To celebrate our first anniversary A+ Works of Art is proud to present:
DO NOT GO INTO THE MIST
DO NOT GO BACK TO THE DARK
DO NOT STAND STILL
A GROUP SHOW
Organised and conceived by Chong Kim Chiew (b. 1975, Malaysia), DO NOT GO … is the artist’s
first solo exhibition with A+ Works of Art. Occupying the entirety of the gallery, the show displays
Chong’s most recent body of work, including sculptures, photography, new media and immersive
environments.
As a term, “Southeast Asia” can sometimes muddy more than clarify. The region encompasses a
great diversity of countries, cultures and communities, and what often results is an idea of
“Southeast Asia”, rather than what it actually is; it is difficult to represent the complex kaleidoscope
of people, traditions, adaptations and expressions. And yet Malaysian art is susceptible to the
stereotypes of Southeast Asian art — evocations of batik, or images of daily rural life, or cityscapes
of bustling streets in the capital city.
As more and more international curators cast their attention on the region, presenting its culture
within the framework of “Southeast Asia”, Chong questions the validity and authenticity of such
projects, but also sincerely wonders whether we can indeed gain insight from outsider perceptions.
Chong has gone on to mirror this trend of internationally-curated regional shows, but on a local level,
creating a show about Malaysian art produced by outsiders.
He uses the exhibition structure itself to further explore what it means to be Malaysian,and through
the lens of the “outsider”. Chong does this by adopting the role of the creator, conjuring a number of
personas: Doppelgänger Labor, Alon Vedasto Cruz, Kim, Emran Aziz, Liam Smith, Paithoon Kuedbut
and Zaskia Roesli. These figures all represent different aspects of Kim Chiew. Each with their own
identities and each with their own experiences and perceptions of Malaysia and Southeast Asia, and
their own narratives and bodies of work.
The exhibition, with its multiplicity of artists, artworks and overarching themes are part of a larger
dialogue anchored in questions such as: how can the perception of an outsider help to inform our
own perception of who we are? Does making artwork about Malaysia as a Malaysian determine our
identity? Would it be valid or acceptable for someone foreign to create art that informs us of our own
culture?
In conjunction with the exhibition, a publication will be launched, including an essay by Anca Rujoiu,
In conjunction with the exhibition, a publication will be launched, including an essay by Anca Rujoiu,
an independent curator and editor based in Singapore. Previously a curator at NTU Centre for
Contemporary Art Singapore, Rujoiu was part of the Centre’s founding team and contributed to its
first exhibitions and publications.
CHONG KIM CHIEW
Chong Kim Chiew (b. 1975, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; lives and works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) is
an artist and curator who works across different mediums, methods and paradigms. He believes the
most critical factor in contemporary art is “attitude”. His installation work comments on the social
and political environments of its variousexhibition sites. Chong regards materials as being non-static
but constantly fluctuating, expanding outwards and prone to misreading. In Kuala Lumpur, he has
staged solo exhibitions at Wei-Ling Contemporary (2015) and at RAP Art Space (2005). And
hiscuratorial projects have been presented at various art spaces, including: Sekolah Menengah
Stella Maris (2008), 153 Gallery (2006), and RAP Art SPace (2004, 2003). Chong has a BFA, majoring
in Oil Painting, from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art,China (2000).
Event Dates
Venue
Website
For Enquiries
