Latest news with #293
The Star
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Farewell to a favela: The end of Moinho, the last shantytown in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Cintia Bomfim saw her eldest son struck twice by rubber bullets from police during protests recently in Moinho, the last favela in Brazil's Sao Paulo, which is about to make way for a park and train station. Then, after a days-long standoff between authorities and residents resisting their ouster, she received news of an agreement to provide free housing for her and hundreds of other families elsewhere in Latin America's richest and most populated city. 'If I have to leave, I want something better,' Bomfim, a 39-year-old mother of three, said in an interview amid an intimidating police deployment to quell protests against the razing of houses already vacated. Moinho residents protesting recently against the state government's plan to evict them from their community. Ramshackle as they were, these were the only homes the residents of Moinho could afford. 'I didn't come to live here because I wanted to: I used to sell candy at a traffic light and couldn't afford a more expensive rent outside the favela,' said Bomfim. She had been living in Moinho for 18 years, and runs a small bakery on the main street, which she will now have to abandon. Central Sao Paulo, a city of some 12 million people, is a seemingly incongruous mix of trendy bars and restaurants right next to mass low-cost housing, people living on the street, and roaming drug dealers. In the mix is Moinho, which sprung up in the 1990s between two railway tracks in an area the size of three football fields, and which authorities have long wanted to clear. It was, until recently, home to about 900 families, of which about a quarter have already left. Bonfim has lived at the favela for 18 years. A 'cleansing' AFP observed military police fire tear gas and rubber bullets and point firearms at protesting residents. Officers entered some homes with dogs, allegedly in search of drugs and weapons. The government of Sao Paulo claimed 'organised crime' was behind the community resistence – an accusation residents deny. Moinho is the only favela left in central Sao Paulo after several others were cleared in recent decades, though larger ones remain on the city's outskirts. Opponents decry what they see as a 'cleansing' of poor people in a process of gentrification to pave the way for real estate speculation. Sao Paulo is the most expensive state capital in Brazil, with an average rent of 1,700 reais (RM1,293) for an apartment of 30sq m, according to the Institute of Economic Research Foundation. The high housing costs have increased pressure to 'expel poor, black and marginalised people', said opposition lawmaker Paula Nunes of Sao Paulo state. An aerial view of Moinho. Important achievement Initially, the state government had offered Moinho residents lines of credit to acquire subsidised housing elsewhere in Sao Paulo. Most of the planned units, however, are not yet ready for occupancy. In the meantime, residents were supposed to receive 800 reais (RM608) per month to pay rent elsewhere. The land on which the favela was built belongs to the national government, which had agreed to transfer it to Sao Paulo on condition that decent alternative housing is found. Recently, the federal government said it would halt that transfer until 'a negotiated and transparent eviction process' was agreed on. Then, after days of protests that included the blocking of railway tracks, the national and state governments reached an agreement to jointly finance new housing for Moinho residents – bringing an end to the unrest. Under the deal, each family would receive 250,000 reais (RM190,108) to buy a house. 'The free provision (of housing) is a long-awaited and important achievement,' celebrated Yasmim Moja, a leader of the Moinho residents' association. – AFP
The Star
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Weekend for the arts: 'Shrineshare' exhibition, Suzlee Ibrahim's 'Borders'
EXHIBITION: 'SHRINESHARE' Venue: No. 293, Jalan 17/6, Petaling Jaya Date: May 24 and 25 The Shrineshare exhibition, which has previously toured locations including Brighton and Leicester in England, as well as George Town and Port Dickson, will finally arrive in Petaling Jaya this weekend. Designed as a portable, touring community-based show, the exhibition will be held at 293, Jalan 17/6, Petaling Jaya – an independent venue set up by 293, with RogueArt, co-hosting the project. Shrineshare is curated by David Blandy, Zedeck Siew, and Sharon Chin, with support from the British Council Malaysia's 2024 'Connections Through Culture' grant. The exhibition features a diverse line-up of local and international artists (the US, Britain and Thailand), including Amze Emmons, Arif Rafhan, Bethany Balan, Betti Stong, Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley, Daniel Locke, David Blandy, Hardeep Pandhal, Jamie Oon Muxian, Jesse Joy, John Powell-Jones, Nadhir Nor, Petra Szeman, Ruangtup Kaeokamechun, Rupa Subramaniam, and Poodien. 'What do you hold sacred in times of crisis?' This question was at the heart of Shrineshare, prompting the 16 artists to respond with a series of handmade prints – or 'shrines' – created using rubber stamps. Each shrine offers a glimpse into the personal and reflective spaces of its creator. Printed on brightly coloured paper – echoing the aesthetics of South-East Asian shrines – and framed in ASCII-art designs reminiscent of the early Internet, the works blend tradition with digital nostalgia. Free admission. Exhibition is open: Saturday (3pm-10pm) and Sunday (10am-5pm). More info here. EXHIBITION: SUZLEE IBRAHIM'S 'BORDERS SERIES' Venue: G13 Gallery, Petaling Jaya Date: ends June 7 Marking his 50th solo exhibition, Borders Series: A Journey Between Movement And Serenity reflects Suzlee Ibrahim's lifelong pursuit of abstraction as both gesture and philosophy. In this latest body of work, the Kuala Terengganu-born artist and academic explores the balance between movement and stillness, freedom and form. Created during the solitude of the pandemic, this series from Suzlee draws from a moment folding origami with his niece - where spontaneity meets structure. That interplay runs through the 30 works, where intuitive strokes yield to quiet geometry. With over 40 years in acrylic and oil, and as dean of fine art at Aswara, Suzlee treats the canvas as a space for both emotional release and formal inquiry. No matter how many exhibitions he's held, a Suzlee show always stirs anticipation. Borders offers abstract art enthusiasts and collectors a compelling chance to see a master in his element, distilling decades of practice into gestural fields, intuitive structures, and richly layered surfaces. Admission is free. More info here. Wong Perng Fey's 'Pakcik Dan Makcik (acrylic on wood, 2025). Photo: Galeri Sasha EXHIBITION: WONG PERNG FEY'S ' Venue: Galeri Sasha, Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kuala Lumpur Date: May 24 to June 21 Galeri Sasha opens a solo exhibition by Wong Perng Fey, this Saturday. Developed between Austria and Malaysia, the show marks a tonal shift from the psychological intensity of his Beijing years toward a language of clarity, wit, and restraint. Featuring painting, sculpture, and a contemporary take on wayang kulit, the exhibition explores presence without performance - being rather than becoming. It signals a moment of arrival for Wong, placing him firmly within ongoing conversations around abstraction and self-representation. Known for his gestural style and evolving material language, the globe-trotting Wong has exhibited across Asia, with works in major collections including Khazanah Nasional, Singapore Art Museum, and Bank Negara Malaysia. He lives and works between Graz and Kuala Lumpur. More info here. Banny Jayanata's 'Branches And Concrete' (oil on canvas, 2025). Photo: The Back Room EXHIBITION: 'THE GARDEN BITES BACK' Venue: The Back Room, Zhongshan building, KL Date: ends June 1 The Back Room presents The Garden Bites Back, a solo exhibition by Indonesian artist Banny Jayanata. Developed during his residency at Rimbun Dahan, the show explores the tension between ruin and tenderness. It also marks Banny's first solo in Malaysia. Influenced by poet-critics like Baudelaire and Goenawan Mohamad, Banny sees nature as a fractured mirror. Raised near the Lapindo mud volcano disaster, his work reflects landscapes shaped by collapse - swamps, ghost trees, and fragile blooms staged like moral allegories. Two large canvases anchor the show: in one, a painter wades through pale waters as mangrove roots claw above and otters swirl below; in the other, five figures strain under a felled tree, their limbs fused into a single mass. His thick impasto gives the scenes a bark-like texture. Romantic yet grounded in ecological grief, The Garden Bites Back pairs beauty with dread - soft hues masking sunken bodies and faceless screams. Each gesture is an act of care in a fractured world. The show is a collaboration with ROH, with support from Rimbun Dahan. More info here. A view of Lai's 'Ethereal Echoes: Sketches And Recent Works' exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, which features 80 works. Photo: Harmoni - Soka Art and Culture EXHIBITION: LAI LOONG SUNG'S 'ETHEREAL ECHOES' Venue: Wisma Kebudayaan Soka Gakkai Malaysia, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL Date: ends June 8 Ethereal Echoes: Sketches And Recent Works, an evocative solo exhibition that traces the four-decade artistic journey of Selangor-born veteran artist Lai Loong Sung has taken over the Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) art gallery space. It offers the public a rare opportunity to engage with over 80 deeply reflective works — including manuscripts, oil paintings, and ink pieces — created by Lai between 1986 and 2024. Rooted in both philosophical insight and personal revelation, Ethereal Echoes draws inspiration from the ancient Chinese text Zhuangzi, where 'Tianlai' (Heavenly Sound) refers to the 'unspoken word' — the soundless sound that echoes from the universe and the depths of the human soul. As Lai shares, 'Ethereal Echoes is a melody from the heavens and a sound born within humanity.' This exhibition represents the culmination of Lai's ongoing reflections on the complexities of contemporary life — from war and environmental degradation to the impact of rapid technological advancement — woven together with intimate expressions of the inner self. The show is divided into three sections, each part of the exhibition invites viewers on a deeply contemplative journey. Lai has also transformed the gallery into a working studio, where he'll be developing a large-scale painting and occasionally offering live art demonstrations. Free admission exhibition. Open: 11am-5pm. Closed on Mondays. More info here. IMMJN's collection of works selected for the 'More Men (And A Woman) With Plants' exhibition. Photo: Artemis Art EXHIBITION: 'MORE MEN (AND A WOMAN) WITH PLANTS' Venue: Harta Space, Ampang, Selangor Date: ends May 30 Continuing its ongoing collaboration with Harta Space, Artemis Art presents More Men (And A Woman) With Plants, the latest iteration of a thoughtfully evolving exhibition series by Penang-based artists who draw inspiration from, and pay homage to, one of nature's most enduring yet often overlooked presences: plants. Featuring works by Ch'ng Kiah Kiean, Cheah Meng Kwok, Esther Geh, Fuan Wong (also the series co-founder), Howard Tan, IMMJN, and Thomas Howell, the exhibition goes beyond the conventions of botanical art. Here, plants are not merely subjects of study, but vessels of memory, emotion, and time — rendered in a range of mediums from ink and photography to glass and mixed media. Each work offers a distinct lens into the ways flora can reflect inner states, cultural imprints, and our ever-evolving relationship with the natural world. This also marks the third instalment of the Men In Plants exhibition series, following earlier editions in George Town. Keep an eye out for workshops and artist-led tours happening throughout the exhibition period. More info here.
