Valentine's Day might be too mainstream for art-loving hipster couples out there. If you're both fans of art gallery visits and a good cup of coffee, you might need to go the extra mile to locate a perfect weekend spot for date in Kuala Lumpur.
In generally, art is hardly in the equation when it comes to romantic outings in Malaysia.
But with the rise of young art lovers and new collectors, things are slowly changing around KL. There are now a handful of date-ready places in the capital to appreciate arts and culture. Luckily, they also serve as a backdrop to light up a lovey weekend.
We’ve narrowed down three places in KL:
The Zhongshan Building
Located down in Jalan Kampung Attap, this deceptively small old building tattooed in graffiti may look suspicious, but the Zhongshan Building has proven to be one of the central arts-based hubs in KL. Home of the Back Room KL, there is no shortage of interesting, cool, abstract, sometimes cute art exhibitions to investigate here. At the moment, the gallery is hosting a show by artist Chong Yi Lin, its first exhibition of the year. Art lovers, take note.
Fellow aesthetic lovers will also appreciate the irreverent T-shirts from the Bogus Merchandise store and the minimalist stationery of ana tomy for the hardcore journal writers. You also have specialist indie bookshops and a record store to explore together. For that important cup of coffee and arty conversation time, Zhongshan also has a few choices of note, including a pocket cafe and pop-up stall. More of a tea person? The brewmasters at Kok Far Tea got you covered with a library of unpronounceable tea varieties that will soothe the mind and soul.
Moving down to the Bukit Bintang area, you will find GMBB. It's the capital's latest creative community mall that has finally found its groove after two years of pandemic disruptions. If your special one is into photography (or loves being photographed), you're in luck. Happening now at the gallery is a touring exhibition featuring 1970s Japanese print art.
Photographic Images And Matter: Japanese Prints Of The 1970s features 14 artists that helped to shape contemporary graphic art. The artworks use print-blocks, paper, and ink to create abstractions unlike any before. There are also fun activities for the adventurous couple like skating and craft making. And of course, there are art shops, a children's bookshop, indie exhibition spaces and hip cafes to take your obligatory food pics and Instagram stories.
The bonus for this Valentine's weekend is the return of the PingMin Market, which is back again with the theme of nostalgia to bring you on a walk down memory lane.
Just down Jalan Binjai in downtown KL, Ilham Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that spotlights the works of local artists and creatives. If you are into local art history, the gallery's current show Kok Yew Puah: Portrait Of A Malaysian Artist is an interesting choice for a date.
The exhibition catalogues the works of the late Kok Yew Puah, a largely overlooked Malaysian artist. His work reflects the personal journey of his life and the rapid urbanisation of his hometown Klang. If existentialism about your identity is a talking point in your relationship, do give this show a visit.
When it comes to Ilham Gallery, you're bound to get a properly curated show, and art gallery experience, with accompanying insightful interviews from art experts and the late artist's peers to give you a better understanding of Puah's legacy.
The Ilham Gift Shop is also not to be missed. It is filled with arts and crafts from local artists. From tote bags, art books, art prints, baskets and posters, the gift shop has got all the indie checklists ticked. Not to forget it serves coffee, too.
For that all-important Insta-shot, don't forget to check out Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei's public sculpture Divina Proportione, located outside the gallery building. It was Ai's first permanent public sculptural work in South-East Asia.
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