Georgetown Festival 2024 - Close To You: Hiss and Arf

 

So to show my support to the festival, I actually spend my own money purchasing some tickets to some of the event. Ok, actually I only purchased one ticket for "Close To You", and value for money as it was, it was for two shows, each around 30mins, and with a 10min tour of Georgetown thrown in. This was because the two shows were being held at two different location, and it was a 10mins walk from each other. I thought that was such a cool concept! Plus for a Friday working afternoon, the tickets were not yet sold out! So I bough one for myself just a day prior! And the first show was a puppet show title Hiss and Arf.

The show was being held at Han Jiang Ancestral Temple. Again, how cool is that!

I've walked pass this temple many times before, but I think this was the first time I actually walked in!

I went early, as I usually do. So that I can explore the place. Since it was also free seating, I wanted to make sure I get good seats!

I love these old places. With it's elaborated doors looking out into the busy streets of Georgetown, and the beautiful shiny tiles and concrete floors. The moment you step inside, it's like you left the noisy world outside it's door steps. The temperature instantly cools down, and there is just a certain calm inside.

Here is another view of the beautiful doors.

An old care taker sits there looking out into the world. Some of my fellow volunteer was already there and having their lunch before their shift starts. We were always given a packet of rice before each shift. The food was always super dry. Since it was still early, it was very peaceful inside.

I took the chance to wander around to take photos. 

Capturing the beautiful features of the temple.

The ancestral hall was beautifully renovated. Many of the temple took covid as a period to repaint and repair their venue. So now when covid was over, a lot of the temple and ancestral hall actually looked pretty new!

Everything just shine! I love the colour of the dark brown wood, contrasting with the shinny gold and red colour.

Here is an artistic shot of the alter. 

around 15minutes before the show begin, we were lead into a separate room in one of the halls. And there in the middle of the hall, was a tiny solo stage for the puppets! How unique!

The puppeteer and his two puppets. The show was rather unique as well, with some traditional and some modern concepts incorporated into it. No language was used, just sounds or Arf and Meows, lol. Very interesting performance. Very interesting stage as well. It wasn't just one stage, but multi level of stage in that one simple stand. If anything, GTF2024 showed me that the world of art is unique, limitless, abstract, and strange. You have to have an open mind to be able to enjoy everything.

Georgetown Festival 2024 - Day Off Gallery Visit (The Courtyard)

The next area I wandered into was a place called "The Courtyard". I have walked through the area before, I just didn't know then what it was called. And here, the exhibit got even more weirder. The first one I wandered into was just a room, and it was titled Material Quality Aggregation. 

Just one room. And this was it. I don't even know what I was expecting really. It was just jumble of stuff put together and displayed here like paintings, 3D effect and all.

But to this madness of stuff, there was some harmony to it. For example, I did kinda like the center piece displayed here. It doesn't really show anything, yet it reminded me of abstract chinese calligraphy. There was just some kind of flow to it. Plus, I like the dull colour of the piece. 

In to another hall further down, and there was a weird exhibit title "Living Machine".

Again, it was just one hall, and it was dark, with some lights illuminating it. I wasn't even sure if we were allowed to walk right in. But I saw some people coming out of it, so I too ventured inside this weird display. Is this art?

I mean, just look at this? Perhaps the photo doesn't really do it any justice.

Here are some videos of the display instead! Let me know what you think.

I mean, seriously, what is the artist trying to show here??? Lol.

I have allocated half a day to explore the galleries that I was interested in, but I also found some other exhibit along the way that interest me. Like this photography exhibit of Penang. I wanted to check it out, but I actually ran out of time since I've bought tickets for two shows on that afternoon. Pity. Maybe I'll allocate more time to enjoy the festival next time. 

Georgetown Festival 2024 - Day Off Gallery Visit (Khazanah Gallery)

 

The other area I explored during my GTF2024 Off Day was Beach Street area. I went looking for Khazanah Gallery and found it off Beach Street, at Gat Lebuh China. I have been to the same building before a few years back for a Peranakan event, so I was quite familiar with the place. 

For the GTF2024, the gallery display was only on the first floor. A curator did greeted me and gave me some introduction briefing. He also showed me around some of the exhibit of interest. Apparently Khazanah Galley was a private gallery in Kuala Lumpur. And later, I also found out that this wasn't a permanent gallery in Penang as I could no longer find it at the same place a few months later. 

So this display was specifically coincide with the GTF2024. So in some way, it was also kinda Penang themed like the display above.

There were a few halls of exhibit, and above was one of my favourite. It reminded me more of Indonesian dance than Malaysian. And I especially like the non-coloured painting of just black and white. It was kinda like those Chinese paintings with just ink. And the contour of the dancers are also so feminine. 

One of the thing the curator was of great help during my visit was, he actually pointed out to me some of the spots where I can see the miniature art as per what was found in the Artisan exhibit at Hin Bus. And I kid you not, it was almost impossible to spot them if nobody pointed it out to you! For example in the above photo, can you spot the miniature?

Well here he is! All the way at the top above the door and window!

Here is another easier example. Can you spot him?

Yes, again on top of the door in one of the concrete holes..... I gave up looking for them after this. It was totally hopeless to find these in Georgetown itself! There were just too many places they can hide in. They are so small too!

Lastly, here is a photo of me in the never ending flower garden of mirrors. The curator told me that this was the most instagram-able spot of the gallery and many visitors like taking their photos here. 

Georgetown Festival 2024 - Day Off Gallery Visit (Artisan Exhibition)

 

Ooops, I must have missed this one. A sculpture exhibition at Hin Bus area called "Artisan". Actually, Hin Bus was the main exhibition, but you can also find the miniature art work all over Georgetown during the festival. I've already show you one on my first post of GTF2024. But to tell you the truth, even with all the hype, it was near impossible to find these miniature sculpture anyway! Cause they hide them in the most impossible places to spot! I only managed to spot one by myself, and two more with the help of a gallery curator. 

The main theme of this miniature art, was to capture and create living sculpture of the artisan of Georgetown. So for example above, a paper sculpture artisan, making giant 7th month hungry ghost sculpture that will be burned during the festival. 

A trishaw maker, I think we have the last of it's kind as it's a dying trade these days.

A model of an ancient mosque in Georgetown.

 Gravestone carving anyone? Someone's got to do it. Again, a dying art as people now cremate instead of bury their love ones.

I think the above guy is an incense maker? You can still see this trade near the Goddest of Mercy temple, probably behind it. 

Lantern maker. The old houses use to hang these for luck and prosperity. Surnames and clans. 

Basket weaver.

Blacksmith.

Sign board maker.

All the artisan, getting lesser and lesser in this UNESCO Heritage City.... Preserved forever in these beautiful miniature art form :)

Georgetown Festival 2024 - Day Off Gallery Visit (Hin Bus, Co-Ex, Fiesta)

Upon completing my volunteer work with the festival, I decided that now was the time I get to be an audience and enjoy it. I decided to purchase tickets to some performances on my off day, and took a bus downtown to enjoy myself. Besides performances, there were also a lot of exhibition and gallery to visit during this festival. So the very first place I went to was Hin Bus Depot. 

There was a local art exhibition on, and I've seen it countless time on Facebook. Finally I have the time to pay it a visit. I love going to Hin Bus Depot. It is just filled with some much energy during the weekend market, and there is always some interesting art exhibition on.

The exhibition during this period was more toward the country Malaysia, the state Penang, and patriotism. 

I love some of the retro art displayed here. From the first prime minister, to our most current one. 

I went quite early, so there wasn't much crowd. And I think it was a Friday, so I guess most people were working? The next place I head to was just behind Hin Bus, a place called Co-Ex. It's also a nice place to hang out. If only the shop owners there were more welcoming....

There was a sketching exhibition on by a solo artist. I've always wanted to take up sketching. But I even though I have a lot of time now, I also happens to have a lot of things to do! Even updating this blog has been taking up a lot of my time even though I enjoy doing them. I have painted a Sunflower 3D painting this year, and was pleasantly surprised at the result of it :) Might take up more artistic pursue in future!

The artist here mainly sketch the places he has visited. I though it's wonderful to capture places you've travelled to in paintings or sketches. I guess that's also one of the reason I took so many photographs on my trip. In my grand plan, I wanted to do something with them, this blog was one of the plan, the other was perhaps a painting or sketching etc.

And I love getting inspiration from all these art event :)

After Co-Ex, I walked to Nordin Road, to a place called Fiesta to see what they have there. The poster was promising, but the exhibition was kinda confusing and disappointing. 

The location was at a restaurant. And although it was opened by 11am or 1130am, I can't really tell whether it really was opened or not. There wasn't much clear indication, and there wasn't anyone there that looked helpful in anyway. There was a lady on the phone, talking about no volunteer showing up for duty, lol. 

I hang around for a while, going into spaces that I thought I could. As I've said, the poster looked promising. 

But the exhibition wasn't. I was expecting more than just one room of art. But apparently, that was all I saw. Maybe there were other part of the venue I didn't know about it. Maybe it wasn't fully opened yet? Who knows. No information any where to assist me. So I left briefing after. I hope not all the gallery was going to be like this one!