Front Row

The Patani region refers to an area in Thailand that is historically informed by Malay ethnicity and Islam. In “Patani Semasa”, contemporary art by 28 artists - both from the region and those engaged with related issues - presents different perspectives on the area. Curator Gridthiya Gaweewong talks about the process of putting the exhibition together, and the many narratives that have emerged through it.

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Malaysian artist chi too uses bitumen as a medium to draw a series of straight lines, in a solo exhibition called “Sometimes When We Touch” that examines the labour that goes into art while also refusing to be easily defined.

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The musician-writer, who has embraced Arabic music, is touring the country focusing on reaching out to young audiences and to marginalized groups with the hope of showing them how the arts can help open them to themselves. While educators underscore the importance of the arts, Ms Centrone takes the practical steps to engage, challenge and push these young people to look within at their own beautiful interiorscape. She tells about using music therapy with young girls who were labelled ‘difficult’.

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Spoofing ‘Mamma Mia’? The show bills with this catchy headline:  “A Mother. A Daughter. Three Possible Dads.” But adds that this musical offers “a different perspective on a well-known story.” These three Tans have been performing together just below the radar and have now stepped into the spotlight taking on something familiar but promises to be different.

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MAP Fest 2018 returns with a month full of activities focused on the arts, environment, and more. The festival organisers talk about what they have in store this year.

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The Singapore Dance Theatre presents its ninth edition of Ballet Illuminations in Kuala Lumpur, which includes something for everyone: classical, neoclassical, and children’s ballet.

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In “Daerah Ruwat”, artist Shaarim Sahat uses his gritty, pop art-inspired approach to address topics of national identity, inequality, and class issues. Shaarim and curator S. Jamal Al-Idrus talk about the journey to Shaarim’s debut art exhibition.

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Melaka Classics is a classical music project that explores the city of Melaka through classical music. The programme’s creative director talks about how they are bringing together international and local musicians to put the show together.

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Childhood drawings and the memories of school days come together in MeiKei Ho’s first solo art exhibition, “100 Markah = A+”. MeiKei discusses how her work is a commentary on the pressures of today’s education system, and both the pleasures and challenges of childhood. 

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Three choreographers from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan come together to present “Nyanyian Bumi”, a dance project that studies the relationship between humans and nature in today’s world. Lim Pei Ern, Aco Ridwan, and Atsushi Heki incorporate elements of Kadazandusun, Indonesian, and Japanese culture in a performance that pays homage to Mother Earth. Pei Ern and Atsushi talk about the collaboration and why its environmental message matters.

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