Malaysia
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Art & Places: The Wave, KL
I was looking for some information about Whale and Dolphins sculpture when Niza told me it might be Abdul Multhalib’s work. I went google-ing his name and came across Arcawam’s blog article about local sculptures in Malaysia where it features Abdul Multhalib. Thanks to the writer/sculptor, Rosli Zakaria, I managed to get information about who sculpted Whale and Dolphins.
So later, I became interested in finding more information about Abdul Multhalib and his works. From his website, I found out that some of his works are displayed here in KL and jotted down the list on my phone. Last weekend I made that effort (it’s not like I have to take cheap flights to get there, it was just a 20 minutes drive) with my son to go and find one of his outdoor sculptures named The Wave, situated at Wisma Selangor Dredging. But of course, this won’t be the only only as I’ll be making the hunt for his other sculptures when time permits.
Abdul Multhalib Musa is known for his ‘fluid metal sculptures’ which seem to have been effortlessly carved out of metal. He has been granted numerous international awards and residencies in recognition of the works that he has done. An architect by training, Abdul Muthalib chose to be a sculptor and artist because he loves art more and according to him, he would be doing art and art related stuff, even if he was working as an architect. Using his knowledge in architecture, he created a one-of-a-kind style in his work. This is to bridge the highly technical aspect in architectural work and abstract representation of form more commonly associated to art. Cutting metals for these sculptures may be needing equipment like this Squickmons CNC plasma cutter here.
Now let’s take a look at The Wave.
The Wave.
My son,Yassin, in front of The Wave.According to Abdul Multhalib, The Wave reflects the eminent presence of Selangor Dredging Berhad (SDB) over the years, creating a wave in the market that has been sustained since being established in the 1960s. The overall undulating element of the sculpture evokes a strong presence that is responsible in creating this continuous flowing motion. This is the intangible yet prominent force that the SDB exudes to its surrounding environment.
The mound at the base of the sculpture creates an illusion that the sculpture is rising from the earth. This relates thematically to the history of SDB, beginning as a company that is literally, down to earth. The earth and the mound acts as a firm foundation and rising from this is the artwork, a steel sculpture design that reflects a modern and contemporary style of living. This is in line with the current focus of SDB to promote a better quality lifestyle for the Malaysian public. The sculpture conveys a new direction towards strength and innovation as SDB seeks to build lifelong relationships by being caring and respectful towards their stakeholders, the people and the environment.”
The Wave was completed in 2006 and was made from mild steel tube. It stands at 2.2m high with 4.8m length x 5.5m width. This work gave rise to another similar work of his; ‘Swell‘.
If you are interested to see The Wave, do visit Wisma Selangor Dredging, just opposite Angkasa Raya building at Jalan Ampang, very near to KLCC.
Last but not least, I would like to extend my gratitude to Abdul Multhalib for taking the time to reply my e-mail regarding this particular work of his. Please do check out his works here: ((())) and Inchek Multhalib’s FB.
Reference:
http://www.multhalib.com
Abdul Multhalib himself (through e-mail conversation) -
PL365: Roam
There’a a magical tie to the land of our home, which the heart cannot break, though the footsteps may roam. ~Eliza Cook
Location: Kuala Selangor Nature Park, Selangor, Malaysia. -
Art & Places: Whale and Dolphins Sculpture, KLCC Park
This Whale and Dolphins have always been intriguing to me. My son loves them and I bet other kids love them too!
My son (right) and his cousin Idham admiring Whale and Dolphins.
Whale up-close.
Dolphins.Whale and Dolphins were created by Australian sculptor, John Underwood in 1997. This multi-layered sculpture consists of a 6 meter high whale and two 2.5 metre dolphins. The concept reminds me of three dimensional topography charts.
One might be wondering why whale and dolphins? As a mother to a kid whose fascination with these animals is humongous, I think I know why Underwood built these animals here. Whale and dolphin can only be found in certain part of the world but certainly not in Malaysia. He is bringing these animals to the local kids in the form of art. This is to let kids appreciate both the animal and art. This sculpture will spark questions of where the animals came from, the taxonomy, the ecology, the evolution, anything there is to know about them. It is our duty to educate our kids about these animals and maybe someday we can take our kids to see the real ones around the world.
Bring your kids here to enjoy the shallow swimming pool while admiring great public art. Location: KLCC Park near Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur. View map.
Some reference are from: Arcawam
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Autoshow @ Putrajaya
The only time I saw fancy colorful cars, like those which may have also utilized shop paint supplies for your car, was when I watched The Cars movie. Remember when the truck was sleepy and McQueen was sleeping safe and sound inside, there was a group of cars with loud music and fire coming out from the exhaust?
Well, I saw real ones today. My family and I was attending a wedding at Perbadanan Putrajaya hall when we saw an autoshow at Precint 3 Boulevard. We stopped by as my son wants to see the cars up-close. He was very excited!
Here are some of the pictures I captured during the autoshow.
Yassin and his dad with their favourite Bumblebee.
Whoaaa… fire-spitting exhaust!
Hellooooo Kitty!
This shows how the owner loves Hello Kitty so much.
Bambush.
Chun Li.More on my Instagram or sidebar mini gallery later!
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7 parks and gardens to visit with kids in KL
Parks and gardens can be magical places for kids. They offer kids the chance to be close to nature, to smell the fresh air, to enjoy the beautiful colors and best of all to just be themselves; run, jump and run some more! I have some favourite parks and gardens in Kuala Lumpur (KL) that I have visited and below is a list of 7 parks and gardens that I like you to visit with your kids. A trip to the parks and gardens can open up a whole new world of nature appreciation.
Perdana Botanical Gardens.
Perdana Botanical Gardens | Perdana Botanical Gardens has always been my top favourite spot with family. Sits on a sprawling 101 hectares of land right in the heart of the city, the 133 year-old park gives visitors the ambiance of being in a tropical rainforest. It has been the most popular public recreational park in Kuala Lumpur.
Take your kids here and learn the name of plants, trees and flowers with them. Walk (or ride on bicycle) on the trail with them and get that sweat out. Look up and see different kind of birds. Enjoy the train ride around the gardens with them. Let them be themselves at the playground. Visit the waterfall and get to see fish and insects. The activities and things to see here are endless. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 8pm. View map.
KLCC Park.
KLCC Park | The beautiful park is inspired by the talented Brazilian master of gardens, the late Roberto Burle Marx. Spread over 50-acres, here you can find combination of trees, shrubs, structures of cement, stones and wood as well as various water features not to mention elements of shapes. About 1900 indigenous trees and 66 species of palms have been planted at the park to encourage bio-diversity. Part of the park is also designed as haven for birds and other local faunas.
The main attraction for kids here are the playgrounds and children’s pool area. There are also public amenities such as shelters, benches, rest areas, drinking fountains, public toilets as well as 1.3 km jogging track encircling the park. The children’s playground opens everyday from 7am to 10pm and as for the children’s pool, it opens from 10am – 7.30pm during weekdays and 10am – 9.30pm during weekend and public holiday. It closes for maintenance on Monday. Please take note that only kids below 12 are allowed to use the play structures. Eating, drinking and smoking are also not allowed here else the guards will blow off their whistle. If your playground lacks clearly defined play areas, children may struggle to understand where they should engage in specific activities like hopscotch, basketball, or four square. Consider having playground markings from https://www.playgroundmarkings.org.uk/ painted.
KL Forest Eco Park.
KL Forest Eco Park | KL Forest Eco Park is one of the oldest permanent forest reserve in the country. It covers an area of approximately 11 hectares and is the only remaining tropical rainforest in the heart of the city of Kuala Lumpur. It was gazetted in 1906 and was formerly known as Bucket Weld Forest Reserve. In 1934, it was gazetted as a Wildlife Reserve and Bird Sanctuary. In 1950, a pristine section of about 5 hectares was gazetted as a Virgin Jungle Reserve.
KL Forest Eco Park functions as a Green Lung as well as a recreational area for city dwellers. Here you and your kids can see and learn names of the rich variety of flora that flourishes within the forest includes rare herbs, creepers, ferns, climbers and giant bamboo grasses. Visiting hours: 7.00am to 6.00pm daily including weekends and public holidays. View map.
Titiwangsa Park | Titiwangsa Park is a recreational park for family with a large lake as its main attraction. This 95 hectares park offers aquatic activities like boating and canoeing, two playgrounds areas for children, a remote control car track, horseback riding, football field, badminton court, tennis court, squash court, jogging tracks, cycling area, pavilion, food stalls, a stadium and golf-course. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 10pm. View map.
Butterfly Park.
Butterfly Park | Butterfly Park is the largest butterfly garden in the world spanning over 80,000 sq ft of landscaped garden with over 5,000 live butterflies, exotic plants, butterfly-host plants and ferns. Contributing to Butterfly Park’s beautiful landscape is a uniquely designed hydro-pond built with a limestone path right in the centre. Other attractions here are Japanese koi fish, fresh water turtles, live insects and an insect museum where you and your kids can learn names of insect and butterfly species. There is also a nursery and breeding area for the butterflies as well as a souvenir shop near the exit selling local handicrafts, fridge magnets, t-shirts, caps, bags, framed butterflies and many more. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 10pm. View map.
Permaisuri Lake Garden.
Permaisuri Lake Garden | Taman Tasik Permaisuri is a recreational park that boasts a synthetic jogging track, reflexology walking path, topiary gardens, floral arch trellises, children’s playground, gazebos,man-made island, a variety of jogging routes, ornamental fountains, a 7-tiered flower terrace, a tropical flowers garden and a herb garden.
Nestled between the concrete jungle of Kuala Lumpur City Center and the many highways that serve this area, this park has a large catchment of residents staying around Cheras, Ampang, Bukit Jalil and adjacent neighborhoods. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 8pm. View map.
Science Wonderland | Located at National Science Center at Bukit Kiara, Science Wonderland is an educational park that encompasses all aspects of science, technology, innovation and nature. The wonderland consists of Focal Point, Activity Arena, Waterplaza, Interactive Zone, Subterranean Journey, Garden of Nature, Pocket Garden, Herb Garden, Aquatic Life and Pre-Historic Garden. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 9am to 5pm. View map.
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Art & Places: Dataran Merdeka Fountain, KL
If you are visiting Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square) in Kuala Lumpur, do take the time to look for the fountain situated near the flag-pole here. And also, please look at the very interesting details of the fountain.
Also known as Queen Victoria Fountain, this fountain was imported from England and assembled in 1897. The fountain was originally erected at Market Square, but was moved to Dataran Merdeka (previously known as Parade Ground) upon objection from the police as it obstructed the traffic flow. This fountain was erected as a tribute to the Queen.
The base of the fountain is a basin and from the centre, an octagon-shaped marble stones rise to support five tiers of basins and above them, a pinnacle where the water comes out. The basins are decorated with floral and shell reliefs.
The art nouveau fountain features Heraldic creatures of lions and dragons that I supposed to represent the Victorian empire. Nevertheless, the iconic beasts have been characterized as having the intelligence, loyalty, honesty, and strength necessary to guard what is valued.
The combination colors of green, blue and brown represents the colors of nature; tree, sky and earth.
Location: Jalan Raja, 50150 Kuala Lumpur.
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Art & Places: Barong-Barong, KL
Kuala Lumpur has quite many public arts and I will try to cover as many as I can. This is another interesting looking piece of art that I want to highlight this week.
Barong-Barong is located at ASEAN Garden, in the vicinity of Tugu Negara, Perdana Botanical Gardens, KL. Barong-Barong is a modern interpretation of old type architecture existing in the whole of ASEAN region. The artist, Jerusalino V. Araos from Philippines made Barong-Barong from stainless steel and glass in 1987. According to Jerusalino, the structure is a combination of 1,024 joints. It is like a big Lego set that can be taken apart.
Barong-barong, in general, is a shanty housing constructed from materials that can be salvaged around an area and is built with a degree of speed. Houses being built or rebuilt (after a fire, flood, or other calamities) are also referred to as barong-barongs. In most urban poor areas, particularly those often visited by demolition crews, barong-barongs are the practical housing units; light, recyclable, and easy to build.
Jerusalino died of heart attack December last year at the age of 68.