Art

Trash to Treasure: celebrating trash as a meeting point for culture

The Trash <––> Treasure exhibition on February 18-20 features art made from 'trash' by creatives in the UK and Malaysia

Updated 4 years ago · Published on 09 Feb 2022 6:00PM

Trash to Treasure: celebrating trash as a meeting point for culture — The residency was an opportunity for artists to explore ways of reusing what would otherwise be discarded. – Pic courtesy of the British Council, February 9, 2022

CAN trash reveal to us our cultural differences and similarities? What is your relationship with trash in your creative practice? Where should artists draw the line between waste and material?

Eight artists address these questions and more during the pilot residency programme Trash <––> Treasure that happened from October 2021 – February 2022. The residency concludes with an exhibition of the creative outcomes both in the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

During the residency, eight creative practitioners: four from the UK (textile artist Caroline Hyde-Brown; artist Genevieve Rudd; documentary-filmmaker Nur Hannah Wan; natural dyer Ummi Junid) and four from Malaysia (multidisciplinary digital artist Abdul Shakir; artist Fariza Azlina; new media artist KC Tan; visual artist Joanne Loo) underwent a creative exchange using waste material as a point of contact.

Artists collected 'trash' from their daily lives and creative practises. The waste materials from both countries were then exchanged and used to forge new narratives and creative outcomes.

Artists from UK and Malaysia used a variety of waste materials to craft their creations. – Pic courtesy of the British Council

The assortment of waste material collected reflect the diversity in creative discipline: 3D printed test objects; batik scraps; used tea bags; linocuts; beach plastic; and takeaway packaging were some of the materials sent from one country to the other. For some of the artists, working with waste materials was an entirely new concept.

The residency was an opportunity to explore ways of reusing what would otherwise be discarded. The materials were used in experiments involving cyanotype, embroidery, dyeing, and even digital applications such as projection mapping and video-capture.

3D printed test objects; batik scraps; used tea bags; beach plastic; and takeaway packaging were some of the materials used to create art. – Pic courtesy of the British Council

Trash <––> Treasure will culminate in exhibitions both in the United Kingdom and Malaysia. The Malaysian exhibition will be held at FabU Café, Sunway Metro, Bandar Sunway, February 18-20, and will showcase the outcomes of the Malaysian artists during the residency. Appointment slots will be open in February on the residency website (www.projektrashtreasure.com). Each session is limited to 10 pax in line with SOPs.

The United Kingdom exhibition will be held in Norwich, further details to be shared on the Trash <––> Treasure website and social media channels.

A virtual experience on the residency website will allow visitors to enjoy the outcomes from both countries. Each outcome will be displayed in a virtual gallery, and visitors can also view behind-the-scenes footage, listen to artist interviews and watch exhibition highlights. – The Vibes, February 9, 2022