UNITED Kingdom media artists Christopher Thomas Allen and Tim Cowie of The Light Surgeons, came to Malaysia over 10 years ago to work on a multimedia collaboration. Little did they imagine they would be embarking on a wild exploration through the multiverse that is Malaysia.
For several weeks they imbibed and observed the urban, natural, and social landscapes of Peninsular Malaysia. There were also many hours of workshops and experimentation with local musicians and visual artists.
Along with interviews and conversations with local cultural figures, the contours of a landmark collaborative project began to take shape.
The result of this UK-Malaysia collaboration was SuperEverything*, a live cinema performance project that explores identity, ritual and place in relation to Malaysia’s past, present and future.
Commissioned by the British Council in 2011, it is a fusion of music, field recordings, filmmaking and real-time moving image.
It transports its audiences on a journey through a series of universal narratives — tradition and modernity, globalisation and development, race and national identity, consumer culture and belief.
The Malaysian collaborators who were involved in SuperEverything* include acclaimed composer Ng Chor Guan, experimental soundscapist Flica, percussion ensemble Hands Percussion, gamelan ensemble Rhythm in Bronze, visual artist Fauzi Yusoff, and motion designer Fariz Hanapiah.
Weaving through the audio-visual experience of SuperEverything* are penetrating contemplations and commentaries by Malaysian cultural figures including writer and cultural historian Eddin Khoo, novelist and poet Bernice Chauly, sustainability expert Khairun Nisa Zabidi, and visual artists Sau Bin Yap and Lim Kok Yoong.
The Light Surgeons also travelled to Kelantan, where Pusaka put them in touch with the shadow puppet performers of Kumpulan Wayang Kulit Sri Warisan Pusaka, who are featured in the film.
A decade on, the British Council in collaboration with The Light Surgeons, Pusaka, and Ilham Gallery, are presenting a special screening of a SuperEverything* performance recorded at the Hackney Empire in London in 2013.
The film screening will be interspersed with a series of discussions with The Light Surgeons and their Malaysian collaborators, reflecting on the themes in the show and the genesis of this live cinema performance.
The discussion will delve into the process of making SuperEverything* while looking at how the project has evolved and still resonates with the changing complexities of Malaysian society today.
“SuperEverything* is a landmark live cinema project, a truly cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural collaboration with audio and visual messages that transcend one place and one culture; it is a holistic artwork that explores a range of interwoven issues and themes that connect people around the world.
"It is one of the most powerful artistic works I have had the honour to be part of and it continues to inspire and move its audiences today,” remarked Christopher Thomas Allen, founder and creative director of The Light Surgeons.
The British Council was founded to foster friendly knowledge and understanding between people of the UK and the wider world. Its work in the arts has been central to this mission, seeking new ways of connecting with and understanding each other through creativity.
It provides opportunities for the exchange of knowledge between the UK and Malaysia, and for the development of skills and new work through partnerships and collaborations.
“What is striking about SuperEverything* is its evergreen relevance, both in its form and content.
"It embodies the power of mutually beneficial cross-border and cross-discipline collaboration, and we are proud to see and support the collaboration, 10 years on,” said Florence Lambert, head of Arts and Creative Industry, British Council Malaysia.
The Light Surgeons have just released a vinyl and digital album of their music from SuperEverything*, on the UK record label Utter.
This limited-edition vinyl and digital album features the nine original tracks that make up the musical score of this ground-breaking live cinema project, fusing traditional South East Asian instruments with field recordings, electronica and western classical string instruments.
Programme details
SuperEverything* A Live Cinema Exploration Of The Malaysian Multiverse
A performance screening and discussion featuring UK media artists The Light Surgeons and a group of Malaysian collaborators, reflecting on their landmark live cinema performance SuperEverything* a decade on.
Date: Saturday, February 25
Venue: Ilham Gallery, Level 3
Time: 3pm-5pm
Free admission
Supported by British Council Malaysia in collaboration with The Light Surgeons, Pusaka and Ilham Gallery – The Vibes, February 18, 2023
Note: The full video of the SuperEverything* film will be up for viewing after the event on the British Council Malaysia and SuperEverything* websites
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