Bakat Muda Sezaman 29: When It Still Means Something by Amir Amin

The winners of Bakat Muda Sezaman 29 were just announced.

And every time this happens, the same question quietly comes back.

Does BMS still matter?

Because depending on who you ask, the answers can be quite different.

Some see it as a legacy platform.

Something that used to mean more.

Others still see it as one of the few spaces where younger artists can really push themselves. Not just visually, but conceptually, physically, mentally.

And I think this year, it still shows its relevance.

(Photo credit: Balai Seni Negara)

Norfatihah Yusof took the main award with Unharvested Futures: Voices of The Field. A work that doesn’t just sit in a space, but engages directly with it. With people. With context. With reality.

And that, to me, is where things get interesting.

Because if you look at the list of winners, there’s a noticeable thread.

Works that are not just about form, but about presence. About negotiation with site, with community, with situation.

One of them is Khairul Ehsani Sapari.

I’ve known Kerol for a while. And I’ve seen how seriously he approached this which you can read further here.

Not just in terms of making a work, but in questioning what it means to make one in the first place.

Which, I think, is what BMS should be about.

Not just producing something to show.

But allowing the process to challenge you. Interrupt you. Shift the work entirely.

Because at its best, BMS is not just a competition especially since the shift to Seni di Lokasi in 2021.

BMS is a pressure point.

A space where ideas are tested. Where assumptions are questioned. Where artists are forced to confront their own position within the work.

And maybe that’s why it still matters.

Not because of the prize.

Not even because of the recognition.

But because for some artists, it becomes a moment where something clicks.

Or shifts.

Or starts.

And of course, this year’s edition closes with its winners. Norfatihah Yusof takes the Anugerah Utama, alongside Juror Awards for Aiman Yusri Mohamad Yusoff, Khairul Ehsani Sapari, Muhammad Ismail Rahim, and Lim Xiao Mun & Helmi Azam Tajul Urus.

But like any BMS, the real question is what happens next...

(Photo credit: Balai Seni Negara)

Comments

You Suck! So You Should Stop Being An Artist by Khairul Ehsani Sapari

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Critical Reflection: On Khairul Ehsani Sapari’s 'Where Your Dreams Come to Die (But, Hey, It’s All About the Journey, Right?)' by Amir Amin

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Malaysian 'CONTEMPORARY ART' Problems by Oshinobi お忍び

Nowadays, almost every fine artists and craftsmen in Malaysia uses the word 'contemporary art' to describe their artworks. Sure, 'contemporary' is a pretty sweet candy, like a fondant topping on top of a regular looking cake, used to attract possible buyers and admirers. Liam Gillick, an influential art critic accused the word for having an excessive usefulness. You can say that it is in the same category as strong words like 'organic' or 'premium'. A marketing ploy. But, what is 'contemporary art' anyway? Why is it becoming such a strong and popular word to advertise almost everything? And why our collective believe that contemporary art is facing many problems in Malaysia? First, let’s have a look at the linguistic meaning of that word. Artworks made by students of UiTM last year. In your opinion, which is more suitable to be given the classification of ‘contemporary art’? The Confusion in the Meaning of the Word In Oxford Dictionary, ...

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