ART That Heals: H3RO Sedekad Connects Visitors to Familial Roots and Bonds
By Nicole Chang
March 2025 FOR ART'S SAKE
H3RO SEDEKAD (H3RO: A Decade) is an experiential portal that artfully invites visitors to reconnect with their roots. Co-created and co-curated by Hasnul Jamal Saidon (a crossdisciplinary artist) and Anderson Ee (a practising film director cum producer) in collaboration with Muzium Galleri Tuanku Fauziah (MGTF), and led by Tetriana Ahmed Fauzi (current Director of MGTF), the exhibition (from 1 October 2024 to 31 MAR 2025) is being held at MGTF in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang.
According to Hasnul and Anderson, H3RO started as an article on Hasnul’s blog[1] about his father. It was then translated into a short film, HERO,[2] directed by Anderson. The subject and content were further translated and developed into a series of compassion workshops and performances featuring short film screenings, storytelling and songs held in a few different locations, engaging the local communities. That includes H3RO Ziarah Teluk Intan, Perak in 2017; H3RO National Visual Art Gallery, KL in 2022; and H3RO Ziarah A.P. Art Gallery, KL in 2023. Marking a decade since its inception, Hasnul and Anderson decided to transform H3RO from film into exhibition narratives.
H3RO: Sedekad brings Hasnul’s heartfelt expressions and memories to life. It narrates his familial roots and bonds by highlighting his heroes (i.e. his parents). Through thoughtfully curated exhibits of chalk and mixed-media paintings, wall art, a short video screening and installations with cherished family memorabilia, the exhibition features intimate storytelling scenes, unfolding stories of love, kinship and enduring family bonds.
“Technically, we applied four languages: visual arts, writing, poetry and performance in this exhibition. Unlike a traditional fine art exhibition that showcases a collection of an artist’s works, this exhibition tells a story through a film storyboard format, consisting of five main acts or scenes, and culminates with an epilogue,” Anderson explains. Each scene is filled with relevant artworks and objects within the curated setting on-site.
“Without guiding art statements or lengthy wall texts, but only a few keywords, we believe in empowering the audience to navigate through the interconnected scenes independently until the end. Rather than presenting a curated narrative, this exhibition depicts a true story!” Anderson clarifies.
Stepping through the doorway created at the venue, visitors are transported into the heart of Hasnul’s ancestral home, a place filled with nostalgic memories, familial kinship and personal history. The recreated setting of the blue windowed façade under the blue roof, with a vintage motorbike parked outside resembles Hasnul’s childhood home in Teluk Intan.
The exhibition delves into Hasnul’s familial journey, reflecting on his deep connections and cherished memories with his late father, a guiding source of wisdom and inspiration for him, and his recently departed mother, whom he deeply respected for her unwavering love, resilience and strength in raising nine children.
Through engaging and evocative displays, visitors become more than mere observers. They become part of a shared narrative, stepping into the echoes of self-reflection on their own roots and reconnecting with the universal themes of home, heritage and the ties that shape our well-being. This prompts them to embrace their own heroes, rekindle family connections and rediscover the essence of their personal path.
“H3RO Sedekad is a ‘mirror’ for hearts which are called upon to return. Be prepared to peek into your own reflection and face your own shadow,” Hasnul explains.
“The darkness along the tunnel symbolises the grief experienced from losing loved ones. Walking through it represents a journey of passing through dark moments of separation or farewells. Recovery from such loss may take a long time. The final letter in the middle of the tunnel is probably a closing remark, while the light at the exit guides the audience towards a brighter future. Not much justification is required, but the reactions are largely influenced by audiences’ self-awareness and worldview,” Anderson says.
Hasnul observes his visiting friends’ teary-eyed departures as they step out of the exhibition and reflects: “We heal ourselves and others by sharing our stories.”
Afzanizam Mohd Ali from the MGTF curatorial team is impressed with the visitors’ engagement. “From mid-October last year until mid-January 2025, H3RO: Sedekad has engaged over 6,000 visitors from all age groups, ranging from preschool children to adults over 60.” Most visits have been guided by the curatorial team, including Hasnul himself, who eagerly shares the stories and initiatives of H3RO.
“We noted that mature visitors, particularly those over 40, are deeply engaged with the exhibition, often displaying strong emotional reactions. For school children, providing pre-visit briefings, offering explanations during the visit and incorporating interactive activities, such as post-visit note-posting or informal chat and sharing sessions, significantly enhance their visiting experience,” Afzanizam said.
Experiencing H3RO Sedekad firsthand reveals how art, through a universally relevant subject or theme, contributes as an accessible form of expression, inclusively engaging the public in embracing shared narratives of love, compassion and resilience of family legacy, which forms a core foundation of society.
“We inherit stories and memories as a form of legacy; and intangible heritage, character, value-driven narratives and memories as a form of reflective data, a form of value transmission,” commented Ahmad Murad Merican during his talk, Fathers & Their Wisdom, held in conjunction with the exhibition.
Footnotes
Nicole Chang
has just completed her PhD programme at the Department of Development Planning and Management, School of Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia.
