X-Raying to the Inside with Kompang
Work Title & Medium
X-Ray Kompang: Rhythm of Identity (2024)
X-rays, wood, nails, textiles
10 pieces, 30.5 cm each; 10 pieces, 28 cm each; 10 pieces, 20 cm each
Exhibition Context
In Between Worlds
Kapallorek Art Space, Malaysia, 2024
Curated by Anna Cuomo
Curatorial Perspective
17 December 2024
From December 19, 2023, to March 2024, Kapallorek Art Space will host In Between Worlds, an exhibition by Malaysian-born Amir Zainorin, a transdisciplinary artist based in
Copenhagen since 2002. Curated by Italian researcher Anna Cuomo, the exhibition delves into themes of identity, belonging, and cultural hybridity through a diverse array of works, inviting visitors into an immersive exploration of the diasporic experience, identity and heritage issues.
Drawing from his personal journey as a diaspora artist, Zainorin weaves the narrative of In
Between Worlds to create a reflective space where belonging and belief intersect. Through interconnected works, the exhibition explores the challenges and opportunities of navigating multiple cultural landscapes, shedding light on the intricate nuances of displacement. Including mixed media installations, digital art, and performance, Zainorin’s practice creates a layered investigation of multiple cultural intersections reflected in the own language of every different medium. Through storytelling, symbolism, and humor, his works evoke both a sense of connection and distance, inspiring viewers to reflect on their own journeys and their experiences of identity. The exhibition showcases eight works, each exploring different facets of the diasporic experience, from the tension between cultural roots and adaptation to new environments, to the nostalgia for a homeland and the outcomings of this life path.
The journey begins with Gang Kelinci-Kapallorek Installation Series (1), located on the
stairway of the space. This work functions as an introduction continuing Amir’s series
initiated in Jakarta, transforming discarded plastic into art using silk-screening and
heat-pressing techniques, depicting his figure holding iconic asean objects and incorporating everyday life plastic wrappers collected in the streets. The installation highlights environmental sustainability while bridging narratives between Indonesia and Malaysia.
In the main gallery, Amir’s two worlds converge in Stateless Mind Pavilion, an interaction
space reflecting his past and present through elements that shape his being. The Kompang: Rhythms of Identity (2) features a series of modified kompang – traditional Malay frame drums realized by Gema Seni in Merlimau, Melaka – where X-rays of family and friends replace the traditional goat skin surfaces. This homage to his father, a renowned Ghazal musician, and his sister, a radiologist, transforms the instruments into storytellers, each producing a unique sound that resonates with personal memory. These medical images emphasize the fragility and complexity of the human experience, offering glimpses of the body in a vulnerable state. Their inclusion in the kompang transforms the drum into a vehicle for narratives, each beat carrying with it layers of intimate reminiscence.
Continuing the exploration of tradition, Across Borders (3) showcases new collaborations
with artist Ronnie Bahari, Indigenous Semai photographer and cultural leader. Together, they use pandanus leaves to create handmade paper, later drawn with hematite and charcoal to weave the rich textures of Malaysian heritage, fostering a dialogue between local communities and visitors.
On the opposite side, Echoes of History (4) presents a series of ink-on-paper painted works exploring Malaysia’s history from 1941 to 1968. Using archival news clippings and
publications, Amir constructs a layered installation where historical events become part of the surrounding space, offering a glimpse into the country’s past. A video installation,
Navigating History located in Amir’s private studio at Kapallorek – that became a part of the exhibition showing the artist’ creative process – complements this narrative by inviting viewers to critically engage with fragmented histories and reflect on how media shapes collective memory.
Occupying the main room, the dialogue between the works Contemporary Ode to the Daily Mundane, Ilyas and Malika and The Triumph of Failures. Contemporary Ode to the Daily Mundane (5) employs silk-screen techniques combining photo-performance elements, maps, and text. The prints feature images of the artist holding objects symbolic of his identity, such as a mortar, a wok, or a globe, representing the voluntary and involuntary displacements that define his life and work.
In front of it, The Triumph of Failures (6) offers a subtle but profound reflection on stateless minds. Composed of silkscreened texts, the work forms an "Atlas of being," using language to chart a new emotional and existential cartography. Finally, Ilyas and Malika (7) is a photographic series blending moments from Amir’s residency in Malaysia with his life in Copenhagen. Digital-printed images of his children interwoven with personal objects and daily rituals create a mosaic that captures the emotional complexity of dual identity and cultural hybridity.
In the hidden rooms, Daily Triumph (8) a work based on the pages of a Danish atlas for
children that the artist enriched with personal thoughts that become statements together
with the drawing on them, realized mostly with poppy seeds and salt – two typical danish
ingredients. Two additional videos, The Kompang: Rhythms of Identity and Archive from
Stateless Mind Festival complete the experience. The exhibition also features a workshop
with students from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Manjung and two new
performances debuting at the opening.
In Between Worlds offers a profound meditation on the diasporic experience, bridging local and global, personal and collective perspectives and offering them to the public to arise new reflection on what every human being can feel to be.
— Dr. Anna Cuomo, curator and researcher, Madre Museum, Naples
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About this Work
I am not entirely sure when or where I got the idea to make the kompang. Perhaps it came from a desire to create an artwork that connects with my childhood. Growing up, music played a significant role in my life, and my father, a ghazal singer, surely influenced this love from an early age. Music has always been a companion, moving with me through the eras of transistor radios, Walkmans, cassette players, record albums, CDs, and now Spotify.
In my artwork X-ray Kompang, I merge this personal connection to music with a fascination for X-ray films. X-rays have always captivated me—their ability to reveal the unseen within us is both scientific and poetic. By replacing the traditional skin of the kompang, a Malaysian drum, with X-ray films, I transform the instrument into a bridge between sound and introspection. The X-ray, a tool that reveals what lies beneath the surface, becomes a powerful metaphor for identity—what exists beyond nationality, beyond external appearances, beyond the visible.
This project has also encouraged me to reconnect with family and old friends. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realised how precious it is to nurture these relationships. The X-rays used in this work come exclusively from my close circle, making the piece deeply personal. Each X-ray carries a unique story, evoking memories of shared experiences and ties to my roots.
Through X-ray Kompang, I invite viewers to reflect—not just on the visible and invisible within themselves, but also on the relationships and memories that shape who we are.
This work explores the ways in which movement—of people, of sound —shapes our understanding of who we are. The process is one of adaptation and dialogue, where materials carry histories, and objects are repurposed to tell new stories. I do not impose conclusions but rather invites engagement, reflection, and participation. In Rhythm of Identity, identity is neither fixed nor singular; it is a rhythm, an echo, an evolving composition.
-Amir Z, 2025
Rhythm of Identity (2024) — installation view, Kapallorek Artspace, Malaysia
Acknowledgment
This project was made possible with support from:
