Large retrospective of avant-garde artist Jean Tinguely to open in Amsterdam |
- Large retrospective of avant-garde artist Jean Tinguely to open in Amsterdam
- Chong Wei only one left in Japan Open
- Asian girls’ U-19 squash champ Sivasangari completes loop
- Don’t stop, never give up, says Paralympics coach
- A joyful new home for Peter Hoe at The Row
- Upin & Ipin turn singing sensation
| Large retrospective of avant-garde artist Jean Tinguely to open in Amsterdam Posted: 24 Sep 2016 06:32 PM PDT
The Stedelijk Museum has had a dynamic history with the artist through his past experimental exhibitions: Tinguely notably participated in the traveling group shows "Bewogen Beweging" (1961) and "Dylaby" (1962) during the 1960s.
"Machine Spectacle," which opens on October 1, is the largest exhibition dedicated to the artist in a Dutch museum, featuring over a hundred machine-sculpture hybrids, as well as films, photographs, drawings, early wire sculptures and archival materials. The presentation emphasises Tinguely's mechanized pandemonium and his imaginative playfulness, both often expressed on a monumental scale.
Collaboration was integral to Tinguely's career. He worked extensively with artists like Daniel Spoerri and Yves Klein, as well as his wife and fellow artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The visual survey concludes with an unforgettable finale: an outsized, unnerving memento mori entitled "Mengele-Totentanz" (1986).
The piece is a haunting symbol of destruction; the wreckage evoked for the artist the sinister horror of Nazi concentration camps. — AFP-Relaxnews  |
| Chong Wei only one left in Japan Open Posted: 24 Sep 2016 06:30 PM PDT
He will meet Jan O Jorgensen today after the Dane beat Son Wan Ho 21-14, 21-19 in the semifinals yesterday. Chong Wei didn't break a sweat against Germany's Marc Zwiebler, beating him 21-14, 21-15 in 42 minutes. The Olympic silver medallist first beat Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana (21-14, 21-13), then China's Qiao Bin (21-8, 21-16) and Shi Yuqi (21-12, 21-12) before defeating Zwiebler. Other Malaysians hopeful of making the finals were mixed doubles pair, Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying. Their campaign, however, ended prematurely in the semifinals yesterday. They succumbed to South Korean top seeds, Ko Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na, losing 21-14, 21-18 in 36 minutes. China's seventh seed mixed doubles pair Zheng Siwei-Chen Qingchen will meet the Koreans tomorrow in the final thanks to a 21-11, 21-19 win over compatriots Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong in the semifinals. Second and third seed women's singles players Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) and Ratchanok Intanon's (Thailand) challenge also ended with defeats to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi (21-11, 23-21) and China's He Bingjiao (22-20, 14-21, 24-22) respectively. Earlier, Malaysia's men's doubles shuttlers Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong lost to China's unseeded Huang Kaixiang-Wang Yilyu (23-21, 21-12) in the second round while women's doubles pair Vivian Hoo Kah Mun-Woon Khe Wei lost to Danish duo Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl in the quarterfinals (20-22, 23-21, 21-14). |
| Asian girls’ U-19 squash champ Sivasangari completes loop Posted: 24 Sep 2016 06:22 PM PDT
Having won the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-17 titles previously, Sivasangari ousted Satomi Watanabe of Japan 11-8, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9 in 44 minutes. "I want to thank my coach Ong Beng Hee," were the first words Sivasangari uttered on wrapping up the win. "After the third game, Beng Hee said I wasn't controlling the rallies enough. He told me to slow the game down and it worked," said Sivasangari. "Winning the Under-19 is the highest level I have attained and so I am extremely pleased. To add icing on the cake I won in front of my family," she added. Out of the six titles at stake, Malaysia garnered four. Sisters Aira and Aifa Azman won the girls' Under-13 and Under-15 categories. Aira dispatched Kirstie Wong Po Yui of Hong Kong in 27 minutes 13-11, 11-9, 11-6. Elder sister Aifa had a slightly harder time but managed to prevail against another Hong Kong player Chan Sin Yuk 14-12, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5 in 46 minutes. "I'm glad I won as it's my first time," said Aira. "Now I'm looking towards competing in the British Juniors next year," said Aira. Aifa, who is the defending champion, was down 7-0 in the first game but clawed her way back. "While down 7-0 in the first game I refused to give in. In my mind I felt if I lost it I might have lost the match," said Aifa. "I want to thank my family and my sister for cheering vociferously for me. It helped me get through the game," revealed Aifa. In an all-Malaysian final in the boys' Under-15, sixth seed Danial Nurhaqiem Sharul Izham beat top seed Muhammad Amir Amirul Azhar 14-12, 11-6, 11-8. Danial hopes to be a professional player having switched from badminton four years ago at the behest of an uncle. This is his first international title. "In my last tournament, Penang Juniors, I lost to Duncan Lee in the semifinals and became depressed for a while," said Danial. "I promised my parents I will do well in this tournament and it feels great to see all that hard work come to fruition." In other games, girls' Under-17 fourth seed Lai Wen Li lost 7-11, 6-11, 6-11 to top seed Lui Hui Lam of Hong Kong in 26 minutes, while Andrik Lim the top seed in the boys' Under-13 lost to second seed Assad Ullah of Pakistan 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 in 24 minutes. The final match of the championships was the boys' Under-19 in which Jordan's Mohammad Al-Sarraj, who beat Ng Eain Yow on Friday, lost a 56-minute contest to India's Velavan Senthilkumar, the second seed. Senthilkumar won in five games 14-12, 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 7-11. |
| Don’t stop, never give up, says Paralympics coach Posted: 24 Sep 2016 06:16 PM PDT
The games, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, is constantly on Latif's mind as he hopes to be a part of the Malaysian contingent. At the welcome home ceremony on Thursday, Latif expressed his desire to participate in the Games and he also wants to break the national record of 7.88m set by Sabahan Josbert Tinus in 2007 at the Thailand SEA Games. Latif's coach, Mohd Syahrul Amri Suhaimi, believes his ambition and determination to succeed is the qualities that will make him shine. "He is a special boy and the fact he isn't satisfied with a gold medal from the Paralympics is just amazing," he said. "It is true sportsmanship at its best to continue to better yourself even if you are already the best in the world. "There is no doubt he will be able to match and even break the national record, but first we must get him into the SEA Games. He has already qualified on merit, so we will have to wait and see," Syahrul said. Latif broke his own record three times at the Rio Paralympics and finished off with a jump of 7.60m on the fifth attempt for gold, setting a new world record. Ziyad also broke the shot put world record with a throw of 16.84m for the gold medal. "Training for the SEA Games will be double the intensity," admitted Syahrul. "Hopefully, we get the opportunity to train in Germany again like in February." National Paralympic athletics head coach R. Jeganathan also expressed his desire to see the duo compete in the next SEA Games. "They have proven they are capable of accomplishing great things. We believe they deserve to be in the contingent," he said. "We are still in discussions and we haven't had a chance to meet up with them as they need time to rest." Former Paralympians such as bronze medallist Siow Lee Chan and two-time bronze medallist Mariappan Perumal said Latif's desire to break the national record was commendable. "Nothing is stopping him," said Lee Chan. "He has proven himself to be a champion," the 45-year-old said. Former Paralympic powerlifter Mariappan is also happy for Latif and Ziyad and he believes they have what it takes to do even better. "It's good to see they are doing better than previous Paralympians," he said. "They can only progress from here and it's good to know they have the desire and determination to better themselves." |
| A joyful new home for Peter Hoe at The Row Posted: 24 Sep 2016 06:12 PM PDT
Peter Hoe Evolution and Beyond had been calling the Art Deco building home for 13 years, offering an enthralling treasure trove of products that never failed to delight, within a sprawling 8,600 square feet space. "I wasn't fazed by the news," says Peter. "I knew that it would be difficult to find a place that could match the style of the brand, and I didn't want to rush it. The landlord gave us one year's notice." Could he find a new home that would fit in his amazing assortment of designs?
Although only about half the size of its previous premise, it doesn't feel that way because Peter has maintained the variety of goods, and that same cosy and rustic ambience that encourages curious browsing. Step in and the first thing that catches your attention is the high pointed roof with black metal fittings. Simple yet striking, it seems to pull your senses into one direction before they get scattered around as you take in the spread of colours and textures around you. That distinct "sensory overload", as Peter calls it, has not missed a beat; in fact, the iconic "Great Wall of Cushions" is still there. In short, the DNA that is the Peter Hoe brand remains intact.
Truly, Peter Hoe at The Row is in its rightful place and Peter is pleased as punch. "Change is good, as long as you embrace it positively. I think we have transitioned well — even the products seem very happy here, the colours pop up more!" It almost didn't come to be, however. Peter stumbled upon the place around March this year when he had gone to Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur to meet with a supplier. Afterwards, walking around the area that he had not visited for a long while, he noticed it looked different from its days as Asian Heritage Row.
"It was a case of one door opening and leading to the next, and it all happened by chance and luck. The guy at the skate shop told me that the company that owns The Row, Urbanspace, has their office at a building just across — that was the first door. I walked across and asked the security guard, who told me to head up to the 11th floor. That was the second door," Peter relates. "The third door was walking into their office and the owner, William Ng, was there. I told myself, there's something to this..." Ng then brought Peter to the very space his shop now occupies, to meet his Singaporean business partner who happened to be in town. Peter didn't like the unit at first, as he felt that one portion of it was too dark. After deliberating, he realised that a smaller unit next door would be ideal for his cafe, but the two spaces must be connected for a seamless experience. "Urbanspace then built a small bridge that connects the two spaces – that was the fifth door," Peter reveals. After that, it was a matter of packing up and moving in. Given his massive inventory, you can imagine the scale of that undertaking. First, Peter had to specially order cartons that could fit 20 kilograms load each.
You would think that he probably had an army of movers shuttling back and forth but in reality, it was four Bangladeshi guys from the moving company plus Peter himself and several staff members — he even roped in his window cleaner! As the building does not have lifts, they had to trudge up and down a flight of stairs. The unpacking and setting up took another week, which Peter said was actually the easiest part as he had a clear vision as to how the new store would look. But while that was going on, Peter had one other thing he needed to do. "I believe it's important to bring life into the new space right away, so I hosted a dinner for a group of 30 friends." Guests sat among his vibrant wares, surrounded by unopened boxes. The following week, several regular customers called to ask for a preview, eager to sneak a peek into the new store.
"Even coming to work each day feels different and on my recent trip to India to meet my regular suppliers, I found myself having a new perspective on things. The colour palette that I chose for the next collection is very different from what you see now." You'll have to wait till next year to know and see what that new spectrum is, as the products are manufactured exclusively for his brand and thus, takes time. For now, there's more than enough to keep even the most finicky shopper happy.
Meanwhile, the general feedback is unanimous: Peter Hoe is back and better than before. Welcome to the Peter Hoe Cafe Having a hard time deciding what NOT to buy at Peter Hoe? Take a breather at the adjacent Peter Hoe Cafe, connected by a small pedestrian bridge through a side door in the shop.
At the old store, the cafe occupied a small corner and could seat up to 30 people. This new space is bigger, with capacity for 50 people. The cafe's name may be kept as such but Peter has actually handed the reins over to his nephew, Joshua Yap, who has been working at the store since completing his SPM. He started managing the kitchen in 2009, learning the ropes from his uncle and experimenting on his own to understand how food works. Joshua's youngest brother Jeremy also helps out at the cafe, marking three of the Yap
The menu remains the same: Four variants of their creamy quiches that are hailed as Klang Valley's best, pastas, salads, soups and homemade cakes. Serving hours have been extended, with lunch now available from 12pm-4pm. "Everything is made fresh and from scratch, which is why we can't start hot food service before noon," says Joshua (the quiches and cakes are available from opening time). He is also particular about the quality of ingredients, explaining that he always strives to deliver the best and that it's not just about making a profit. Joshua candidly describes their strawberry cheesecake as "the second best... unfortunately, after we had perfected the recipe, the supplier told us that the cheese we wanted was no longer available. So we've had to settle for another."
Peter Hoe at The Row 56-1, 1st Floor, The Row, Jalan Doraisamy, Kuala Lumpur Tel (cafe) 012-334 7123 Opens 10am-7pm daily From Chinatown to The Row, Peter Hoe remains on Vivian Chong's 'Happy Place' list. Read about her other happy places at http://thisbunnyhops.com/ |
| Upin & Ipin turn singing sensation Posted: 24 Sep 2016 06:07 PM PDT
The local cartoon characters made the nation proud as they were featured in Unicef's world version of John Lennon's Imagine. And their creator couldn't be more happier. "Upin and Ipin were the only animated characters. We are proud the world knows Malaysia through them," Les Copaque Sdn Bhd managing director Burhanuddin Md Radzi said. Speaking to Sunday Mail, Burhanuddin described it as a "proud moment" as his team's efforts over the past decade had paid off. The three-and-a-half minutes video shows some of the world's best athletes, musicians and inspiring individuals from 140 nations singing the 1971 hit. They include Katy Perry, Shakira, Priyanka Chopra, will.i.am, Neymar, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who was featured from the International Space Station. It was produced to promote support for refugees, particularly an estimated 50 million children displaced by wars and conflicts. The video was released yesterday as world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York for its 71st General Assembly, which commenced last Tuesday. The video had been viewed over 11,000 times on Unicef's official YouTube page at press time yesterday. Upin and Ipin were appointed Unicef ambassadors representing Malaysia on March 7, 2013. Burhanuddin said the studio was approached by Unicef mid-last year to do a short animation for the music video. Production began shortly afterwards over a three-week period. As with the series, the characters were voiced by 16-year-old voice actress Asyiela Putri. "I suppose Unicef approached us with the idea partly because the series subtly teaches good values to children," he said. Burhanuddin pointed out the defining feature of the cartoon was its diversity, thus the wide appeal. "We depict not just our culture, but also how it is possible to live in a colourful and multiracial society," he said. "Aside from our regional neighbours like Indonesia and Thailand, other people who either know very little or nothing of Malaysia are fascinated by the simple yet endearing nature of the series, which brings more glory to the country." The cartoon is a hit in countries such as Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei. |
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