Saturday, April 25, 2009

ART FOR GRABS + KL ALTERNATIVE BOOK FEST

With Marion D'Cruz and Farish Noor! And Bilik Panas!!!

Arts, Crafts & Books Fair

Sat 9 & Sun 10 May, 12pm to 8pm

Presented by The Annexe Gallery & Central Market

Admission Free, except where indicated

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Art For Grabs, our arts and crafts bazaar, returns for yet another triumphant round of affordable artsy consumerism in a collision of coolness. That’s over 20 stalls selling art, photography, knick knacks, accessories, etc, all for under RM100 (per item, that is!).

This time we also have KL Alternative Book Fest, featuring over 20 stalls by local indie publishers (selling books not always available at a bookstore near you).

Everytime we host Art For Grabs, we present a fringe program of exciting events. This time around, we have Bilik Panas. Our “hot room” is not literally sauna-like, it’s actually air-conditioned. The “panas” here refers to the artistic, intellectual and emotional heat that will be generated by the performances, lectures and book launches we’ve got planned. See you there!

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BILIK PANAS EVENT SCHEDULE
Admission Free except for Gostan Forward

SAT 9 MAY

12pm
THE CLOTH THAT CUTS: Re-Appraising Batik as a Trans-Cultural Signifier
Public Lecture by Dr Farish Noor
Presented by The Other Malaysia

Today Batik is seen and cast as something essentially linked to the (fixed and homogeneous) identity of nations like Malaysia and Indonesia. This lecture tries to explore the multifarious cultural, ethnic and historical origins of Batik as a form of art, and argues that in the designs of classical Batik we can see the overlapping of various cultural, ethnic and religious influences that cut across all of Southeast Asia and beyond. Batik is living proof of the cultural and ethnic hybridity of Southeast Asia.

2.15pm
GOSTAN FORWARD
Solo Performance Lecture by Marion D’Cruz
Directed by Mark Teh, Visual designs by Grey Yeoh
Presented by Five Arts Centre
*Admission by RM10 donation

The performance lecture traces Marion's growth as a radical artist, revealing her choices, strategies and influences over the span of the 35-year dance career in Malaysia. Marion will tell stories and perform excerpts of her favorurite and most significant dances, including “Terinai”, “Swan Song”, “Urn Piece”, “Chilayu”, and more.

4pm
KLAB Book Launch
TAXI TALES ON A CROOKED BRIDGE
Book Launch and Reading by Charlene Rajendran & Friends
Presented by Matahari Books

Charlene Rajendran is a Malaysian teacher and theatre practitioner who has been living in Singapore for eight years, and she refuses to own a car. Taxi Tales On A Crooked Bridge chronicles her conversations with taxi drivers all over the island republic. Quirky and jaunty, this book shows that there's no telling what bridges can be built -- whether the journey is crooked or straight!

5pm
KLAB BOOK Launch
NAJIB’S CHALLENGE: Glory or Oblivion? by Barry Wain & UNMASKING NAJIB by Lim Kit Siang
Presented by REFSA

What will be Najib’s legacy for our beloved country? Barry Wain and Lim Kit Siang present their latest books on this “hot” topic. To be officiated by YB Liew Chin Tong, MP of Bukit Bendera.

6pm
KLAB BOOK Launch
DEWANGGA SAKTI TERTINGGAL KAPAL ANGKASA DI HARI PELANCARAN BUKU 'KACIP' PIPIYAPONG
Presented by Sindiket Soljah

Dewangga Sakti terdiri daripada 6 orang pemuzik tradisional Melayu zaman sekarang yang melagukan karya-karya mistik dengan bunyian instrumen akustik. Manakala blogger hip Pipiyapong akan melancarkan karya beliau bertajuk Kacip yang lucu dan mencuit hati pembaca.

6.40pm
KLAB BOOK Launch
BERSERONOK DENGAN PEREMPUAN DALAM POKET
Pelancaran buku Puisi Poket 1: Akulah Perempuan Muda itu oleh Shaira Amira
Presented by Sang Freud Press

Puisi Poket adalah satu usaha untuk mengambalikan puisi kepada yang hak, yakni kau dan aku. Cukup kacip dan comel untuk disumbat di dalam kocek, ia sesuai dibawa dan dibaca di mana-mana; sewaktu menunggu teman di elarti, sewaktu naik elarti bersama teman dan selepas menyalakan rokok di belukar bawah landasan elarti setelah habis berbincang bahasa tubuh dengan teman.

8.30pm
GOSTAN FORWARD
Dance Lecture Performance by Marion D’Cruz

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SUN 10 MAY

11am
MEDIA UNDER NAJIB: Hope or Disappointment?
Forum
Presented by Centre For Independent Journalism (CIJ)

Panel speakers include: Wong Chin Huat (political analyst and chairman of Writers Alliance for Media Independence), Tricia Yeoh (special assistant to Selangor state Chief Minister), Ibrahim Suffian (director of Merdeka Research Centre).

12.30pm
PENCERAHAN DAN KOSMOPOLITANISME
Talk by Khalid Jaafar, Director of Institut Kajian Dasar (Policy Research Institute)

Khalid Jaafar will be talking about IKD’s publications and the concept behind its publications. He will also be touching on the controversial issue raised by IKD’s publications that have been alleged as misleading for Muslims.

2.15pm
GOSTAN FORWARD
Dance Lecture Performance by Marion D’Cruz

Sunday, 10th May : 5 - 7pm
JIMIN LAI
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, A BOLD NEW APPROACH : FEE : RM40.00

Have you ever been afraid of photographing strangers? What equipment should you use? How do you maintain distance and yet obtain great street images? Learn techniques and tips on how to shoot effectively and safely in the street directly with Jimin Lai, ex AFP and REUTERS photographer. Jimin will take a small group onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur to capture scenes and people up close. He will demonstrate composition, angle and approach on how to photograph striking images. Limited spaces available : Register early

4.30pm
READING LOLITA IN KL
Forum
Presented by Sisters In Islam (SIS)

Celebrate the freedom to read! Join Marina Mahathir, Cecil Rajendra, and others as they read poetry and excerpts from books, plays, scripts, etc that have been banned in many countries throughout history.

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KL PHOTO AWARDS 2009
Gallery 4, 1st Floor, Central Market Annexe

Sat 9 & Sun 10, 2pm
CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Steven Lee attempts to define what contemporary photography for portraiture is, and will walk through the 46 finalists of the first KL Photoawards 2009. Participants will have 24 hours to plan and photograph a portrait session of their friends or family, and return the next day to show, discuss and receive feedback of their newly photographed portraits. Steven Lee, an award winning freelance photographer based in UK, is also the initiator of the first KL Photo Awards for contemporary potraiture. Free - limited to 20 persons.

Sun 10, 5pm
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, A BOLD NEW APPROACH by JIMIN LAI
Fee: RM40.00

Have you ever been afraid of photographing strangers? What equipment should you use? How do you maintain distance and yet obtain great street images? Jimin will take a small group onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur to capture scenes and people up close. Jimin Lai was formerly Chief Photographer in KL for Agence France-Presse, Senior Staff Photographer for The Star daily newspaper, and Stringer for REUTERS.

To register for either workshop, send an email to Steven Lee at: svllee@gmail.com or telephone 012 214 5838 for further information.

http://www.annexegallery.com

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Talk by Tun Mahathir

PERDANA DISCOURSE SERIES 9: "The Role of the Executive, Legislative, Judiciary and Constitutional Monarchy in the governing of Malaysia"

Date: 6th May 2009 (Wednesday)

Venue: Perdana Leadership Foundation, No.1, Jalan P8H, Precinct 8, 62250 Putrajaya

More about the Discourse Series:

This is the ninth of the Perdana Discourse Series, following a successful debut in 2004 on "National Unity." Jointly organized by Perdana Leadership Foundation (PLF) and the Institude of Quality & Knowledge Advancement (InQKA) of UiTM and sponsored by Proton, the Perdana Discourse Series is a one-day semi-structured communication platform where a prominent presenter will speak to selected clusters of audience on a pre-determined topic, addressing its definition and tracing issue like policies, strategies and possible models used during the tenure of the past Prime Ministers. Discussions and issues arising from the discourse will be documented and mapped.

The keynote address will be followed by a moderated discussion session by experts from related fields and a representative of future leaders. Finally, a break-up group will deliberate on the issue to present resolutions on three aspects: the past, the present and the future. These will be presented by the whole group to conclude the discourse session. A monograph will be published following each programme in the series.

Objectives
1. To offer platform for research on thoughts of the past five Malaysian prime ministers
2. To allow knowledge sharing on the leadership style of the country's statemen
3. To map the continuity of thoughts of past leaders

Programme:

0800 - 0930 --Arrival of guests; Registration (Refreshment Provided)
0930 - 0935 -- Welcome Address
0935 - 0945 -- Introduction to the Discourse Series and topic
0945 - 1030 -- Keynote address by YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad*
1030 - 1115 -- Q&A
1115 - 1130 -- Coffee break
1130 - 1315 -- Panel Session and Q&A
1315 - 1330 -- Briefing for group session
1330 - 1430 -- Lunch
1430 - 1600 -- Group Session
1600 - 1730 -- Group Presentation and Plenary Session
1730 -- Refreshment & Closing

*His speech is pertaining to "The Role of the Executive, Legislative, Judiciary and Constitutional Monarchy in the governing of Malaysia"

Please comment if interested.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Interesting Talk Peeps!

The Faculty of Law, University of Malaya

presents a seminar

entitled

'/SHARIA/ IN EUROPE: THE ARCHBISHOP, PLURALISM AND DEMOCRACY'

BY PETER CUMPER

DATE: 22ND APRIL 2009 (WEDNESDAY)
TIME: 3 TO 4PM
VENUE: BILIK PERSIDANGAN, FACULTY OF LAW, UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA

Admission is freeeeeeeeeeeee!


SYPNOSIS

In 2008, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in a well publicised speech, suggested that consideration be given to the incorporation of elements of /Sharia/ law into the UK's legal system. His speech generated considerable controversy, but what has not been widely publicised is the fact that, during this speech, he suggested that in implementing /Sharia/, the UK could learn lessons from overseas, and in this regard he very briefly cited with approval, Malaysia. In this talk I will examine the Archbishop's proposal, and will contrast his approach to /Sharia/ law with that of Europe's primary human rights Court, the European Court of Human Rights. The aim of the talk is to consider the extent to which Europe should accommodate elements of /Sharia/ law and whether there are useful lessons from Malaysia in this regard.

SPEAKER'S PROFILE

Peter Cumper is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Leicester. He has taught at the Universities of Hull, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, and has also held visiting positions at the University of Minnesota, Loyola University Chicago, William Mitchell College of Law, and the Open University of Hong Kong. His main research interest is in the field of Public Law. He is currently visiting Malaysia as part of a British Academy funded project into the relationship between international human rights norms and /Sharia/ law. Details of his most recent publications can be found at http://www.le.ac.uk/law/staff/pc29/index.html

All are welcome. Light refreshments will be served after the seminar.

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See you there! Need a ride.... you know who to call :-)