Left: Munir Kaulan with 'Dunia Kini (2018)', Gold Award (2D)
Right: Art project 'Main Sama-Sama (2021)' for BMS2021
Munir Kaulan is an emerging artist base at Melaka who articulates waste products into interesting artworks. His represented forms of art creation has been recognised and acknowledge by art galleries as well as recycling art competitions. What started as an amusement process between experimenting byproduct materials and celebrating early childhood memories, created into vibrant new life objects has brought Munir Kaulan as one of the selected 'Bakat Muda Sezaman (BMS2021)' contestant.
'Bakat Muda Sezaman' is a biennial hallmark event organised by Malaysian National Art Gallery (MNAG). Despite the previous creative concepts introduced by MNAG, this year the concept is 'Art on Site' for BMS2021. Such interesting approach is viewed as aligned with DAKEN2021 or National Cultural Policy (NCP2021) which celebrates inclusivity beyond locality, in particular interpreted as 'Site-Specific' artworks for everyone. The concept also aspires the National aspiration of 'Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family', introduced by our ninth Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri.
As a selected contestant for BMS2021, Munir Kaulan is still working hand by hand with local host community from inside-out of UiTM Alor Gajah, Melaka upon organising workshops and projects inclusively for everyone to participate. The strategy of his art project 'Main Sama-Sama (2021)' aims in achieving several 'Sustainable Development Goals (SDG2030)' as introduced by the United Nations such as 'Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11)' as well as 'Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12)', specifically through the BMS2021 concept of 'Art on Site'.
What is unique about the chosen location by Munir Kaulan for 'Main Sama-Sama (2021)' is the academic setting, generally it looks easy as an art educator to organise such art project within campus, however when faced by technicalities, bureaucracies, as well as formalities upon gathering momentum and participation from inside-out of the campus seems to be a challenging task especially for the artist. Nevertheless, if planned and executed well it would be a unique experiences to be embraced by the academic communities from inside-out UiTM Alor Gajah, Melaka.
Munir Kaulan's acknowledgement in the Malaysian visual art scene started early during his bachelor degree before graduating in fine arts around 2009. Trained and early exposed to the art ecosystem, Munir Kaulan's artwork 'Ketenangan yang Menyegarkan (2008)' was awarded Grand Prize by Nandos Pry Fy Your Art Competition, Malaysia. Such acknowledgement as an undergraduate, played a pivotal point in the journey of Munir Kaulan's art journey.
After experimenting with different materials and techniques, in 2018 Munir Kaulan's artwork 'Dunia Kini (2018)' was awarded Gold Prize by SWCORP within collaboration with Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), as well as Malaysian National Art Gallery (MNAG). In between both significant award achievements throughout the decade, Munir Kaulan has been exhibiting his selected artworks at local and international galleries such as GESTURZ (Selangor), NN Gallery (Wilayah Persekutuan), Sangkring Art Space (Jogja, Indonesia), Wei-Ling Gallery (Wilayah Persekutuan), 360 Art Development Studio (Wilayah Persekutuan), ASWARA (Wilayah Persekutuan), Galeri Seni Rakyat (Melaka), G.A.S (Melaka), Galeri Shah Alam (Selangor), SWCORP (Wilayah Persekutuan), Galeri UiTM Melaka, Hujung Tanah Art Residency and many more.
Despite being an art educator himself, Munir Kaulan does not limits his ability in art makings and teachings, moreover he expands his definitions of teaching as well as giving, not only limited to the academic community, but also outside through 'Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR)' programs. Whereby seen upon his participations in mural programs such as National Craft Institution (IKN) in 2008, Naffas Kanvas Studio in 2009, Mural 'Legend' Sungai Melaka in 2010, Lendu International Art Camp (LIAC) in 2013 and 2014, Mural Infineon Melaka 2017, Program Port Dickson Art Mural, Mural Alor Gajah, and Mural Pasir Gudang in 2018, Mural Port Dickson Art Mural and Mural Melaka Sentral in 2019, and recently mural at SK Dato Dol Said, Alor Gajah in 2020.
Munir Kaulan's passion in producing byproduct materials into new forms of life which could be experience and appreciated by the public has brought his game a step further in BMS2021, within educating such awareness through art practice inside academic communities. Here or there, education starts from academic setting, hence academic settings should embraced sustainable developments goals which uplifts as well as enlightens the well-being of the whole community. BMS2021 concept of 'Art on Site' is viewed as a leverage to introduce such important sustainable awareness.
In the history of art, the technique and materials embraced by Munir Kaulan through his significant shared common characteristics of style is indicative towards the themes of 'Dadaism', an art movement during the early 20th centuries championed by Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Jean Arp, Hugo Ball, Johannes Baader, and many others. Marcel Duchamp is profound with his early readymades such as 'Bicycle Wheel (1913), 'In Advance of the Broken Arm (1915)', and 'Fountain (1917)', where he selects random readymade objects of utilitarian purpose and articulating them towards artworks with no specific purpose or utilitarian function.
As indicative as the themes regarding material and techniques used in creations of artworks by the Dada's and Munir Kaulan, there are significant differences which separates the directions between both. Munir Kaulan executes his artworks by transforming readymade objects which are byproducts of no purpose articulated into representation forms of newer value and purpose. However the former movement takes readymade objects of utilitarian purpose by transforming the materials into artworks of no utilitarian purpose celebrated as exclusive art. The approach that Munir Kaulan introduces is rather inclusive as compared to exclusive art, addressing such approach he embraces a sustainable community accessible to everyone through the concept of 'Art on Site' as introduced by BMS2021.
The art method of how Munir Kaulan as an artist transforms waste material objects from his imaginations into reality as an end product, where consequently such art product in the realm of actual reality interplays into the imaginations of the viewers despite age and background, brings a uniqued message towards a bigger course of awareness on sustainable development.
Before the Dada's profoundly experimented with such reality as 'Readymade Objects', the Cubist such as Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris and others would have articulated 'artificial reality (artworks)' through what now is known as 'Synthetic Cubism'. Such process is through the combination of convenient materials such as newspapers strips and patterned paper, where such method was viewed as an added value, introducing its own perspective, depth, as well as space in reality. These Synthetic Cubism period was profound within 1912-1914 through artworks such as 'Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper (1913)', and 'Bowl of Fruit, Violin and Bottle (1914)' by Pablo Picasso, and 'The Sunblind (1914)' by Juan Gris.
Movements as 'Synthetic Cubism' in the early 20th Centuries exemplifies the importances of convenient materials in interpreting reality through perspective, depth, as well as space within an artworks, as evident in art projects and works by Munir Kaulan himself, dwelling with the multiple facets of beauty beyond the eyes of its beholder.
In a nutshell, Munir Kaulan is an emerging artist with keen passion towards sustainable development goals and materials. His unique styles and strategy to create such immense awareness, working around the clock hand by hand with academic communities inside-out of UiTM Alor Gajah, Melaka has been significant towards the sustenance and well-being aspiration of our 9th Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri through initiatives such as 'Keluarga Malaysia - Malaysian Family (2021)' as well as the DAKEN2021 policy on inclusivity of local community. Munir Kaulan's credibility is acknowledged by 'Gold Awards' through major waste to art competitions such as SWCORP, and his efforts by participating in several CSR mural art projects with city councils and municipal halls marks his unique place as one of the chosen BMS2021 contestant from Melaka.
UiTM Alor Gajah, Melaka is proud to host Munir Kaulan's 'Art on Site' exhibition at G.A.S (Gallery Art Shop). PACAQ is pleased to have him as an active member upon propagating such important message of sustainable development goals through BMS2021 platform for the well-being of Malaysian public.
Keep on Charging!'
MUSADDIQ MOHAMAD KHALIL
Department of Liberal Studies
UiTM Alor Gajah
PACAQ- UITM RIG 2021
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