By WU VUIDE
KOTA KINABALU: Installation Art by the Bay @ KK (IAKK) returns for its 13th edition at the Segama Waterfront Boardwalk from Sept 16 to 20, featuring artworks made from discarded and recyclable materials.
The event, themed “Second Chance – Nature Reimagined”, features 11 locally created upcycled installations and two overseas installations, TaPpestry from Singapore and Saara Studio from Denmark.
The local teams are Upcycle Shack, GBPrime Creation, EcoGeeks, Deco Bin, The Mansons, Ecohearts, JF Production, Camp Borneo Tours & Travel, Deco Art Team, Meraki Daat and Coconut Tree.
Installation art can transform ordinary public spaces into places where people pause, interact and engage with issues affecting the community, said IAKK organising chairman Professor Dr Awangku Hassanal Bahar Pengiran Bagul.
He said installation art could help give a city a sense of identity by bringing art directly into public spaces.
“Unlike traditional art that sits quietly inside a frame or behind museum glass, installation art is alive,” he said.
He said public installations could break down the barrier between artists and the public while encouraging people to look at their surroundings and start conversations.
He said this year’s environmental theme was relevant as Sabah faced growing concerns over waste, plastic pollution and climate change.
He said Sabah’s natural resources, including its rainforests and coastal waters, come with a responsibility to protect the environment.
“Nothing is truly waste if we look at it through the lens of creativity and care,” he said, referring to the use of discarded materials in the artworks.
He said art could also help translate complex environmental issues into visual messages that were easier for the public to understand and engage with.
Awangku Hassanal also commended the participating teams for using creativity and resourcefulness to turn discarded materials into artworks carrying environmental messages.
He said the installations demonstrated that art could bring people together across geographical boundaries in support of environmental awareness.
He hoped visitors would leave the exhibition inspired to make small, everyday choices towards a more sustainable future.
The event is expected to attract more than 3,000 visitors throughout its five-day run.
IAKK2026 also aims to promote eco-art tourism in Sabah and encourage greater community participation in environmental awareness through art.
IAKK2026 is supported by the Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry and held in collaboration with Kota Kinabalu City Hall (KKCH), Sabah Cultural Board, Sabah Art Gallery and Sabah Tourist Association.
The organising committee comprises Christianne Goonting of Lavinia Private Art Gallery, Fauziahton Awang Samad (KKCH), Pauline Chin of Truly Borneo Tours & Events, and Sara Elisya Ahmad Shah, Eva Anani Baggai and Intan Munirah Hamzah of Sabah Art Gallery.
Awangku Hassanal (right), with organising committee members and participants of IAKK.
