The 2023 exhibition GERAK BAYANG: The Art of Storytelling traced the movement of wayang kulit from shadow theatre into painting, installation and contemporary visual culture.
Presented at Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery, the exhibition brought together 144 works by 39 Malaysian and international artists.
A performance tradition translated across media
The exhibition opened with a performance by master puppeteer Che Mohd Nasir.
Traditional wayang kulit puppets are made from buffalo hide and use costume, colour and silhouette to distinguish characters.
Different Malaysian traditions reflect regional influences, including Thai Patani elements in Wayang Kelantan and Javanese roots in Wayang Jawa.
The stories often draw from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, while puppeteers also introduce current events and contemporary references.
From Nik Zainal Abidin to interactive installation
Artists represented included Nik Zainal Abidin, Long Thien Shih, Loo Foh Sang, Chang Fee Ming, Adeputra and Masnoor Ramli Mahmud.
International participants included Bagong Kussudiardja, Heri Dono, Indieguerillas, Hendra Gunawan and Entang Wiharso.
The works dated from the mid-20th century to the present and showed how the forms, symbols and narratives of shadow theatre had changed through painting and new media.
Interactive pieces included a large Velcro artwork and oversized puzzles intended especially for younger visitors.
GERAK BAYANG presented heritage as a continuing visual system rather than a performance frozen in the past.
By placing historical interpretation beside technology and participation, the exhibition showed how the shadow, puppet and storyteller remain adaptable forms for discussing contemporary life.