Virtual art exhibit by Galeri Khazanah
Virtual museums have been on the rise since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, most of them feature herky-jerky navigation that makes it a little hard to actually enjoy art viewing.
Enter Galeri Khazanah, which offers a lifelike gallery experience with Malaysian-centric virtual exhibits and sophisticated walkthroughs with high-definition renderings of artworks.
At the gallery’s latest virtual exhibit, titled Shifting Landscapes: Mapping Space, Time and Memory, everyone can view over 50 artworks by Malaysian artists from their own homes. No maps or directions needed – you can just go on a game-like 360° walkthrough of the exhibit and enjoy the thoughtful stillness of being in a physical gallery, from wherever you are.
How to navigate the virtual art exhibit?
Take as long as you need to wander through Galeri Khazanah’s latest curated exhibit on its website. You can zoom in on artworks, photographs, and artefacts and view details up close in a way that would be almost impossible in a crowded gallery.
Think of it like late-night scrolling, but replace those memes and reels with stunning works of art.
An exhibit with five rooms to explore
This virtual art exhibit spotlights artworks from the Khazanah collection, which has been carefully gathered and preserved since 1994. Pieces on show online explore themes like space, time, memory, and the Malaysian identity, from the perspectives of local artists.
The experience unfolds what it means to be Malaysian through curated artworks exhibited in five virtual rooms, each one crafted to complement the masterpieces it holds.
The Lobby
The Lobby serves as the art exhibition’s prologue.
Here, you’ll be greeted by the works of Latiff Mohidin. His abstract works often feel like the whispers of Malaysia’s jungles and coastlines, suggesting the emotional geography unique to our region.
Also in this room is Fatimah Chik’s Prosperity Series, which revives traditional textile motifs in layered and rhythmic forms. Her artwork resembles a woven memory, echoing patterns found in batik and songket, and speaking to cultural roots that remain steady even as the world changes.
The Traditional House
The Traditional House feels just like a warm kampung house. In the wood-decorated room hangs Ahmad Khalid Yusof’s calligraphic pieces, which intertwine spirituality and structure, feeling like prayers woven into space.
Additionally, Dato Chuah Thean Teng – known as the father of batik painting – depicts everyday Malaysian life using vibrant dyes, turning simple scenes into soulful reflections like in Carrying Durians (1991).
Meanwhile, Two Malay Women (1992) by Redza Piyadasa takes you on a journey through time and memory. The piece dances between personal memory and cultural identity, creating a conversation between the past and the present with a modern twist on how we see and remember our stories.
The Peranakan Room
When it comes to personality, The Peranakan Room bursts with it. As you virtually scroll through, you’ll notice the intricate patterns and lively colours which mirror the visual richness of Peranakan art and architecture.
In Khazanah Twist (2016), Abdul Multhalib Musa turns metal into something that feels almost alive. The tall spiralling form moves your eye upward, twisting like a slow dance frozen in time.
Made from mild steel with a rusted finish, the sculpture plays with contrast, feeling both industrial and organic at once. Inspired by his background in architecture, Multhalib lets intuition lead the way, allowing feeling and flow to shape the work.
The result is a piece that feels dynamic yet calm, inviting you to pause and take it all in.
The Pavilion
The Pavilion shifts the mood from nostalgia towards contemporary thought. Here, the artworks examine society, modernity, and the complexities of identity.
For example, Roub El Hizb 1 (2016) is a powerful presence that blends geometry, movement, and meaning. Built from layered metal, the sculpture curves and shifts as you walk around it, revealing new angles and rhythms with every step.
It draws inspiration from the Islamic Star, Multhalib, transforming a traditional symbol into a modern sculpture that proves how form and faith can meet in unexpected ways.
Similarly, Ahmad Zakii Anwar’s hyperrealistic portraits carry a quiet intensity, as if the subjects are holding unspoken truths.
The Glass Room
In The Glass Room, Works by SC Shekar and Soraya Yusof Talismail explore themes of documentation, identity, and the fragility of memory. A close look at the artworks uncovers the way history and the present live together in bursts of imagination.
One captivating piece is Niranjan Rajah’s conceptual digital work Bahang Panas (2015). The image hums with irony and contemplation as it hints at stories of authority, identity, and the delicate tension of being both within and outside of Kompleks Seri Perdana in Putrajaya.
Learn more about Malaysia’s heritage virtually with Galeri Khazanah
Exploring this virtual art exhibition is like stepping into a beautifully crafted storybook where every page is painted with fragments of Malaysian heritage. It reminds us that history is not just something we inherit but something we participate in.
Above all, it reminds us that culture is alive. It shifts and continues to glow in new forms, and all we need to do is virtually walk in and experience it.
For an even more immersive experience, you can also visit the physical gallery at Seri Negara to view even more artworks.
Find out more about Galeri Khazanah
This post was brought to you by Galeri Khazanah.
Cover image adapted from: Galeri Khazanah