A view of one of the exhibits - featuring 1990s-era underground and metal gig flyers - at the 'Boom Boom Bang' exhibition at Ilham Gallery in KL. Photo: The Star/Shaari Chemat
EXHIBITION: 'BOOM BOOM BANG: PLAY & PARODY IN 1990s KL'
Venue: Ilham Gallery, Ilham Tower, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends March 9
The 1990s in Kuala Lumpur marked a time of political and economic confidence, fuelled by robust growth and national pride. Amid the Asian economic boom, KL experienced rapid cultural expansion, with art, performance, and entertainment thriving in a vibrant, hybrid urban culture.
Ilham Gallery’s new exhibition, Boom Boom Bang: Play & Parody In 1990s KL, serves as a time capsule of this decade where art, theatre, comedy, protest, and punk converged in a creative outburst.
This show, featuring a multitude of mediums, takes visitors back to when cultural and social experimentation thrived, and artists used humour and rebellion to challenge the status quo. The title of the exhibition is also a direct reference to a documentary video titled Boom Boom Bang, directed and produced by Berlin-based Zakiah Omar and Hanno Baethe in 1998.
The exhibition features works from Ismail Zain, Ahmad Fuad Osman, Wong Hoy Cheong, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Azizan Paiman, Five Arts Centre, Instant Cafe Theatre, Yee I-Lann, Nur Hanim Khairuddin, Zulkifli Yusoff, Carburetor Dung, Raja Shahriman Raja Aziddin, and more.
This line-up (the voices of artists, theatre performers, activists, punk rockers and writers) goes beyond nostalgia – it's a compelling reflection on how creativity helped shape the city’s identity during a period of transformation.
Curated by Ilham Gallery's Rahel Joseph, Simon Soon, Azzad Diah, and Ridhwan Saidi, the exhibition includes monthly public programmes featuring film screenings of three Malaysian films from the early 1990s, each exploring different themes of the era.
Free admission exhibition.
More info here.
PERFORMING ARTS: 'KALEIDOSCOPE 7’S 'GENDANG SEDUNIA'
Venue: Zepp Kuala Lumpur, Lalaport Bukit Bintang City Centre
Date: Oct 19 and 20
Immerse yourself in the rhythmic marvel that is the biannual Kaleidoscope 7 – Hands International Drumming Festival, "Gendang Sedunia." This vibrant spectacle, presented by Hands Percussion at city centre venue Zepp KL, features 88 performers from China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, weaving together the threads of nine distinct cultural and musical traditions. At its heart, renowned Gamelan masters join forces with local drummers, crafting a spellbinding fusion of rhythm and motion that transcends boundaries.
Over the course of two captivating hours, you’ll embark on a journey through 14 dynamic pieces, each unfolding a different layer of rhythm – from electrifying, pulse-pounding beats to the most intricate and delicate cadences.
Guest performers include Chongdaoyuan Jiangzhou Drum Troupe from Yuncheng University, China, Sri Maayakarar, Rhythm In Bronze, Teuku Umar Ilany (composer, Gangsapura Gamelan), Kathyn Tan (choreographer), Chia Cheng Kok (NSO), Parker Tee (MPO), Leslie Anak Eli (sape player), Dhiya Suhaili (vocalist), Zamzuriah Zahari (composer), Akademi Arjunasukma (traditional Malaysian art), I Wayan Sudirana (composer) and Gamelan Yuganada.
More info here.
FILM SHOWCASE: 'LAYAR NOSTALGIA'
Venue: Semua House, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Oct 19 and 20
Ready for a weekend of local retro cinema? Layar Nostalgia, a fun collaboration between MyThinkCity, Kreatif KL, and Kuman Pictures (known for its budget thrillers and horror flicks), is here to take you on a nostalgic ride through KL’s past. Think puffy hairstyles and bell-bottoms!
Starting Saturday at 11am at the slide and staircase of Semua House, kick things off with Mat Gelap (1990), followed by Balik Kampung (1986), Gila-Gila Remaja (1986), and Si Badol (1979). Sunday's line-up includes Kami (1982), Mekanik (1983), Femina (1994), and Keluarga Si Comat (1975).
Perfect for a nostalgia weekend with the whole family!
And that's not all – meet some of the cast and crew for exclusive behind-the-scenes stories about these Bahasa Malaysia films and life in Kuala Lumpur back in the day. Best part? Admission is free!
More info here.
The Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) shines anew with 'Terang 2024', featuring 34 competitive projection mapping artworks, inspired by the theme 'Cultural Futurism.' Photo: The Star/Shaari Chemat
PROJECTION MAPPING: FILAMEN'S 'TERANG'
Venue: Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC), KL
Date: ends Oct 20
Last chance to catch some digital twilight magic before it fades away! In the heart of downtown Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC) – a former family home of a rubber and mining tycoon from the 1930s – has been transformed into a stunning canvas for "Terang 2024", an annual outdoor projection mapping series open to the public until Oct 20.
Now in its second edition, this visually captivating event, organised by digital art collective Filamen and Pixel World with support from Aswara (National Academy of Art, Culture and Heritage), showcases 34 projection mapping displays.
Each digital piece, lasting between one to 1.5 minutes, explores the theme of "Cultural Futurism", blending Malaysia’s rich heritage with forward-looking creativity to illuminate the city in a new light.
Terang 2024 at MaTiC is free and open to the public from 8pm to 11pm this weekend.
More info here.
Cho Wing Ki's artwork titled 'A Game' (linocut relief print, 2021). Photo: The Back Room
EXHIBITION: CHO WING KI'S 'A SMALL LITTLE PLACE CALLED HONG KONG'
Venue: The Back Room, Zhongshan building, KL
Date: Oct 20 to Nov 24
Hong Kong-based painter and printmaker Cho Wing Ki is set for her first exhibition in Malaysia, titled A Small Little Place Called Hong Kong. Opening this Sunday at The Back Room gallery, the show features eight prints and six paintings celebrating the overlooked elements that sustain the city's spirit.
Cho’s work highlights the quieter, often unnoticed stories of Hong Kong – street vendors, janitors, security guards, and even wandering animals – that form the fabric of daily life in this vibrant metropolis, reminding us that the heart of the city lies in its small, everyday moments.
Cho, an alumna of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, has been showcased in galleries across Hong Kong and South Korea.
She is also a member of Prinhow, a printmaking collective that works with marginalised groups to address social issues.
More info here.
Hanna is on a Klang Valley bookshop tour to promote 'The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette's'. Photo: Simon & Schuster US
BOOK SIGNING: HANNA ALKAF'S 'THE HYSTERICAL GIRLS OF ST BERNADETTE'S'
Venues: Popular Bookstore at Sunway Pyramid and MPH at The Exchange, TRX
Date: Oct 19 and 20
Author Hanna Alkaf is back just in time for spook season with the chilling dark academia thriller, The Hysterical Girls Of St Bernadette’s, set in an all-girls school that’s suddenly struck with mysterious cases of screaming hysteria.
This month, readers in the Klang Valley can catch up with Hanna and grab a copy of the book at any of the stops during her bookshop tour.
You can even join the special stamp event – collect at least four stamps from the tour venues on the limited Hanna Alkaf’s Tour Map Bookmark and you can redeem a mystery gift (while stocks last).
Hanna will be dropping by Popular Bookstore at Sunway Pyramid (Oct 19, 2pm); MPH at The Exchange, TRX (Oct 20, 12pm); and Tsutaya Books Bukit Jalil (Oct 26, 2pm).
Free admission, walk-in events.
More info here.
Idris reciting his poem at a previous Jalan Dalam Poetry Slam. This Sunday, he and seven other poets will get their shot at redemption. Photo: Handout
POETRY: JALAN DALAM POETRY SLAM SUNDAY: REDEMPTION SHOW
Venue: Bartolo Lisboa Bakehouse, Central Market, KL
Date: Oct 20, 5.30pm
This Sunday, prepare for an evening where words and rhythm take centre stage in a fierce battle of poetry. KL-based performing arts collective Jalan Dalam wraps up its Poetry Slam series with this sixth volume, leading to a grand all-star finale in December, where the previous six winners will face off to claim the ultimate champion title.
This round offers a special twist – a redemption slam featuring eight poets from earlier volumes, handpicked by the Jalan Dalam team, Bartolo Bakehouse, and voted by social media followers. The contenders – Idris, Ko Ko, Ruth, Krishna, Emmanuel, Nest, Solomon, and Adilah – will go head-to-head in two knockout rounds before a winner is crowned.
Spoken word artist and educator Elaine Foster will kick off the night as the sacrificial poet, setting the tone and reminding the audience of their power to decide the slam’s victor.
Admission is free.
More info here.
