Telur Pecah 2.022: an ambitious exhibition that challenges idea of Malaysian art

MALAYSIA’S creative community mall GMBB and founding curator Phillip Wong returns with the second edition of the Telur Pecah exhibition.

A contemporary art show that celebrates the diversity of Malaysian arts, it features amateur and established independent artists alike.

The exhibition, which runs until November 13, was officiated by Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. 

Telur Pecah initially began in 2021 as an exhibition to share the works of Malaysian artists that were created during the pandemic.

The success of its first edition prompted the curators to expand their vision, and for its second run, the exhibition grew twice in scope.

Now, the exhibition has become a catalyst and platform not only to bridge the general Malaysian public with the arts, but also a way to bring new voices and Malaysian art into the spotlight.

Telur Pecah 2.022 features more than 300 artworks from 128 amateur and established independent Malaysian artists, curated into 10 thematic categories. 

Acknowledging the importance of arts and culture in encouraging inclusion and celebrating diversity, GMBB believes in doing more together for, and with, the Malaysian creative arts community.

Lim Ying Xian, curator of GMBB said, “One of the goals that GMBB hopes to achieve – and what we feel sets us apart – is for people to see that art is in everything around them.

“The art in our stories, our history, our words, from street art to fine art, even to the art behind the clothes we wear – art is in everything around us.

“We hope that by putting on shows like these, we will be able to create more demand for local artisanal and cultural products whilst providing a platform for more artists, artisans, and creatives to showcase their talent to the public.” 

Lim continues, “Telur Pecah is one such initiative in doing more together with the community of artists in Malaysia. It is one of GMBB’s main forays into the fine arts field, leveraging the versatility and accessibility of the spaces that the mall has.

"As the founding organiser of Telur Pecah back in 2021, GMBB returns this year with a better understanding of the needs and challenges faced by organising a contemporary art show.”

Telur Pecah 2.022 will feature a whole group of senior artists, some exciting new media artists, various installations, and solo exhibitions featuring a wide variety of mediums from smoke to natural installations (roots and vines), AR (Augmented Reality) art, and more.

“We also have artists participating from Sabah and Sarawak as well as a category featuring Orang Asli artists. The vision is to bring everyone together and to do more together with the broader creative arts community,” Lim added. 

The show is curated by Phillip Wong, a former member of the National Visual Development Board. He has been an active advocate of youth art movements for over three decades.

In this post-pandemic era, Phillip felt the need to create a platform where Malaysians can come together to support Malaysian art and artists.

The contemporary art exhibition is built around the concept of being independent, in-the-moment, inspired and authentically Malaysian. 

“It is my vision to establish Telur Pecah as a platform where all artists in Malaysia regardless of their backgrounds will have an opportunity to showcase their artworks,” said Phillip. 

Eschewing conventions in sticking to his journey, Phillip hopes that Telur Pecah’s titular reference – breaking the egg yolk while frying an egg – will break the artistic conventions that have curtailed appreciation of the arts. 

The exhibition features 10 thematic categories based on the profile of the artists. This categorisation is a deliberate choice by Phillip to let the artworks speak for themselves, resulting in a colourful and surprising experience.

‘Gifted’ features the talents of special needs children while ‘Indigenous’ presents pieces by Orang Asli artists whose indigenous roots is a key component of their art.

Meanwhile, ‘Inside Out’ offers a rare chance for graffiti artists to paint the inside of a building instead of outside. It seeks to promote inclusion even with formerly controversial genres like graffiti. 

Telur Pecah 2.022 will be held at Kesana-Kesini, a GMBB shared space located on its 3A floor. It is open to the public from 11am to 8pm until November 13. Admission is free, and members of the public are welcome to buy any of the artworks.

The art exhibition was made possible through the support of various organisations such as Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA), University Teknologi MARA, Aswara Malaysia, UCSI University, Angkatan Pelukis SeMalaysia, Persatuan Seni Rupa Malaysia (PeRupa), Wow 1.0 from Kota Kinabalu, Haus from Kuching as well as GMBB tenants Gerimis and Olfac3 Perfumes who will be scenting certain sections of the exhibition. – The Vibes, October 20, 2022