ART KL, a new contemporary art platform dedicated to emerging artistic voices from South-East Asia, will make its debut at A Place Where (APW) in Jalan Riong, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, from Oct 15-18.
Set within APW, a former printing factory dating to the mid-1960s, ART KL will transform the repurposed space into a compact, immersive setting for pop-up galleries, installation works and contemporary art interventions. UOB is the event's main sponsor.
Art Anonymous, a Kuala Lumpur-based art consultancy, and APW (venue partner), in collaboration with Richard Koh Art Advisory, will organise the inaugural event, spotlighting artists born after 1990 and bringing together regional galleries and emerging practitioners to reflect the creative currents shaping a new generation.
“ART KL was created as a platform for the next generation of South-East Asian artists and for the communities that support them. We believe the strongest art ecosystems are built through connection, dialogue and collaboration," says Richard Koh, gallerist and founder of Richard Koh Art Advisory.
"By bringing together artists, galleries, collectors, and curators, ART KL aims to create new opportunities for discovery and exchange while strengthening the relationships that help contemporary art thrive in Kuala Lumpur and across the region," he adds.
ART KL will feature 10 galleries from across the region: Finale Art File (Philippines), Galeri Sasha (Malaysia), Intersections (Singapore), ISA Art Gallery (Indonesia), Supples (Thailand), V&V Gallery (Indonesia), Vin Gallery (Vietnam and China), Warin Lab Contemporary (Thailand), Wetterling Teo Gallery (Singapore) and Zhan Art Space (Malaysia).
The participating galleries represent a range of experience within the region’s contemporary art circuit, with some having participated in fairs such as ART SG, Art Jakarta, Art Central Hong Kong and Art Fair Philippines.
Through solo and duo presentations at the upcoming ART KL, the galleries will offer a cross-section of practices and perspectives shaping the South-East Asian art scene.
Alongside the gallery programme, ART KL will present site-specific installations by Malaysian artists Farhan Rizuwan, Lee Mok Yee, Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj, Neoh Shin Yen, Phillip Wong, Samantha Lee, Wong Perng Fey and Alexdrina Chong.
Developed in response to APW and its surroundings, the works move beyond conventional painting to create more immediate, spatial encounters with contemporary art. For this debut edition, the installation programme is dedicated to Malaysian artists, with future editions set to expand participation to artists from across South-East Asia.
The ART KL programme will also include educational initiatives, including talks and panel discussions, alongside a fundraising auction of works donated by artists and collectors.
All proceeds from the auction will go to The Lighthouse Children’s Welfare Home, a Kuala Lumpur-based non-profit providing shelter, care, education and support for underprivileged and orphaned children.
ART KL is a free admission event.
