Where can you find a children’s picture book museum, contemporary shadow puppetry, Orang Asli art, batik, photography exhibits, miniature dioramas, paintings, printmaking, and theatre space under one roof?
GMBB, a creative community mall in Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, checks all these boxes - and more, as it also hosts activities such as workshops, exhibitions, screenings and performances regularly.
Last weekend, saw an old ambulance – converted into a mobile darkroom – parked in the mall’s loading bay. A photography workshop took place at this unique “darkroom on wheels” art experience.
The loading bay area is also an “art space” here. But with over 100,000sqft (9,300sqm) lettable area and a total of 463 units at this mall, its tenancy mix – which GMBB curator Lim Ying Xian refers to as the GMBB Community – is growing and constantly evolving.
"This diversity is one of our ways to break down preconceived notions of what art is, what an ‘artsy’ or a creative person is like. There can be art in everything we do, everything we consume and everything that surrounds us.
“Art is expressive and the more diverse we are, the more we are able to embrace individuality within a community. This will encourage creativity to grow. That said, with this diversity, there is also common ground. We see a common thread of passion, enterprise and community within the Community, and that is what is most important to us,” says Lim.
She explains that as a creative hub, GMBB plays a few different roles.
At the most basic level, it functions as a space. With a thriving arts community being under one roof, it encourages interactions and collaborations to happen naturally.
The National Art Gallery (which is currently closed) is also utilising a few art cube spaces at GMBB for its Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Contemporaries) showcase, with immersive installation works on parade.
Smaller art galleries, art collectives and touring exhibits have made GMBB a busy “gallery building” too, while arts and craft markets, such as the PingMin series, have brought curious masses through the doors.
With more exhibitions, cafes, theatre, film and art retail in the plans, the long-term challenge ahead is to attract a regular crowd beyond the weekend visitors.
“GMBB as a brand looks for openness and accessibility, both towards the community and the public at large. We encourage the sharing of resources with those within our community, leveraging on each other’s expertise to #MakeMore together,” says Lim.
Experience the Borneo jungle
One of the long-term exhibitions running at GMBB is Borneo’s Tree Of Life, a stunning photography showcase of US-born photographer Chien C. Lee’s work in the rainforests of Borneo. These 30 images feature a wide range of rare and endemic flora and fauna, with interesting stories behind each photo, including their clever adaptations for survival.
“I would like to provide the viewer a glimpse into how wondrous and complex this ancient ecosystem is. Being a biologist-turned-photographer, I aim to inspire deeper understanding and respect for our natural world and I found that photography is an excellent means of conveying it.
“Images have the power to not only capture the viewers’ attention, but the story behind them can move people to take a more active role in conservation efforts. People need to understand, appreciate, then only will they be more responsible in preserving this beautiful mother nature of ours,” he says.
Lee worked in California as an environmental educator prior to moving to Sarawak in 1996, having gained an incurable fascination with Borneo’s rainforest. Engaged as a professional wildlife photographer since 2003, he now travels throughout South-East Asia to document the region’s astounding and endangered biodiversity via images.
As you navigate the darkened corridors of Borneo’s Tree Of Life, the sounds and smells of the rainforest will complement the experience, courtesy of a soundtrack recorded by Lee in the forest, and scents from GMBB’s community member and scent partner OLFAC3 Perfumes, an independent perfumery house founded in KL.
The exhibition runs until June 30 (11am to 6pm).
Storytelling hub
Also at GMBB is the Museum Of Picture Book Art, which is both a museum and a shop. The first of its kind in Malaysia, it aims to be the home of picture books and picture books illustrations from all over Malaysia.
With a name inspired by the Eric Carle Museum Of Picture Book Art in the United States, it showcases picture books – about 80% are from Malaysia and 20% abroad – and also serves as a research and educational centre for picture book creators and lovers.
“In general, a museum has two primary functions of preservation and education and/or interpretation of some aspect of culture. For Museum Of Picture Book Art, it is picture books. We have some out-of-print picture books in our collection, and some on loan, including Haji’s Book of Malayan Nursery Rhymes (by A.W. Hamilton, with its first edition published in 1939).
“We also collect original illustrations from picture books. In 2020, we held a small and fascinating exhibition to see how Malaysia picture books have evolved. We plan to have another exhibition this year, with workshops and talks on picture books,” says managing director Linda Tan Lingard.
In the coming months, the Museum Of Picture Book Art will hold an illustration exhibition and workshop by Leong Yoke Mee, better known as Ammi, and an art exhibition with artist/illustrator Emila Yusof and friends.
Lingard hopes that the Museum Of Picture Book Art will help nurture an appreciation and love of picture books and an understanding of its beauty and power to cultivate a love of reading and art in children and adults.
“I hope it will increase awareness of the richness and variety of picture books from Malaysia and their creators, an awareness of how we can tell (and celebrate) our own stories within our multi-cultural and diverse Malaysian society, and inspire writers and illustrators to find more ways to tell our stories,” she says.
Fans of visual artist/illustrator and picturebook maker Emila Yusof will be delighted to know that you can now get a glimpse into her world at Emilatopia, a place where she showcases and sells her artworks and literature.
Emila posts tutorials online to share her love for art and to help people develop their creative and artistic skills at home. Now at GMBB, she also runs art classes for budding artists and art enthusiasts.
“After two years staying indoors and not been able to go anywhere, setting up a gallery is very exciting. I now have a place to go to every day, a place where I can be creative, a world I called Emilatopia,” she says.
Building a community
Boutique songket atelier Tanoti opened its first retail outlet outside of Kuching, Sarawak here. A social enterprise focused on heritage craft preservation, women empowerment and rural community building, each indigenous craft item – from fashion, accessories, home and interior items such as rattan bags, rattan tablet and laptop cases, rattan floor mats, songket bookmarks and songket table runner set – is made by hand by weavers and designers in Sarawak.
Another craft in the spotlight is at Bujins Batik, which explores batik with a contemporary twist. It is founded by master craftsman Amir Harith Mat Kashim, better known as Bujin, who won the 2012 Piala Seri Endon award in the Fashion Category.
Like Bujins Batik, Fusion Wayang Kulit – now with its own gallery at the mall – also merges the old with new, in its effort to revive traditional shadow puppetry with contemporary culture using a digital and multimedia approach. Founded by Tintoy Chuo and Take Huat in 2012, Fusion Wayang Kulit works with Tok Dalang Pak Dain as their chief engineer.
Fusion Wayang Kulit’s Peperangan Bintang series, which draws inspiration from Star Wars, is one of their most popular and recognisable pieces.
“We will continue to apply our ‘fusion’ formula to our projects. There are still so many elements we have yet to explore but this will remain in our work. We are very happy to be in the GMBB family, this will be our base and we will grow by doing more shadow puppet related activities,” says Chuo.
At Gallery Gerimis, visitors will find a lively space dedicated to indigenous arts and culture, featuring works from Orang Asli artists and artisans, as well as stories from the Gerimis Art Project’s growing library and archives.
A series of pencil portraits from Leny Maknoh, an artist from the Temuan tribe, is currently on show at Gallery Gerimis.
Later this year, Five Arts Centre, a prominent Malaysian theatre collective, will also be adding performing arts to the mall’s tenant directory. A theatre space and arts research library will accompany Five Art Centre’s opening here.
In highlighting the important of the arts for the community, Lim notes that it is not just about entertainment or heritage – it is both and more.
“As a creative community mall, GMBB aspires to be a space that pushes for meaning-making to be a sustainable livelihood.
“To do that, we need to collaborate so that we can put out content that is not just relevant, but also resonates with the public, as with many of our exhibits, talks and workshops.
“We believe that the growth of Malaysia’s cultural and creative arts will embrace creativity in a sustainable enterprising manner that ensures both economic and societal benefits. And we see all this slowly coming together when we all do it together,” concludes Lim.
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