Artistic World~

The best thing about travelling is learning and experiencing different culture. When we visited Malaysia for days we have learned the difference and similarities of it with the Philippines and Ilham contributed a lot in our understanding about the Malaysian culture, arts and politics.

We were able to visit the Era Mahathir exhibition when we went there. This exhibition featured arts about the Malaysian development and Political icons in 1980s - 2000s. This includes the rise of KLIA and the famous Petronas Twin Towers.

Website excerpt:

http://www.ilhamgallery.com/exhibitions/era-mahathir/

ERA MAHATHIR

About the Exhibition

The Mahathir era (1981 – 2003) was a transformative period for the visual arts in Malaysia, a period which saw the re-emergence of the figurative in producing socially relevant art.

During the 22-year administration of Malaysia’s fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country underwent a transformation from an agrarian nation to a largely industrial one. The landscape of the country was forever changed with new infrastructure and development projects including the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the network of highways which connected urban and rural centres all over the country. At the same time, Malaysians were imbued with a burgeoning sense of self-confidence which epitomised the “can do” spirit (‘Malaysia Boleh’) of those times. His policies transformed the physical, political and social landscape of this country, the effects of which are still felt today.

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Personal Experience: The lady in the front desk was very helpful and approachable when we arrived. Knowing that we are tourists, she told us about art related events in Kuala Lumpur and how to participate in those events. She was also strict about the exhibition especially touching them, which for me is understandable.