Gallery Weekend KL returns

THE Gallery Weekend Kuala Lumpur (GWKL) returns for its fifth edition, now with a mix of virtual events and on-site programmes.

This annual cultural event, set up in 2016 by Shalini Ganendra, director of Shalini Ganendra Fine Art, serves to provide insights into Malaysian art and culture through a series of multi-disciplinary programmes.

“GWKL makes encounters with culture fun and accessible for all groups. There is something for everyone. The student, collector, culture vulture, general audiences, artists ... everyone,” says Shalini.

She says Malaysians can have a glimpse of the different cultural aspects in the country through this event, which features art, design, curating and art practices.

The GWKL 2020 will run from Nov 26 till Dec 6, with over 30 exhibitions, gallery tours and webinars.

“You can expect local talents being showcased by galleries, independent projects, open studios, public and private collections, as well as the famed Luminary programme,” says Shalini.

She adds that in light of the pandemic, many of GWKL’S offerings will primarily be virtual events, with physical groupings if they are permitted in due course.

“We see this as an opportunity to widen our international outreach. For the first time ever, the Luminary talks will be held as webinars, enabling global participation.”

The panel of Luminaries features top curators, gallerists, artists and educators. It is one of the event’s highlights every year.

This year’s Luminary programme surrounds itself with themes of adaptation and change, with sessions titled Balancing The Biennials, Reconnecting, Museum And Gallery Developments, Creating And Curating In This New Normal and Young Collectors And New Collections.

This year’s line-up will include

Patrick Flores (renowned curator), Aaron Seeto (director of The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara), Wanda Nanibush (curator of Indigenous Art at Art Gallery Toronto), Shabbir Hussain Mustafa (senior curator of National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum) and others.

A virtual programme from Galeri Petronas, a print exhibition by G13 Gallery and tours at the National Textiles Museum in KL have been confirmed. Other programmes are still in development.

For more information, visit www.gw-kl.com.