ABSTRACT
Arts and culture in Malaysia are marked by tensions that are both a result of and indicative of currents arising out of the nation’s political, economic and social dynamics. While the state has made consistent efforts to shape culture and the arts to reflect and reinforce its hold on power, the field is also influenced by other factors, some of which have supported the state’s hegemonic project, and others which have provided counterpoints to it. What follows is an attempt to identify the many moving parts that circulate and collide in the field of cultural practice and arts production.
