The Role of Institutions in the Malaysian Art Infrastructure

Our third roundtable for Volume 3: Infrastructures was graciously hosted and co-organised by GALERI PETRONAS on 19 June. 

Institutions form the official pillars of the Malaysian art scene, helping to create important frameworks for its development. In their various forms, institutions may provide sustained support for artists and art activities, act as interfaces between art and the public, and/or act as custodians of our artistic heritage through collections and documentation. The institutions invited to this roundtable included: state art and university museums and galleries, government agencies involved in the visual arts, corporations active in visual arts support and collecting, foreign cultural organisations, and privately funded arts programmes. 

The roundtable aimed to:
- document the developments and activities of institutions involved in Malaysian art 
- help foster a broad network of such institutions, encouraging the sharing of information, concerns and strategies, practical problems and solutions 
- begin a conversation addressing the role of institutions in Malaysian art infrastructure, including crucial current and future issues 

After a first session of introductory presentations, Session 2 : Building, Programming, Collecting, Funding, Connections addressed some of the challenges and issues faced by institutions involved in Malaysian art, including targets and best practices, acquisition, conservation and maintenance policies and practices of institutional collections, programming and funding. Session 3 then looked at larger questions of Roles, Responsibilities and Relevance, and how institutions can and do contribute to the development of the Malaysian art scene, asking questions like: Who do institutions serve? Why do they support the visual arts? How can they better co-operate with each other, and what are directions and visions for the future? It was a very heartfelt and open session, underlining the many difficulties facing art-related institutions today. 

Our sincere thanks to Encik Rosli Abdul Rahim and his team at GALERI PETRONAS for their fantastic support for this event, and to our moderators and all those who attended the session from near and far:

National And State Art Museums and Galleries

Prof Dr Ramlan Abdullah Board of Trustees National Visual Arts Gallery En. Faizal Sidek Curator, Publication Division National Visual Arts Gallery	Puan Nor Alisa Binti Abdul Rahman Director Johor Art Gallery Jennifer Linggi Curator Sabah Art Museum
Puan Syahidah Abu Sah Curator Melaka Art Gallery and Museum

University Art Museums and Galleries

En. Zolkurnian Hassan

Director

Muzium and Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, USM

En. Abdul Aziz Abdul Rashid

Head/Curator

Universiti Malaya Art Gallery

Corporate Art Galleries/Programmes/Funding

En. Mohd Iqbal bin Abdul Rahim

Head, Corporate Responsibility

CIMB

Badrolhisham Tahir

Head of Exhibitions

GALERI PETRONAS

Cultural Bodies/Funding/Programmes

Marine Moncaut Cultural Officer Alliance Française	Elizabeth Cardosa Director Badan Warisan Malaysia
Rolf Stehle Director Cultural Programme Goethe Institut	David Ngui Programme Coordinator Goethe Institut
Katherine Chui, Chan Yin Kwan, Joanne Foo Public Relation Dept Executives Soka Gakkai Malaysia	Tuan Ramzi Abu Yazid Senior Deputy Director Malaysia Tourism Board, Advertising Division (1MCAT)
Kyoko Kugai Senior Program Officer The Japan Foundation

Private Institutions/Initiatives

Marion D'Cruz Five Arts Centre/Krishen Jit-ASTRO Fund	Angela Hijjas Rimbun Dahan
Yee I-Lann Board of Directors Tamparuli Living Arts Centre

Guests

Rahel Joseph
Valentine Willie Pn. Wairah Marzuki
Zainol Shariff

MODERATORS

Session 2: Suryani Senja Alias

Session 3: Kathy Rowland

En Badrolhisham on behalf of Encik Rosli Abdul Rahim for Galeri Petronas giving a welcoming speech.

Participants from the various institutions at the roundtable.

Mr Rolf Stehle giving a brief introduction to Goethe Institute.

Yee I-Lann introduces the various aspects of Tamapruli Living Arts Centre that is located in Sabah.

Suryani Senja Alias reads out her questions to the participants for the second session.

A light moment at the roundtable.

Valentine Willie, a guest of to the roundtable shares some thoughts.

Kathy Rowland moderates the third session of the roundtable.

View of the roundtable at Galeri Petronas.

BEYOND FACTS & FIGURES: A Survey and Exploration of Art Market Dynamics in Malaysia Today

After a short break of two weeks, we organised the second roundtable for Volume 3 : Infrastructures. The roundtable on the Malaysian art market was co-organised with MAPKL (Malaysian Art Platform) in Publika during the MAP Arts Festival 2013.

The Beyond Facts & Figures roundtable invited stakeholders to discuss their roles, practices, strategies and their impact on the art market, discuss and share knowledge and practices about the market; and to understand the mechanisms and infrastructure of the art market today, and how these have developed. Materials from the roundtable will be edited to form part of Narratives in Malaysian Art Volume 3: Infrastructures, while the full recordings and transcripts will be kept by MAP for their archive and further use.

We would like to thank the moderators, the panelists and the guests who took the Saturday afternoon to join us in this roundtable.

PANELISTS: Gallerists Kenny Teng, G13 Bayu Utomo Radjikin, HOM Valentine Willie  (formerly Valentine Willie Fine Art) Collectors Lee Khai Ng Seksan Pakharuddin Sulaiman Artists Ahmad Zakii Anwar Jalaini Abu Hassan Phuan Thai Meng

The Art Media: Rachel Jena, freelance art writer Jason Tan, Editor, The B-Side Liew Kian Yeap, publisher and editor, Art    Malaysia magazine New Art Market Platforms Tuan Ramzi for 1MCAT Sim Pojinn for Art Expo Nani Kahar, MAPKL Datuk Vincent Sim, Henry Butcher Art      Auction

MODERATORS:
Prof Dr Krishna Gopal Rampal
Yoong Sin Min

Prof Dr Krishna Gopal Rampal having a friendly banter with the artist panelists - Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Jalaini Abu Hassan and Phuan Thai Meng.

 Ng Sek San makes a funny comment that got everyone in the room a little less serious.

 Rachel Jena making a comment on art writing in Malaysia.

 Ooi Kok Chuen giving a statement on the art market from a journalist's perspective.

 The first question from the guests to the panelists were made by Suryani Senja Alias.

Yoong Sin Min was moderating the second session as Dato Vincent Sim gives his comments.