'Still Live' series in KL creates a shared space for sound and sketch
Blurring the lines between sight and sound, the latest edition of Ur-Mu's Still Live series pairs live painting with acoustic music for an immersive experience.
Still Live – an initiative by the Ur-Mu art private museum – takes place at Boombong, The Toffee, Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur on June 14.
Ur-Mu, which operates three distinct art gallery spaces in downtown Kuala Lumpur, will open the doors of Ur-Mu @ Toffee – its Raja Chulan outpost housing two private art collections – as part of this weekend's Still Live programme.
Each ticket includes a pre-show tour led by renowned art collector and lawyer Pakhruddin 'Pakha' Sulaiman, whose 1990s Malaysian art collection fills Ur-Mu@Toffee on Level 6.
Ur-Mu's 'Still Live' series blends live acoustic music with on-the-spot drawing for a uniquely immersive experience. Photo: Ur-Mu
This Saturday's Still Live, a sunset session, starts at 4pm.
Inspired by the art term 'still life', the series allows the audience to enjoy a live acoustic set and try their hand at live drawing.
Nur Khairi Hamidi, Ur-Mu's museum coordinator, explains that while still life drawings traditionally feature inanimate objects like fruits or flowers, Still Live adds a twist – here, it's the performing musicians who become the subject.
'The idea behind Still Live is to basically combine two unique jam sessions: live acoustic performance and live drawing by the audience. We wanted to gather crowds of both fine art and music enthusiasts into one event, and break the boundaries between the two disciplines,' says Khairi.
The sold-out first edition, held on Feb 22 at Ur-Mu Bukit Bintang, brought together KL-based acts Faye Faire, Note/Void, and RuoH for an intimate night of music (folk to post rock) and art.
Renowned art collector Pakhruddin (centre) will be conducting a pre-show gallery tour at Ur-Mu@Toffee, where he will share insights and stories from his distinguished art collection. Photo: Pakhruddin Sulaiman
'We wanted to keep the momentum going, as we received a lot of positive feedback from those who came for the first show – for many of them, it was their first time experiencing this kind of mash-up between art and music," says Khairi.
'The musicians also had a lot of fun with the gig, because it was their first time being drawn while they performed,' he adds.
The weekend's Still Live edition promises an equally compelling line-up, featuring husband-and-wife indie folk duo Satwo – joined for the first time by cellist Azrul Asyraf – alongside singer-songwriters Umar Akmal, and Syiqin Azln.
For Satwo, Still Live will actually be its second art-related performance this year.
Last month, the duo performed its rendition of two poems – Satu and Gurindam Apati – by Pahang-born writer and filmmaker Dr Razli Dalan at the launch of his illustrated poetry book Koleksi Puisi Puisi Sendu at the Kokopelli gallery in Petaling Jaya.
Unwind with a sketch pad in hand at this relaxed evening drawing session. Photo: Ur-Mu
Satwo's Rafiz Mohamed Zakaria, 44, believes that music and visual art are 'intertwined and mutually enriching.'
In the live scene, Rafiz and his wife Tuan Mazlinna Tuan Abdul Malek – better known as Maz – have connected with audiences across a range of art and music events.
"Since the Renaissance, music has inspired painters, opening emotional and imaginative spaces,' says Rafiz.
'Today, from album covers to performance visuals, music gives soul to form and art gives face to sound – together, they create deeper meaning," he adds.
The second Still Live edition (4pm-8pm) happens at Boombong, The Toffee, Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur on June 14. Tickets: RM60.
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