Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

Seng Yu Jin

In 1981, the Filipino artist and curator Raymundo Albano adopted the expression “Suddenly Turning Visible” to describe the rapid transformation of Manila’s urban landscape. The visibility that Albano evoked was aspirational, driven by a desire for rapid economic growth in which art had a critical role. This catalogue traces this story through three influential art institutions: the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Alpha Gallery in Singapore and the Bhirasri Institute of Modern Art in Bangkok. It presents in rich detail artworks from the period, an anthology of primary documents and interviews with curators, artists and architects, revealing the links between architecture, modern art and the role of institutions in Southeast Asia.

Suddenly Turning Visible: Art and Architecture in Southeast Asia (1969–1989)

Catherine David

Malaysian artist Latiff Mohidin’s life work has been discussed extensively within national and, to some extent, regional frameworks, yet his contribution to global modernism remains understudied. This publication seeks to address this gap, positioning the artist within Berlin art circles of the 1960s as well as the cultural, political and art historical milieus of Southeast Asia. Besides presenting in full colour and rich detail 81 works from Latiff Mohidin’s critically acclaimed Pago Pago series, it also features an anthology of texts that discuss the artist’s painterly and poetic practice. These are further accompanied by an extensive interview with Latiff Mohidin that took place over a two-year period.

Shabbir Hussain Mustafa

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