Page 24 - 2023 eMag Final Draft

2 CULTURAL
LOCATIONS
IN IN MALaYSIA
The Borneo Cultures Museum is
a tribute to the extensive history and
diverse cultures of the island of Borneo
and is situated in Sarawak, the heart
of Borneo. It is the largest museum in
Malaysia. With its plethora of exhibits
and artifacts, it serves as a gold mine of
knowledge and history.
The Borneo Cultures Museum is a
modern five-story building with a
distinctive architectural design that is
based on Sarawak’s unique traditional
crafts and rich cultural traditions. On
level one, the auditorium and function
rooms turn the museum into a vibrant
venue for social and cultural exchange.
The museum houses four exhibition
galleries. The first exhibit is a Children’s
gallery themed “Love Our Rivers”
which emphasises on sustainability and
also provides an interactive learning
Photography provided by the
Borneo Cultures Museum
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Jointly reported by:
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environment for children. The second
exhibit “In Harmony with Nature”
illustrates the relationship between the
indigenous tribes with their natural
environment using immersive and
multisensory experiences.
The “Time Changes” exhibition on
level four focuses on education and
showcases archaeological discoveries
and findings within Sarawak. It displays
Sarawak’s history, spanning from the
prehistoric era to modern times. Finally,
the museum displays its masterpieces on
level five. The “Objects of Desire” gallery
is home to over 1000 artefacts, offering
visitors the opportunity to appreciate
the artefacts’ artistic beauty. This gallery
showcases artefacts that epitomise
exquisite craftsmanship, possessing
designs believed to hold divine powers
and symbolising social status.
The admission fees for the museum are
quite affordable. It would take about 3 to 4
hours to completely explore the museum,
giving a fully immersive experience to
both local and foreign visitors.
Isaac Lim Ee Chen Jr3Z(3)
Jess Khoo Sr2ScA
“This was the place where we had our
first date.”
Stepping into a realm where the boundaries
between dream and reality blur into an awe-
inspiring tapestry of modern wonders, an ambience
of artistic serenity fills the gaps between each piece
and person’s mind.
Urban Museum (UR-MU) is a quirky
contemporary art museum hidden away in the
bohemian sector in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, its
modern design standing out from the run-down neighbourhood around it. Spanning
five floors, each floor contains artworks of different themes, including Sens-Asia, People,
Kampung Kita, Power Play, Raksasa (Monster), Superheros, Framing Modernity,
Structure, Made’s Garden and Sculpture Lounge. One of the more distinctive sections
is the roof-top sculpture garden, a Balinese garden to commemorate the late landscape
maestro from Bali, Pak Made Wijaya.
The museum consists of various As a side note, this is the place where
mediums of artwork such as canvas one of the interviewed visitors (a friend of
paintings, embossed wood prints, the writers) had their first date with a recent
sculptures, photography, videography, ex. They expressed a sense of nostalgia as
architectural designs and even vintage it’d been more than a year since they’d step
toys. The displayed artworks are regional, foot in the museum.
eclectic and convey some of the aspirations
and moods of the recent era. Works from “My life and professional journey
the collector’s architectural journey form has given me periods in Australia,
an important part of this collection, Indonesia (in particular Bali), Thailand,
showcasing more than 100 artworks in a Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and
single museum. Sri Lanka and so I have works from
these countries. I’ve found art to be a
UR-MU poses a stark distinction wonderful expression of the culture,
and contrast in comparison to traditional context and times that I’ve lived in. So
Malaysian museums, placing both local in that sense, my collection is the story
and foreign modern works of art upon a of who I was and who I am”
-Dr Tan Loke Mun, Founder of UR-MU
pedestal for all to admire.
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