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George Town Festival joins hands with Ansan Street Arts Festival (ASAF), one of South Korea’s leading outdoor performing arts festivals, for a vibrant cross-cultural exchange that transforms public spaces into stages for imagination, connection, and discovery. Bringing together a diverse programme of street theatre, site-specific dance, physical theatre, and non-verbal performance, GTF × ASAF celebrates the power of the performing arts to transcend language and cultural boundaries. From poetic reflections on memory and identity to contemporary reinterpretations of folklore, magical family adventures, and playful encounters in unexpected places, each performance invites audiences to experience the city through fresh perspectives. Presented in public spaces and accessible to audiences of all ages, GTF × ASAF transforms the streets of George Town into a living stage where artists and communities come together, proving that the most memorable performances often happen beyond the walls of a theatre.
Step into the forgotten workshops of George Town in “Artisan II” by Low Chee Peng. Inspired by the city’s master craftsmen and the traditional trades that once filled its streets, this immersive exhibition captures the spirit of artisans whose skills were passed down through generations. As these workshops disappear from the urban landscape, “Artisan II” invites audiences to rediscover the people, places, and heritage that helped shape the soul of George Town.
Emerging from the earth like a living organism, “Converge” by Taiwanese artist Kuei-Chih Lee transforms Taman Kejiranan Macallum into a space where nature, people, and the city come together. Inspired by George Town’s history as a port city shaped by migration and cultural exchange, the large-scale installation reflects on coexistence through five sculptural forms that rise organically from the ground. Intertwining like a growing settlement, the structures merge into a single collective form, echoing the many communities, languages, and traditions that have long flourished in Penang.
Cultprint, Penang hosts “The Natural History Museum of Yeahnahnesia”, presented by artist duo Yok & Sheryo, curated by Deborah Lim, and realised in collaboration with SPUTNIKFOREST. The museum brings together a collection of rare artefacts, specimens and cultural objects—many exhibited publicly for the first time—offering an introduction to the island nation of Yeahnahnesia. Entrusted to the artists by the island’s guardians, these objects reveal its natural history, rituals and traditions, offering insight into a civilisation shaped by balance, playfulness and unhurried living. Visitors are invited to explore the museum’s collections through paintings, sculpture, installation and environmental design, encountering endemic species, ceremonial objects and enduring traditions that reveal the histories, beliefs and material culture of Yeahnahnesia. Through these collections, the museum invites audiences to reflect on the values that have shaped the island for generations—and to imagine what it might mean to embrace the Yeahnahnesian way of life.
Step into the captivating world of “Collodion, Silver, Glass: Contemporary Wet Plate Photography”, where nineteenth-century photographic techniques meet contemporary artistic vision. Featuring the work of Steve Tan (陈兴国), Malaysia’s only professional wet plate photographer, this exhibition showcases hauntingly beautiful portraits and still lifes created through a painstaking process that transforms glass, silver, and light into timeless images. Alongside the exhibition, audiences can discover the craftsmanship behind this rare medium through demonstrations and workshops, offering a glimpse into one of photography’s earliest—and most enchanting—forms.
Step beyond the stage with “Kopi & Karya”, a festival F&B trail that transforms George Town’s cafés into spaces of creativity and connection. Discover exclusive festival-inspired drinks and artisan bakes crafted by 10 local cafés, each offering a delicious interpretation of this year’s theme, “Beyond Boundaries”. From comforting cups of coffee to inventive sweet treats, every stop is a chance to experience the city through its flavours. Because at George Town Festival, art isn’t just something you watch—it is something you taste.