Creative feast for the senses

(From right) Assoc Prof Sarena chatting with Tetriana and Safia about Shamsu’s work titled ‘Perjalanan II’ that explores the journey of childhood represented by classic white school shoes.

ART lovers who enjoy delving deep into research, ideation and production processes behind artworks will find the OASIS 2022: Sensoria exhibition in Penang a truly immersive experience.

Held at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, it features 22 diverse works from paintings to sculptures, digital prints, video art, sound art, projection mapping and mixed media installations.

Of those, 20 were done by lecturers from the university’s School of The Arts, while the remaining two were from a Nigerian artist-in-residence and an Iranian art fellow.

School dean Associate Professor Dr Sarena Abdullah said OASIS was an acronym for “Of Arts and Science in Society”.

“Oftentimes, we’re so busy teaching that we neglect to create our own art. This gives us an opportunity to get back to what we love, show off our skills to students, and perhaps even allow them to critique us,” she added.

The exhibition was also one of the first in Penang with two women curators – Dr Tetriana Ahmed Fauzi and Dr Safia Najwa Suhaimi.

Rather than a typical white cube setup, the exhibition adopted an immersive and interactive curatorial approach that allowed visitors to experience, feel, listen and even co-create by adding their own touches.

“A fine art show can sometimes feel detached. So, we tried to make it less intimidating for people, regardless of their level of art appreciation,” Tetriana said.

Featured works revolved around topics such as health and well-being, nature, cultural preservation, sustaining heritage through technology, as well as symbolism and spirituality.

Her work entitled ‘The Constant Line Turnover at Home’ used drawings and paper cut-outs to explore the flow of lines and shifting shadows.

Safia’s ‘A Fluttering Moment’ was an installation that combined origami and illustration, shining a light on the endangered Idea lynceus butterfly, better known as the Malaysian giant tree nymph.

“Stand behind the perspex panel and have a friend shine a light on you to see an interplay of shadows on your body.

“The idea is that we sometimes get too excited by other things that we overlook what’s right in front of us,” she said.

Also notable is Hasnul J. Saidon’s “Senadi@Rumah Tok Cu”– a large mixed-media installation that celebratesd one’s connectivity to the natural surroundings.

Scan a QR code to see rain falling around the scene via augmented reality.

Kamal Sabran’s “Temporary Working Space IV” was filled with various analog devices that a viewer could play with to create their own sounds, while Shamsu Mohamad’s ‘Perjalanan II’ pondered the growth of a child with white school shoes.

Tree branches also enveloped the exhibition area to emphasise that everyone was connected at the source, even though they may branch out into different walks of life.

The show runs until April 15 and is open for viewing every Monday to Saturday, between 10am and 4pm. Visits are by appointment only.

Log on to https://form.jotform.com/212937527693063 to book a viewing slot.

Alternatively, follow MGTF USM on Facebook, or @mgtfusm on Instagram for latest updates on the exhibition.