Constant/Variable

Making Mamak in COEX, Penang, Malaysia with Ali Alasri @aliroars 22 DEC 24 photos by @alys_liang and @constantvariable.cv KJ Ho @imkjin and Mei from COEX was kind enough to share their space, @coex_kilangbesi next to Hin Bus Depot, to divulge through a tikam-tikam question and answer talk - to randomly pick questions from a jar from the audience. Devised by playwright and educator, Leow Puay Tin and enacted by Ali Alasri, we presented Making Mamak the Blueprint to the audience and implored them to ask questions. Making Mamak is a curatorial tool, a workshop methodology to use tools of mapping to explore a collective ecology of relations of arts collectives in Malaysia. It is my Emerging Curatorial Residency project with the @canadiancentreforarchitecture . It has a pre-life before the engagement with the CCA, and now lives multiple afterlives. The audience asked about the notions of shared space compared to free space (‘there is no such thing as free space’), the long-term plans of collective (just survive day by day), it drew upon interpreting the role of arts collectives. If the commercialisation of arts and culture is complicit with global socio-political movements of capital, what counter cultures of spatial practice offered by arts collectives can be explored? As Making Mamak wraps up, my work is to return with the questions for the spaces themselves. It is to interrogate the blueprint closely. We are considering to bring the blueprint around to the other arts collectives to see how they, and their neighbourhood responds. As I delve deeper into writing my PhD Proposal, I write to reckon with the afterlives of mapping, the politics of each lines, and the palimpsest of drawing on a collective map. [1] Mei, KJ, Ali and I chatting around the Making Mamak Blueprint [2] The whole blueprint photographed [3] Ali asking questions tikam-tikam style [4] A question by my supervisor Dr. Cecilia Chu. Yes, she came by during her holiday

Urban Mediations: International Conference on the Narratives, Ecologies and Poetics of the City 6 DEC 24 Stage 1: The search for shared materials ecologies to build Arts Collectives in Malaysia This presentation was part of a larger ecology of Making Mamak. I was in the presence of dear friends the day before, talking until 2am on Lamma Island after a home protection ceremony. I was reminded of materiality of spatial conditions and the agency of rituals of place. Thinking nearby, the semantic disparity between what is built and what is the social, I read Trihn T. Mihn-ha’s writing: “without a certain work of displacement. "speaking about" only partakes in the conservation of systems of binary opposition...I am in the midst of a knowing, acquiring, deploying world.” Collectives for me sit in a queering of relations, that it doesn’t have to be connected to the counter, other, or un-making of any larger discourse. But rather holds and tends to multiple stakeholders - like any spatial condition. To break down ‘speaking about’ and recentre ‘speaking to,’ the many afterlives of Making Mamak speaks next to and with the collectives. The main RQ is ‘How does the circulation of architectural building material affect the spatial production of the arts collectives in Malaysia?’ Presented as part of the workshop with Nishat Awan, whose research on diasporic communities and destabilising territories have enriched my own research. By mapping as a palimpsest of experiences, the microhistories of arts collectives, stories of the complexity of holding a web of connections. I talked about COEX , a self-proclaimed gated community with different creative and cultural partners on site. Having failed four times prior, this is their current attempt to build a ‘community space.' The construction of COEX took longer than expected, engaging with crafts people, collecting left-over timber for upcycling and reuse as their table. To map the circulation of material, labour and capital (cultural, shared, or human) to understand how the arts collectives begin to embed and situate their practice is also part of my research.

Making Mamak in Montréal - The Blueprint 29 AUG 24 In between Island < > Peninsular < > Island, I travelled back to Montréal, one year after I started the project in the same city, same institution of the CCA @canadiancentreforarchitecture . In my talk, I laid out the blueprint on three tables where the audience gathered around. Inviting them to peruse and ask questions, my talk discusses how the collectives embed and negotiate spatial politics of their sites. Designed by @constantvariable.cv , the blueprint is to simply present the data collected for further investigation. I say, “Making Mamak also tests the notion of civic spaces, programming a space for the public but not by public funding or government, but rather programming your own civic management – commoning,” a testament to rethink beyond our reliance on welfare state. I talked about key concepts such as gotong-royong, aunties and uncles, and the sentience and spirituality of space almost like another member. Last year, Making Mamak had a different name, the Precarity of Gathering, and a speculative possibility of a performance lecture of an imaginary arts council. Through the process of curating, it changed into a workshop, an edifice of my public arts days. Coming back to the island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a homecoming like no other. We engaged with other artist collectives (or artist centres, institutionalised by province-level arts funding in Quebec). and I went to visit DARE-DARE @daredaremtl in Little Burgundy and talked to the coordinator of Ada-X @ada_x_mtl further and imagined floating libraries with @tyramaria.trono and @painwithoutrage .We drew lines of a site-specific practice that held multiple mappings of place and community. Thankful for friends who came to my small sharing.

Making Mamak: Collective Ecologies of Urban Space APR 22 - SEP 24 Developed as part of the Emerging Curatorial Residency at the @canadiancentreforarchitecture , Making Mamak is a curatorial tool, a workshop methodology to use tools of mapping to explore a collective ecology of relations. Other than a tool, it is also the moment of encounters akin to a mamak stall. ‘A mamak stall, commonly referred as “mamak” alone, is an accessible and unpretentious social gathering place distinct to the Malaysian (and Singaporean) social milieu. It is typically a place where friends, colleagues, families gather—at any hour of the day or night—to eat, gossip, have discussions; more generally, they are social spaces for collective gathering.’ - written with @notnotganymede When discussing this with folks in Malaysia, there is a distinction between lepak in the roadside by the carpark, the nasi kandar vs. mamak, sitting on grass just outside the premises, or malay roti canai stalls. In all these shifting, living typology, all encompass a moment of making. To make kin, to build connection, to share time, to speak in relation to. We compiled the findings into a blueprint, a document designed by @constantvariable.cv Five arts collectives (Little Giraffe Story House, COEX@kilang besi, Ruang Tamu Ekosistem, Papanhaus and Kapallorek) were invited to participate in a: 27 APR 24 Mapping Workshop with collectives at Papanhaus 28 APR 24 Conversation on Collective Spatial Practices on Arts Communities with Yap Sau Bin @yapsau and Cheah Ee Von @cheaheevon at Papanhaus 29 AUG 24 Making Mamak in Montréal to present the blueprint (invited in spirit via the blueprint) with DARE-DARE @daredaremtl , Ada X, Daphne and Articule photos by @constantvariable.cv

À la fin de l'été, nous nous sommes réunis au Parc Baile avec notre conservatrice émergente 2022-2023 Clarissa Lim Kye Lee @cl44r , pour une conversation centrée sur son projet Making Mamak : Écologies collectives de l’espace urbain. Lim a évoqué les prémisses de Making Mamak, sa méthodologie et ses recherches, ainsi que l'expérience des ateliers participatifs qui se sont tenus à Kuala Lumpur au début de l'année. Les résultats du projet ont été compilés dans une petite publication qui peut maintenant être téléchargée à partir de notre site web. Voir le lien dans notre bio. Pour continuer à partager le projet, Lim présentera les outils utilisés dans le cadre de Making Mamak le 9 novembre à Hong Kong lors d'une table ronde avec @setttheory - At the end of the summer, we gathered in Parc Baile with our 2022-2023 Emerging Curator Clarissa Lim Kye Lee @cl44r , for a conversation centred on her project Making Mamak: Collective Ecologies of Urban Space. Lim discussed the premise of Making Mamak, her methodology and research, and the experience of the participative workshops that were held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year. The findings of the project were gathered in a blueprint, which is now available to download from our website. See link in our bio. Continuing to share the project, Lim will present the tools used as part of Making Mamak on 9 November in Hong Kong at a roundtable with @setttheory at @currentplans Blueprint design: Constant/Variable @constantvariable.cv Images: 1,3,4 Matthieu Brouillard © CCA 2 Ang Xia Yi @_xiayi

Making Mamak: Écologies collectives de l’espace urbain / Making Mamak: Collective Ecologies of Urban Spaces We had the opportunity to collaborate with Clarissa Lim Kye Lee @cl44r for the development of MAKING MAMAK Workshop, Conversation and Publication for the Canadian Centre for Architecture @canadiancentreforarchitecture . Producing workshop blueprints, documentation through maps and compilation of findings into a book ‘manual’ format. This project is a study on spaces run by art collectives in response to the context of their surrounding neighbourhood. The project is presented at Papan Haus in Kuala Lumpur and at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. A Publication by Constant/Variable @constantvariable.cv Compilation of 8 books, Paperback, 2024 Edition of 12
 © CCA Photo documentation by Ang Xia Yi @_xiayi .

Making Mamak: Écologies collectives de l’espace urbain / Making Mamak: Collective Ecologies of Urban Spaces A Publication by Constant/Variable @constantvariable.cv in collaboration with Clarissa Lim Kye Lee @cl44r for the Canadian Centre for Architecture @canadiancentreforarchitecture Compilation of 8 books, Paperback, 2024 Edition of 12
 Section 1 : Introduction Section 2 : Collectifs - Résultats / Collectifs - Findings Section 3 : Collectifs - Cartes des quartiers / Collectives - Neighbourhood map Section 4 : Plan de localisation / Location Map Section 5 : Essai - Notes de terrain / Essay - Field notes Section 6 : Album photo/ Photo album Section 7 : Crédits / Credits Section 8: Appendice / Appendix Projet de / A project by
Clarissa Lim Kye Lee Conception par / Design by
Constant/Variable Imprimé en / Printed in
Malaysia, 2024 © CCA Photo documentation by Ang Xia Yi @_xiayi

Thank you to the @canadiancentreforarchitecture and Clarissa Kim for inviting Ruang Tamu Ekosistem to share stories and ideas with collectives in Malaysia, such as @papanhaus , @littlegiraffe_sh11 , @coex_kilangbesi and @kapallorek . Shout out for @constantvariable.cv for preparing Making Mamak plans & projects. Their work were cool and awesome! We have been exploring the ecologies of our spaces, neighborhoods, and learn how to effectively manage our collectives and spaces. We learned so much from day 1 and day 2 of Making Mamak, and look forward to continued collaboration in the future!

KLDF'S Emerging Design Programme 2023 Award Constant/Variable embodies the essence of the EDP award. Their fresh perspective, dynamic thinking, and thought-provoking designs make them a perfect fit for this recognition. They represent the spirit of emerging designers who are unafraid to challenge conventions and chart new design territories.

+ Traces Talk + Day 2 Scales of Practice An exclusive limited screening of “Small Practices : In Conversation with Japanese & Malaysian Architects” by @suburbia.projects & @constantvariable.cv Along with a forum seeking to discuss the perception of the scales of practice in architecture & the relationships & experiences within them. Through this helping comparing and spotlighting the differences. Panelist: Fadzlee Khamis Wooi Lok Kuang Lee Cherng Yih Constant/Variable Moderator : Hazazi Hamzah & Nazmi Anuar Join us this Sunday, 28th May 2023 4PM - 6PM Room 14, Level 4 Block E, Taylors University Admission is free for Taylor’s Students & the Graduating Batch whilst RM8/pax for the public and open to all, just click on the link in our bio to register! . . . . . #traces + #taylorsgraduateshowcases

KUALA LUMPUR, THANK YOU. We saved our home turf for the last show, and you showed us that it was well worth it. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the 200-strong crowd that came out to see the final show of Small Practices: In Conversation with Malaysian and Japanese Architects in @thegodownkl Godown KL. Taking technical glitches and the tropical heat well in stride, we are truly humbled by your support. Three cities, three sold-out shows- never in our wildest dreams! To our A-Team, @cl44r @chikakusumahadi @constantvariable.cv ,for both the book and the movie, we will always be indebted to the work and energy that you’ve poured into your craft. It has been an honour for us to witness your prowess, tenacity and grit. To Ben, @shapeshifts thank you for the respect,trust and opportunity given. Let’s get cracking on the next one. 💪

Just Designer doing a Designer thing. Great event by @constantvariable.cv , a film perspective About Malaysia and Japanese Architect Designer #designer #life #architect #interiorarchitecture #smallpractices