Aliya and Farouk Khan Go Digital
The Aliya and Farouk Khan Collection—a collection of seminal artworks by the first generation of Malaysian contemporary artists—is now accessible for all the world to see and enjoy on afkcollection.com. Instigated by revered art collectors Farouk and Aliya Khan, the diverse works in the collection are largely considered to represent Malaysia’s own Golden Period of art progress. At the launch of the website, prominent figures like
BRDB executive chairman Dato’ Sri Akbar Khan and B. Grimm group CEO Dato’ Dr Harald Link gathered to celebrate this milestone for Malaysian contemporary art. Aside from showcasing the digitised collection in its entirety, the website features artist profiles, past exhibitions and publications, serving not only as a repository of visual and intellectual information, but also as a resource for art discourse and research.
It’s been a busy past few months for Farouk Khan. Together with his wife Aliya and two daughters, the congenial art collector behind The Aliya and Farouk Khan Collection recently had the pleasure of giving the works in their contemporary art collection a brand new home in the digital sphere. “The decision to digitise the collection was spurred by the idea that we could take these artworks to the world,” Khan says. “Access to Malaysian contemporary artists has opened up like never before, and it’s a tremendous advantage for them.” His busy schedule aside, the Singapore-born art enthusiast admits that he enjoys watching videos of live performances of his favourite songs on Youtube through his phone as well as keeping abreast of the goings-on of old friends from around the world via Facebook and Instagram. “It’s impossible not to spend time online. I use social media not just to catch up with friends but also to get insights on personal opinions plus current events and affairs.”
“Access to Malaysian contemporary artists has opened up like never before, and it’s a tremendous advantage for them.”