UiTM Melaka: 'Serangga Seni SDG' Public Art Project - The Bigger Picture

 

Figure 1: Artworks exhibited outdoor during 'Serangga Seni SDG' Public Art Project

On 2nd August 2022, giant insects sieged the main entrance of UiTM Melaka. The 'Serangga Seni SDG' Public Art Project was curated by Dr Sharmiza Abu Hassan. Initially as a pedagogy project for fine art students semester 04, through one of their major sculpture and fabrication subject.

Together as mentors of the subject Dr Rosli Zakaria, Mohd Ali Azraie Bebit, as well as fine art department lecturers from UiTM Melaka facilitated the Art Project. Participated by 78 students and 78 sculptural artworks, the outdoor art project was interestingly phenomenal.

After almost 2 years having online education through Open Distance Learning (ODL), this semester the students came to experience the studios and workshops. Laying their hands on materials and techniques which were beyond  access previously during the pandemics, which sparked progress towards their preparation, process, as well as artworks output produced. 

Initially they exhibited at the Reform: Post-Pandemic Sculpture Exhibition which took part at UiTM Melaka Art Gallery on 26 July 2022, as part of the process before these artworks were taken outdoor for its practical purpose to be experience on a larger scale audience, as public artworks of 'Serangga Seni SDG'.

'Serangga Seni SDG' translated as 'SDG Art Insects', a project curated by Dr Sharmiza to establish the expertise of High-End TVET programs and subjects especially in Fine Arts from UiTM Melaka. The experience performs as a platform to engage the students through practical process which they will participate outside in the near future. Public Art projects has been one of the key genres which suggest sustainability towards the community, especially one which aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provided by United Nations worldwide. 

Figure 2: Event coverage by Borak Arca (Dr Rosli Zakaria) and participants engaging in Art Happenings

In the cannons of art history, animal and insects were consumed as cultural symbolisation as well as subjects of artworks. These organic fauna subjects are evident since prehistoric art, on the wall drawings of Altamira and Lascaux, Spain and France, respectively C 30 000BC years ago. Their natural existence attracts and anticipates the communities and their cultural beliefs. 

The Ancient Egyptians worshipped the Scarab Beetle or known as the 'Dung Beetle' (Scarabeus Sacer) which symbolise manifestations of the Sun at its birth called 'Khepri'. The Golden Scarab also represents resurrection of the afterworld, throughout the eternal cycle of its revolving ball identical to its nature. 

The Greeks believed that Bee's were a symbol of purity and cleanliness, which were associated to poets and poetry. The structure of the Bee hives were in favouring of the classical greeks ideals of proportion, order, harmony/balance. They attributed the King (Know-Known as Queen)  Bee as immortals which reproduce on its own without mating, even Aristotle remarks about Bee's and other insects in his biological text 'Historia Animalium', translated as History of Animals.

In the Malay society and culture, insects are popularly used as proverbs mostly to represent good moral and ethics of the collective community, motifs and patterns also take place in crafts and architectural representations of denaturalised as well as stylised forms. 

SDG is an acronym which represents 'Sustainable Development Goal' which were introduced by the United Nations as an agenda plan of action for people, planet, and prosperity, an initiative to transform our world towards a universal sustainable population of peace and freedom approaching 2030. 

In Malaysia the strategic planning is also known as 'Wawasan Kemakmuran 2030', or translated as Vision of Prosperity 2030 Agenda. 

'Serangga Seni SDG' aims to fulfil 3 SDG indicator Goals which are SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), as well as SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). These goals can be conceptualised and materialised through process of art makings.

Figure 3: Participants Experiencing the Art Happenings and Insects Invading the Areas

Art as a sustainable solution towards the community. The materials engaged towards the preparation, process, and produce of these artworks are acquired from scrap metals as well as industrial byproducts. 

The idea was to transform these materials which bares no purpose through its existence within the community into artworks which speaks a different value and message beyond its initial materialised purpose. Ideas on awareness do happens along the way, however the pivotal part was to bring these awareness into conceptualise drawings and materialised forms of artworks which could move its audience towards the bigger picture of art, artist, and sustainable development goals within the whole community. 

From a pedagogical approach in teaching and learning, these artworks are brought outdoor celebrating its creative existence, on a whole new language of Public Art and Happenings.

'Serangga Seni SDG' project through its scale and visibility within its designated parameters creates public awareness one which depicts the recipe of Art-on-Site, a contemporary approach to celebrate the inclusivity of artworks and audience, rather than its exclusiveness as witness conventionally inside galleries and museums.

The Art Project coverage is not limited within its designated parameters, however further extends through online collaboration and coverage from 'Borak Arca', a sculptural  show popularly celebrated by the Malaysian Sculpture Art Scene, hosted by celebrated Sculptor artist Dr Rosli Zakaria as seen in figure 2. This process witness the ability and capacity of technology in engaging community art projects such as 'Serangga Seni SDG' outside to other viewers locally as well as globally in the South East Asia region.

Hanif Omar a lecturer from Graphic Design, also  participates by his visual documentation approach using Drones to capture the whole process throughout the multiple angle views and visual documentation parameters which were not accessible previously using the conventional camera methods.

The Happenings took part as shown in figure 2 and 3. The participant express themselves through the gestural moves and dance happening real-time at the designated space, within the given durational time.

The celebration of experience and excitements are conceptualised through manifestation of gestural ideas on movement as well as insect artworks, metamorphosing the pivotal roles of insects towards the ecosystem we find ourselves. Nature has always been the model, mentor, and measure of our existence in this world. 

The cross-pollination process brought by wind and insects ensures the sustainability of our existence in this world. In a 2009 study by Gallei et. al, entitled "Economic Valuation of the Vulnerability of World Agriculture Confronted to Pollinator Decline", reported such significance:

"The total economic value of pollination worldwide amounted to Euro 153 Billion, which represented 9.5% of the value of world agricultural production used for human food in 2005 alone" 

Hence, these tiny creations does sparks major significance towards our future existence as well as 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, as represented in 'Serangga Seni SDG' Art Project, highlighting the role of SDG4, SDG11, and SDG12 indicators through art making respectively.

Figure 4: Artworks are Juxtaposed into their Wild Nature

In the approach of Art Appreciation. The formation of these sculptural forms are apparently improvised into organic (fauna) shapes which appears as depiction of insects through is biomorphical shapes and sizes. These insect forms are executed through a larger scale to capture an alarming message towards how organic nature are interrelated one way or another with humankind. The pandemics which we confronted such as SARS and COVD-19 are results from our less sensitivity towards organic nature especially these small insects.

Industrial materials are used as raw material upon interpreting the formations of these artworks. The rawness of steel, iron, copper, chains, rivets, as well as other byproducts depicts a paradox between the biological nature of these insects which are small and soft, as to the crudeness of industrial byproducts which are strong as well as sturdy. These interplay between the nature and nurtured forms suggest our negligence and insensitivity towards our ecological being, which will and have soon impacted us in so many wonders.

The technique exemplified in articulating sculptural forms in figure 4 are represented meticulously through the selection and specification of material being articulated from non-living products into biomorphic organic forms. The proportions of each compartments of limbs connected establishes the high skills and practice their makers have put effort upon. Some mundane objects such as wrench and kitchen wares are apparently seen being transforms into new formation which metamorphoses its final objective form    

Content meanings of these artworks are clearly re-interpreted through its organic forms. The position these insects are captured in 3 Dimensional forms, portrays the ambiguous situation experience by its maker during pandemics, where clarity on information and direction were at stakes through the changing norms and regulations placed upon everyone especially the education and economic sector. These insect forms were magnified through its size and raw material to highlight a possible direction of certainty and clarity of the SDG indicators goals as response from 'Serangga Seni SDG' Art Projects. Such as SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), as well as SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)   

In a nutshell, 'Serangga Seni SDG' metamorphose the importance of Sustainable Development Goals through preparation, process, as well as produce of Art Making. The Art Project conceptualised and materialised these awareness through selected Goal Indicators SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), as well as SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) in a whole new level from pedagogical theory knowledge to public art practice, inclusively encapsulating as well as extending towards the bigger picture of the public's awareness. Everyone is Invited to Experience the Art Project at UiTM Melaka!

PACAQ is honoured to have Dr Sharmiza Abu Hassan, Dr Rosli Zakaria, and Mohd Ali Azraie Bebit working hand by hand as permanent member in sharing experience, thoughts, as well as guidance in areas related to Public Art in Malaysia's rapidly developing art scene.

'Keep on Charging!'

MUSADDIQ MOHAMAD KHALIL

Department  of Liberal Studies

UiTM Alor Gajah

PACAQ- UITM RIG 2022