George Town, Penang, Malaysia, 23 April 2022: AS part of its continuous commitment to promote Penang’s diversity through the arts, George Town Festival 2022 launches its second photobook, Moments, at the Blue Mansion (also known as the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion) on Lebuh Leith today. Penang Chief Minister YAB Chow Kon Yeow presides over the launching ceremony.

Moments showcases images of unforgettable moments and scenes of contemporary Penang with a dose of nostalgia, all while highlighting the state’s diversity in landscapes, festivals, celebrations, arts, culture, heritage, and people, captured through the lenses of three local photographers Patrick Loo, Sean Lim and Yih Chang.

The photobook aims to preserve fleeting moments in Penang in ways that can only be expressed by photography, thus evoking elusive memories and inspiring a profound desire to create and capture more moments specific to the Penang experience. It also aims to encourage a connection between people and offer a sense of familiarity while attracting more festival-goers to Penang to discover the state’s diversity.

Officiating the launch event, Penang Chief Minister YAB Chow Kon Yeow says, “To my great delight, Moments has successfully aligned itself to the Penang2030 vision. A vision that takes into account Penang as a whole. In this book, you will find familiar and rare images of Penang, such as aerial shots of the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site, Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, charming fishing village in Teluk Kumbar, paddy fields in Seberang Perai, and more. You will also find photographs of the state’s vibrant celebrations and traditional traders captured on both island and mainland.

“It is exciting that Moments covers all the important facets of Penang. The images depict our successful 50-year industrialisation journey, greenery despite rapid development, inherited traditional trades and arts, and proud diversity. All the foregoing is part of the State Government’s Penang2030 vision and suffice to say, this photobook successfully illustrates the State Government’s efforts in realising the Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’.

“Penang is made of beautiful moments, and there’s no further evidence of that than in this photobook. Moments, in my opinion, is not only an ideal souvenir for visiting tourists and friends, but it is also a good photobook for families to bond over. I also hope that this photobook will entice more festival-goers to visit Penang and discover the state’s distinct charm as it welcomes the world back.”

Moments is George Town Festival’s second photobook, after Penang at a Glance which was published in 2021. The book’s publication will be followed by a photo exhibition, scheduled to be held alongside George Town Festival 2022 in July this year.

Moments is now available for purchase online at store.georgetownfestival.com and is retailed at RM90 per copy. Further, the book will soon be sold in physical bookstores and tourist attractions.

For more information, please visit georgetownfestival.com or follow George Town Festival on Facebook and Instagram for latest updates.