A diverse group of artists, including Tep York (Malaysia), Jolene Liam (Singapore) and Kuro Neko (Ukraine), alongside Alex Face (Thailand), Cloakwork (Malaysia), and Isaac Cordal (Spain), are featured in Subculture, the latest exhibition by Penang-based print studio and gallery Cultprint.
On display until May 3, Subculture underscores Cultprint’s mission to demonstrate that contemporary art and pop culture can thrive outside the Klang Valley, reflecting on how artistic identities are shaped through lived networks, shared spaces, and independent cultural scenes.
Hosted at Cultprint’s heritage house gallery on Lebuh Melayu in George Town, the exhibition features more than 20 local and international artists working across painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and print.
It also marks the gallery’s first group exhibition in its newly upgraded space.
Gallery within a gallery
A highlight of the exhibition is a miniature gallery constructed inside a car, developed in collaboration with Swiss artist Laurin Guedel.
Built at approximately 1:10 scale, the installation functions as a “gallery within a gallery,” recreating the architectural elements of a contemporary exhibition space – complete with walls, lighting, and display systems – within a model-like environment.
Inside, visitors encounter a curated selection of prints and original artworks arranged as they would be in a full-scale gallery.
“I loved the idea when I first heard about it, but I couldn’t imagine the final version. The joy was seeing it come to life step by step. It fascinates the inner child in people, and that makes it a beautiful piece of art,” said Guedel.
Rather than walking through the exhibition space, viewers encounter the works by peering into the car itself.
This creates a slightly voyeuristic viewing experience, inviting audiences to observe the miniature exhibition from the outside while reconsidering the relationship between artwork, gallery space and audience.
Adding a playful layer of realism, 3D scans of gallery staff were printed, hand-painted, and placed within the miniature environment, with assistance from participating artists.
By translating artworks into miniature form, the project underscores print’s long-standing status as a highly collectable medium while reaffirming its continued artistic possibilities.
“This project was also about removing barriers,” said Sheena Liam, co-founder of Cultprint and an artist.
“Large installations can be prohibitively expensive for artists to realise. By shrinking the scale, we created a space where artists could still think monumentally, but produce work in a way that remains accessible and experimental,” she concluded.
