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"Malaysia Hot News"

• ​George Town Literary Festival 2026 is scheduled to be on 27–29 November 2026 at Penang
• A dual show titled “Women in Art” by the local artist Lim Siang Jin and the Thailand artist Wattana Wattanapun was held at Chiang Mai recently. Attended by some of the senior artists, it's a pleasure to see local arts making waves across borders.
• ​Vanissa Fooo made a headline once again. She is announced as one of the ADC Young Guns 23 winners, alongside 32 other worldwide winners.
• An ongoing exhibition titled "Alfred Russel Wallace as a Medium" is currently on display at Think & Tink, Kuching, Sarawak, from 01 February to 01 March 2026. Free Entrance.
• ​Seri Negara is now converted into an Eco Sanctuary Hotel. This colonial mansion now has new heritage galleries, including immersive galleries. Seri Negara is a completed building from 1913 and was originally known as the King’s House. The restoration project is led by Khazanah Nasional under the Warisan KL initiative as well. It's open from 10 am-6 pm (Monday Closed).
• The 10th anniversary of Transformation Digital Art 2026 is happening in Malaysia on 26-27 March 2026. If you're a fan of digital art or curious about it, get your tickets. The show is curated by Gaby Wijers.
• The building that stood in the heart of Kuala Lumpur since 1897 finally had its break. Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad was restored and reopened to the public with the initiative of Warisan KL. It now offers galleries, exhibitions, and creative spaces, contributing to the Malaysian local art Industry. Operation hours: Open daily, 8 am–10 pm.
• ​Born in 1907, Foo Yet Kai was a mining entrepreneur and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of Ipoh from the colonial era. Learn more about him here.​

scroll down for Open, Hiring Calls & Opportunities

"Singapore & Southeast Asia Hot News"

• ​A 2-metre-tall woven horse in China is getting attention for this Chinese New Year celebration
• ​“RUPA ALAM”, a visual exhibition held at the Gallery, Creative Space, MaTiC from 02-28 February 2026
• The 37th Singapore International Film Festival decided to make a change to its schedule, an act of intention to make more space for theatrical releases of independent films in Singapore. We need more support for independent cinema in the art industry. The SGIFF37 is scheduled to be from 21st October to -1 November 2026.
• ​BKKIF 2026 is scheduled to be held from 22–25 October 2026 at CentralWorld PULSE. An open call will be held from 16 June to 15 July 2026, so keep an eye on it.
• ​The Malaysian Digital Creative Industry has now generated revenue of RM92.5B with 11,000+ high-value jobs and RM85.7B investments, and is now ready to head to the global stage, as claimed and reported by MDEC.

"Global Hot News"

• Have you ever seen one of the biggest books in the world? Yes, John James Audubon’s immense 4-volume ‘Birds of America’, composed of 435 hand-coloured prints, is kept at the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. A copy of it is available at the Huntington Library, Los Angeles.
• The Director of "The Voice of Hind Rajab" declined and refused to accept the award in Berlin. Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania was awarded for “Most Valuable Film” for a film based on the true story of Hind Rajab, who was trapped in her family car on Jan. 29, 2024, after it came under Israeli army fire in Gaza.
• ​Only brought for $6.64 back in 2021, a rare Logan Paul's Pokémon card sold for $20.8 million. The card depicts the iconic cartoon character Pikachu, with the highest possible authenticator grade 10. Impressive.
• ​"Fashion is Art", yes, that's the dress code of the Met Gala 2026 that will take place on 4th May this year.
• An Australian, Jono Allen, won the World Nature Photography Awards 2026. View the works here.
• ​Monet’s Water Lilies of "Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies" is reimagined with a 3,179-Brick of Lego set. It's a collaboration between the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and Lego.

"Open | Hiring Calls & Opportunities"

1. ​Book Illustrators Gallery (BIG) Open Call for SEA artists - Deadline 22 February 2026
2. ​GAF Shanghai International Illustration Art Expo 2026 - Deadline 31 March 2026
3. Geran TABUNG BANTUAN SENI (TBS) 2026 Open Call, available in three terms - Deadline 16 January, 15 May & 14 August 2026
4. ​Ephemere Photobook Grant 2026, Details here - Deadline 31 March 2026
5. ​Open Call to Malaysian Artists in any medium by Primary Exhibitions - Deadline 31 March 2026
6. ​5th Screenplay Contest TIFF 2026 submissions are now open - Deadline 21 May 2026
7. ​Ang INK is now open for applications - Deadline 28 March 2026
8. ​Primary Exhibitions Open Call accepted digital works too - Deadline 31 March 2026
9. ​IAF (Illustration ArtFest) 2026 Open Call - Deadline 15 March 2026
10. ​Creatives Call for Labour Day by SG
11. ​International Art Biennale themed "If Trees Could Talk" by PH Open Call - Deadline ASAP
12. ​Klang River Festival 2026 Open Call​
13. Apply for Open Consignment at Journal Georgetown!​
14. The 13th LUSTR Festival Open Call in the Czech Republic - Deadline 31 March 2026
15. ​Shanghai Illustration Art Expo (GAF) 2026 Online Exhibition - 31 March 2026
16. ​Residencies Curator Residency Grant by Art Fair Philippines - Deadline 01 March 2026
17. ​Open Call for exhibition “HANYA SATU - SINGLE” by National Art Gallery - Deadline 091 March 2026
18. The 6th Edition of Wei Ling Gallery (WLG) Incubator Program - Deadline 28 February 2026
19. 2nd Wave of NUR OPEN CALL 2026 for Mapping, Av Performance and Installation - Deadline 22 February 2026
20. ​Beijing Culture with UNESCO is looking for culture and climate change stories - Deadline 15 March 2026
21. ​Open Call for Revolutionary Storytellers with $5,000 USD for 3 recipients - Deadline 15 March 2026
22. ​Open Call for the 18th edition of KLPA, themed "A Stranger's Face: Travel Portraits" - Deadline 31 March 2026
23. Open Call 3rd Golden Shot International Photography Awards 2026 - Deadline 10 April 2026
24. ​Momo Distribution Grant 2026 for Emerging Southeast Asian filmmakers - Deadline 13 March 2026
25. ​AWARA is taking an intake for 2026 for SPM & STPM leavers for Asai, Diploma and Degree courses
26. ​Titiwangsa Pavilion Architectural Design Competition with prize money worth RM50,000
27. ​Mahwari Justice is looking for an illustrator to design their current education guide - Deadline 25 February 2025
28. ​A proposal for "Geran Penerbitan Perak Sejahtera 2023" through Port Ipoh - Deadline 30 March 2026
29. ​Open Call for a Contemporary Exhibition titled “Se-Karang” by Balai Seni Negara - Deadline 01 March 2026
30. ​Creative Ventures is hiring for multiple positions right now
31. ​Mossery is hiring for multiple roles
32. ​Torino Film Lab (TFL) Co-Production Fund 2026 Open Call - 04 March 2026
33. ​Kota Kinabalu International Film Festival Call for Short & Feature Films with $8 - Deadline 15 March 2026
34. ​69th International Leipzig Festival Open Call for films - Deadline 01 July 2026
35. ​79th Edinburgh International Film Festival Open Call - Deadline 13 March 2026
36. ​5th Ciputra Film Festival Open Call - Deadline 30 March 2026
37. ​Proposal Call to speak about censorship and restrictions on the arts with travel support for SEA artists by Freedon Film Festival - Deadline April 2026

"Awesome Art Bits"

• ​Blackgoat, a popular Singapore hawker stall, is closing its doors but released its 10 signature recipes online for free. Unbelievable. A major change in entrepreneurs' mindset.
• Indian miniature painting, which extensively uses Indian Yellow. This is how it is produced.
• ​Tapestries made of LEGO. This large-scale geometric wall installation is very impressive.
• The biggest books (approximately 100 x 67cm; 40 x 28 inches) in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. John James Audubon’s immense 4-volume ‘Birds of America’ was made up of 435 hand-coloured prints.
• Tiger for courage and protection, and Xiamen is still making tiger lanterns in tradional way. ​​
• Norway launched the world's first panoramic night train to watch the Northern Lights during autumn and spring.