Izat Arif’s Irritability in Animals saw a pyramid-shaped shelter constructed in 12 with a single entrance that urged audiences to step into the recreation of a room from the artist’s house. Actual objects filled the space and transported viewers into the private sanctum of a 24-year-old; a folder on wildlife facts sat closely to a copy of Art Now, boxes of Japanese toy-models lay stacked on a table, a Richard Prince poster clashed with used paint tubes, and walls were covered with the artist’s sketches and smaller works.

The intimate work mirrored the artist’s introverted characteristics, whilst commenting on social cliques, conformism, and individuality. Irritability in Animals represented Izat’s personal conflict of trying to fit in and it not only revealed facets of his artist’s identity, but also unraveled the mysteries behind the creative process.

The exhibition was supplemented by a seminar led by Mika Kuraya, Chief Curator of the Department of Fine Arts, National Museum of Modern Arts, Tokyo (MOMAT), Associate Professor Hasnul Jamal Saidon of the Muzium & Galeri Tuanku Fauziah, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Roopesh Sitharan from GoldSmiths, University of London and Associate Professor Fauzan Omar of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

The second installment of Museum Piece solidified 12’s goals of examining the value of a single artwork and further questioned whether contemporary artworks play a role within a larger culture framework or whether they are merely a commodity in today’s world.

All the works produced in the Museum Piece series will be brought together in a single exhibition at a later date.