Group Exhibition
Malaysian Art Now
Malaysian Art Now was a survey of contemporary Malaysian art, curated by Valentine Willie, that took place at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia in 2004. The exhibition attempted to chart some of the trends in the contemporary art of the time and the way artists attempted to rebel against the public ideas of art promoted by the government. The show featured artists who were tackling the stultifying narrowness and conformity of state-sanctioned Malaysian art of the time, pushing back against the Islamisation and moralisation of culture. Other artists were featured for the ways they were addressing new media and technologies in their work. Yet others were selected for the way they addressed traditional subjects and used traditional mediums in a refreshing way, capturing an emerging class of new art collectors. A documentary by Adeline Ooi and Bernard Chauly featuring interviews with various Malaysian artists, across generations, about their opinions on the current state of the visual arts scene was also included in the show.

