The Center for Traditional Arts (CTA) unveiled its new exhibition space, The FuturePast Lab, on May22. At the same time, it also presented its very first exhibition, “Memory and Migration,”a showcase of the works of CTA Director Prof. Wan-Lee Chen and Prof. Edric Ong from Malaysia.
The FuturePast Lab is a brand new experimental space for exploring the concept of“making,” verifying the essence of“making,”identifying the potentials of “making”to challenge authoritative discourses, and experimenting with the possibilities that“making”could bring to life. The Lab relies on the past to overturn the future.
The theme of the joint-exhibition – which runs till September 8 – not only refers to the works on display, but also signifies the rebirth and transformation of a place.
The exhibition starts with Prof. Chen's work “Home in My Dream,” which tells of the story of a father through old family photos, and another piece which depicts memories in both concrete and abstract expressions through a myriad of paper cutting, weaving and dyeing pieces.
Another of her work,“Root,”inspired by her father's old military blanket, is comprised of hundreds of old pictures and laundry receipts. It represents the artist's contemplation of the memories of her father across the generations and spaces.
Prof. Ong, who has conducted workshops at TNUA several times, is known for pioneering new designs with traditional artists of Sarawak in the area of textiles, basketry, fibers, ceramics, wood and stone.His inspiration comes from different ethnic groups in Malaysia and his own family memories.
In this exhibition, he presents the traditional clothing of his family and the fabric works he designed – a presentation of a mixed yet dynamic culture and identity.