Mission News

Eye on Malaysia Programme

09 February 2009 1 views


From 16 January 2009 to 1 February 2009 a group of eight Dutch artists visited Malaysia under the ‘Eye on Malaysia’ programme. The primary objective is to introduce local Dutch artists to Malaysian culture and heritage in order for them to appreciate the diversity of her traditions and rich history. It will also provide an excellent opportunity for them to experience a typical urban life as well as life in a kampung of Malaysians. As part of their trip to various parts of Malaysia, the artists will also be exposed to the beauty of our cities as well as our landscapes. It is hoped that through their experiences, they will be able to capture in their mind’s eye what they have seen, heard, taste, touch and felt in their short sojourn in Malaysia and then transfer these images to their preferred choice of art medium.
The first week was spent in Borneo where the artists visited Park Kinabalu in Sabah, enjoyed breathtaking views of the awe-inspiring Mount Kinabalu and went for the adventurous canopy walks suspended 41 meters above the forest floor.

  

 

In Sarawak, the artists saw Orang Utans being fed in a rehabilitation centre at Semengoh. In Kuching, they had a successful meeting with the Chief Minister of Sarawak who kindly offered them a book on development in Sarawak.

 

 

From Kuching, a 255 kilometres drive through virgin and secondary jungle and lovely little villages took them to the beautifully situated Batang Ai resort. A trip in a longboat on the Lemanak River took them to Serubah longhouse where they were met by the Iban inhabitants who performed a welcoming dance and offered them their rice wine. In Kampung Benuk, they met a friendly elderly lady who had set up a small museum with the objects her husband had collected while he was alive. There, they also saw the skulls the Iban took from their enemies in former times when they were still head hunters. The Sarawak longhouses fascinated the artists.
 
The second week was spent in Peninsular Malaysia. On arrival at KLIA their picture was taken. They went straight on to the KL tower where a fabulous dinner was hosted by Tourism Malaysia. For the next day Tourism Malaysia had organized a meeting with Malaysian artists at the Malaysian Art Gallery followed by a guided tour of the gallery that exhibits various types of art from all over Malaysia. The meeting was a great success!

 

 

This visit was followed by a visit to the Petronas Art Gallery, a gallery inside the incredibly tall Petronas Twin Towers that displays photo art. Then the journey took them by coach from KL to historical Malacca with its colourful trishaws, busy Jonker Street and the ruins of St Paul’s Church. After an overland journey passing many a palm oil plantation they arrived at Penang where they enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at Gurney Drive.

 

 

In Penang, they paid a visit to a Batik Factory and the spectacular Kek Lok Si Temple. The last two days of the journey were spent in the eastern states of Kelantan and Terengganu where they arrived after a journey through fascinating countryside passing padi fields. The Kota Bharu city tour took them to Central Market where all sorts of vegetables, meat and fish were sold mainly by women.

 

 

In Kuala Terengganu, a water taxi drove them to the picturesque fishing village of Seberang Takir. The drive and the tour of Malaysia ended at the Floating Mosque.


 

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