ENSO – An Exciting Interactive Experience at D.A.G, KL

Gone are the days when art galleries and exhibition only serve to house paintings and sculptures. These days, there is a new kind of art currently rocking the scene. Digital art which consists of installations, interactive exhibits, and more are growing in popularity as we move into the tech era. However, in Malaysia, it can be expensive for digital and new media artists to set up their work as these pieces often involve quite a bit of technical parts.

Enter D.A.G (Digital Art Gallery), a space equipped with facilities and resources for digital art exhibition. This collaboration between Filamen and Kedai KL is transforming the local art scene as they provide a platform for digital media designers to exhibit and produce their own show, without worrying on the hassle of technical setups.

The latest exhibition organised by Digital Art Gallery is helmed by none other than a group of students from The One Academy. Themed ENSO, a Japanese word that means the circle of life; the exhibition symbolises the start and the end of living things, from the day we are born till we die following which our life keeps looping like a circle.

The four exhibits produced by a group of graphic design and digital media design students are ‘Miniscule Beauty’ by Glasses Gengz, ‘Tongues Tied’ by The A Game, ‘Kelip-Kelip’ by Kelip and ‘Memento Mori’ by Amanita.

With each piece symbolising a phase of life, the showcase was run chronologically with ‘Miniscule Beauty’ kicking off the almost month-long exhibition. This inspiring installation was all about creating life from the littlest of things, a cell.

Next came ‘Tongues Tied’ – this innovative installation was inspired by the scenario where the elite people above are trying to silence the voice of others. It symbolises a journey into the suppression of voices and ideas.

The current installation on exhibit is ‘Kelip-Kelip’, a stunning piece conceptualised using lights to represent a sense of togetherness and efficient communication in society. This exhibit aims to show that twinkling lights are an important symbol of communication.

The exhibition will come to a close on 19 December with the final installation ‘Memento Mori’. This piece showcases what life after death would look like from different perspectives.

In an interview with a few of the designers behind this project, they recounted the journey behind ENSO and how their hard work had paid off brilliantly.

Alden Chia, a member of team ‘Glasses Gengz’ recalled how the entire experience was exhausting and stressful but left him truly happy and proud of the outcome. “I think I can say that many students that have taken part in this exhibition has learned an extra thing or two about running exhibitions and managing expectations”, he said.

The pandemic has definitely affected all industries and the art and design sector was not spared either. Benjamin Chang of team ‘The A Game’ elaborated on the challenges of learning during the pandemic and producing a fully physical installation. “One major challenge prepping for the exhibition was definitely preparing a physical installation remotely. We were all working over the internet from home because of the lockdown, and that made collaborating and communicating a much more challenging task”, said Benjamin.

Technical work was also tough as any issues that arise delayed their production time. Regardless the obstacles faced, the four teams pulled through to produce an awe-inspiring showcase.

Projects like these are golden nuggets of learning as they allow the students to gain practical knowledge and in-depth insight of their chosen field. Christen Chong, a member of the teams behind ENSO imparted valuable advice for future young creatives.

She advised hopefuls to plan out the exhibition and always have a back-up plan ready. “You should have a Plan B in case something suddenly happens and ruins your Plan A. You can’t just leave your exhibition hanging and wait for someone to solve it for you”, she advises.

For those who have not yet visited the D.A.G to check out ENSO, there is still time from now till the 19th of December! Make your way to hottest interactive experience in town and experience the magic for yourself. Admission fee is RM8 and attendees can visit the exhibition from 11am – 6pm.

The One Academy is committed to providing the best art education programmes and continues to nurture its students passionately through its “Masters Train Masters” coaching philosophy, which has been practised for over three decades, by providing diploma and degree courses namely Advertising & Graphic Design, Digital Animation, Digital Media Design, Film Visual Effects, Interior Architecture & Design, Illustration, Fine Arts and Paris Fashion Design & Pattern Making. For more information on The One Academy, visit www.toa.edu.my or call +603-7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected].