NOR’S NUSANTARA

Dr. Nasha Khaw joins Nor’s Nusantara a podcast to discuss his work at Bukit Choras and across the wider Bujang Valley is especially resonant within this exploration. Since 2016, Dr. Khaw has led excavations at Bukit Choras, a limestone outcrop along Kedah’s ancient riverine corridor. In 2024, his team uncovered a remarkable discovery: a 1,000-year-old, life-size stucco image of a meditating Buddha...

How does art challenge preconceived ideas about fixed identities and place? In this episode, Dr. June Yap unravels her pioneering work with the Guggenheim UBS Global Art Initiative for South and Southeast Asia, a project that not only maps contemporary artistic activity in South Asia and Southeast Asia but also questions our notions of nations and boundaries. We also investigate her insightful boo...

Join us for an intimate walkthrough of cherished Nusantara objects, exploring the rich craftsmanship, symbolic layers, and cultural interconnections across maritime Southeast Asia. These profound yet everyday artifacts celebrate Malay-world ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and exchanges, challenging colonial stereotypes through hands-on appreciation of traditions from Java, Minangkabau, Banjarmasin, T...

In this episode, we sit down with Low Sze Wee, a leading figure in Singapore’s art scene to explore the profound significance of Nanyang art in picturing a modern understanding of the Nusantara. As a key modern art movement that emerged in pre-war Singapore, Nanyang art reflects the region’s dynamic blend of cultures and histories. Through the cosmopolitan experiences of its artists, the movement...

Set against Ai Wei Wei's monumental Law of the Journey staged by The Ryan Foundation at Capella Singapore, this panel hosted by Nor’s Nusantara, a platform dedicated to visual cultures of maritime Southeast Asia, will navigate the powerful themes of the artwork through a maritime lens, connecting the treacherous sea journeys of refugees to the currents of migration and belonging. The conversation...

In this episode, we are joined by Ryan Su, whose expertise in both art collecting and legal specialisation provides a unique lens through which to explore the Nusantara’s rich artistic traditions. Ryan shares insights into how his work bridges the worlds of art acquisition and legal frameworks, shedding light on the importance of preserving and protecting art within the region. As we discuss his j...

Why are art exhibitions relevant in shaping our views of the world and the region itself? We break this down with Dr Seng Yu Jin, as he guides us through a comparison of two distinct curatorial approaches showcased at recent international art biennales. We discuss Indonesian collective ruangrupa's curation at Documenta 15 in Kassel, Germany based on the idea of  lumbung , an Indonesian rice ba...

How is power defined in the Nusantara? This episode explores a compelling answer found not in treaties or battles, but in art.  In this episode of Nor’s Nusantara, we are joined by Dr Annabel Gallop (Head of Southeast Asia, The British Library) to decode the power of the written word, as it appears in two striking visual forms, manuscripts of the Qur’an and the worldly inscriptions of seals. One e...

In this episode, we uncover a fascinating journey through Kennie Ting’s latest book, “The Great Port Cities of Asia: In History.” Join us as we travel through time in key Nusantara port cities with Kennie as he guides us through the riveting evolution of port cities from Kedah, Palembang, Melaka, Aceh and Singapura. We explore why understanding the rise and fall of these bustling entrepôts is esse...

In this episode, we embark on a journey in the Nusantara with Khir Johari, through his multi-award-winning book The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels . Together, we explore a rich heritage — culture, traditions, and people—through Khir’s perspective. Growing up in Gedung Kuning, a historic villa on the grounds of Singapore's last Sultan at Kampong Gelam, Khir offers a rare glimpse...

Welcome to today’s episode, where we immerse ourselves in the fascinating world of ancient maritime networks with Dr. Stephen Murphy. Join us as we investigate the mystery of a remarkable 9th-century shipwreck discovered off Belitung Island, Southern Sumatra. This incredible find, now housed at the Asian Civilisations Museum and expertly curated by Stephen, has transformed our perspective on the N...

In this episode, we’re joined by renowned art historian T.K. Sabapathy to delve into the ancient roots of Nusantara art. Taking us back to the pre-modern era, T.K. explains how archaeologists and philologists, rather than art historians, were the first to apply the term “art” to Southeast Asia’s heritage, as they encountered works framed within Hindu-Buddhist cosmologies. Through two key examples...

Nor’s Nusantara X Money FM98.3 In our Singapore Home Brew segment where we look at the rich maritime history, art, and culture of the Nusantara — an interconnected region shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and creativity. Joining us today are two guests who discuss Singapore’s role in this vast and layered story. Nor Wang, Founder, Nor’s Nusantara Podcast and Richard Hassell, Co-Founder, WOH...

In this pilot episode of Nor’s Nusantara, we re-examine Singapore from the vantage point of maritime Southeast Asia’s urgent ecological and cultural shifts through her curatorial leadership as Founding Director of NTU Centre for Contemporary Art. We discuss her work with maritime communities in "Climate Crisis and Cultural Loss," highlighting her oceanic journey from the Pacific to Riau...

Exciting podcast coming soon! NOR’S NUSANTARA is a podcast series that explores the essence of the Nusantara through the language of art by highlighting influential voices, thinkers and creators in the sphere of culture from Singapore and beyond. Directed and produced by Nor, it is part of her ongoing research to explore how the language of art can contribute new knowledge towards understanding th...