Seventh issue . July - September 2012 - Universiti Brunei Darussalam

30DiscoverRESEARCHDiscoverRESEARCH31Creative Industries Research Clusteruses nature for artLed by Awg Khalid bin Othman, four membersfrom Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) CreativeIndustry Research Cluster (CIRC), and nineresearch assistants, among them students from theArt and Creative technology programme at UBDhave started the first phase of a research studyentitled “Aesthetic in Nature – Concept to Reality.”The study is being conducted by the CIRC,and aims to use sketches, photographya andvideography, to support a 3D animation shortmovie production. Unique species of flora andfauna are gathered on-site at the Kuala BelalongField Studies Centre through visual documentationto create a database.The structure of the species have been analysed,and stylised to come out with motifs and patternsthat can be used in design products such astraditional crafts, textile, batik, wood carvings andapplied art and fine artworks.Art Exhibition at JIS Arts Centre and UBDStudent Centre basis for community artresearchActivities for the Transcending Culture and Space: A Community Art Project, sponsored by the U.S.Embassy in Brunei Darussalam through the Overseas Federal Assistance Award and co-sponsored byUniversiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD), Pusat Belia Bandar Seri Begawan (Youth Centre) and JerudongInternational School (JIS), have included mural painting workshops, a travelling multimedia art installationand public gallery talks. Together, these events are estimated to have reached 2000 people.There were two phases to the travelling multimedia art installation, with the first running in Septemberand the second in October. During the first phase, the multimedia art exhibition provided a showcasefor introducing the artistic talents of two American artists and teaching faculty from the Art and CreativeTechnology programme of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS), UBD, Dr. Martie Geiger-Ho andAssociate Professor Kong Ho.The second phase of the exhibition will run from 8 to 20 October at the UBD Student Centre, whose galleryhours are 8am to 5pm, Mondays through Thursdays and Saturday. This community art project aims toencompass the most updated concepts about community art through the social inclusion of Bruneiansfrom all walks of life. This inclusion is illustrated in the types of participants that have worked on the mural,who come from diverse age groups, socio-economic stratas and various ability backgrounds. By beinginclusive, the project supports the objective of adding to the foundation of social enrichment that isbeing used to help Bruneian society to build a strong and vibrant community that counts art and otherart supporting facets of the creative industries as part of its infrastructure.AP Kong Ho and Dr. Geiger-Ho intend to co-write a paper based on this community art project in BruneiDarussalam and to present it at an arts and social sciences related international conference.BruneiTrails.com steps onlineIt seems no matter where you are in the world,just finding the parking lot for a recreationaltrail, let alone the trailhead, may be the mostdifficult aspect of any hike. This holds true even insmall countries like Brunei. A new website, www.bruneitrails.com, attempts to overcome thisdifficulty by making it easier for Bruneians and theirinternational guests to reach the many parks andpreserves generously dispersed throughout thecountry. Winding through most if not all of theselandmarks are hiking and walking trails surroundedby incomparable natural beauty and culturalheritage.Dr. Ken Whalen, lecturer in the geographyprogramme in the Faculty of Arts and SocialSciences (FASS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)came up with the idea of creating a websitethat offers a “photo-guide” to most trails in thecountry. The guide aims to be simple and directwhile privileging the visual field of the motorist.Photographs of park entrances, signposts andsignificant landscape features direct visitors to thevarious trails. Maps which display a bird’s eye viewof roadways and places are also available on thewebsite. Together these resources make it easierfor hikers and walkers to reach a trail’s startingpoint. The website does include a few trail maps,though their quality is somewhat uneven since theycome from various sources. Only brief descriptionsof each trail are offered so as not to excessivelycolour an individual’s experience.Students and faculty continue to support thedevelopment of the project, which receivesgenerous funding from UBD. An initial step in theprocess of building the website was to design alogo that would adequately represent Brunei’s trailenvironments and visual culture. For this, a studentcompetition was announced, and a numberof well-crafted entries were received. Facultymembers participated in selecting the winninglogo which was designed by Dyg Noor Aziemahbte Awg Ahmad. Although her original logo wasrevised, its design elements influenced the overalllook of the front page. Members of the BruneiNature Society were also involved in shaping thevirtual landscape and have suggested ways thewebsite might become a forum for dialogue inwhich ideas and initiatives can evolve and lateremerge in the palpable landscape.This semester three undergraduate students fromthe geography programme will be working withDr. Whalen to describe the remaining trails. Theywill be visiting the trails, taking photographs,searching for trail maps, writing about their trailexperiences, and, of course, partaking in a bit ofbush whacking. “We don’t mind,” was the generalsentiment though accompanied with nervousgiggles. Participants hope the website will nurtureappreciation for outdoor recreation and exercise,natural and cultural heritage, and a peripateticsense of place. Some see it as one of the first stepson the journey towards developing a national trailsystem in Brunei.