Changing Approaches: Installations Produced in the Malaysian Art World

Abstract

rtworks in the form of "installation art" have become a widespread artistic activity in the current art world. In the context of the Malaysian art, the term has been initially used to describe a few artworks produced during the period of the 1990s (despite being mostly categorised as mixed media). This paper examines the evolution of installation art in the Malaysian art scene and discusses several early works that can be proposed as the early impetus towards installation art in Malaysian artistic practices. Clear historical outlines and assertions on the evolution of installation art demand a different nature of investigation. However, this paper is only limited to examining three concurrent domains or significant turning points in order to give a more lucid insight into the evolution of installation art as an artistic practirtworks in the form of "installation art" have become a widespread artistic activity in the current art world. In the context of the Malaysian art, the term has been initially used to describe a few artworks produced during the period of the 1990s (despite being mostly categorised as mixed media). This paper examines the evolution of installation art in the Malaysian art scene and discusses several early works that can be proposed as the early impetus towards installation art in Malaysian artistic practices. Clear historical outlines and assertions on the evolution of installation art demand a different nature of investigation. However, this paper is only limited to examining three concurrent domains or significant turning points in order to give a more lucid insight into the evolution of installation art as an artistic practice in Malaysia. The three domains that this paper will elucidate are (1) the two-dimensional and three-dimensional engagements or contestations during the 1970s, (2) Young Contemporaries Award (YCA) as a platform for installation art engagements and subsequently, (3) emergence of site-specific installation art projects during the late 1990s. Keywords: Installation art, mixed media, Malaysian artce in Malaysia. The three domains that this paper will elucidate are (1) the two-dimensional and three-dimensional engagements or contestations during the 1970s, (2) Young Contemporaries Award (YCA) as a platform for installation art engagements and subsequently, (3) emergence of site-specific installation art projects during the late 1990s.