The National Visual Arts Gallery (Balai Seni) removed two artworks by Bakat Muda Sezaman (Young Contemporaries) finalists because they caused "distress" among visitors to the gallery.

"Since the works were displayed on Oct 28, we received numerous negative and provocative feedback.

"The works were seen to cause unhealthy and distressing impact on the visitors and we decided to take them down for the remainder of the show," Balai Seni said in a statement.

It added that the show's curators have the right to choose the works to display and need not display the works of all the finalists.

This is in accordance with the gallery's procedures and the terms and conditions agreed to by all who joined the Bakat Muda Sezaman competition.

Head of jury informed of risk

"The head of the jury and Bakat Muda Sezaman 2013 secretariat were informed of the risk of both these artworks being removed during the judging process.

"They had taken note of this and accepted the explanation given the day before the award ceremony," the Balai Seni statement said.

The jury was headed by Hasnul Jamal Saidon.

Last Wednesday, the works of artists Cheng Yen Pheng and Izat Arif Saiful Bahri were removed from the gallery, before the Bakat Muda Sezaman award ceremony.

The award ceremony was officiated by Tourism and Culture Minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Jury member Nur Hanim Khairuddin told Malaysiakini that the jury members were not informed of the removal, and that the gallery had earlier "given the works the green light".

Cheng's painting 'alksnaabknuaunmo' features the words 'ABU=ASHES' while Izat Arif's installation 'Insert#' involves T-shirts printed with the Arabic letters Fa and Qof.

Cheng said she only realised that her work was removed after the award ceremony, when she could not find it in the gallery.

ABU is also the acronym for the Asalkan Bukan Umno movement, with the same letters prominently featured in anti-Umno graffiti nationwide.

Bakat Muda Sezaman is a premier art competition that began in 1974.