Virtual tours have gained popularity thanks to COVID-19 quarantine measures worldwide, and with the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) putting a good chunk of the Klang Valley population back home for the time being, citizens are turning to their devices again to stave off boredom. Cue this Ilham Gallery virtual exhibition tour, which allows you to explore a sizeable collection of nostalgic photographs taken in the country.

Bayangnya itu Timbul Tenggelam, which loosely translates to ‘that which appears and recedes from view’, covers Malaysian photos and artefacts from 1900s to the 1980s that have been pooled from a number of private collections. It’s a showcase that looks at the influences and roles of the camera and photography throughout the years. 

One of the many photos of the insightful exhibition

The gallery sheds some light on the development of photography since its arrival in Malaysia. “Each community and subsequent generation, with their own understanding and ideas regarding photography, would often have to negotiate with the conventions and limitations of the photo studio. This gave rise to interesting pockets of cultural practice. By focusing on the photographic cultures that have emerged in Malaysia, the exhibition also hopes to bring into public conversation the ways in which these local interpretive frames and ways of seeing, contributed to a larger global conversation about the staying power of the photographic image.”

A screengrab from the virtual tour

Curated by K. Azril Ismail, Hoo Fan Chon, and Simon Soon, the exhibition will run until 31 December 2020. Click here to learn more about the exhibition and to launch the virtual tour!