Bringing local art and culture to the airpot
ARRIVING at any one of Malaysia’s international airports will soon be a beautiful affair.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and the National Visual Arts Development Board (NVADB) have signed an agreement to work together to promote the country’s visual and cultural arts.
Beginning this month, MAHB will be providing an activity or exhibition space for local artists to showcase their work at five of Malaysia’s international airports. They are: Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Langkawi International Airport (Kedah), Penang Airport, Kota Kinabalu International Airport (Sabah) and Kuching Airport (Sarawak). Other collaborations and projects will be announced from time to time during the two-year partnership.
Nazli Aziz, MAHB senior general manager for commercial services said in a press statement, “With this collaboration, MAHB will be organising exhibitions based on national narratives, promoting Malaysian visual arts and the country’s cultural diversity.
“This is in line with MAHB’S desire to be more than just a transportation hub and to also become its own destination of choice.”
Meanwhile, the National Art Gallery is stepping up its efforts to promote its tour programme,
Route to Biennale 2020, via the partnership with MAHB. The programme kicked off in August and is a prelude to next year’s Kuala Lumpur Biennale 2020, which is aimed at putting Malaysia as a unique and exciting art tourism destination.
The KL Biennale is said to be Malaysia’s biggest contemporary arts festival, and is part of the many exciting events set to take place during Visit Malaysia 2020.
MAHB also recently launched its Shop Like A Hero (#SHOPLAH) campaign in an effort to change the public perception on the role of the airport from being just a transportation hub, to a premium lifestyle centre.
“Local and international travellers will be exposed to the richness of the country’s cultural identity. (The airport) serves as a platform to showcase Malaysian contemporary products in gaining international recognition, as it has been done yearly during MAHB’S annual event, HIMPUN,” said Nazli.
Shop Like A Hero seeks to elevate the retail, dining and entertainment experience of Malaysian airports by featuring more exclusive products, personalised services and more. It will also be converging online and offline retail experiences by introducing e-reward programmes, cashless payment solutions and free Internet access in all its properties.