In collaboration with PASSIONS, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in PASSIONS Volume 50 in 2014, we present this story on the fusion of cultures as shown through art at the ‘Two Worlds’ art exhibition.
A fusion of cultures is nothing new when it comes to art but always makes for fascinating viewing when it happens. Art can cross cultural barriers and transcend time and place in a language that visualises emotions and ideas. Artists concoct recipes that combine feelings, knowledge and talent to yield a feast for the eyes, heart and soul. PASSIONS reviews the ‘Two Worlds’ Art Exhibition currently on display at the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery, the result of a collaboration between Malaysia and Austria.
A kaleidoscope of colours. A myriad of textures. This is the impression generated by the exhibition mounted in collaboration with the Austrian Embassy headed by HE Andrea Wicke and launched on the 31st of October 2012 by Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia.
This event was timed to commemorate Austria Day which fell on 26th of October, as well as 50 years of Malaysia-Austria diplomatic relations. For the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery, the exhibition is intended to be the first of many which will display the talent of internationally acclaimed artists from Malaysia and another country working together in an exchange of ideas.
The Malaysian Exhibition is a follow-up to a month-long stay last year in Austria, when four Malaysian artists lived and worked with six Austrian counterparts, culminating in a showcase of their collaborative work at Atelierhaus Akademie Der Bildenden Kunste in Vienna.
The artists involved were Abu Hasan, Aminah Abdul Rahman, Nasir Baharuddin and Shima from Malaysia, and Charlotte Weismann, Erich Spindler, Helga Cmelka, Judith Brandstotter, Larissa Leverenz and Willibard Katteneder from Austria.
This year, Malaysia hosted the Austrians who rejoined the local artists to experience Malaysia’s tropical sandy beaches, busy, bustling cities and everything inbetween.
The Malaysian exhibition showcases the results of this second collaboration, featuring some of the works that were displayed in Austria – the highlight, a beautiful batik masterpiece produced by the participating Malaysian and Austrian artists.
‘Two Worlds’ reflects the merging of ideas from two cultures, satiating the mind and spirit, and conveying the message that regardless of nationality, language or distance, art brings together different parts of the world to form a beautiful destination, superceding the journey itself.
