The first time

Malaysia is experiencing a massive push for innovation, which is also the case in art.
La Biennale di Venezia is the most important international event for contemporary art. Every two years, dozens and dozens of countries create their National Pavilion in Venice to show the best of their country's artistic production from the last period.

However, Malaysia never had a pavilion... or at least, not until 2019! That year Malaysia created its pavilion, showing the world that the country's cultural complexity is a great resource. The curator was Lim Wei-Ling, and the pavilion, entitled Holding Up a Mirror, was a discourse on the encounter between identity and change, myth and history, local context and internationality.

Painting, video, sound, installations and much more animated this pavilion. We have told you this brief story because we hope those who visit that wonderful land will have the chance to seek out the galleries and artists' studios that keep contemporary culture alive. And we hope that the Malaysia Pavilion returns many times to the Venice Biennale, the sacred temple of art. Look for it if you go.