Esplanade
Padang Kota, also known as the Esplanade, is one of the older landmarks within George Town. A perfect place to catch the sunrise or go for early morning fishing, the area holds much historical significance from the arrival of Francis Light to a venue for European sports like cricket, lawn tennis, and lawn bowling in the 1930s. A lesser-known fact is that the Proclamation of Independence was read on this field on 31st August 1957 by Wong Pow Nee, Penang's first Chief Minister. Thousands gathered here to celebrate the birth of a new nation, independent from British colonial rule.
Padang Kota eventually became a space for neighbourhood and community gatherings and has remained so to date. If you wander down in the cooler evening hours, you will find the local community gathering for a picnic or playing football.
This site is AR-activated by Fakhrur Razi, a visual artist from Penang exploring local pastimes at sea.
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Artist Statement:
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Oh—it's Rory, a boy from a nearby fishing village as he floats, fishes and flies a Wau Bulan!
The Wau Bulan (Kelantanese: wa bule; literal translation: moon kite) is one of many traditional kites in Malaysia, and is one of Malaysia’s national symbols. It gets its name from the shape of its tail, which looks like a crescent moon. With intricate designs, the Wau Bulan typically has floral motifs and can be seen flown by the beach or at paddy fields. It is one of the most significant representations of the Kelantan community and their cultural heritage.
Born and raised in Penang, Fakhrur Razi showed an interest in creating and painting from a young age, growing towards graffiti and street art in his teenage years. With a background in 3D software, his art explores the relationship between traditional and digital media, often experimenting with digital tools and software to bring his works to life.
Fakhrur has exhibited his work at Balai Seni Negara Langkawi for the Langkawi Sebelum Bebas Cukai / MAGAD (2019/2021-2022). He has been a guest artist for RTB (2016), RUFP (2018), APUF 7 (2019), Rantai Art Festival (2018-2019), Art is Fair (2021), Kecik Kecik Art Show (2021) and Maitree’s Cahaya XR Residency (2022). He was also featured in the graffiti magazine Bridging the Gap (Volume 2) and on Al-Jazeera.
