Working from the tradition of geometric abstraction especially from the Constructivist movement as well as alluding to the call made by Baudelaire in the 1840s, advocating that artists should flock to the city, the concentration of modernity and be inspired by contemporary life rather than delving in reproducing the past, Haffendi creates an installation in the gallery space consisting of various object-based works. The artworks, ranging from freestanding pillar sculptures constructed from store-bought and found melamine tableware to geometric paneled paintings made of mass-produced stretched canvases sold for art students and amateur painters simplify generic architectural structures and elements to basic abstract forms. Thus, when the audience enters the exhibition space, he/she is transformed into an flâneur experiencing an abstracted city from varying perspectives and scales, in which new possibilities of experience are stimulated, turning the contemplative pose of the viewer into one of active engagement.
This publication is published to accompany a solo exhibition by Haffendi Anuar titled, M13 at Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur from 15 to 30 April 2015.
