(From left) lim Du Bois and Tan briefing visitors about old business signs highlighted in the Ban Ban Kia: Penang Shop Signs exhibition as part of George Town Festival 2024. — Photos: CHan BOOn KaI and lIM BenG TaTT/The Star
ARTS, culture and heritage are among Penang’s greatest attractions and draw visitors from near and far, particularly when they take centre stage in multi- day public events.
Held at various locations across the city, George Town Festival (GTF) brings a myriad of performing arts, visual arts, exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, city exploration, family fun, craft markets and community activities.
Themed “Here and Now”, the festival kicked off last Friday and will run until this Sunday.
There are over 80 free and ticketed programmes during this period.
Newcomers and regulars, locals and foreigners alike will find insightful and engaging content that offers fresh perspectives on life, the city and the world at large.
Festival-goers taking in the Pengalaman Prangin speculative performance at Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park.
Opening weekend highlights included Pengalaman Prangin – a speculative roving performance by local group Moka Mocha Ink that blended theatre, time-travel and collective experiences.
Participants walked a guided course around Sia Boey Urban Archaeological Park, Prangin Lane and Beach Street while listening to audio narrations and soundscapes.
Live performances popped up along the way and brought George Town’s history to life.
Director Ridhwan Saidi said the aim was to shed light on lesser-known narratives and make it engaging.
“The area dates back to the early 1800s.
“There are rich stories to tell and this hybrid approach allows participants to contribute to the performance.
Shin showing her ‘A Piece or Two of Life’s Bustle’ collages.
“You get to take in the sights and sounds of the city today while imagining and learning about how it was in the past,” Ridhwan said during a session.
Also notable was “Double Bill of Jingju Magic” by Taiwan’s GuoGuang Opera Company, which used elements of traditional opera and modern theatre to examine human nature, life and death, right and wrong as well as cause and effect.
Staged at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Dewan Budaya, it had two segments – “Avenging Zidu” with breathtaking acrobatic feats and the more contemplative “Zhuangzi Tests His Wife”.
In “House of Mask and Mime” at Komtar’s Auditorium A, a Thai troupe showed how the human body could be a mischievous artist who painted evocative stories using silent expressions and gestures.
At nearby Majestic Theatre, “Switchblade Op: A World in the City” by Kongsi Petak brought new contexts to a dance piece by Loke Soh Kim that first premiered in 1994.
This reworked version followed a man rendered voiceless and incapable of determining his own destiny.
Through raw body movements, the travails of living in a world where one has to obey and follow, forsake dreams and prioritise survival, was something that many in the audience could relate to.
Boria performance Kini Di Sini by Omara Boria at the festival.
GTF 2024 is the first under a new organiser – Kerson Media Global.
Festival director Chin Teo said they put community engagement and audience participation at the forefront.
“We want every festival-goer to witness the beauty and diversity of arts in this inclusive festival.
“By focusing on fresh collaborations with local talents, we hope it provides a platform for them to blossom and thus strengthen Penang’s artistic ecosystem for generations to come,” Teo said.
But unlike other celebrations that typically focus on local content, GTF has also made a name for its international-flavoured offerings.
Besides Taiwan and Thailand, this year also sees participation of creative folk and ensembles from Indonesia, Spain, Australia, Japan, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Colombia, Singapore, United States, Vietnam, China and India.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said this diversity was what earned the festival critical acclaim from many overseas publications and bodies.
Breathtaking acrobatic feats in the ‘Avenging Zidu’ excerpt of Double Bill of Jingju Magic performed by Taiwan’s GuoGuang Opera Company.
“GTF has certainly earned George Town a reputation as a city for the arts,” Chow pointed out at the opening ceremony in Lava Mansion.
Visual feasts
GTF@Capri Penang on Magazine Road, which serves as the event information centre, hosted several exhibitions including “Ban Ban Kia: Penang Shop Signs”.
Curated by Joel Lim Du Bois and Tan Sueh Li, it celebrates the ubiquitous yet often overlooked signs that adorn the facades of George Town’s heritage shophouses.
“Each sign is a work of art made by a skilled craftsman and designed to be both functional and eye-catching.
“They’re a snapshot of Penang’s multiculturalism.
“But while heritage buildings are protected, these signs aren’t.
“When old businesses move out and buildings change hands, these signs are typically thrown away.
“When you lose them, you also lose the stories of the individuals and families who came here, started businesses and passed it down multiple generations,” Lim Du Bois shared.
The exhibition was complemented by talks, workshops and walking tours down well-known roads like Campbell Street, Prangin Road, Carnarvon Street and Cecil Street.
Also at the same location was a show titled “From Somewhere Inside” by GTF artist-in-residence Charuwan Noprumpha and another called “Voyage of Discovery” by 10 USM fine arts students.
Chow (white shirt) at the opening ceremony of George Town Festival 2024 at Lava Mansion.
Among those participating in the latter was Muhamad Iqram Taufet, who used a pyrography and sculpting approach to pay tribute to small-scale fishermen in Pulau Aman.
“They go out to sea either in scorching sunshine or thunderstorms,” he said.
“Sometimes they get lots of fish, sometimes they get nothing.
“It’s a challenging profession that requires a strong spirit.
“This is my first time exhibiting my works publicly and I feel humbled and thankful to the festival for giving students like us a platform,” said Iqram.
Also notable was Novia Shin’s “A Piece or Two of Life’s Bustle” collages, inspired by the decorative panels made of cut porcelain or ceramic often seen on outer walls or columns of old shophouses.
“I used cut-up bits of old plastic bottles instead.
“I recently bought an old house in Melaka and realised that living in such structures is more complex than imagined.
“Should you renovate, restore or innovate? Should we honour the old house’s past or inject new life and meaning for the future?” she pondered.
Across the road at 1st Avenue Mall, there was the Asian Board Games Festival organised by Luma and Origame.
Participants enjoying table top games with a regional flavour at the Asian Board Games Festival as part of GTF 2024.
With over 50 board games to try, it attracted a large crowd, including university students Sabrina Tan and Yap Chen Yang.
“We played Bansan, a board game based on our local wet markets, at last year’s festival and enjoyed it.
“We wanted to check out what’s new this time around,” Yap said.
Sabrina felt board games were a good pastime, as they brought people together and fostered closer bonds between friends and family.
Luma founder Goh Choon Ean said board games had made a comeback in recent times, as people look to return to more healthy activities away from their smart devices.
“With more versions made by Asian designers, we’re seeing more representation of local cultures.
“That familiarity makes it appealing because people can see themselves in it.
“It is a form of immersive documentation,” said Goh.
Coming up
GTF 2024 artistic director Ling Tang said one show people should not miss is Waktu Batu. Rumah yang Terbakar (Time Stone. Our House is on Fire).
Scheduled for 8.30pm on July 27 and 28 at One Theatre Hall (formerly Penangpac Stage 1) in Straits Quay, it is performed by acclaimed Indonesian interdisciplinary collective Teater Garasi.
Muhamad Iqram touching up his artwork that pays tribute to traditional local fishermen, which is part of the Voyage of Discovery show.
The show ponders humanity’s response towards environmental destruction and climate change, with a narrative that has elements of Javanese mythology, colonial history, capitalism and patriarchy.
“Their work has made waves in the international performing arts scene and contributed towards social change,” he said.
Also worth catching is Alle Armi by Italian group Hombre Collettivo that plays at 8.30pm nightly from July 26 to 28 at Auditorium P. Ramlee.
The musical will throw audiences into a toy supermarket to reflect on complex contemporary issues such as geopolitics, economy and weapons of war.
At Digital Penang Event Hall, there are screenings of nine international and Malaysian films made by women directors starting from 8pm on July 26, until 10pm on July 28.
With the theme of “A Woman’s Body”, the flicks highlight the Asian female perspective, prevailing stereotypes and biases as well as the inequalities still affecting women today.
Among interactive activities is Hand In Glove: A Contemporary Puppetry Workshop conducted by Chen Chia-Hao at 7pm on July 26 at Penang Harmony Centre.
Keep an eye out for the Miniature Public Art series of sculptures at various unexpected locations around the George Town World Heritage site.
These include Spaniard Isaac Cordal’s Cement Eclipses figures which are around 20cm in height.
Their poses take on a multitude of meanings and highlight the imperfect construct of society.
You might also spot Penang-born Low Chee Peng’s Declining Artisans figures.
They are of a similar size but depict traditional craftsmen at work.
While there were originally over 50 types of traditional trades here, many have since disappeared because of rising rental costs and a lack of interest among their heirs.
Australian artist Gav Barbey will also put up his Shadow Sculptures in random places across town, while Japan’s Kaito Sakuma will do the same with his Preserving Memories (Liquid Mirror) sound sculpture installations.
Summing things up, Teo said a city like George Town echoed with history while being enveloped by the rhythms of modern life.
“The arts are not simply frivolous entertainment but a reflection of ourselves, our history and the unseen future that lies ahead.
“Speaking to our shared humanity, it helps us make sense of our turbulent world,” she added, urging people to come and explore the programmes on offer.
For more information, visit www.georgetownfestival.com
