This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 22, 2016.

Continuing its journey to profile the development of visual art in Malaysia, consultants and publisher  RogueArt has unveiled volume 3 of its Narratives in Malaysian Art series. The not-for-profit series is slated to comprise four volumes, and contains the thoughts and opinions of academics, artists, curators, writers on culture, journalists and art workers from Malaysia and beyond, all of whom provide greater insight into the past, present and possible future of art in the country. 

Aptly titled Infrastructures, this volume examines the development of the structures and systems that support art, capturing some of the history of Malaysia’s art scene over the decades. It also map key areas of art institutions, artist-run initiatives, art markets, art education and art writings and publications. 

It follows volumes 1 and 2; volume 1 was published in July 2012, entitled Imagining Identities, which considers the intellectual, philosophical and thematic preoccupations that have shaped art practices in Malaysia. Volume 2, also known as Reactions — New Critical Strategies was published in September 2013 and examines the development of artistic strategies over the past 45 years, including differing approaches to various media and social and political issues. This volume also explores how artists choose to negotiate space, engage with other cultural disciplines and how they use new media technology. 

Narrative in Malaysian Art aims to gather knowledge and perspectives on the history, practice and infrastructure of visual art in the country in order to begin a larger exploration of our artistic heritage for today’s generation and for generations to come. 

Infrastructures has been published in both English and Bahasa Malaysia, and features essays written by Syed Ahmad Jamal, Ismail Zain, Nur Hanim Khairuddin, Yeoh Jin Leng, Abdul Halim Hussain, Ooi Kok Chuen, Sarena Abdullah, Zedeck Siew and Sharon Chin. In addition to essays, it also includes round-table discussions, interviews with key figures in the art scene as well as surveys and maps. 

“Volumes 1 and 2 essentially addressed the history of art in Malaysia from the colonial era till today, looking at the many stories it has to tell about our nation, our lives today and about how our artists have developed diverse and powerful means of expression. Volume 3 is really about the art scene — the stuff that goes on around and supports art-making and art appreciation,” said Beverly Yong, co-editor-in-chief of the series and director/co-founder of RogueArt.

“The main work of the volume has been to bring together over 150 voices relating their experiences and perspectives of the Malaysian art scene. This spirit of participation and openness is really key to creating a healthy environment for art, and we hope our effort helps to spur further debate and discussion,” she added. 

Launched alongside Infractructures is Malaysia Art Map, a handbook which aims to encourage the appreciation of art by providing an essential guide to art institutions, art education facilities, artist run spaces and private galleries in the Klang Valley, Penang and across the country. 

Commenting on the development of the series, Yong’s co-editor-in-chief of Narratives in Malaysian Art Nur Hanim said, “Seven years ago, we began a journey to bring together stories of Malaysian art, looking at its rich history and development. It has been a truly enlightening endeavour and it has been inspiring to work with so many passionate and varied voices in this series. We hope that it can help open the eyes and minds of Malaysians everywhere to the important work of our artists and the potential of art.”

Volume 4, titled Perspectives, is slated to be published at the end of this year, and will present diverse viewpoints on key issues in reading and discussing the visual art scene in the Malaysian context, aiming to stimulate and sustain discourse in this growing field. 

Narratives in Malaysian Art Volume 3 — Infrastructures is available at major bookstores nationwide and retails at RM45. Volumes 1 and 2 are also available at RM35 and RM40 respectively. For more information about RogueArt, visit www.rogueart.asia. For more information about the Narratives in Malaysian Art series, visit www.narrativesinmalaysianart.blogspot.my.