Tag: Sang Nabil Utama

Bangunlah Ketam Gergasi!

~ The Koboi Project

After invoking the spirit of the Pokok Pauh Janggi puppet the performance (see performance notes) proceeds as follows. Koboi hands the Giant Crab puppet to Sang Nabil Utama who raises it and shows it to the audience, moving the legs. Koboi utters –

Al-salam ‘aleikum!
Hei sahabat-ku Mambang Tali Harus,
Yang berulang ka pusat tasek Pauh Janggi,
Sampeikan-lah pesan-ku ini,
Bangunkan Jambalang Ketam Gergasi!

Peace be upon you!
Hey my friend the Spirit of the currents (water),
Who tos-and-fros to the pusat tasek Pauh Janggi,
Realize this request of mine,
Raise the Giant Crab!

Sang Nabil Utama turns crab around to show color and pierces it into the banana stem.

Di Antara Saudara Mara

~ The Koboi Project

The Koboi Project thanks Sang Nabil Utama and Hamzah Yazd for their contribution to the performance/ exhibitions Dari Pusat Tasek at Percha Artspace, Lumut, Perak, 2019 and Pokok Pauh Janggi at Kapallorek Artspace in Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak, 2023).

Pokok Pauh Janggi runs from 5th Aug – 30th Sept 2023 at the Kapallorek Artspace in Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak.

https://www.facebook.com/percha.artspace/

https://www.kapallorek.com/my/

Dari Pusat Tasek 30

~ The Koboi Project ~ Leave a comment

In the Dari Pusat Tasek performance, I was assisted by Sang Nabil Utama who is musician, sound engineer, sonologist and a committed Malay culture activist. We were introduced by Azizan Paiman the afternoon before the event at which time we first discussed the underlying ideas and possible controversies of the performance. We refined and rehearsed the performance that night, and went on to execute the event the next afternoon (25 Dec 2019).

This intervention in the public space of the Lumut Waterfront, which was based on a Perak Malay cleansing ritual, was grounded and given poignancy by the fact that Sang Nabil Utama is a native orang Perak. It was also great working with Nabil as he showed great sensitivity to my approach and generously offered his own ideas about Malay ritual form in a way that brought the best out of the performance.

Dari Pusat Tasek 8

~ The Koboi Project

The Dari Pusat Tasek exhibition runs at Percha Artspace, Lumut Waterfront till 5 Jan 2020 (EXTENDED TILL 19 JAN 2020). The gallery presents the Koboi Balik Kampung Series as well as a record or residue of the Dari Pusat Tasek performance that took place on the 25 Dec 2019. This performance stems from the 12th series of the koboi project that carries the same name and which is based on two images. The first of these is a shot of the Koboi standing at the base of a 35 ft elections hoarding of Malaysian prime minister in waiting, Awar Ibrahim at Kampung Indian Settlement, Batu Caves. It is titled Naan Anaiyttal.

Hanging in the Percha gallery is a t-shirt bearing the second image titled Rockin Cowboy. This is the t-shirt worn by Sang Nabil Utama during the performance at the Lumut Waterfront. This is a shot of the koboi outside the Rockin Cowboy Western store on Broadway, Vancouver. This is where I got my hat, boots and shirts  for the first Koboi performance at the National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur in 2013. I bought one black and one white version of the Rockmount Classic Sawtooth Western  shirt. The white shirt is now in the collection of the National Art Gallery. Since then, I have acquired much of my gear for the Koboi Project at the Rockin Cowboy. In the photo with me are Dave Lawr and Danny Kresnyak from the store.