Art talk: Izat Arif plays an archaeologist in his latest ‘Tinggal Kenangan’ exhibition
In conversation
If there’s one exhibition you should see this month, it’s the third instalment of Izat Arif’s ‘Taman Kenangan’ series.
People go to art exhibitions to enrich themselves. Me? I’m there just for show. It’s a chance for me to pretend I’m cerebral—playing make-believe as I stare at the gallery walls blankly and feign some deep understanding of what I’m looking at (spoiler alert: usually, I have no clue). At least, that was the plan when I walked into Izat Arif’s latest solo exhibition at the A+ Works of Art Gallery in Sentul. Named ‘Tinggal Kenangan’, it’s the third instalment of his ‘Taman Kenangan’ series first launched in 2019, curated by Lim Sheau Yun.
Unfortunately, I actually got to speak with the artist himself, and after a very in-depth and insightful hour, I finally understood what all the fuss was about art. PSA: This show is incredible.
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‘Tinggal Kenangan’ works as an exhibition on its own, but I do think it’s best contextualised with its two other instalments. Essentially, the whole project centres around a fictional development on the mythical Gunung Ledang (yes, the one from local legend). Izat essentially carves out the world he has created through suggestion, but there is never a clear, objective image of what Taman Kenangan actually looks like—only inconclusive fragments that have been shown throughout the three instalments.
The first instalment, ‘Domestic Bliss’ was a duo show at Ilham Gallery featuring work from Izat and Vietnamese artist Hoàng Minh Đức. In the show, Izat played the part of a property developer proposing a plan for a park in Gunung Ledang. The second, named ‘Kenangan itu, hanya mainan bagimu…’, came in collaboration with Mutual Aid Projects, and saw Izat playing the part of a real estate agent selling off parts of the land. In the third, Izat assumes the role of an archaeologist, digging up the remnants of the failed project.
“The first two instalments were trying to introduce and build the world. Conceptually, the relationship between this one and the last two is trying to find a conclusion by putting it in the framework of archaeology—digging up the failure and the ruins that remain,” Izat explains. All in all, the exhibition tells a story that the two dioramas in the show spell out really well. The artist describes the pieces as “facades”; a veneer staged to project this idyllic image of what the development could have been. But, as soon as you start to look at it closer (read: from the side, duh), you find that each image is held up by struts because Taman Kenangan is more of a stage set in a theatre production than a fully realised promise.
As I make my way through the exhibition with him, I get a sense of the larger commentary of the series; that the fictional “body” behind the development was ready to exploit Malaysian culture and heritage for a quick buck. “The shows were made in the context of how artists exocticise themselves using their cultures to create marketable work; staging authenticity to be sold.” The idea that one has to exploit their cultural background in order to create compelling art is an interesting facet to explore, and it’s executed with plenty of humour.
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In fact, the pieces in the show span several mediums. There’s graphite and ink on paper; these beautifully intricate drawings showcase Izat’s craft perfectly, but each is infused with its own tongue-in-cheek commentary. Then, there are the sculptures and objects commissioned by the artist to contrast the pictures and further build the lore—including what the artist refers to as “corporate regalia” (in his words, it’s a bunch of office paraphernalia that he had purchased and put a sticker on). Finally, the piece de resistance is a six-minute video mockumentary of “The Archaeologist” heavily inspired by shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation.
It’s honestly hard to pick a favourite, but if I had to, it would be the video piece. Not only can you tell that the artist had a lot of fun with it, but it’s a poignant way to wrap up the entire exhibition. For the first time, the fictionalised world is tangible. While it is still fragmented, seeing the artist interact with the “dig site” pulls the project into reality and puts it into the perspective of our own world.
I joke that should his career in art ever fall through, Izat should pursue acting or, at the very least, stand-up comedy. He concurs but adds that creating the video was a necessary catharsis in the process. “The video was the last thing that I made for this exhibition,” he reveals. “It was a lot of fun. I was just running around this park pointing at things. I had to sort of believe that I was this architect character, but it wasn’t difficult. I think after absorbing so much material, and then suddenly being put in front of the camera, it just… it flows out.”
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He also notes that it was another way to hone his craft—to expose his process with this exhibition in a more dynamic way. “I try to think of artistic practice as not just an artist being in a studio doing a very linear, straightforward kind of process, but something a bit more complicated than that,” he muses. “The show isn’t supposed to be 20 drawings in the same style. It’s about making different kinds of works that are all connected by a singular message and seeing if it’s convincing in the end.”
As I left the exhibition, I couldn’t help but wonder: Did I really get the point, or did he just convince me that I did? We may never know, but I will say that even if all the context goes over your head, there is still plenty of beautiful artwork and funny bits to gawk at while you’re there. 10/10.
‘Tinggal Kenangan’ by Izat Arif is open for viewing at the A+ Works of Art Gallery in Sentul until November 9 2024. Visits to the gallery are by private appointment only. Contact +6018 333 3399 or email [email protected] to book a slot. Find more culture reads here.
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