To kick off 2017, Wei-Ling Gallery has brought forward their much anticipated 18@8 exhibition to January 2017. Ever since it’s inaugural debut, the 18@8 series of exhibitions by Wei-Ling Gallery have continuously brought to the forefront a compilation of Malaysia’s most prominent contemporary and emerging artists. With each edition, a theme is presented to the artists that allow them the freedom to experiment and encourages them to think outside the box.

The first edition in 2005 featured 18 artists at No. 8 Jalan Scott (the Gallery’s address). In 2006 the second instalment of 18@8 KUL-KHI was presented at the Amin Gulgee Gallery in Karachi, Pakistan while 2007 saw the exhibition back on home soil. In the following two years the exhibition took on a new twist. 18@8-Vice and Virtue in 2008 saw nine selected artists creating two works each corresponding to one vice and one virtue. In 2009, 18@8 1Malaysia: Beyond the Canvas, the artists were asked to express themselves outside the confines of the canvas, to document their ideas of what 1Malaysia stands for through a central ‘transportation’ theme. Absolut18@8 saw the artists working on Absolut bottles which were then auctioned off in aid of the SPCA and the following year the gallery and artists worked with IDN to raise RM 90,000 for ACRES through the sale of 18 Robonut toys. 18@8 Mirror, Mirror On The Wall featured 12 custom designed Furla Candy bags that were auctioned off at a nett total of RM70,600 for the SPCA. In the most recent installment of 18@8Heirlooms, the artists were asked to create artworks reflecting state of affairs at the time; projecting a message of his/her hopes, fears, advice; an heirloom of sorts that will be passed down from one generation to another.

This time, with 18@8 RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW!, 11 artists were asked to look within, to come up with a work which is more introspective, and perhaps a true reflection of who they are today and what their work stands for now – and therein lies the inspiration for the title.

In conjunction with #BuroArtBeat immersive experience, Buro24/7 Malaysia, and the gallery will be hosting a charity auction where the 11 artists have each been given a glass bubble, to reinterpret, in a tribute to the Corum Bubble watch. Each artist has been given free reign to put their creative spin on the glass bubbles, which will then be auctioned off to benefit a charity.
Two artists; Ruzzeki Harris and Wong Chee Meng will also be partaking in a live performance in collaboration with Google, to launch the Google Tilt Brush in Malaysia. The performance will include the use of the Tilt Brush – a new virtual reality app that allows the user to paint in three dimensions.

The 18@8 RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! Artists are Cheng Yen Pheng, Chin Kong Yee, Chong Kim Chiew, Choy Chun Wei, Fauzan Omar, Hamidi Hadi, Ivan Lam, Ruzzeki Harris, Sean Lean, Wong Chee Meng and Yau Bee Ling.

18@8 RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! will be showing from 5th January to – 12th March 2017 at Wei-Ling Contemporary.

Wei-Ling Contemporary is located at RT-01 Sixth Floor, The Gardens Mall, 59200, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Admission hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm.

Please call 03-22838323 / 03-22601106 or email weiling.johnlim@gmail.com for more information.