Haffendi Anuar and Jesse Wine Win Powerhouse Commission
By Sonia Yu
HAFFENDI ANUAR’s winning maquettes for the Powerhouse Commission: Machines for Modern Living (2017).
For his newly commissioned public work, the Kuala Lumpur-based Anuar will take inspiration from Malaysian architecture. The installation will reference pilotis, which are the traditional Malaysian columns that lift buildings above ground or water, and will be the artist’s own representation of the powerhouse’s signature chimneys, alluding also to western Minimalism. Pilotis are an architectural trope that the artist has explored before, such as in his solo exhibition “M13” at Richard Koh Fine Art, which dissected common elements found in Malaysian cityscapes, including pilotis, blocks, gratings and windows.
Anuar is known for creating object-based works that recycle found images, objects and artistic styles from digital and local sources. His artistic practice includes drawing, painting, installation, sculpture and photography and explores the images, icons and architecture associated with progress and modernity in Malaysia, while also creating references to the injection of Western modernism and art history into Asian culture.
Sonia Yu is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.
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