Theatre: 'Bebenang'
Venue: Black Box, DPAC, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends Aug 16
As Merdeka season draws near, questions of identity, belonging and what it means to be Malaysian are taking centre stage. Bebenang, a verbatim theatre production built from real-life interviews, brings these questions to life through the voices and experiences of ordinary people. With only a few days left to catch the show, it has also been steadily gaining word-of-mouth attention.
Created through a devising process that transforms unscripted testimonies into performance, Bebenang captures the emotional depth of these personal stories, which you would often come across in everyday neighbourhoods, workplaces and communities.
The ensemble cast - with a multigenerational range - features Anitha Abdul Hamid, Amelia Tan, Ang Jeremy, Han Zalini, Nephi Shaine, Perassath, Sidhart Joe Dev, Sukania Venugopal and Yon Lynn.
Blending movement, music and ensemble storytelling, the production connects individual memories with the wider social and historical forces that have shaped Malaysia. In doing so, it invites audiences to reflect on their own experiences and place within the nation's evolving story.
Directed by Farah Rani, with production support from Karrenaishwarya Selvadorai, Leysha Al Yahya, and Sidhart Joe Dev, Bebenang runs until this Sunday.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: 'MIMPI JERNANG'
Venue: Rissim Contemporary, Bangsar, KL
Date: Aug 15-31
The Orang Asli community-inspired Mimpi Jernang project is headed to the Gwangju Biennale 2026 in South Korea next month, where it will be presented as part of the Stateless Mind Pavilion. Before it travels abroad, art enthusiasts in Kuala Lumpur will have an opportunity to experience the project closer to home.
It previews at Rissim Contemporary this Saturday, presenting a series surrounding the Semai community of Pos Jernang, Sungkai in Perak. The project explores dream interpretation as a form of guidance, shaping decisions, ethics, and relationships between people, the natural world, and the unseen.
Developed through field research and sustained engagement with Kampung Sat, Kampung Kejau, and Kampung Ras, the exhibition traces generational shifts in how dreams are understood, remembered, and transmitted.
Pos Jernang has a long history of struggle over customary land. Established in the 1940s and later incorporated into the Resettlement Scheme, the community has advocated since the 1970s for an end to logging on its customary territory. Questions of land, inheritance, and continuity remain central to the community’s experience.
The exhibition brings together video, sound, cyanotype, and installation alongside field recordings, interview transcripts, sketches and documentation.
The opening this Saturday evening features a live performance by Mrizalmustbedestroyed and the official release of the Mimpi Jernang soundtrack album.
Free admission. The exhibition is open on weekends only.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: G13 GALLERY - 16th ANNIVERSARY SHOW
Venue: G13 Gallery, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends Aug 29
One of the Klang Valley’s busiest and most active galleries, G13 Gallery marks its 16th anniversary this month with the G13 Gallery 16th Anniversary Show, bringing together more than 40 artists whose practices have shaped the gallery’s journey, alongside emerging voices reflecting the continued evolution of its artistic programme.
The exhibition presents a diverse selection of contemporary works and mediums, highlighting the creativity, perspectives and collaborations that have defined G13 Gallery over the past 16 years.
Participating artists - many with new works - include Chong Ai Lei, Datuk Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Fadilah Karim, Faizal Suhif, Fawwaz Sukri, Gan Sze Hooi, Gan Tee Sheng, Haziq Syawal, Hisyamuddin Abdullah, Hug Yin Wan, Juhari Said, Khairudin Zainudin, Najib Ahmad Bamadhaj, Nik M Shazmie, Nik Mohd Shahfiz, Noor Zahran, Prem Buachum, Rafiee Ghani, Shafiq Nordin, Syed Fakarddin, Tajuddin Ismail, Yuki Tham, Gabriel Eva, Greens, Johan Marjonid, Mubarak Jamil, Tiong Chai Heing and Yiji Lee Sou Ven.
The exhibition also pays tribute to the late Khoo Sui Hoe, (1939-2026) the pioneering Kedah-born painter who made the United States his home while maintaining a strong connection to Malaysia, with a special showcase of his works.
More info here.
THEATRE/MUSIC: WICKED MUSIC PEOPLE'S 'UNBOUND'
Venue: Pentas 2, KLPac
Date: Aug 15 and 16
Unbound, an ambitious new production by Wicked Music People at KLPac, offers a chance to see how Baroque music can become the thread connecting different forms of performance.
Bringing together the Kenny Shim Dance Collective and award-winning choir Ottophony, the production combines baroque music with contemporary dance, theatre and digital projections, exploring ideas of freedom and liberty.
Rather than presenting the music in a conventional concert setting, Unbound places it within a theatrical framework, showing how collaboration across disciplines can create new ways of experiencing familiar music.
On Saturday at 6pm at KLPac, audiences can also attend a free pre-show session to learn more about Unbound, the period instruments used in the production and the evening’s programme. Open to the public, the session offers an opportunity to gain a little more insight into the performance before the curtain goes up.
The shows themselves are selling out fast, so it is best to secure your tickets early.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: 'GARDEN SYMPHONY'
Venue: Tong Shin Terrace, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Aug 16
Curated by Gentle Cosmos, a four-woman collective comprising Isabelle Chia, Yee Hsean, Yi Hui and Yvonne Lee, Garden Symphony brings together 16 female artists, drawing on the curators’ diverse backgrounds in fine art, design, social sciences, photography and technology.
The artist line-up features Anju, Binti, Carabelle Cheong, Chan Yi Hui, Chau Xhien, Ilham Alshahab, Isabelle Chia, Fiajia, Siti Gunong, Thar Chandran, Thea Cheah, Vonnie B, Xinwei, Yap Jiaern, Yee Hsean and Yue Yue.
The show's final weekend programme on Saturday features a Stained Glass Painting Workshop by Ernie’s at 11am, followed by ALIM’s 2pm talk, Art as Work, Care as Solidarity. At 4.30pm, artists Carabelle Cheong, Thar Chandran and Xinwei will discuss their practices, inspirations and creative journeys.
Sunday’s programme begins with a Clock Painting Workshop by Willwin Yang at 11am, followed by an artist panel at 2pm featuring Anju, Binti and Ilham Alshahab, who will consider ephemera, physical media and the role of the artist today. At 5pm, Book Meadow, a travelling pop-up library drawn from the personal collections of artists, writers and creatives, will offer another point of engagement.
The exhibition concludes this Sunday with a projection-mapping show by Jia Jia Lee at 7.30pm. Admission to the gallery is free, while selected talks and workshops are ticketed.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: 'A LETTER'
Venue: Papan Haus, Section 14, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Date: ends Aug 16
One of the most heartwarming shows of the year, this community-sourced exhibition enters its final weekend with more than 100 letters dating from the 1950s to the present.
Curated by Papan Collective with Loci Seed and Brandfolks, it brings together a fascinating range of correspondence, from Qiaopi (overseas Chinese remittance letters) and teacher-student exchanges to personal letters, official correspondence and farewells.
Together, the letters offer a personal glimpse into how people stayed connected, shared news and recorded their lives across generations.
Carefully preserved over the years, these letters offer intimate glimpses into different eras through their stationery, envelopes, postage stamps, and, most importantly, the stories they tell.
Together, they trace the passage of time and the evolution of human connection.
Selected letters are accompanied by bilingual (Chinese-English) translations and audio recordings, accessible via on-site QR codes.
A suggested donation of RM25 applies to visitors aged 15 and above, inclusive of unlimited return visits throughout the exhibition and admission to all talks and workshops.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: 'THE POETRY OF LIGHT: A RETROSPECTIVE OF CHONG HON FATT'
Venue: Harmoni Soka Gallery, Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, KL
Date: ends Sept 20
Few Malaysian artists have painted the country's landscapes as memorably as Datuk Chong Hon Fatt.
Born in Penang, the veteran artist has spent more than six decades painting outdoors, capturing the changing light, colours and character of his home state and places across Malaysia. His impressionist works have earned him recognition at home and abroad.
Long before heritage conservation gained wider attention, Chong documented Penang’s streets, pre-war buildings, clan jetties, fishing villages and neighbourhoods – many of which have since disappeared or transformed. His paintings now serve as a valuable visual archive, preserving the city’s architecture, memories and character.
Now, Kuala Lumpur audiences have a rare chance to experience Chong's journey. The Poetry Of Light: A Retrospective Of Chong Hon Fatt at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM features 99 paintings created between 1959 and 2026.
The exhibition not only brings together some of his best-known works (including his China and Penang Second Bridge series), but also charts his growth as an artist, offering visitors a glimpse of how his style and vision have evolved over the decades.
Divided into three sections – "Walking Through the Alleys of Penang", "Witnessing the Second Penang Bridge" and "A Journey Through the World in Pursuit of Light" – the exhibition, curated by Vicky Ho, is an open welcome to rediscover familiar places and witness how light can transform ordinary moments into timeless works of art.
The Poetry Of Light is a free admission exhibition.
More info here.
