Urbanscapes 2017

It was that time of the year again when Urbanscapes came to town. Not much of a frenzy this year. It may have been the economic slow down. It may also be because it was too near Ramadan. The event this year felt subdued compared to yesteryears.

But that did not mean that there was nothing happening.

Large format printingSome interesting lightworkThe notice was upIt was more of an art affair than performances. There was no concert in the middle of the town square like last year. It was a party atmosphere then. The event this time around were mainly indoors - at the aptly names Urbanscapes House., right by Medan Pasar.

I had only the chance to attend a couple of the sessions. First was having a look at some street photography exhibition, featuring works of local talent. Nice ...

Going upstairsMeeting the authorSome nice stripsThe second weekend I was there to attend a talk on the railway system in Johor. More about that one later.

I bought some comics, had a chat with a few of the vendors, listen in on a few dialoques and took some photographs. Space was at a premium, so not much food or drinks there. Not much open space to enjoy from years ago. It was party in the park atmosphere then.

"Sila selongkar"Some superhero stuffsMore happening downstairs I gather that some of the events were held at other venues scattered around town. There were a couple of guided photowalks which unfortunately I could not attend due to work. But overall, the organisers did cater for those keener to explore the town as urban dwellers and hopefully learn a bit more about the city they live in. Definitely would support it in the coming years and of course, the event had to adapt with changing times.

Warhol in Town

It was pretty rare to have world class exhibition in town. And I have always been fascinated by Warhol as he was basically an innovative photographer at heart. But his work transcence just photography. It was modern art.

Let's go in ...Those famous prints .... LegendaryI was expecting a lot when I heard that the exhibition was coming. Titled Social Circus, it was held at Slate, a hall right next to Limapulo at The Row, Jalan Doraisamy. It was a spinoff to a similar exhibition in Singapore. And it was a huge success there.

After my ward round last Wednesday, I went there after my lunch. Parked at Quill City Mall opposite, I crossed the road really looking forward to what it had to offer.

The artist and his processThem Campbell's canIf you wanna selfie ...Signed myself in, and was treated to the iconic Mao images. Then came the Monroe and the Campbell soup prints. All were celebrated work. And then, that was about it…

I was expecting much more. Yes, there some quality but it merely made up for the black of quantity. At least it was free. Imagine if I had to pay to get I, i would've demanded a refund.

Let's go upstairsThat should work against Aedes ...Looking down ....Let's split ....Maybe I was expecting too much reading from his body of work. A gallant effort but I should've read between the line when I found out about the venue.

Slate was a nice exhibition area but it lacked the square footage. A nice and intimate setting and would've been a great venue for small events or reception. Would income again? Of course I would but I would expect more…

The Basement Vault

After missing the basement in my first visit, I returned to see what was going on down there.

The Urbanscape House used to be a bank. And the basement was where the vault and safes were located. The vault being huge, meant that when the previous owner evacuated, they did not bother taking the vault down. Too much hard work I would've thought.

Bathed in neon lightBadass!The morning ritual ...Like this also can ....The Urbanscapes organiser decided to utilise this space into an underground alternative art scene. Coupled with dimmed and neon hues, it certainly worked the charm.

But I found the work featured in the vault itself tonne fascinating. And they could've easily been confiscated as they did not mince words. Some direct reference onto the current political scene were on offer. Subtle again, but once you got it, they certainly put their point across succinctly.

Attack of the Ah LongHey! I got that T-shirt!Many gems in there!Melayu, Cina, India dan lain-lainStop stealing Rosmah's bag!!I would've dare suggest that those posters were put in public places. You'd expect some UMNO members in red shirts to come matching in yelling at us on how much we should respect our leaders. A funny spectacle though should that happen. Especially when I saw the emblem of the Youth and Sports Ministry at the brochure. Subversive!

So, should you be visiting the Urbanscape House in the next week, please be sure to check out the basement.

Cannot be Bo(a)rdered

The first floor of the Urbanscape House had an interesting offering. A whole floor of art exhibit. And all with skateboards. Neat.

The art side of things was fascinating enough and add to that some political nuance, I must say that it was very well curated.

There were a couple of pieces which caught my eyes.

Rather neat ....Rebels ....Let's sit down ....The first one was a burger. A wooden burger, paying homage to the plain old Ramly Burger. It was well carved.

The second one was a set of nine boards attached to a wall, each with portrait of current and past political leaders, all against the current regime. Themed "Dulu Lain, Sekarang Lain" - which basically meant the wind of change - it depict how connected there were now in the current political climate.

From the offCloser .....And we have a winner ....More room ....What's next?We are all connected ....Subtle but obvious.

Most of the exhibitors had had their work featured gone and abroad before. You can tell from their polished work. Definitely worth a stop.

After the Party

Irfan actually passed some of his present to his brother, and since the late afternoon, he had been in his room doing some paintings. He never had talent for arts …. so I was not sure if I should be worried ….

They were both looking tired after the party. Irfan especially had been rubbing his eyes all evening.

All the stuffs to bring upstairsIrfan going through the presentsIdlan getting his stuffs organised for his masterpiece

Time for an early bed I think …. and of course I would be waiting for the football game later …. if I could stay awake!

More photos here.