Getting To The Art Of The Matter

How one trailblazer’s journey in her artistic career led to a great moment in Malaysian art history

- Dian Pasquinal Kaur

Every two years, for the past 124 years since its inauguration, La Biennale di Venezia is the place to see the ‘big thing’ in the world of art. Artists picked to show their best creative expressions at the Venice Biennale are always the cream of the crop, boasting (nonetheless) works that sometimes have been inducted into large museums and, not to mention, the finest coffers of art collectors.

Our neighbouring countries have all had a presence at the Biennale at one point or another—Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, and they can proudly check the “been there, done that” box but where is Malaysia on this world map of art?

Naysayers may say we simply don’t have enough talent, but this writer begs to differ. There’s a wealth of talent in this country if you just care to dig deeper. While some of us are quibbling semantics and waiting for things to happen, one person is taking matters into her own hands.

Armed with an unwavering conviction that we have what it takes to make an artistic impact internationally, acclaimed art champion Lim Wei-Ling finally realised her 10-year-old dream of having a presence at the mother of all Biennales. Malaysia finally has its first pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale, hurrah!

HOLDING UP A MIRROR

The overarching theme for this year’s Biennale—May You Live In Interesting Times—resonates with the changes Malaysia has undergone in the past year, since the historic May 9, 2018 general election.