YOUNG ART & LOCAL TOUCH

LOCAL TOUCH

To date, as far as publications in Malaysia are concerned, sculpture and sculptural studies books falls under the scarcity category and are on the verge of being classified as none-existing. Ironically, in terms of sculpture exhibitions, almost every year since the 1960s we never failed to produce at least one exhibition celebrating, endorsing and acknowledging sculpture as an important aspect in the Malaysian Art scene.

Why has this gap eclipsed particularly on sculpture and sculptural studies? What happened to the theoretical aspects, articulations, reasons, analyses and interpretations derived from these produced 3D artworks? These questions concern not only the knowledge produced from these exhibitions, but also ponders on the status and role of sculpture in society. I have found in my own teaching, there is no introduction to the field that seeks to offer an overview and exploration of some the most important avenues of local research in the field of sculpture – hence this exhibition, deliberately and very consciously sets out to be a reference to students studying sculpture as part of their university course and at the same time catering to the public at large.

Many academic subjects have long brought their own disciplinary concerns to the study of Visual art: leader among them are drawing, painting, print making, visual manifestation, photography, animation, video, film etc. However, for more than 4 decades there has been a renewed interest in the study of sculpture which has crossed disciplinary boundaries. The resulting activity, sculptural studies, has emerged as an intriguing and exciting area of intellectual activity which has already shed new light of the character of human’s culture and continue to go on.

LOCAL TOUCH – is an attempt to establish connections between the contemporary practices of research and art, in this particular concern; sculpture and sculptural studies. Globally, the idea of integrating art and research has awakened a great deal of thought. LOCAL TOUCH would like to focus on the critical confrontation between the two, and ask what is happening when art and research are “touching”. I adopt the term “touching”, because just as in every form of touching, this contact between art and research has a tendency towards fusion, implying a possibility of further deliberations and ultimately turned into prominent publications.

Participating artists are Anniketyni Madian, Azli Wahid, Aswat Kidam, Jamil Zakaria, Fauzi Amir Hamzah, Mior Mohd Nafis, Hilal Mazlan, Razlan Adnan and Mohd Razif Rathi.

- Ramlan Abdullah