City glows in dazzling display at grand finale

THE George Town Festival (GTF) 2023 Light in the City wrapped up with a kaleidoscope of colours in the heart of Penang.

After two weeks of celebrating the city’s rich history, art, traditions and culture, the grand finale dazzled crowds and transformed some of Penang’s oldest streets and heritage buildings into a mesmerising backdrop for creative expression.

Huge crowds packed Beach Street to enjoy an array of programmes spanning over two days that included the Immersio: Outdoor Projection Mapping display.

This saw the 1886 building, believed to be the oldest on the street to still retain its original appearance, coming alive with a memorable display of colours, patterns and sounds.

Flamboyant floral motifs danced alongside dragons and neon lights.

Visitors fascinated by recreations of floor tile motifs inside the Immersio: Digital Art Gallery.

Some local landmarks were also recreated as festival-goers watched from the road and kerbside.

Participating local and international artists cleverly adapted their projection videos to the three-storey structure’s facade, playing around its French windows, cast-iron balconies and cornice.

The building, named after the year of its construction, used to house an upmarket emporium alongside other shops and offices. Today, it is part of an international bank’s office complex.

Long queues waited to enter the Immersio: Digital Art Gallery at the nearby Whiteaways Arcade.

Set in a darkened room, its projections beckoned visitors to reach out and touch.

From the iconic designs of beautiful patterned floor tiles found throughout George Town’s old walkways to outlines of traditional shophouses, the digital art show burst into life, providing visitors some heady social media snaps.

Visitors snapping selfies with the luminous projections inside the Immersio: Digital Art Gallery at GTF 2023’s Light in the City grand finale.

Immersio was presented in collaboration with Filamen and Epson.

The Batik Showcase: A Modern Interpretation featuring the unique collections of various homegrown designers at the intersection of Church Street drew large crowds who flocked to the fashion show.

Names like Aden Yong, Aliza Rezki, Edric Ong, Eric Choong, Hassan Abu Bakar, Koay JiTong, NaimButek, Tri Siswanto and Zack Lee displayed just how versatile the iconic fabric is.

From traditional silhouettes to more modern evening wear, several pieces graced the makeshift tarmac catwalk.

In between rounds, Grammy-nominated crossover pianist Jolynn J. Chin and Sarawakian ethnic fusion band At Adau entertained the crowd.

Elsewhere along the street, mixed media artists Juliana and Andrey Vrady did a repeat of Joy in George Town where they used software to capture emotions on people’s faces which were then converted into biometric data to produce AI-generated artwork.

Models parading in swanky batik creations by Edric Ong during the Batik Showcase: A Modern Interpretation fashion show.

The Riso Art Jam had an Art Bazaar featuring risography print works while Colour the Street saw visitors expressing themselves through chalk by drawing on the road surface.

Festival director Jack Wong felt Light in the City was a fitting end to this year’s GTF, which was its 14th edition.

“It was nice to see everyone coming together to honour Penang’s vibrant cultural tapestry and create lasting memories.

“We hope GTF 2023 has been an unforgettable celebration of creativity, unity and cultural richness,” he said.