rily, mer.rily, mer.rily, mer.rily" that I have been working on since 2007.

Online Reviews:

http://zhuangwubin.posterous.com/photoquai-2011

http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/photoquai-2011-paris-photography-exhibit-musee-bra/

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/10/2/lifearts/9536439&sec=lifearts

http://lalettredelaphotographie.com/archives/by_date/2011-09-14/3755/malaysia-minstrel-kuik

Distinguish photographs

I can start to tell what are the two kinds of photographs that can be distinguished in the contemporary photographic scene. One is about VISION & TRUTH, the other is about VISUAL & TRICK. However, the latter seems to form a dominant majority.

Paris to and fro, 2011

The photograph is taken at my balcony at Seputeh with a traveler's toothbrush, a seashell in a plastic container, a French can food, an Eiffel Tower 's key chain in a glass and a bottle of honey collected by the Corsican bees. 
My tongue no longer misses the French cuisine.
I am finally cured! Yeah, I should name the photograph as "The Mother Tongues Tower". 
What do you think?

Merdeka Quartet, 1957-2011

 
The One and The Three (Apples) 

  
The Yellow Line and The Future

 
The Passport and The Tanjung Pagar Railway Station 

  
The Elephant and The Colonizer

Happy Birthday to Malaysia!

The March in Kuala Lumpur, 9th July 2011

Bersih! Bersih!
Hidup Bersih!
Bersih! Bersih!
Hidup Rakyat!

PRESS STATEMENT, 8 JULY 2011

Artists condemn the police investigation of Datuk A. Samad Said, National Laureate for reciting a poem during the Bersih 2.0 launch on 19 June 2011 at the Chinese Assembly Hall.

Malaysian artists and writers of all disciplines and ethnicities unite to condemn the police investigation of Sasterawan Negara (National Laureate) Datuk A. Samad Said, 76, for alleged sedition.

Datuk Samad was called by the police on 25 June, 2011, for reading a poem at the Bersih 2.0 launch on 19 June. He was told he was being investigated under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 27(5) of the Police Act 1967 relating to unlawful assembly.

Artists and writers are appalled that the reading of a poem can be considered seditious. In the context of the many arrests that have been recently carried out on sympathisers of the Bersih 2.0 rally planned for 9 July, we believe that the investigation on Datuk Samad amounts to an act of harassment and intimidation.

This is something that we, as citizens of Malaysia, do not condone.

We the undersigned artists and writers hereby state the following:

1) That every citizen has the right to speak up and to take a stand on issues of national interest. Malaysian citizens have the right to freedom of speech and the right to lawful assembly.

2) That the recent harassments/arrests will not prevent Malaysian artists from continuing to support the principles of freedom of speech and expression.

3) That the arrests will also not stop Malaysian artists from creating work that challenges the status quo and points out corruption, injustice, unfairness and other practices that undermine democracy.


4) That freedom of speech or expression has been argued by some to have its limits in a plural society such as Malaysia’s, but those limits do not include the arbitrary intimidation and arrest of individuals for expressing themselves, however offensive to some.


5) That Datuk A Samad Said is a nationally respected and internationally recognised public figure who has provided leadership and guidance for the benefit of many.


6) That the call for ‘Free and Fair Elections’ is a legitimate and reasonable claim and we support it unreservedly.

We artists and writers call for a complete STOP to these tactics of intimidation against Datuk A. Samad Said and all others who want a better Malaysia.


Undersigned

1. PERSATUAN SENI RUMAH AIR PANAS
2. FIVE ARTS CENTRE
3. THE JUMPING JELLYBEANS SDN BHD
4. RUMAH ANAK TEATER
5. INSTANT CAFÉ THEATRE
6. THE PARKING PROJECT


1. Kee Thuan Chye
2. Farish A Noor
3. Anne James
4. Marion D’Cruz
5. Nur Hanim Khairuddin
6. Wong Hoy Cheong
7. Rahmat Haron
8. Chai Chang Hwang
9. Yap Sau Bin
10. Eddin Khoo
11. Janet Pillai
12. Fahmi Fadzil
13. Dr. Siti Zainon Ismail
14. Mano Maniam
15. Jo Kukathas
16. Sharaad Kuttan
17. Pyanhabib Rahman
18. Yee I-Lann
19. Tengku Sabri Tengku Ibrahim
20. Goh Lee Kwang
21. Joe Kidd
22. Hasnul Jamal Saidon
23. Elizabeth Cardosa
24. Lim Kok Yoong
25. Chuah Chong Yong
26. Ismail Hashim
27. Lee Kian Seng
28. Sharon Chin
28. Ng Seksan
30. Chong Kim Chiew
31. Koh Cheng Kuan
32. Chan Kok Hooi
33. Bernice Chauly
34. Loo Hoe Tiang
35. Amir Zainorin
35. Abdullah Jones
36. Dr. Carmen Nge
37. Goh Sze Ying
38. Tshiung Han See
39. Bebek
40. Adeline Ooi
41. Beverly Yong
42. Au Sow Yee
43. Jason Tan
44. Iskandar Razak
45. Wong Pey Yu
46. Wong Eng Leong
47. Shanthini Venugopal
48. Charlene Rajendran
49. Shieko Reto
50. Ezrena Marwan
51. Rachel Jena
52. Chi Too
53. Daniel Chong
54. Zedeck Siew
55. Al-Jafree Md. Yusop
56. Nusratnajwani Bt. Mohammad
57. Tey Tat Sing
58. Ili Farhana
59. Roopesh Sitharan
60. Low Yi Chin
61. Tan Ru Yi
62. Leong Ching Foon
63. Tan Ming Jie
64. Nyu Ka Jin
65. Ise Aka Roslisham Hashim
66. Hamidon Bin Ahmed
67. Christina Kang
68. Shaffiq Ahmad
69. Lim Li Wen
70. Tan Hui Koon
71. Tan Sei Hon
72. JC Wong
73. Dr. Goh Beng Lan
74. Lui Thai Hong
75. Munkao
76. Chifong Foo
77. Chang Fee Ming
78. Gan How Ming
79. Patricia Leong
80. Meor Khairol Nizam Bin Meor Nazro
81. Phuan Thai Meng
82. Chai Chik Ying
83. Suzanne Chin Suk Ching
84. Jason Lai
85. Ng Ee Ching @ Candice
86. Tc Liew
87. Suzy Sulaiman
88. Cheng Yen Pheng
89. Ahmad Syakir
90. Melissa Lin
91. Chong Wu Ling
92. Airmaz
93. Muhammad Tarzizi
94. Yin Shao Loong
95. John Rock
96. Linus Chung
97. Snow Ng
98. Loh Yeen Teng
99. Juria Toramae
100. Koh Nguang How
101. Leong Tzu Ann
102. Ayisha Rahman
103. Nor Akmar Nahar
104. Annabelle Ng
105. Hipodamus
106. Mark Teh
107. Marzuki Mahbob
108. Mohd Aizat Ahmad Tarmizi
109. Ronnie Khoo
110. Saiful Razman
111. Eva McGovern
112. Justin Lim
113. Vincent Leong
114. Joseph Foo
115. Simon Soon
116. Govin Ruben
117. Gan Chin Lee
118. Ayam Fared
119. Wening Cheah
120. Matotytee
121. Valentine Willie
122. Thor Kah Hoong
123. Foo Kee How
124. Carolyn Joan Lau
125. Gan Siong King
126. Sukania Venugopal
127. Foo Fei Ling

Datum:KL 2011 Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival

re: VIEW KL, Constructing Urban Perspectives is a group photo exhibition organized by Datum from 3-18 July @ Map KL, including works from photographers Eiffel Chong, Erna Dyanty, Lim Thian Leong, Minstrel Kuik, Nadia J. Mahfix, Nikt Wong and Shafina Sheridan.

Taman Seputeh, 2011

100x150 cm Hand with a Brick@minstrel kuik
I am not architect. 
I am photographer who lives in the space created by unknown architects. 


Technically, a photographer deals with light and color, frame and viewfinder, composition and structure. Philosophically, a photograph is a building for time and space.

A photographer looks for landmarks for the memory but he or she knows that such effort will be eventually in vain.
Someday, a building will fall.
It is a myth to see how man’s ambition leads to sculpt the Nature, and romantic beholder to create postcard views from the landscape.

If cars stop for the pedestrians and no acid-splashing motorist attacks the innocents, then walking will make sense in this city.


 
150x100 cm Worker@minstrel kuik


20x30 cm Gated@minstrel kuik
 
I live in Taman Seputeh at a double-storey terrace house. My room is on the third floor and its balcony has become an open-air studio in which images are constructed with the consideration of the background: the balcony and the view it provides. My living environment has longtime played an important role in my photographic practice because it challenges me to look at the everyday space and to see how new possibilities of thinking could actually escape from the routine of seeing and doing of a photographer.So far, the buildings are there.

I am not architect. A photograph is not a building for time and space.
A photograph is only a temporary tent for visitor like Time.  
 
 
100x150 cm Guard@minstrel kuik  



 
20x30 cm Gated 2@minstrel kuik
installation view