Minut Init: A Space For The Soloists And The Outré

Very recently, The Daily Seni team went underground venue-hopping around Petaling Jaya to check out ultimate “go-to” places.

One of our highlights was Minut Init — a cosy and vibrant social art space located in Damansara Uptown which co-owner Dali Abdul Azis describes as “perfect for the art enthusiasts, soloists and weirdos”.

Spanning two top floors of a shoplot, Minut Init is a place to showcase your creative output or just hang back and relax.

Minut Init was established in 2010, serving as an art space for the presentation of new work in exhibitions, while also promoting community engagement through art and culture.

Behind Minut Init are Dali Abdul Azis and aspiring artist James Ly. As described on their official website, both men came up with the idea of the art space with the intention of “diversifying the artistic climate of Malaysia by becoming a melting pot of creative expression without censorship or discrimination”.

When asked about the main concept of Minut Init, Dali said that it is to embrace art in every form.

After returning from his studies overseas, Dali called up everyone he knew in the creative industry, from experienced, emerging and practicing artistes, to students, photographers, collegemates and even family members. He gathered their work to be exhibited — a total of 175 artworks comprising painting, filmmaking, installations, sculpture, fashion and even music from 22 artistes.

The exhibition was a success and put Minut Init on the map, and got it noticed from publications such as Juice magazine, which voted it the best art venue of 2011.

The first time we stepped foot on the ground back in May, Minut Init spanned a single, tastefully-furnished floor — we were overwhelmed by a desire to Instagram every moment in this dimly-lit space overlooking a very busy Damansara Uptown street.

Now, six months later, the newly-opened lower floor comes with an open balcony and is a place to sit down and read books, meet friends or have a drink. There’s also a designated area for musical performances, but the entire space is fairly flexible and things can moved around easily for a different experience.

We say drop by after sundown (there’s an exhibition by visual artist Sofia Kamal opening today), grab a drink from the counter, and see a whole other side of Kuala Lumpur at Minut Init. Because if you’re a young, creative adult looking to explore new ideas or meet like-minded people, this could be your new favourite spot in town.

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Minut Init is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00am till 1:00am. All photos courtesy of Minut Init.