A trip to the neighbourhood “pasar malam” (night market) captures a familiar slice of Malaysian life – slow walks past rows of stalls, battered generators humming, buskers playing and the smells of street food in the air.
There is no fanfare. The pasar simply takes its place in the neighbourhood, each one with its own colourful character.
The bustle of the Pasar theme at new media festival Immersio transforms those familiar sights and sounds into art through projection mapping, motion sensors, installations, virtual reality and more.
Organised by digital outfit Filamen, the seventh edition of Immersio takes over Level 5 of the GMBB creative mall in KL, with more than 70 artworks by 15 artists and 10 collectives. It runs until Sept 27.
“We tend to underestimate how much culture is exchanged in markets, and how knowledge is passed down through generations. The Pasar theme allows us to revisit those memories, while encouraging audiences to engage with artists as they would at a market,” says Abdul Shakir, co-founder of Filamen.
Curated by contemporary artist Koh Kai Ting, the exhibition allows visitors to move from one interpretation to another, almost like walking through a pasar of visual cues, objects, sounds and unexpected discoveries from South-East Asia.
The contrast between advancing technology and the once-bustling social space makes Immersio’s Pasar a platform for reflecting on shifting trends.
“Across South-East Asia, we share similar experiences, but there are also interesting developments. Artists from Singapore, for instance, have spoken about losing that market feel through gentrification and a preference for minimalism. This has prompted them to imagine markets run by artificial intelligence. We are already seeing such changes, with DVD sellers now offering films on thumb drives,” says Shakir.
But some artworks are more pointed than others, reflecting local nuances.
Just by the escalator area, Ked.Pol (short for Kedai Politik), a Kelantan-based interdisciplinary art collective, has set up a makeshift kedai runcit installation. The stall pokes fun at Malaysian culture with parody merchandise such as fake movie DVDs, cassettes of devotional talks, children’s toys and even real lollipops bearing the words "Janji Manis".
“Although digital media is the main medium of the festival, we wanted to highlight the human creativity behind it. With Ked.Pol, we immediately recognise the motifs and design elements, but recreating that sense of nostalgia requires considerable research,” says Shakir.
Moving through the city
Pasar also extends beyond the main exhibition at GMBB, with Filamen-supported projects taking place across Kuala Lumpur this month. At Muzium Telekom, Filamen is working with new media students, giving them opportunities to exhibit their work through iNYALA, part of the Digital Technology Incubator programme supported by Yayasan TM.
Students from MMU, UNIMAS and The One Academy are part of this free admission programme, which runs through Sept 27.
Among the highlights are six “warungs” by students from The One Academy, each transformed into an interactive experience.
Visitors can mix rojak ingredients that become words inspired by the languages we speak, encounter trending flavours such as pistachio and matcha alongside traditional favourites, and discover the stories behind food icons such as the Ramly burger.
Already underway at Ombak KLCC and running through Oct 30, artist Eugene Foo brings his whimsical Saya Seekor Dinosaur universe to Immersio, imagining a Nusantara-inspired world where humans and dinosaurs live side by side. Younger visitors can create their own imaginary dinosaurs and watch them come to life through projection and digital technology.
For its final weekend, from Sept 25-27, Immersio heads to REXKL, bringing the experience closer to the marketplace (Chinatown) that inspired it.
The Pasar pop-up exhibition at REXKL brings together independent artists, illustrators, designers, makers and creative collectives, with original art, prints, zines, experimental objects and new media works.
The weekend also features artist sharing sessions and audiovisual performances. Digital artists Ichu and K3@N will present Pulang, a live audiovisual performance combining live music and real-time visuals at the RXP space in REXKL on Sept 26.
“There’s a lot of room for exploration in this year’s Immersio. The future could take us in many directions rather than simply continuing with a fun-fair-style new media exhibition. Many illustrators are interested in creating exhibitions like this, but may not have the space or know-how. That opens up possibilities for more collaborations,” says Shakir.
Established in 2017 in KL as a grassroots community of new media artists, Immersio has grown into a platform for South-East Asia’s digital and new media art scene, bringing emerging and established artists together to experiment, create and engage with audiences.
“I’ve visited several festivals of this kind. Thailand has Unfest and EdgeFest, which combine new and digital media but are more commercial, with large LED screens, TouchDesigner-based works and audiovisual performances, similar to last year's TEKKA fest at KLPac.
"Immersio remains a digital art exhibition with links to the visual and fine art scene. The experience of walking through an entire floor surrounded by artworks is distinctive, much like markets that also have carnival elements,” says Shakir.
The Immersio platform is approaching 10 years, dating back to the Urbanscapes era in 2017, with a pause during the pandemic. Moving forward, Shakir is considering holding the festival once every two years as he takes time to shape Filamen’s new direction.
For now, however, he remains absorbed in the bustle of the market and the stories it generates.
“When we say something looks ‘too pasar’, it is usually not a compliment. But what if the colours, handwritten signs, sounds and even the chaos are precisely what make it interesting? With Pasar, we want people to look again, because something you have walked past a hundred times can look different through someone else’s eyes,” he concludes.
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