Pillars of Sabah to showcase 'Wonders of Wilderness' ocean art

An Oceanic theme will be on display at the Pillars of Sabah in Kota Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: Local artists are hoping to bring creative arts to new levels with the Wonders of Wilderness (WOW1.0) Ocean project set to be launched on Sunday (Jan 16) at the Pillars of Sabah here.

Project lead artist Japson Wong said that this is the first and biggest 2D and 3D community and digital art installation in the country done through the collaboration with the state Technology and Innovation (STI) Ministry.

On the exhibition at the "Pillars of Sabah", itself the ruins of a burned-down colonial-era building, Wong said that the art does not only feature paintings but also life-sized displays of marine animals and the underwater environment as well as digital art.

“(This exhibition) covers the history of the ruins and arts that were done there before, and the latest of WOW 1.0," said Wong.

“WOW does not only involve paintings but also 3D sculptures and digital art all over the site, which is different from previous Pillars of Sabah that focused mainly on paintings on the walls and pillars," he added.

STI minister Datuk Yakub Khan will be launching the RM95,000 exhibition, which will be on display for a year until Jan 15 next year.

Wong also said that the group of artists involved in WOW are hoping to collaborate more on similar projects that combine creative art and science education with the STI Ministry and Sabah Creative Economy and Innovation Centre (Scenic).

Wong added in a statement on Saturday (Jan 15) that the project also involves community art and educational outreach efforts.

Lead artists Wong and Rosmaini Sunarjo as well as supporting artists Penny Chong, Azlan Dulikab, Cannie Tan, Lim Sheng Haw, Oliver Kah, and Yahz have worked on the project since April last year.

Meanwhile, Sabah Art Gallery director Sara Ahmad said that after looking back on how Covid-19 has challenged people’s lives, art should move forward with technology and innovation.

“At the Sabah Art Gallery, we believe that great works of art should benefit the public. We will continue to support our local talents by inviting everyone to discover and experience art, creativity and shared humanity through the WOW Project.”