Arts On The Move (AOTM) Connecting Culture & Transit

Recently, Think City, an impact organisation to create more sustainable and equitable places, in collaboration with MRT Corporation and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), supported by Yayasan Sime Darby and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), brings you the return of Arts On The Move (AOTM), beginning 14 February at the Pasar Seni MRT Station in Downtown Kuala Lumpur. Launched by YB Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport, the 6-month public arts initiative will showcase a curated range of quality public arts and cultural activities such as live performances, art installations and workshops.

Arts On The Move (AOTM) Connecting Culture & Transit
Opening performance of traditional music and dance by Mah Meri Cultural Village featuring Adiguru Pak Diaman

The launch event held today at the Pasar Seni MRT station featured weaving workshops, performances by the Mah Meri Cultural Village and Sunnyside Up, an art installation by Pamela Tan of Poh Sin Studio.

YB Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport said, “Pasar Seni is a jewel in our rail network system - renowned for being a focal point to explore the history, heritage, culture and food that Downtown Kuala Lumpur has to offer. With Arts On The Move, the rail network can be more than a place where you wait for the next train to arrive. It can be a place where we can help break the monotonous lives most people associate with city-life or working in cities. It is an opportunity to create space for people to envision an urban lifestyle that is vibrant with culture and creative activities whilst still ensuring that it is socially equitable and accessible.”

YB Tuan Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport rings in the launch of Arts On The Move and the 'Sunnyside Up' Artwork Installation with a ceremonial gong strike. From left to right: Suryani Senja Alias, Board Director of Think City, Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim, Chief Executive Officer of MRT Corp, Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City, YB Datuk Haji Hasbi Bin Habibollah, Deputy Minister of Transport, YB Tuan Anthony Loke, Minister of Transport, Dr. Hjh. Yatela Zainal Abidin, Chief Executive Officer of Yayasan Sime Darby and Datin Salida Ibrahim Senior Assistant Secretary for Policy Division (Culture) of Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture (MOTAC)

Arts On The Move (AOTM) was set up in 2016 with the aim of connecting culture via curated arts and cultural activities such as live performances and exhibitions, and the city’s historic core, which is rich in tangible and intangible cultural assets to the rail network system. It was implemented in collaboration with Prasarana at Masjid Jamek LRT Station and supported by Yayasan Hasanah for a duration of two years. This resulted in a diverse arts and culture programming that appealed to the Malaysian audiences and visitors that transited the space.

AOTM returns in 2023, featuring a diverse range of Malaysian artists to reflect on how we move through and have a collective experience of public space. It hopes to contribute to reenergising Downtown Kuala Lumpur with a curated presentation of 12 live shows, three workshops and two art installations at Pasar Seni MRT Station, which transports an average 15,000 commuters daily.

Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City said, “Drawing on Think City’s expertise in culture-based regeneration and the growing potential of creative economy worldwide, we hope to create a focus on the collective cultural experience of the Pasar Seni MRT Station environment, exploring the spaces we travel through every day, in addition to rejuvenating the areas around it. It is one of the key stations in Downtown Kuala Lumpur, and hopefully, we will be able to implement AOTM across the other relevant transit stations too. The celebration of arts in transit stations as alternate public spaces has been successfully done in cities like Singapore, London and New York.”

AOTM is amongst one of the programmes taking place in the city as part of the recommendation from the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Culture Strategic Master Plan, a plan for the development and revitalisation of the cultural and creative industries in Kuala Lumpur that has been incorporated in the DBKL 2040 structure plan. The goal of the plan is to create a vibrant and sustainable district in the city that will attract both local and international visitors, and to foster the growth of the creative and cultural industries in the region.

AOTM will be happening every fortnight from February to June 2023 between 5:00PM to 6:00PM. The programme will feature curated quality performances, art installations and workshops for commuters to enjoy and participate in. The art installation Sunnyside Up will be on display for the next three months. Sunnyside Up hopes to reimagine everyday pedestrian routes and transform them into a unique and enjoyable experience for all.

For more information about AOTM, visit www.thinkcity.com.my or follow us @mythinkcity on all major social media platforms