JUST a short walk from Dataran Merdeka, where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet, the River of Life is “glowing” with something other than reflected skyline lights this Merdeka season. From late last month until Sept 17, its promenade has turned into an open-air gallery for Bersama2050, a youth-driven art exhibition asking one simple question: How do you see Malaysia in 2050?

Running daily from 11am to 6pm (with longer weekend hours), Bersama2050 is wide open to everyone: no tickets needed, no formal gallery silence. Photographs, paintings and video installations line the riverfront, easily reached on foot from LRT Masjid Jamek or Pasar Seni. Commuters heading for lunch, families on evening strolls, and tourists chasing Merdeka selfies all stumble into the dialogue.

The exhibition’s origins lie in a two-month call for entries where young Malaysians, many still studying or early in their careers, translated anxieties and aspirations into visual form. Organiser MyKampus Radio (MKR), a youth media platform producing Malay-language campus content since 2016, resisted framing the process as a conventional contest. Event coordinator Ameera Amelia Abdul Aziz says: “It’s more of an adventure than a competition. Bersama2050 values the storytellers and their perspectives as much as the art itself.”

Judging reflected that spirit. Panels included representatives from documentary channel Docusphere, Balai Seni Negara and technical consultant Manuel Echavarria, ensuring local grounding with an international gaze.

Why the River of Life?
Holding a futuristic exhibition by Kuala Lumpur’s oldest waterway may seem counter-intuitive, but for Ameera the symbolism was irresistible.

“The heart of the city should be its people, and the working class are often overlooked. Bringing the heart of the city to the physical centre, by the rivers that birthed Kuala Lumpur, is a masterstroke,” she explains. “Practically, it’s open and accessible. Malaysia 2025 is far different from Malaya 1957; perhaps with a more progressive and literate youthful Malaysia, a reboot of who does the imagining can be kicked off.”

That accessibility owes much to DBKL, which waived rental fees for the stretch of promenade, effectively weaving youth expression into Merdeka festivities.

Support comes from a diverse coalition: the German Embassy, Koperasi Bandaraya Maju Bhd, Staedtler, Terramed Physio & Rehab, KL Society, and café-collaborator Buzz Makan. Their backing keeps participation free and activities lively. On Sept 6, Staedtler sponsored a doodle workshop with artist Feyqa Ramle, followed by a mini-competition. Malaysia Day (Sept 16) doubles as prize-giving and public dialogue when all exhibiting artists gather to discuss process, meaning and next steps.

The official launch on Aug 31 brought together Ameera, MKR general manager Praba Ganesan, Terramed’s Angela Burchardt and Jörg Teichmann, along with an audience spanning students, heritage buffs and curious passers-by. Flags fluttered, trains rattled overhead, and young artists shared how imagining 2050 prompted them to think critically about life in 2025.