Adrian Yap (Founder)
1. Why did you choose #RECONNECTKL as the theme for Urbanscapes this year?
I think Kuala Lumpur itself is disconnected on many different levels; there are different neighborhoods for different economic classes, and socially, we can be seen as disconnected. It would be kind of great to connect people, not just from a social level, but also from a physical level: connecting the different disparate parts of Kuala Lumpur, the people that live within the city, all the different creative groups. That’s what we’ve been doing since Day One.
2. Tell us why downtown Kuala Lumpur has been Urbanscapes’ home for the last three years.
Urbanscapes started off as a city festival right in the heart of Bukit Bintang, and Kuala Lumpur has always been home for Urbanscapes. Over the years, we’ve gone through different journeys, but the festival’s true heart has always been in Kuala Lumpur, the heart of Kuala Lumpur, especially. I think it’s fitting that we go back to our roots, use the city as a backdrop to not only inspire, but also spark conversations. Downtown Kuala Lumpur has the history, the rich cultural narratives. It works on many different levels with many different people, and that’s what we want to do with Urbanscapes. It’s a festival for all of Kuala Lumpur.
3. A lot of KL-ites say they’re turned away from the city because of the influx of foreigners, both tourists and workers; how does Urbanscapes challenge that mentality and encourage locals to come back to the city?
I wouldn’t say that it’s entirely up to Urbanscapes; a lot of people have had a part to play in the last three to four years, everyone has done different things in getting people to be interested in downtown Kuala Lumpur again – but I also beg to differ on the idea that this is not the Kuala Lumpur we know. We have always been a migrant city, and downtown Kuala Lumpur has always reflected that: people coming here to seek fortunes. Maybe the question should be if we’ve forgotten our roots, or if we’ve forgotten what the city is, more so than thinking it’s not reflective of what the city is.
Lim Kok Kean (Festival Director)
1. How have your experiences in the city shaped your vision of Urbanscapes, and specifically, your programming ideas for Urbanscapes?
I grew up around in the downtown core; I used to go to school at St. John’s, and back then, to me, the real Kuala Lumpur is that part of the city, not the malls or the tourist traps. When the time came to change the format of the festival, it made sense to bring it back to that area, where Kuala Lumpur begins – it’s a mish-mash of all the cultures coming together. I want a festival that not only represents one kind of perspective, one kind of art or one kind of music – so the main thing is we never meant for it to be a highbrow, intellectual festival – that’s not what Urbanscapes is about. To me, Urbanscapes has always been about art-making, culture-making, and making it accessible, a gateway for people to experience the arts and culture and the music – by presenting it to as many people as possible.
2. Do you think that the festival caters to people that you hang out with?
I would like to think that Urbanscapes caters to all kinds of people. I personally feel that the arts shouldn’t be just for people who are educated, for those who have a certain amount of appreciation and only then can they enjoy it; it should be open for everyone, from your cleaners to your CEOs.
3. If KL is a person, who will she be?
The typical Malaysian aunty: she’s a friendly gossip, likes to talk to everyone, she’s a busybody. She’s not perfect, she’s very naggy, but at the end of the day she’s warm, full of love - if you take the time to listen, see and observe her and somebody that has always been there.
Qisthina Razin (Project Manager)
1. Urbanscapes is taking place in a lot of the old places in downtown Kuala Lumpur, in Medan Pasar, Petaling Street, etc. What does that mean to you?
A lot of times when I take my friends down to Petaling Street, especially in that older Kuala Lumpur area, their first impression will always be, “Are you harvesting my organs?” Y’know, there’s always this negative perception. I think what we’re doing with Urbanscapes is to change that perception; it’s not a nasty place, not grimey, there are lots to see and lots to do. I feel that Urbanscapes gives new meaning to these spaces.
2. You’ve worked on six Urbanscapes, attended two prior – how do you feel it has changed, grown, shifted through the years along with the city?
When I first attended Urbanscapes, it was more of a one- or two-day festival. It was a template, which was predictable, widely available: you have everything under one roof, music, arts, foods, markets. Now, it has gone on to do bigger things, stretching over multiple days and multiple locations. In that one- or two-day model, we expected people to come to us. Now, we want to reach out to the masses, and in order to reach the masses, we need to be in their space and in their place. It was a little difficult, initially, for people to understand this new festival model. It’s evolving with the times, people look forward to different things, and there’s always something new and novel to look out for each year with Urbanscapes.
3. If KL is a person, who will s/he be?
It would be Matthew McConaughey because KL is alright, alright, alright!
Aurelia Koh (Project Executive)
1. What is your fondest memory of Kuala Lumpur?
Urbanscapes 2017. Since Kuala Lumpur has always been seen as a dirty, dangerous place that little girls shouldn’t wander around in, I grew up sheltered, and I was never really allowed out of the house until I was much older. One of the first few events I went to was Urbanscapes. My friend and I were going through the festival guide, looking at all the events, realising it was free. We decided to go to as many events as we could. From that – Urbanscapes providing this platform for all these communities – I was able to meet a lot of the close friends I have now.
2. How has your perception of Kuala Lumpur changed since you started working for the festival?
I had no idea how much blood, sweat and tears went into planning this festival. It might seem like a humble get together, but the actual planning, the organizing, the people behind it have so much integrity in their work; and they work so hard to get as much content and as many people included in the festival.
3. If Kuala Lumpur is a person, who will s/he be?
Kuala Lumpur has no gender, Kuala Lumpur is non-binary!
Xia Yi (Programme Manager)
1. The challenge for every great city is for people to think, “This could be home.” What makes Kuala Lumpur home?
The diversity and multicultural aspect, the many different races and religions make it a great city. Everyone tolerates everyone; we embrace different cultures, what we eat, what we wear, the languages we speak.
2. Would you say Kuala Lumpur is an inclusive city?
In certain areas like Chow Kit, Medan Pasar, there’s a dichotomy between the Malaysians and immigrants there; there are more Bangladeshis, Myanmars etc. working and living there, than there are Malaysians. It’s very contradictory; on the one hand, you might go to Suria KLCC where it’s very touristy, and then you go to a café where you might find everyday, ordinary middle-class Malaysians, and then you go downtown, and it’s mostly immigrants there. That’s what makes Kuala Lumpur, I think.
3. What are you championing this year at Urbanscapes?
I guess, up-and-coming artists, with Urbanscapes giving the spotlight to the underdogs, or the unexpected artists, the ones you wouldn’t expect to create large-scale installations. It’s really trying to give attention to the people who wouldn’t get the attention typically. I’d want the same thing as someone who’s young, up-and-coming. For me, to give these people the same thing, it makes me really happy giving back to the community.