GEORGE TOWN, Visitors to the National Art Gallery booth at the International Museum Day Festival 2024 (HMA 2024) have the opportunity to explore the symbiotic existence of natural and digital elements through the 'Zoomorphism' metaphor. Senior assistant curator Shamsul Bahari Yusof said the metaphorical technique being presented for the first time showcases the artistic collaboration of Aw Boon Xin and Koh Kai Ting, both natives of Batu Pahat, Johor. Their work brings objects to life on the virtual page and transforms the virtual page into a dynamic space through Augmented Reality (AR) technology. 'Zoomorphism is a metaphor that serves as a challenging narrative tool, providing a cultural framework based on ideas, emotions and concepts to be expressed. 'Through the metaphor of Zoomorphism, these artworks invite visitors to explore the interconnection of characteristics, such as those between animals and humans, the environment, objects, places or ideas, via AR technology,' he told Bernama when met at HMA 2024 at Dewan Sri Pinang here. Aw and Koh are the winners of the 2023 Young Contemporaries Award for the Jury Award. To interact with these artworks, Shamsul Bahari said visitors simply need to scan the QR code using their mobile phones to enter the AR space via Instagram. Also on display are the kinetics sculptures by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Seri Iskandar, Perak lecturer Hilal Mazlan, who studied and applied the elements of movement and form into his artwork, inspired by geometric motifs that can be seen, touched and viewed from every angle. Shamsul Bahari said the artist seeks spontaneous reactions from visitors when they interactively 'play' with the 3D artwork. 'According to the artist, the movements observed in the sculptures are inspired by nature, such as trees swinging, leaves rolling, fish swimming and so on. He wanted to convey the meaning of kinetics art lightly through easy-to-understand interactions,' he said. He added that the Zoomorphism exhibition aims to introduce new technolog y and provide exposure, especially to students, about digital art and capture their interest in exploring it further. The HMA 2024 festival, which runs from May 13 to 22, features 38 agencies, institutions and museums, and is expected to draw 200,000 offline and online visitors. Source: BERNAMA News Agency
Saturday, October 19, 2024