In the post-election high of 2018, Malaysia: Rebirth was the theme of Publika’s annual art show featuring 80 artists paying tribute to our nation’s journey, lessons, and aspirations. Amidst the many hopeful depictions of new Malaysia, one artwork caught our eye as well as that of local art blogger Art KL-itique who called it “the exception and only outstanding work” of the exhibition.
<HRÐİ_01_mïNd$W€Ép3R> is a pixel-perfect replication of the classic Microsoft Minesweeper on painted wooden assemblage. No doubt inducing millennial nostalgia with the 90s reference – a nod to the high young voter turnout that year – the artwork leans heavy into symbolism, with numbers and icons charting the end of a 55-year long ‘game’ wherein a new start is just a button click away.
Deliberately referencing 55 years since the formation of Malaysia (with the inclusion of Sabah and Sarawak) in 1963 over the more widely celebrated independence of Malaya in 1957, the artwork is a statement that true unity can only exist once we embrace our diversity. Despite the deceased pixel emoji, it’s a positive message inviting the rakyat to learn from our past and affirm this new chapter with strategic ambition and optimism for the future.
In Sliz’s own words, “It took us 9 years [starting from 2008’s general elections] to have the courage to embrace our differences and harness our strength in diversity to fight back against a corrupt government, where we were made to believe in a deceptive ‘oneness’ that doesn’t exist. But by understanding and acknowledging the mistakes that detonated us, we can click on the sad face to turn it into a smiling one, and start over”.