In America the use of blackface is cringe-worthy and condemned. In Malaysia it pops up everywhere…but what does it mean?

by Zedeck Siew

Obituary: Yasmin Ahmad, 1958 – 2009

The dreamer, her films I didn’t like, and why we will miss her.

By ARTERI

M.A.D dares to deliver the dangerous ddddddd D! The next installment in our Malaysian Art Dictionary. Come and join in the fun la.

by Haseena Abdul Majid

There is a quiet sense of resignation to reality and dissatisfaction with chaos in Haslin Ismail’s recent exhibition Exorcismus Persona at RA Fine Arts. His surrealist approach covers various mediums, from painting, assemblage, mixed media, installations and handmade books.

by ARTERI

Political analyst Wong Chin Huat has just been detained under the Sedition Act, for his writing and for initiating the 1Black Malaysia campaign. The aim of the campaign was to get all Malaysians to wear black on 7 May, in protest against Barisan National’s apparently unconstitutional take-over of the Perak state government.

by Lydia Chai

There is a famous moment in Laurence Sterne’s eighteenth century novel, The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, when the character Yorick dies and we the readers are then confronted with an entire black page.

This odd literary device might elicit laughter and amusement because of its simplistic representation of death, darkness, and fear of nothingness.

We might also think it poignant that the story’s long-winded narrator, Tristram, finds himself at a sudden loss for words and can only express his grief with a silent, dark page.

by Yusuf Martin

It is inevitable that we should consider the two, lightness and darkness, inextricably entwined, latter born of the former, each linked, for eternity, in bonds of the other.

It is from mysterious obsidian shadows that Rembrandt’s philosopher becomes enlightened, a tangled helix staircase revealed in all its wooden glory; three translucent brides evolving from Jan Toorop’s symbolic gloom, which of the light and which the sinister.

by Sharon Chin

Of all the openings I’ve been to (including my own), the one for The Light Show at Annexe Gallery last Thursday stands out as truly memorable. It was was the first time I’d seen so many people at an exhibition opening, ever. The energy in the air was palpable. It seemed like all the worlds of KL’s design, art, architecture and performance communities had converged in one place. It was awesome.

by Zedeck Siew

It wasn’t your fault you missed your 8pm cut-off. The office was too noisy because of the new Guitar Hero guitar, or you couldn’t have a cigarette all day. Your boss has probably given up on you. No use crying over missed deadlines, now. Another hour (or so) won’t matter: you’ll finish by tonight so she’ll have it in her inbox in the morning.

by Bernice Chauly

This series of ink drawings called Metamorphosis was created in the freezing winter month of November 1987 in Winnipeg, Canada. I was studying TESL and English Literature at the U of W and was then living in a house on Walnut Street (we dubbed it the Nut House) as it comprised of painter Robert Reimer, jewellery artist Aliza Amihude, her boyfriend Doug, Elena Feldman, a fellow writer whose name fails me, artist Tim Bremser and myself. This is the only series of drawings I’ve ever produced.

by Fashionaddict

We’re beyond thrilled to introduce Fashionaddict, a fashion blogger from Singapore, who has kindly agreed to contribute to ARTERI on all matters fashion and beyond. Her first post for us is ‘Seeing Light in The Dark’, part of our Thoughts on Darkness series. Enjoy and look out for more!

by Fahmi Fadzil

Lim Kit Siang wrote last March 16th, when Karpal Singh was to be charged with sedition: “Darkness descends every day with Najib Razak getting closer to become the next Prime Minister.” So, now that Najib has indeed become Malaysia’s next premier, many questions arise, including:
− How will Putrajaya’s relationship with the media (old and new) change?
− Post-Perak and Umno General Assembly, how will the sixth PM further strengthen his position?
− How will Malaysians take to this new steward? Or equally valid: How will he take Malaysians? Will he take them in (literally)?

by Simon Soon

Some nights ago, traveling back from another night out in town, the train took me on the wrong direction. Changing tracks at an outer burrough stop, I listened to an animated young boy, who couldn’t have been older than 20, talking to a stranger, who sat beside him, about his kids. When the train arrived, it took us mid-way through a tunnel beneath the river and stopped dead on its tracks for a good half hour. That was where, with no devise in mind, I let time slip through, bearing much irritation and impatience.

by Sharon Chin

I’m too misanthropic to believe that Earth Hour was much more than a massive, feel-good PR stunt. But as our house dutifully doused the lights during that stipulated hour on 28 March, I found that being plunged into a physical darkness was more welcome than I’d ever anticipated.

It inspired a series of posts on, above and/or around the idea of ‘darkness’. Thoughts on Darkness by various contributors will be released daily. As an introduction, I reproduce here an excerpt of a gmail chat I had with an artist friend in Yangon, Myanmar.