The Local Underdog Artists of Satu Kolektif Bid “Farewell” with ‘PIGMENTS & REMNANTS’

SATU Kolektif has been a darkhorse as far as local art collectives go, and for anyone who’s missed their boat – perhaps it’s the best time now to finally check out what they’re about at this, their last exhibition “indefinitely” as founder Elias Yamani Ismail goes off to research art or, as the artist self-deprecatingly puts it, “off to correctional school”.

FEEKA Coffee Roasters on Jalan Mesui, which sits in between No Black Tie and the old Palate Palette, offers a first floor setting resembling a decent art space. This is the space where Satu: Creative Collective or Satu Kolektif choose to occupy for their swansong group exhibition of sorts, entitled ‘Pigments & Remnants‘.

At the opening ceremony on the night of August 18, only Elias, Zulfakal Ali and Fadly Sabran were among the artists who were present, with comrades like artist Jo Ghazali and a big-name gatecrasher in filmmaker U-Wei Shaari.

Satu was established in 2008, initially starting out by facilitating platforms for a variety of works by an eclectic selection of artists at various public art spaces and one-off collaborations. ‘Pigments & Remnants’ is their 15th and last exhibition, featuring versatile works by seasoned and newer artists including Elias, Fadly, Zulfakal, Abdul Mansoor Ibrahim, Isnian Ibrahim, Gonçalo Faro and Low Chee Peng.

These collections deal with the concept of time and place where the collective intention is that the works displayed will eventually become by-products of its time. The question remains if these artworks are to be seen as leftovers of generations pasts or something more substantial and meaningful in the future.

From Goncalo’s paintings to Zulfakal and Elias’ hanging installations, to hints of creativity with Fadly’s motion installations with his Neo Artifak series offering, ‘…Remnants’ is savourable and true to the identity of the Satu collective and where they come from – a heady, passionate mix of the old Limkokwing and UiTM fine art schools of the 1990s and 2000s.

Satu adopts the ‘gotong royong’ concept when collaborating where each individual involved in any one group exhibition not only focuses on their individual artworks but are part of the exhibition in more invested and active roles. The collective is now part of Pertubuhan Pengkarya Seni Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor, together with other registered arts organisations and initiatives such as Nuqtah, Transit: Research Residency, Saloran Seni: Malaysian Visual Arts Channel and Pusat Seni dan Kebudayaan Petaling Jaya.

While Elias, Zulfakal, Fadly, Isnian, Goncalo, Low and Abdul Mansoor share strong messages and an unapologetically universal worldview as a parting note to local art circles before their group sabbatical, there is some critique involved.

For instance, with Fadly Sabran’s innovative/serendipitous mechanical installation piece – a literally running commentary on the state of the Malaysian address – the attendant U-Wei, himself “an artist who works with space”, generously points out that while an exhibition like ‘…Remnants’  tackles time and place, it lacks space and dimension, with presentation being the crucial stumbling block local art space collectives face.

Elsewhere, there are expectations that come up when we are dealing with learned artists – and the importance of learning even after one has studied art for a profession. Expectations of quality of the thought-process should be met when artists of middle-experience and potential for caliber serve up their works.

“There is a difference between a ‘gallery’ and an ‘art space’, though not all the venues available to collectives like us are as honest as the other, and it makes it a guessing game and constant trial-and-error with every exhibition,” concedes Elias as the drive and chief organiser for Satu.

Perhaps next we’ll look earnestly into the grittier realm of the local fringe art world and what it takes to put on an exhibition, the preparation, place, logistics and costs behind an exhibition.

Ideas are still overrated – it’s the work you put in which counts(!), and so these are indeed the remnants left of this passionate, talented, but never-the-bride art group.

*’‘, ‘s “farewell” group exhibition is happening at Feeka on Jalan Mesui until August 23.