CEO Anna Karina Jardin shares how Artdialogo Asia promotes the arts and artists through creative events and workshops

Options: Tell us a little about Artdialogo Asia, its establishment and purpose. 
Anna Karina Jardin: Artdialogo Asia is a collective and creative social enterprise focused on the promotion of arts and artists, and cross-cultural exchanges through events, workshops, creative programming and place-making and exhibitions. From 2016, we have transitioned from being solely a programme to becoming a full-fledged platform upon which artists, children and youth, culture enthusiasts and educators can celebrate diversity and understand the value of inclusion through arts and creativity. We promote sustainable connectivity through arts and arts education while empowering the next generations of creative thinkers and doers.

You recently worked with Dorsett Hospitality International to create a special mural for one of its properties. Tell us about Beyond a Bird’s Eye View.
Birds are functionally defined as pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers and ecosystem engineers. They are messengers of our environment. Because they fly and are always associated with the skies, they are a symbol of freedom and success. In this mural, the birds in the sky also signal abundance while their presence in a concrete jungle is a reflection of our relationship with Mother Nature. This neo-Cubist piece is a colourful statement of our shared values in safeguarding a balanced ecology while the playful encounter between two birds is a symbol of collaboration and resilience, elements crucial in sustaining success and innovation. The palette depicts the vibrant goals of Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur and its workforce while showcasing its commitment in forging sustainable partnerships and promulgating ESG (environmental, social and governance) values through creativity.

Why did you choose a mural to convey this message?
I have been installing murals since I was 11 and they are always fun to create. It is a child’s dream to be able to paint freely on a big canvas and, after becoming a professional artist, I still enjoy it, as it is like making new memories for me while being able to share it with others who wish to participate.

Artdialogo has had initiatives in many countries. Tell us some of the most impactful.
When art is your tool to transform lives, the impact you can create varies. Artdialogo Asia’s initiatives have helped highlight the role of artists and art educators in taking the lead in community building, becoming leaders in their own way. One of our most impactful initiatives was the 2016 Artdialogo Malaysia-Philippines Intercultural Dialogue Programme, which paved the way for everything we have today. It allowed us to build sustainable partnerships while taking an inclusive approach to cultural diplomacy between two cities I call home: Manila and Kuala Lumpur. I must also mention our most recent partnership with Dorsett Hotels, bringing children across Southeast Asia together through arts and craft; and our recently concluded SENISKWELA 2024, a cross-cultural leadership programme that coincided with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Malaysia, which ran in conjunction with the Embassy of Malaysia in the Philippines and the Department of Education Division of Schools Malabon.

A motto of Artdialogo is ‘One dream at a time’. What are some of your personal dreams?
Having shared my passion and commitment in the arts with so many children and people from various backgrounds across the globe, I have learnt to dream with them. Dreaming has always been part of who I am and I embed that element in each of my works and art pieces. To be an artist is a dream in itself.

What are you reading right now? 
Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to reinforce the function of my left brain, and a little bit of Franz Kafka to prepare for my next set of artistic tasks. I like reading several books all at once to help me understand my direction and emotions well. Reading affects the work I create.

What are you listening to right now? 
A long list of songs spanning from the 1950s to the late 2010s, but Gordon Lightfoot’s If You Could Read My Mind is on repeat right now because it is simply soothing for an old soul’s ear.

What are your travel plans looking like for the rest of the year?
I started 2024 with a trip to the Philippines to run a cross-cultural leadership programme for educators and our youth to promote bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Philippines. I will most likely fly back there at year’s end for another exciting project that brings out the best in the community through the best medium I know — art.

Describe your idea of a perfect weekend.
When you find or create the perfect home, then staying in is just heaven!

Where will home always be for you?
Home is a changing concept. I was born and raised in Manila and it was in the Philippines that my love for the arts was nurtured. It also instilled in me good traditional Filipino values and an education that can withstand the challenges brought on by our changing times. However, opportunities have led me to call Malaysia home since 2016 and the country has embraced me with open arms while teaching me perseverance, grit and humility. In short, Malaysia gave me wings to fly. In colour!  

This article first appeared on Jul 1, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.