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…

Blooming Mid Valley

I was with Anita earlier this afternoon accompanying her to do a bit of shopping. I don't normally like going to Mid Valley on Friday as the place was usually crowded at the time. But Anita had something to do there. So, i accompanied her while spending most of the time at a cafe.

After leaving her, I went to the main lobby and guess what I found?

Apparently there was some celebration for the spring season going on. The foyer were filled with bloom although most of them wasn't really real flowers. But the colours were fantastic.

I spend some time having a look around before settling down at a cafe. But that didn't last long. Apparently there was an IT Fair going on at the Exhibition Centre. More on that later...

Young Malaysian Artist

I dropped by Galeri Petronas this afternoon while strolling around town. It had been a while since I had a look, and today I wasn't disappointed. There was an ongoing exhibition featuring local young talents going on to mid May.

It was an eclectic mix, and the fact that the place was empty allowed me to look around unobstructed.

Inspired by the daily scene in KL, this work featured 3D mock-up of houses and windowsFast food being the inspiration hereThe work was being lit from behind, creating an interesting silhouette Polaroid collection, but interesting captures none the lessThe piece which caught my eye was a simple painting of footware done by Siti Zubaidah Penawa. There were not much info on the artist but a quick search on the net did reveal a bit more about the artist. According to the accompanying brochure, the exhibition featured the works of 39 artists. They were well curated although a bit more info on the parties would have been great.

Homage to daily gadgets. Not sure if royalty being paid to Apple.Intricate paintings inspired by her childhood memories. The colours were vivid and really stood out.A more industrial part of the exhibitionI think this was about earth and treesCards. Quite literally.Definitely worth a stop.

P Ramlee at Nu Sentral

I first learned about this exhibit from my Instagram feed. Plenty of my friends learned about the National Archive doing an exhibition at Nu Sentral about the work of the late Tan Sri P Ramlee. At the back of the success of Ola Bola, it was certainly great timing, tapping into the public interest.

The very one used in Penarik Becha!I turned up on a Sunday afternoon, alone as Anita was with the kids at home, and judging from the number of people who stopped by, was a great success. It was certainly helped by the effort being put in. The exhibits were very clearly labelled and certainly looked professional. The fact that it was free also helped, and with the number of people walking past as they go about near KL Sentral, the exhibit was bound to be a winner.

Those were the actual clothes used in his movieMore personal histories and memorabilia I was not sure how long it was going to run, but it was certainly worth my afternoon. Hopefully, the exhibit would be a continuing effort, being rotated around different venues.

He certainly likes his scooters ....Nice layout of the exhibition as seen from the upper floor of the mall

It featured succinct informations, anecdotes as well as exclusive items from the era. It was quiet a surprise what the great man achieved in his 44 years on this earth. And I would be turning 44 in July. It was beyond compare!