Arts

YOURS TO CHOOSE – it’s in your heart

This year’s exhibition deals with personal definitions of paradise and explores our roles in creating or destroying these ideal places. Malaysian reefs and rainforests resemble descriptions of paradise on earth and yet we continue to destroy them at an astonishing rate. How do concepts of paradise guide our actions? Can they lift us outside our immediate concerns? Can we save our paradise?

Art for Nature will be open to the public from
September 25th – October 10th 2004
at Rimbun Dahan, 10am – 6pm

The word paradise conjures up a range of image. We tend to think of paradise as a place; beautiful, idyllic and free of suffering. Often tropical beaches and rainforests are described as paradise on earth. Pleasure may or may not be included but paradise always includes settings of natural wonder.

Paradise also carries a strong spiritual association. The Garden of Eden that man inhibited before the realization of Original Sin is often described as being like paradise. Heaven is also described as Paradise.

Islam, Christianity and some forms of Mahayana Buddhism incorporate concepts of paradise as reward for man’s good works on earth. In this way, paradise exists on an alternative/higher level of reality and is reachable through man’s choices. This dimension of will and effort is an important consideration. Paradise is both a spiritual goal and a personal goal. We strive to use action to reach an invisible ideal.

Yet the concept of paradise is not defined by religion but holds a universal appeal. Most powerfully, the concept of paradise is a metaphor for a state of being, free form guilt, suffering and pain. Unlike ecstasy or bliss, paradise does not carry the associations of enjoying pleasure but rather is a happy state that we can attain and earn.

Some dimensions explored by the contributing artists include personal definitions or paradise, spiritual or secular; paradise as an environ or paradise as an absolute state of being; is paradise a cultural or personally defined state or place?; does it exist physically or mentally? Note that one can be in paradise and not recognise it until it is destroyed or withdrawn.

This year’s theme takes its inspiration from the epic poem by John Milton, Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained. For those who may be interested in Milton’s Paradise Lost, the poem provides rich imagery. It was written just after the time of Shakespeare and finished in 1667. The book is a way into the theme and does not have to be involved in your deliberations.

In Paradise Lost, Satan leads a rebellion against God and is thrown out of Heaven with all the heavenly beings who sided with him. To decide on their course of action, he opens the debate to all his followers to decide what to do next. They decide on exploring the new world of man. Earth is the only dimension that has a gate to heaven and so is the only way possible to approach heaven. Prophecy states that God will create a new world: Earth. Chief amongst his world is man.

God gave man the gift of free will, the choices of good or evil are up to him. The rebellious angels decide to tempt man instead of attacking heaven directly. Created as the first man and woman, Adam and Eve live in blissful ignorance in the Garden of Eden. God’s only requirement is that they do not eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life.

The poem continues to describe Satan’s successful persuasion of Eve to taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. After Eve and then Adam eat of the fruit, they are cast out of Eden and doomed to make their way with life on earth.

— Laura Fan, curator

curator

Laura Fan

contributing artists

This year’s exhibition involves the concept of playing games. In different contexts, play can have positive and negative meanings and outcomes. Playing builds friendships, tests physical and mental skills and develops the ability to concentrate. The danger arises when people play at policy or relationships without considering how it affects others. Policy makers play with the environment, threatening the ecosystem; and in relationships, people play with their lovers or people around them to gratify their ego. In any case the games people play affect all of us.

Playing games is an activity that occupies our lives from childhood and beyond. In youth, playing builds friendships, tests physical and mental skills and develops concentration.

Yet, as adults, games take on a more complex nature. In every language, play as a word has both positive and negative meanings. When a person tries to cover up a hurtful comment they might say main main sahaja or jyou shr kai wan siau, both meaning I’m just joking. Romance also uses the language of games with main mata or the angry accusation that someone is just playing with you and not taking the relationship seriously.

Games on their own are neutral. They require an agreed upon set of rules, clear objectives and a willingness to suspend disbelief. We have to step out of our lives for a game to be fully played. Sometimes the game becomes confused with life or becomes so attractive that we find ways to make it a crucial part of our lives.

The danger arises when others play at policy or relationships without considering how it affects the fabric of life. Policy makers may play with the environment, imposing grandiose structure that will destroy endangered species or threaten fragile ecosystems. Rather than considering the impact of their actions, the fleeting goals of pride and greed are fed in the game of power accumulation.

In relationships, people play at love to gratify their ego or provide distraction from pressing issues at home. Romance serves as an escape from reality, the reality of ageing, emotional complexity or financial concerns.

Play can also be a very positive activity. As a means to build up the skills to make changes in life, playing with something or as someone else may help to give one the confidence to make necessary changes. Additionally, play is a crucial ingredient for creativity. Artists, designers and architects use the freeing power of play to learn what happy accidents can reveal. Without play, creativity is impossible.

— Laura Fan, curator

Contributing Artists

• Laura Fan (Curator)
• Abdul Multhalib Musa
• Ahmad Shukri Mohamed
• Ahmad Zakii Anwar
• Anne Morrison
• Bayu Utomo Radjikin
• Bibi Chew
• Chang Yoong Chia
• Chong Siew Ying
• Choy Chun Wei
• Chuah Chong Yong
• Eric Chan
• Ilse Noor
• Jalaini Abu Hassan
• Jasmine Kok
• Noor Mahnun Mohamed
• Ramlan Abdullah
• Sharmiza Abu Hassan
• Shooshie Sulaiman
• Sidney Tan
• Terry Law
• the clickproject
• Troy Ruffels
• Umibaizurah Mahir
• Yau Bee Ling
• Yee I-Lann
• Yusof Majid
• Wong Perng Fey
• Nur Hanim bt Mohamed Khairuddin