PAM TALK I | toad

What is art? Is it really important in architecture? Yes because architecture is also consider an art and craft like painting and sculpture. Some may consider architecture is not an art. Architecture involves creative thinking process and it uses of the elements to enhance its design to achieve an aesthetic effect.

Mohd Hatta Ismail is an architect and art enthusiast. He loves to express art in different ways. He focuses primarily on the intellectual functions of objects and visual expressions of color and texture. Painting is not an abstract, but exploration, he said. I appreciate the way he explore art. He interprets and done so many experiments such that he explores form using paper. There is no specific way to start a design. Ideas will come to your mind if you are passionate in what you do. This is the spirit and passion you should have no matter who you are. “Design is an attitude” he said.

Muzium Sultan Abu Bakar. He was assigned to design the interior of the museum. Removing things is what he usually does as he likes simple and minimal. According to him, minimal and simple is perfection. The artifacts are placed in a glass box stand, creating a feeling like they are floating. This shows that he wants to focus only the artifacts. There is an art installation consisting cluster of vertical standing lembings. Each and every single lembing were used by different people. It represents each of them, giving a meaning to it. As in architecture has to do with feelings and imagination.

Silalima. Adaptive reuse can be a perfect way to breathe a new life into an old building. He did not destroy the structure of the house but to remain it. This is a way to respect the original work of the architect. Concept of cutting and slicing were used to design. Next, he intends to place a pond in front of the building just because he likes it. He is not willing to take the project if the client does not agree with the idea. It was his work that convinced his client, not him. I somewhat agree with him. Sometimes you do not have to have design something with purpose. Be flexible. Just follow what you got in your mind and go ahead.

Art is beauty, however art also can be ugly. In his definition, simple is perfection. He is obsessed with wabi-sabi. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is imperfect. For example, kintsukuroi. The art of repairing broken pottery with gold and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. We find beauty in the weathered imperfect details of the buildings. How do you define modern?

Overall, Mr. Hatta has shared a lot of thoughts in arts. I think art is an inspiration and initiate of an idea. We should really look into “soul” in designing something as in feelings, visual, material, light, spaces. Art and architecture can be balance.