Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	KUALA LUMPUR  
Tarikh/Date 	: 	25/09/96 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF 
			`MALAYSIAN ART - CONTEMPORARY 
			PAINTING & TRADITIONAL ADORNMENT` 



     1.    I feel particularly pleased to be present here
    today to officiate at the opening of this Exhibition
    entitled,  `Malaysian Art - Contemporary Painting  &
    Traditional  Adornment', organised by  the  Malaysia
    Tourism  Promotion Board with the active support  of
    the National Art Gallery and the National Museum  of
    Malaysia.

     2.   On exhibition today are 17 paintings in various
    media   and   styles  and  a  number  of  sculptures
    representing  the  vibrant art  scene  in  Malaysia.
    Accompanying  these  works, you  will  also  see  an
    exquisite collection of jewelry and adornments, many
    of  them  in  gold, embedded with gem-stones,  which
    reflect  the  filigree and fine work found  in  such
    traditional  Malaysian crafts.  The exhibition  also
    presents   a  selection  of  traditional   Malaysian
    textiles  which  reflect various indigenous  motifs.
    To  give you an idea of the intricacies involved  in
    the  creation of our famous gold-threaded  "songket"
    or  brocade textile, you will also be able to  view,
    over  the  entire  duration of  this  exhibition,  a
    master weaver of this fabric at work, brought to New
    York  for this occasion from the Malaysian State  of
    Terengganu.   Although presented on a  small  scale,
    this   exhibition  encapsulates  the  life,  spirit,
     culture and heritage of Malaysia.  I feel proud that
    today  we are able to present an exhibition such  as
    this  to the American public for the first time here
    in  New  York  City.  I understand  that  a  similar
    exhibition   had   previously  been   presented   at
    Pasadena, California in 1988.

     3.    Malaysia,  as you know, is a  melting  pot  of
    different  races,  religions  and  cultures.   These
    elements  are reflected not only in the daily  lives
    of  the  Malaysian people but also in  the  culture,
    arts  and heritage of Malaysia.  You would therefore
    see  in  the works on exhibition here traces of  the
    rich and varied cultural background of our people.

     4.    In recent years, the rapid economic growth  in
    Malaysia  has triggered an upsurge in various  forms
    of  creative  activity  in  the  country.   Economic
    prosperity  has  led to a growing  appreciation  and
    pride  in  the arts.  Malaysians today are beginning
    to  spend  more  time  and money  in  acquiring  and
    enjoying  the  intrinsic  beauty  and  richness   of
    Malaysia's own art and crafts.

     5.   There have been rather spectacular developments
    especially in the area of Malaysian art.   With  the
    higher prices that they are able to secure for their
    works, many artists have now decided to become full-
    time  artists.   Consequently,  we  now  witness  an
    increase  both in quantity and quality  of  artistic
    creations.   Keeping pace with this  development  is
    the  increase  in  the  number of  art  exhibitions.
    Hardly  a week passes without the opening of one  or
    more  exhibitions  in  Kuala  Lumpur,  the  nation's
    capital, Penang or in the other major cities in  the
    country. Even the different States seem to be racing
    to establish State art and cultural galleries and to
    acquire artistic works and cultural items for  these
    galleries.   Private galleries have also mushroomed.
    There  is also increasing support for Malaysian  art
    from   private  corporations.   They  have   started
    acquiring  art  works for their own collections  and
     are  now more ready to sponsor at exhibitions  since
    it  gives them a "cultural image" which they want to
    project.   In addition, Malaysian art has  also  hit
    the  international arena.  Over the last few  years,
    international  auction houses like "Christie's"  and
    "Sotheby's"  have also started auctioning  Malaysian
    paintings.   This  has no doubt contributed  to  the
    growing  acquisition of Malaysian art both  for  its
    aestetic  value  and also as a form  of  investment.
    Having said this, I hope that you will enjoy the art
    works  that are on display here since they represent
    some  of  the  finest pieces by  some  of  our  best
    artists.

     6.    The  Malaysia  Tourism  Promotion  Board,  the
    National  Art  Gallery and the  National  Museum  of
    Malaysia all deserve our compliments for the efforts
    that  they  have  made to organise  this  small  but
    splendid  exhibition.   To those  of  the  Permanent
    Mission  of  Malaysia, I must also  add  my  thanks.
    Despite  the  busy  work that  the  Mission  is  now
    engaged  in,  it has still found time to  assist  in
    making available this space and also in assisting to
    make  this Exhibition a success.  Malaysian Missions
    in other parts of the world should also emulate this
    and in their own small way help to promote Malaysian
    art  and  crafts  and,  most importantly,  the  warm
    Malaysian image.

     7.   I hope that this exhibition will create greater
    awareness and appreciation in New York City  and  in
    the   United  States  of  the  charm  and  character
    inherent in Malaysian paintings and adornments.   We
    would  be  happy  if  this  exhibition  stirs   your
    curiosity and interest to visit Malaysia to  explore
    for  yourself not just our arts but also  everything
    else that Malaysia has to offer.  I am sure that you
    wll be charmed by the welcome that will await you in
    Malaysia.

     8.   While we are embarking with solid determination
    to  make  Malaysia a developed nation  by  the  year
    2020,  this  goal  should not be  focussed  just  on
    materialistic  advance.  We must not lose  sight  of
    our  culture  and our heritage.  Because,  a  nation
    without  a  culture  or a heritage  is  like  a  man
    without a soul.

     9.    It  is now my most pleasant task to officially
    declare open this Exhibition.

 
 



 
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