CONCERT/FILM SCREENING: 'AMADEUS LIVE'
Venue: Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Jan 10, 8pm
It’s a celebration of Mozart at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS! The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) opens its 2026 season with Amadeus Live, a spellbinding blend of cinema and live performance.
Milos Forman’s 1984 multi-Academy Award-winning film Amadeus unfolds on the big screen, while the MPO performs Mozart’s most beloved works live, perfectly in sync with the movie’s drama.
Forman’s film, starring Tom Hulce, remains a cinematic masterpiece - lavish, witty, and darkly comic - offering a portrait of genius that is both human and extraordinary.
With the orchestra bringing the music to life in real time, film and symphony meet in a captivating dialogue, lifting every scene and every note. There is no finer way to honour Mozart’s 270th birthday than with this unforgettable experience.
Also, if you love lavish costumes, don't miss the legacy of the late Czech designer Theodor Pistek - who passed away last month. He brought style to Amadeus with his Academy Award-winning, historically inspired designs, capturing the elegance and drama of 18th-century Vienna.
More info here.
Flora's 'Sigappu Roja - Red Rose' (Giclee print on cotton rag, 2025). Photo: Handout
EXHIBITION: 'RUPA' PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW
Venue: ArtVoice Gallery, Jalan Kovil Hilir, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Jan 10-30
ArtVoice Gallery opens the year with Rupa, a group photography exhibition that elevates portraiture beyond mere documentation, revealing the complex layers of human identity. From carefully composed studio sessions to spontaneous candid shots, each portrait explores personality, mood, and essence, transforming images into narratives rich with meaning.
A highlight of Rupa is its inventive use of contemporary photographic techniques.
Artists including Eric Peris, KF Choy, Soraya Yusof Talismail, Puah Chin Kok, Flora, Lim Siang Jin, Stephen Menon, Mohd Azlan Mam, Jagan Ragunathan, and others push traditional boundaries, incorporating mixed media, digital enhancements, and painterly touches.
The result is a multi-dimensional collection where artistry and authentic likeness meet, inviting viewers to look past appearances and discover personal stories that resonate universally.
Film director U-Wei Hj Shaari will launch the exhibition tomorrow at 7pm. Free admission exhibition.
More info here.
Spend a peaceful Saturday at Taman Botani, Putrajaya, where Kelah Buku has lined up community activities for book lovers. Bring your own mat or cosy chair - and your current read. Photo: Kelah Buku
BOOK EVENT: 'KELAH BUKU'
Venue: Taman Botani, Putrajaya
Date: Jan 10
Trade screen time for serene time. This literary "picnic" invites you to slow down, unplug, and sink into a good book in a calm, green setting. Bring along your mats, foldable chairs and favourite reads, then settle in at the botanical gardens for a day that’s all about easing off and reconnecting with yourself.
With 21 carefully curated vendors - including familiar favourites like Bookcafe, Buku FIXI, Karangkraf, Hikayat Fandom, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, and Tulus Kata @ PENA - there’s also the joy of discovering a new book to read on the spot.
For those who want a little more interaction, the programme offers gentle ways to connect: quiet journaling sessions, a laid-back mat and colouring contest, thoughtful panel talks, and relaxed conversations with authors, all at your own pace.
Add coffee, snacks, and live performances to the mix, and it becomes an easy, restorative day out - especially for the overstimulated city dweller in need of a breather.
Free admission. Kelah Buku runs from 8.30am to 6.30pm tomorrow.
More info here.
Ninot will be presenting a talk titled 'Folklore Lives: The Soul, Story, and Spirit of Our People' at the Badan Warisan Heritage Centre in KL tomorrow morning. Photo: The Star/Filepic
HERITAGE TALK: 'FOLKLORE LIVES: THE SOUL, STORY, AND SPIRIT OF OUR PEOPLE'
Venue: Badan Warisan Heritage Centre, Jalab Stonor, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Jan 10, 10.30am
Badan Warisan Malaysia presents its first talk for this year, titled "Folklore Lives: The Soul, Story, and Spirit of Our People" by author Ninot Aziz.
In the talk, Ninot looks at the role of folklore as the living memory of a people, such as the Malays, the Kadazan, the Iban, and all indigenous voices of Malaysia, rich with cultural identity, ancestral wisdom, and values that shaped our land.
She explores why oral traditions must be honoured and safeguarded, not only as cultural artefacts, but as living legacies vital to Malaysia’s dignity, diversity, and future.
Admission is RM20 for non-members, and free for BWM members. Light refreshments will be served. Registration required.
More info here.
EXPERIMENTAL ARTS: SERIOUS PLAY IMPROV LAB (SPIL 095)
Venue: The Percussion Store, Dataran Cascades, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya
Date: Jan 10, 8pm
Serious Play Improv Lab (SPIL), the music series of the KLEX festival, opens the year with a striking line-up at The Percussion Store, headlined by Tomomi Adachi. The Japanese composer, sound poet, installation artist and occasional theatre director is known for his fearless, punk-spirited approach to performance, where voice, computer and homemade instruments collide. Through live improvisation, Adachi consistently stretches the boundaries of what music can be, turning sound into an unpredictable, visceral experience.
The live programme also includes New York–based artists and technologists Debora and Jason Bernagozzi, whose long-standing collaboration in video and sound explores ritual, transmission, and memory. They are also the founders of the non-profit organisation, Signal Culture.
Not to be missed, homegrown improvisers Burn Trio - Siew-Wai Kok (voice), Yii Kah Hoe (dizi, xiao, suling), and Yong Yandsen (tenor sax) - return to The Percussion Store, weaving tradition and experimentation into captivating, exploratory performances.
More info here.
Ruzaidi M. Nor's watercolour work titled 'Sekampit' (2025), which is part of the 'Siasah' exhibition. Photo: Galeri Ruang Teduh
EXHIBITION: 'SIASAH: NARATIF POLITIK DALAM CAT AIR'
Venue: Galeri Ruang Teduh, Menara Exchange 106, TRX, KL
Date: ends Jan 22
This group show, curated by artist-poet Abdullah Jones, brings together artists who use watercolour not just as an artistic medium, but as a tool to engage with politics.
There will be a "Santai-Siasah" session tomorrow (Jan 10), starting at 3pm, at Galeri Ruang Teduh, where visitors can meet the curator and several participating artists for a relaxed conversation on the watercolour medium and its wide, fascinating reach.
Often seen as light or decorative, here watercolour addresses weighty, everyday political questions.
Politics, the exhibition reminds us, is not only about politicians or elections – it exists in daily decisions, shaping how we think, choose, and act. Similarly, knowledge only gains meaning when internalised, otherwise, it changes nothing.
The exhibition features two groups of artists. One includes names like Juhari Said, Rafiee Ghani, Elly Nor Suria, Tajali Abdullah and others, who are not traditionally associated with watercolour, exploring it as a new language. The other group consists of established watercolour practitioners, including Zamri Ismail, Calvin Chua, Ruzaidi M. Nor, and Padil Osman, who expand the medium through techniques like batik.
The deliberate dialogue presents a platform where watercolour is pushed beyond comfort zones, serving as a critical, reflective lens on contemporary society.
Free admission exhibition.
More info here.
Issarezal Ismail's artwork 'Keluar Karung' (acrylic on canvas, 2025). Photo: Galeri Puteh
EXHIBITION: 'MONEYFESTO'
Venue: Galeri Puteh, KL Eco City, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Jan 17
Galeri Puteh’s group exhibition Moneyfesto brings together over 30 artists to explore money as power, value, contradiction and consequence. In doing so, the show – especially after the recent 1MDB verdict – offers a reflection on the state of the nation, revealing how art can mirror and question the world we live in.
"Moneyfesto examines how money builds, destroys, feeds, and steals – shaping personal ambition, social structures and moral choices. The exhibition brings together established and emerging voices in a timely reflection on value beyond price," reads the exhibition notes.
The inter-generational exhibition spans a variety of mediums – paintings, installations, sculptures, and mixed media – revealing a multilayered view of perspectives on wealth, influence and culture.
The exhibition features a strong line-up of established artists, including Jalaini Abu Hassan, Ahmad Fuad Osman, Amir Zainorin, Ahmad Shukri Mohamed, Tengku Sabri Ibrahim, Azrin Mohd, Mastura Abd Rahman, Masnoor Ramli Mahmud and Nizam Rahmat, presenting socially incisive works.
Adding further appeal is Kide Baharudin, whose presence brings star power to the show. Emerging voices also make a notable impact, particularly Lee Soon Hock, Ika Sharom, Al-Khuzairie Ali, Alisya Fahmi, and Amad Sarol.
Free admission exhibition.
More info here.
