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