Art symposium has the potential to draw tourists to Sabah

Sabah should consider hosting a modern and contemporary art symposium, said Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment Datuk Joniston Bangkuai.

Such a conference, he said, has the potential to draw a larger crowd and will pique the interest of everyone, including tourists.

“Sabah has played host to several significant expositions and conferences, many of which have attracted participants from other countries. We, at the Ministry and the Sabah Tourism Board, are always on the lookout for prospective events to promote, and I believe that contemporary art has the potential to be one of such events because it complements tourism,” he said.

Joniston, who is also the chairperson of the Sabah Tourism Board, said this at the launching of the Art Connects 2.0 International Art Exhibition at the University Sabah College Foundation (USCF) on Saturday.

He said Sabah could be a hub for the convergence of artistic talents worldwide. The state’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty have served as a source of inspiration for art enthusiasts.

Arts Connects chairperson Matthews Aziz said the international exhibition would provide an experiential opportunity for the participating artists to display their works of art.

“This would enable them to engage in visual conversation, expressing thoughts and feelings while simultaneously appreciating and understanding the perspective of others.

“As an opportune program for interaction, this event shall share other works of art in local settings, hence providing motivation and creative insights to all,” he added.

The Art Connects 2.0 exhibition, themed ‘Stronger Reconnection with New Aspirations, ‘ featured artworks by 80 local and international artists.

The two-day exhibition is jointly organised by the USCF, Asian Tourism International College (ATI College), and Sabah Institute of Art (SIA). International participations come from the United States, China, Japan, India, Korea, and Thailand.

Present were Palm Oil Industrial Cluster chairman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, UCSF Vice-Chancellor Dr Rafiq Idris, ATI College Executive Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Khen Thau, and SIA president Prof Datuk Seri Wilson Yong Tung Yung.