Beyond roses, sprinkle some art and culture into your Valentine’s Day in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Reuters
V-Day is here! Have you already set plans with your Valentine, or are you flying solo and looking for something fun – whether on your own or with friends?
If you’re on the lookout for ideas on what to do, we’ve got a list of arts and culture activities happening throughout the weekend that will set your heart a-flutter.
Pangrok Sulap’s 'Sabah Tanah Air-Ku' series is on display at 'Nusa', the National Art Gallery’s exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. Showcasing the national collection, 'Nusa' offers a unique and arty way to spend Valentine’s Day. Photo: The Star/Faihan Ghani
Try a bit of Malaysian art
A date at an art gallery feels straight out of a movie – wandering through exhibit rooms, exchanging thoughts on brushstrokes and meaning, all while the quiet ambiance sets the perfect mood.
Believe it or not, the National Art Gallery (NAG) in Kuala Lumpur could be the perfect Valentine’s Day outing – artsy, intimate, and best of all, free.
NAG's current Nusa exhibition – spanning five galleries with over 460 artworks from the national collection – is well worth a date. Closing later this year, the 2022 show is a chance to see William Samwell’s River Pergau State Of Kelantan (19th century), Chung Chen Sun’s heritage-listed Kampung Nelayan, and classic works by Latiff Mohidin, Syed Ahmad Jamal, Redza Piyadasa, and Chuah Thean Teng, plus Ahmad Fuad Osman’s Enrique de Malacca Memorial Project (2016).
Also, don’t miss Marcos Kueh’s Kenyalang Circus, a vibrant – and cheekily irreverent – series of fluorescent textile works created with industrial weaving machines, featured in NAG’s spotlight series. As a bonus, the Sejiwa Titiwangsa Cafe at NAG is also a great spot to grab a coffee and a meal.
For more art outings in KL this romantic weekend, Ilham Gallery’s Boom Boom Bang dives into 1990s rebellion, play, parody and counterculture in KL, while Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery's Jiwa Membumi captures Malaysia’s rural landscapes through art and photography. Both exhibitions offer free admission, wonderful gallery spaces, and a convenient cafe nearby.
This Valentine's Day, you can get a traditional silverprint photograph, hand-printed in black & white, ready instantly at Kanta Studio. Photo: Kanta Studio
Old school portrait session
Immortalise your love in a classic portrait photo – the newly-opened Kanta Studio at GMBB creative community mall in Kuala Lumpur is offering a Valentine's Day special on Feb 14 from 11am to 7pm.
Using traditional silverprint photography, each instant portrait session results in a black and white hand-printed photo that's mounted on a card frame in a colour of your choosing.
Pre-booking is highly recommended, as it's for one day only!
'Tiang Seri', an audio-light installation by Iwaz, opens at Timba Studio KL, Bangsar on Feb 14. Photo: Harum Kasturi Studio/Nicholas Augustin
Light and sound
Want to show someone they brighten your world? Take them to a light show!
Tiang Seri, an audio-light installation by Iwaz, opens on Feb 14 at Timba Studio KL in Bangsar. It will run until Feb 23, offering visitors a glimpse of how contemporary and traditional lines can be blurred.
Named after the "tiang seri", or the main pillar found in the sitting room of traditional Malay homes, the installation is where light and sound come together to reflect heritage and modern creativity. This project is a collaboration between Harum Kasturi Studio, Timba Studio KL and Better Days KL.
Let the music play
Let nostalgia take over at Yesterday Once More: Love Is All You Need at KLPac’s Pentas 2, running until Feb 16. This Valentine’s edition of the Golden Oldies series brings timeless love songs from the 1940s–60s, celebrating legends like The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, and Nat King Cole. Directed by Ian Chow, with Jacqueline Teng as musical director, the show features familiar and fresh faces from KLPac’s stage.
Need a dress-up night? The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) presents Essential Love Stories, featuring romantic film scores at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, KLCC on Feb 15 (8pm). The show, conducted by Gerard Salonga, features classic movie scores from Pride And Prejudice, In The Mood For Love, Romeo And Juliet, Emma, Tales Of Hoffmann, The Gadfly, and Cinderella – pieces that stir romance and perhaps spark new memories.
Catch a foreign movie
Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) – a bold, flavourful choice for a Japanese food date. Spicy, umami-rich, and perfect for sharing!
But maybe you and your date would enjoy diving deeper into the story behind this delicacy. Thanks to the Weekend Japanese Film Show series, presented by The Japan Foundation, KL, you can catch the movie Mentai-piriri at GSC Mid Valley, KL, on Feb 15, with screenings at 10.30am and 1pm. This biographical drama, directed by Eguchi Kan, tells the story of a businessman who played a pivotal role in popularising mentaiko in Japan.
Set in the 1950s, the story follows Toshiyuki (Hakata Hanamaru) and his wife Chiyoko (Tomita Yasuko), who run a small grocery store. Born in Busan, South Korea, before World War II, Toshiyuki is inspired by his memories of myeongnan-jeot to create mentaiko. He dedicates himself to refining the flavour day after day. Free admission – just register here!
Nadir, led by Ashwin Gobinath, will be appearing at the musical cabaret show 'Kaadhal Tholvigal' (The Failed Romances) at BoboKL from Feb 17-19. Photo: Nadir/Facebook
Add a side of cabaret
Stretch out the Valentine’s season with Kaadhal Tholvigal (The Failed Romances) a bold hybrid cabaret that playfully dismantles love, romance, and cultural ideals through humour, music, and Tamil cinema flair.
The musical - an intimate preview series - is showing at BoboKL in Bangsar from Feb 17-19. But hurry, tickets are going fast!
Featuring acclaimed music director Ashwin Gobinath, the fusion ensemble Nadir, and award-winning theatremakers TerryandTheCuz, this autobiographical theatrical romp - in English and Tamil language - is the perfect antidote to Valentine’s clichés.
A view of the 'Le Petit Prince: The Immersive Journey' exhibition in KL, which includes interactive displays. Photo: Handout
A beloved book comes to life
If you’re a fan of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s touching tale The Little Prince, then you definitely won’t want to miss out on the Le Petit Prince: The Immersive Journey exhibition.
At this delightful show, running at Fahrenheit88 in Kuala Lumpur, you can explore the novella’s magical world as it's brought to life in landscapes of barren deserts and star-filled skies.
"Meet" iconic characters and relive your favourite moments from the story through interactive installations and Insta-worthy displays. Even if you haven’t read the book yet, you’ll undoubtedly be enchanted by its profound lessons on love, loss and human connections.
