In 2005, Wei-Ling Gallery opened it doors with much pomp and ceremony to their inaugural exhibition 18@8 which featured 18 selected artists at No.8 Jalan Scott (the gallery’s address).
This exhibition has since become a fixture on the gallery’s calendar.
In 2006 Wei-Ling Gallery in collaboration with Amin Gulgee Gallery, Karachi Pakistan, took the second instalment of 18@8 KUL-KHI to Karachi,Pakistan. 2007 saw the exhibition back on homesoil and in the following two years the exhibition took on a new twist. 18@8-Vice and Virtue in 2008 saw nine selected artists creating two works each corresponding to one vice and one virtue. In 2009 the 18@8 1Malaysia:Beyond the Canvas sought to make artists express themselves outside the confines of the canvas to document their ideas of what 1Malaysia stands for through a central ‘transportation’ theme.
The 18@8 exhibition has become a definitive event on the Malaysian art scene as it is the gallery’s selection of contemporary artists, who have made waves in the preceding year and will be the ones to watch out for in the upcoming one. Thus the list of artists changes slightly every year.
Over the years, each 18@8 exhibition has had a different theme to inspire the artists to push boundaries to come up with works which are both compelling and iconic and allows them to experiment with new themes and ideas.
In December 2010, Wei-Ling Gallery has teamed up with Absolut Vodka who have had a long and illustrious association with art worldwide to present Absolut18@8.
The exhibition now in its fifth edition will bring together some of the country’s most established and cutting-edge artists in one of the most awaited shows on the art calendar and will take place from from 30th November 2010 – 3rd January 2011 at Wei-Ling Gallery.
Absolut Vodka and Wei-Ling Gallery will be presenting an exhibition that will include all art mediums ranging from paintings and sculptures to installations and video and will incorporate a charity angle in the year-end spirit of giving.
As part of the Absolut18@8 exhibition, the participating artists have created original artworks based on the ABSOLUT vodka bottle. This part of the project entitled Absolut 18@8 Bottles will be exhibited concurrently at the concourse of the Gardens Mall. A private auction will be held on 8th December 2010 and a portion of the proceeds of sale from the Absolut 18@8 Bottles will go to SPCA.
Participating artists include Anurendra Jegadeva, Ivan Lam, Choy Chun Wei, Yau Bee Ling, Chee Way, Al Khuzairie Ali, Haslin Ismail, Cheng Yeng Pheng, Cheong Tuck Wai, Yim Yen Sum, Gan Tee Sheng, Anabelle Ng, Faizal Suhif, Wong Chee Meng, Chee Eng Hong, Hamidi Hadi, Chin Kong Yee and Stephen Menon.