Malaysian artist Ahmad Fuad Osman accuses National Art Gallery of censorship
On February 4, 2020, four artworks by Ahmad Fuad Osman were removed from his solo show at Kuala Lumpur's National Art Gallery due to an anonymous complaint from a board member. The pieces taken down featured a 2002 diptych with 'Missing' posters of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the 2019 triptych titled Dreaming Of Being A Somebody Afraid Of Being A Nobody, the 2004 work Imitating The Mountain, and the installation Mak Bapak Borek, Anak Cucu Cicit Pun Rintik (2016-2018). The areas where these pieces were displayed now sit empty. Fuad expressed his discontent in an open Instagram letter, calling the action 'arbitrary and unjustified,' and demanded the exhibition's closure and a review of NAG's censorship. This situation sparked worries about the state of the arts in Malaysia. The Star covered the story on February 10, 2020.
Key facts
- Four artworks removed from Ahmad Fuad Osman's solo show at National Art Gallery Kuala Lumpur
- Removal occurred on 4 February 2020 after anonymous complaint by a board member
- Removed works include untitled 2002 diptych with 'Missing' posters of Anwar Ibrahim, Dreaming Of Being A Somebody Afraid Of Being A Nobody (2019), Imitating The Mountain (2004), and Mak Bapak Borek, Anak Cucu Cicit Pun Rintik (2016-2018)
- Blank spaces left where artworks were installed
- Fuad posted open letter on Instagram condemning censorship as 'arbitrary, unjustified and an abuse of institutional power'
- All works had been submitted and approved by NAG prior to exhibition
- Fuad requested immediate closure of the exhibition and public discussion
- Incident reported by The Star on 10 February 2020
Entities
Artists
- Ahmad Fuad Osman
Institutions
- National Art Gallery (NAG) Kuala Lumpur
- The Star
Locations
- Kuala Lumpur
- Malaysia