THE last and final piece of container art installation of the first-ever Penang International Container Art Festival (PICAF) 2020 was unveiled at Dataran Pemuda Merdeka in Butterworth yesterday (Feb 16).
State Tourism Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage (PETACH) Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said the revelation marked the completion of the five container art installations in Penang.
“The Butterworth container art installation features murals by Dutch artist Judith de Leeuw and a collaborative mural by Penangite Abdulrashade and Malacca-based artist Andharas.
“The first mural known as ‘The art of Batik’ by Abdulrashade and Andharas depicts a local artisan painting batik which is a prized intangible heritage in the country.
“The same installation site also features another mural known as ‘Fire’ by Judith.
“It depicts a fisherman pushing his boat into the water with his last remaining energy.
“This mural is a compelling visual story about the fire inside us to pursue our love and passion, no matter the circumstance, no matter the exhaustion and no matter the danger,” Yeoh said in his speech before launching the last container art installation yesterday.
Also present were state Welfare, Caring Society, and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) mayor Datuk Rozali Mohamud and Bagan Dalam assemblyman M. Satees.
According to Yeoh, PICAF 2020 plays an important part in terms of promoting Penang as a tourist destination.
“As a start, mural artwork by Julia Volchkova known as ‘Hope for the future’ and Caryn Koh with her mural known as ‘Connection’ were chosen as one of the best mural artworks in January this year by a popular international street art website known as ‘Street Art Cities’.
“This will surely boost the tourism sector on the island and also in the mainland (Seberang Perai) when tourists come to visit the container art installations.
“At the same time, I hope PICAF will continue to receive great support from the community if it is held again next year,” he added.
The other four container art installations are located in Kampung Terang in Balik Pulau, Prangin Mall (George Town), Karpal Singh Drive (Jelutong) and Aspen Vision City (Batu Kawan).
The murals were drawn by 12 international and local artists.
Each installation depicts Penang’s identities and characteristics to create a sense of belonging amongst the communities as well as visitors.
PICAF 2020, which started in December last year, would be held until the end of May this year.
The event is organised by Can Can Public Art Plt and endorsed by the Penang government.
For details, visit PICAF 2020 official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PICAF2020/
Story and pix by Riadz Akmal