From left: Jamal Afiq and Fairuz Karim (All photos: Low Yen Yeing/The Edge)
There is always a calm before a big shift, a gentle lull — a period of quietude blended with excitement that precedes a major event. With chatter about town of Galeri Petronas’ impending move to the new six-storey retail and lifestyle Ombak KLCC mall getting louder, it seemed appropriate then that a last hurrah was needed.
But going beyond roping in some of the most legendary names in Malaysian art, including Datuk Sharifah Fatimah Syed Zubir, Datuk Tajuddin Ismail, Rafiee Ghani and Chang Fee Ming, Galeri Petronas decided to turn things up a notch — literally — with the suggestion of sound and music to accompany the artworks. Taking a leaf from jazz legend Miles Davis, who famously quipped how “painting is music you can see and music is a painting you can hear”, the gallery recently unveiled What Song Do You Hear When You See This Painting? — a group show by 12 artists, curated by Jamal Afiq Datuk Jamaludin. Asked how the idea of juxtaposing art and music came about, Jamal, 42, points out that the gallery already had it in mind. “Fairuz Karim, Petronas Art Collection’s manager and curator, approached me, saying he could only think of me to curate the show as he knows how much I love both art and music,” he says.
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Currently pursuing his PhD in Arts and Health at Universiti Malaya, Jamal is scientifically researching how to curate visual art exhibitions based on the principles of salutogenesis, various art theories and psychology to mitigate the rising concern in mental health issues. “So, when Fairuz approached me with the idea of an exhibition, I did some preliminary research on the intersection of art and music. Within the art world, there are already plenty of exhibitions and activations that involve sight and sound; but most offer just two layers — either setting music against an art and historical background and context, or musically inclined, whereby composers are invited to produce sounds inspired by works of art.”
After much deliberation, Jamal decided to throw in another layer of complexity by engaging the public to imagine the music they hear in their heads when contemplating the artworks. “This can be a social experiment, too,” he says. “By piquing the imagination, emotional, sensory and psychological responses may be gauged. Besides, everyone relates to music. It is not fine art or art history. Music is embedded in our everyday lives. So, why not use it as a medium to get closer to Malaysian art?”
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Galeri Petronas, naturally, had a wish list of artists, but Jamal asked for his PhD supervisor Dr Lyne Ismail to be included, along with Michelle Yap, whom he got to know while working with RSP Architects. “I also requested for Chok Yue Zan to be part of the show. Although he is young, I have been following his career keenly — and I adore his oceanscapes. On a more serious note, Zan’s work resonates with my research and scope due to his heavy use of high-frequency colours, the numerous hues of blues, which are both salutogenic and therapeutic.”
Fans of modern Malay rock would also be delighted to learn music legend Datuk M Nasir forms part of the artistic roll-call. “Not many people realise he is formally trained in art,” Jamal says. “And not just from any school but from Singapore’s prestigious Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. I liken him very much to Joni Mitchell, as both are trained in fine art but later embarked on their own musical careers while continuing to paint. I love their polymathic spirits and not drawing a rigid line when it comes to choosing a profession. Having M Nasir take part in this group exhibition is a literal testimony of the intersection of art and music. And what song might the public hear when they see his art? Would it be Tanya Sama Itu Hud Hud, which inspired the two works on display and came about as a result of his personal interpretation and expression of the 12th-century Persian poem, The Conference of the Birds by Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar, commonly referred to as Attar of Nishapur?”
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As the world grows increasingly frenzied, the exhibition encourages respite — an invitation to pause and take in the relief offered by casting one’s gaze upon beauty. “Even the way we arranged the art this time is to physically give breathing space. Nothing is positioned too close to each other. In other areas, we opened up the blinds to flood the space with natural light, letting guests take in the outside world, with views of Jalan Ampang and the park’s fountains,” Jamal says. “When you come by, be sure not to rush, though. Bring along your airpods so you can have your own music streaming on your phone. Walk in, enjoy the art, pause at the ones that resonate and enjoy your viewing experience accompanied by the power of sound. Then, just let your imagination run musically!”
What Song Do You Hear When You See This Painting? ends on April 6, 2026. Galeri Petronas is open daily, from 10am to 6pm (Tues to Fri) and 10am to 6:30pm (weekends).
This article first appeared on Jan 5, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
