Malaysian Artist Dhan Illiani Yusof on Her Journey to the 2022 Venice Biennale

Read how this talented, homegrown artist and Projek Rabak brought art from the Malaysian indigenous community to the world stage

Dhan Illiani Yusof is a multi-disciplinary artist who has made a name for herself with her expansive portfolio of conceptual and performance art, installations, short films, fine art and fashion design.

"Most of my works are mixed media. They are experimental, playful, often interactive, integrating the concept of 'playing' in the context of adulthood," she says.

Her latest endeavour with Projek Rabak, a fluid collective of multi-disciplinary artists in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, has taken her to the prestigious 59th Venice Biennale. Every two years, the art festival transforms the historic Italian city into a stage for the world's most talented artists. This year, the exhibition, titled The Milk of Dreams, is curated by Cecilia Alemani, director and chief curator of High Line Art.

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Above Ranerrim, Mohd Jayzuan, Dhan Illiani Yusof, and Mohamed Lutfi

Earlier this year, Dhan and her team at Projek Rabak attended the opening of the highly-anticipated event to showcase their contribution, Hik Bersamak: Indigenous Pop!, which will be on display at Pera+Flora+Fauna in the Archivi della Misericordia, Venice until November 27, 2022. Created in collaboration with the indigenous Semai community from Kampung Ras in Sungkai, Perak, their entry comprises drawings, photographs, a film as well as a performance piece called We the Mengkuang led by Dhan herself.

"I've been part of Projek Rabak since 2019. It celebrates youth culture and all forms of art. We've been involved in programmes in Indonesia, Taiwan, Switzerland and the UK," shares Dhan. "Our artistic process is a practice of togetherness in managing, organising and propagating the collectivity that could be eulogised as the art in the making of Projek Rabak. We embrace artists as well as intellectuals, cultural workers, social activists, rural community organisers and, most of all, common everyday people."

In this exclusive e-mail interview, Dhan gives a detailed account of her journey to Venice, from spending time with the Semai community to her experience at the Venetian art exhibition alongside her Projek Rabak team members Mohd Jayzuan, Ranerrim, Muhammad Lufti, Yahya Torek and more.

Photo 1 of 5 Hik Bersamak: Indigenous Pop! (2022)

Photo 2 of 5 Yahya Torek sharing insights with an exhibition attendee

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Photo 5 of 5 We the Mengkuang (2022)

What was the inspiration and creative process behind Hik Bersamak: Indigenous Pop!?

Mohd Jayzuan, the co-founder of Projek Rabak, approached his friend and longtime lepak buddy Yahya, who is part of the indigenous Semai community in Sungkai, Perak, about a collaboration for the Venice Biennale. We wanted to create something centred on understanding and learning about the community's relationship with nature and how it contributes to their social structure, which puts an emphasis on the spirit of collectivism—a practice that resonates with Projek Rabak.

With Projek Rabak's long history with the Perakian community through the years, we agreed to highlight the Semai culture and identity as a way to put them on the world stage with Yahya as one of the leading voices in the entire project. We wanted to show how they were called upon to be consonant with the universe and their surroundings, in turn receiving protection and assurance.

The saying 'Hik Bersamak' means all together now in Semai language. Projek Rabak wanted to celebrate culture, friendship and togetherness, even in the creative process. We spent time with the Semai people at Kampung Ras, holding art competitions, sharing sessions and more. The collaborative pieces in the exhibition frame all who participated as artists themselves. We wish to reciprocate the folk wisdom and rich spirit of the Semai people and hope to bring the exhibits back after being shown to Kampung Ras for them experience and see the fruits of our shared efforts.

"The Semai people are often treated like artefacts or case studies. They are vulnerable to the ill intentions of outsiders with agendas that continue to propagate this narrow view and further isolate them from wider society."

- Dhan Illiani Yusof -

How did this art series become part of the Venice Biennale?

We were invited to participate in the Venice Biennale in December 2021, giving a tight, almost unheard of, timeframe of five months to prepare. I myself came onboard in the project only in January. Fortunately, everyone—from our amazing commissioner with the team from PORT to our four curators across four time zones—was great in delegating our schedules and seeking proper resources to get us support.

On Projek Rabak's end, our members self-funded the creation of these works. We received some help for the trip from our loving friends and family who believed in us. It was a humbling project that wouldn't be possible without everyone, big or small, who lent us a hand throughout the process.

The days before the opening of the Pera+Flora+Fauna exhibition were thrilling; it was filled with conversations between the curators and artists on understanding differences in our views, practices, and philosophies as well as how they all can correlate and add value, despite not always being in agreement. It was truly a process about trusting people in their respective practices without sacrificing the element of challenging one another.

“We held an art competition with the kids and adults from the community using stationery and materials provided by friends, which they could keep,” says Illiani. The winning drawings are being showcased at Archivi Della Misericordia in Venice, Italy.

"We went for a swim at the nearby river, where we bonded and shared our experiences. It was an eye-opening conversation. We spoke about everything: their history, the encroachment on their land, treatment from instiutions of power, and changes in traditions," shares Dhan

“On our last day, the villagers participated in the filming of their traditional attire made from the bark of trees. We also recorded a segment where the Semai people were invited to ask us any questions. It was crucial to flip the scenario and give them back the power and authority over the narrative, as they are too often the ones being filmed and interrogated by visitors," she says.

Photo 1 of 6 “We held an art competition with the kids and adults from the community using stationery and materials provided by friends, which they could keep,” says Illiani. The drawings are being showcased at Archivi Della Misericordia in Venice, Italy.

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Photo 3 of 6 "We went for a swim at the nearby river, where we bonded and shared our experiences. It was an eye-opening conversation. We spoke about everything: their history, the encroachment on their land, treatment from instiutions of power, and changes in traditions," shares Dhan

Photo 4 of 6 “On our last day, the villagers participated in the filming of their traditional attire made from the bark of trees. We also recorded a segment where the Semai people were invited to ask us any questions. It was crucial to flip the scenario and give them back the power and authority over the narrative, as they are too often the ones being filmed and interrogated by visitors," Dhan says.

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Why was it important to Projek Rabak to work closely with the Semai Indigenous Community?

It was and is vital for us to get to know them as individuals and people outside of any preconceived notions. Often times, they are treated like artefacts or case studies, very tied towards a narrow idea of them as a marginalised and minority community. They are vulnerable to the ill intentions of outsiders with agendas that continue to propagate this idea and further isolate them from wider society. For the Semai community in Kampung Ras, who are trying to bridge outside of their community, this remains a challenge.

Indigenous communities are often generalised as one big entity, but they all have different backgrounds, values and practices. More importantly, they are people of today in their own way. We approached the Semai people of Kampung Ras as specifically themselves, in all their colourful practices, personalities and quirks. We listened and heard their narratives, experiences and how they view things rather than adopting a general viewpoint of them. It was, in essence, neighbours getting to know one another.

Photo 1 of 3 'We the Mengkuang' (2022), led by Dhan Illiani Yusof

Photo 2 of 3 Semai artist Ronnie Bahari participated in the performance

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Can you tell us more about We the Mengkuang performance?

We the Mengkuang focuses on the strong values in collectivism and communal spirit that both Projek Rabak and the Semai people from Kampung Ras embody together. Capturing the 'fabric of living' in a community, the performance starts with me weaving together fabric strips. And I follow in through the gaps, becoming a participating strip. When we invite the audience to join, they too are part of the fabric and become a mengkuang leaf.

Weaving is an indigenous practice that we still see in contemporary Malaysian life, and a symbol of interconnectedness. It reflects the resilience of the Semai people, who stay true to their values, collective spirit and interweaving relationship with nature, despite changes in their resources or environment.

Above Yahya Torek, Dhan Illiani Yusof, Ranerrim and Annie Jael Kwan

How did it feel flying to Venice for this exhibition?

At the time, there were travel restrictions in place so we had to make sure that our documents were all settled! But thankfully, we managed to get everything in order and it turned into an enjoyable experience, especially since it was the first time in the city for most of us. Venice was incredible, a surreal, beautiful floating city. It transformed into a hub for the arts during our stay, buzzing with exciting exhibitions, talks and sites to visit. The food was amazing and I personally had a lifetime's worth of tiramisu.

I also loved that it felt like a backpacking adventure because we had to go to four different accommodations during our stay, which was particularly memorable as it was Ramadhan month and I was fasting for 17 hours a day at the time.

"Malaysia's art scene is bursting with phenomenal, boundary-pushing local talents."

- Dhan Illiani -

What do you think of the art scene in Malaysia?

Malaysia's art scene is bursting with phenomenal, boundary-pushing local talents but there is a lack of platforms to help cultivate their skills, explore different branches of practices, support them in their careers and ultimately become well-rounded creatives.

It isn't easy to sustainably support yourself in a full-time creative career. You don't learn about many things, such as what sort of artist-creative you can aspire to be and how to get there, how to bridge your creative practice to different facets, the levels of practising in the industry, how to function in the creative ecosystem, how to find funding, how to set a fair market price, and so on.

Of course, I've already seen a lot of growth, with great initiatives in place. I would love to see a bigger variety of platforms and channels to connect younger artists with resources and opportunities—especially with established institutions, funders or even the state—as a way to diversify the industry and learn to support varying talents to grow and flourish. It would be nice if the current creative ecosystem evolves to become more inclusive, where we can engage directly and share our experience, practices and work ethic.

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Dhan Illiani Yusof Shares Her Journey to the 59th Venice Biennale