A MONGOLIAN couple has the distinction of being selected to present their artworks in the first edition of the TimeStamp International Artist Residency Program at the State Assembly Building in Light Street, George Town, on March 15.
Baatarzorig Batjargal, 42, and his wife, Nomin Bold, 43, expressed their gratitude to art collector Lee Khai, for hosting them, and to renowned Chinese curator Gu Zhenqing, a Shanghainese based in Beijing, for the opportunity to showcase their works in Penang.
The couple, from Ulaanbaatar, are both graduates of the Mongolian University of Arts and Culture and have been trained in the traditional Mongol Zurag technique.
Baatarzorig’s work focuses on Mongolia’s cultural roots, aiming to preserve, activate, and revitalise its heritage in the face of modernity.
His artworks have been exhibited in major galleries and museums, including Jack Bell Gallery, London; 8th Asia Pacific Triennale, Queensland, Australia (2015); 2nd Yinchuan Biennale, MOCA Yinchuan, China (2018); Bangkok Art Biennale (2020); Something Else at the Citadel: Cairo OFF Biennale, Saladin Citadel, Cairo, Egypt (2023); Shared Horizons: 15th Bienal De La Habana (2024-2025), Caribbean Tribal Space, Havana, Cuba (2024).
Nomin reinterprets Mongolia’s cultural heritage and Buddhist art through a contemporary lens, exploring themes of knowledge, power, and human relationships.
In 2015, she received a US$20,000 grant from the Krasner-Pollock Foundation (USA). Her work has been featured in major international exhibitions, including the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial, Queensland (2015), documenta 14 (2017), the 2nd Yinchuan Biennale, MOCA Yinchuan, China (2018), the Bangkok Art Biennale (2020), Something Else at the Citadel: Cairo OFF Biennale, Egypt (2023), the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial, Queensland (2024), and Shared Horizons: 15th Bienal De La Habana, Cuba (2024–2025).
“This is the first time we’re bringing Mongolian artists to our shores. The TimeStamp International Artist Residency Program provides an opportunity for inter-cultural exchange, allowing artists to experience Penang,” said Lee Khai in his speech.
“For this programme, we have now two top Mongolian artists. We’ve identified eight artists from around the world to take part, including from Turkey, South Africa, France and Macedonia who will participate at different times.
“We can bring the world to Penang and bring Penang to the world through art. Penang has always been international because of its multicultural communities. Many of these artists come from monocultural backgrounds. By coming to Penang, they can see our rich cultural diversity, which we hope will inspire them to create even more compelling works.”
Lee Khai, who is organising the programme with his wife, Annie, thanked Gu Zhenqing for curating it to further elevate the local art scene.
Gu, a first-generation Chinese contemporary art curator, echoed these sentiments, stating that the programme offers artists opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and creative exploration.
“By providing resources and support, it encourages artists to work in multicultural environments, step out of their comfort zones, and break free from cognitive constraints, habitual thinking, and aesthetic inertia,” said Gu, who first visited Penang in 1993 after getting to know art enthusiast David Goh.
Among those who attended the launch were former state executive councillor Datuk Seri Chong Eng, Swedish consul-general in Penang Ooi Geok Ling, Squash Racket Association of Penang president Datuk Linda Geh and Penang Teachers’ Art Circle adviser Lee Kok Liang.
The exhibition by the Mongolian couple, part of the 40 over programmes held in conjunction with Open Studios Penang, runs from 9am to 5pm until March 26. Admission is free.
Story and pix by K.H. Ong