Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CONFABULATION (March 2010)
CONFABULATION (March 2010)
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+ CON-
TENTS anthony
palo “I’m Watching Tv. Robot, Mr.Potato, Baby alien, and my pet i forgot his name”
16. 17. 48 x 60 inches, Oil on canvas (2008).
abrigo
18. 22. 30.
buen
36..
46 REVIEWS
“The New Messiah” 36 x 36 inches, Oil on canvas.
Mummy, Is My Drawing Nice?
Mosaic Music Festival A Review on《K 变形记》
Cheo Chai-Hiang’s “Banyak Orang
Bergelang Tanggan”
18 FEATURES
Collecting Sculptures and Their Maintenance
Han Sai Por: An Interview
What Makes P. Gnana?
fast forward
12–26 March 2010
David Gerstein in Singapore
Marc Quinn: A Profile
S I N G A P O R E
The Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road Ground Floor Unit 3, Singapore 249715
Tel.: +(65) 6725 3113 · Email: contact@galeriejoaquin.com.sg
10 // CONFABULATION www.galeriejoaquin.com.sg MARCH 2010 // 11
CONTENT
41.
46. 50.
66.
55 DIRECTORY
Singapore
Malaysia
64 CREATIVE
RESOURCES
66 POSTSCRIPT
LOVE / Robert Indiana
Cover
Parallel Play by P. Gnana
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www.gnaniarts.com
Via a fresh showcase of elucidating art by three carefully-selected emerging artists, Folkish promises
to bring you on an experiential visual excursion to classic rural life that still evident in South India,
particularly Tamil Nadu. The collection flaunts paintings by S. Elayaraja, S. Kumar and S. Sivabalan,
who have created an effective combination of brilliant technique, down-to-earth scenarios, an
endearing sense of naivety and warm hues of the earth – aspects that are so synonymous with daily life
in an archetypal village of South India.
^ Exhibition: Golden Tiger New Year Art Exhibition
Date: 22.02.10 – 21.03.10
Venue: Dynasties Antique & Art Gallery
10 Boon Lay Way
#01-136 TradeHub 21 Exhibition: Mummy, Is My Drawing Nice?
Singapore 609966 Date: 06.03.10 – 07.03.10
Venue: Red Dot Traffic
www.9911art.com 28 Maxwell Road
Singapore 0691290
Over 30 pieces of works in oils, watercolor and Chinese ink have been specially selected and brought
together in this exhibition; showcasing the vigor and vitality of the Tiger. Consisting of works by children aged 18 months to 12 years old, this exhibition will demonstrate a
range of illustrations such as scribbling, narratives, abstract drawings and violently strange characters,
which reveals a deeper insight to the way they perceive and experience their world. This exhibition also
investigates why art is vital to them and more importantly, to celebrate children’s art as inspired.
Exhibition: Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of
India in the Age of the Mughals
Date: Till 27.06.10
Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum
1 Empress Place Exhibition: Mosaic Music Festival
Singapore 179555 Date: 12.03.10 – 21.03.10
Venue: The Esplanade
www.acm.org.sg 1 Esplanade Drive
Singapore 038981
This blockbuster, world-renowned exhibition of jewelled art from the Mughal Empire of India (1526 – www.mosaicmusicfestival.com
1858) has been shown in prestigious museums around the world including the Louvre in Paris and the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It makes its Asian debut here in Singapore. A whole slew of
exciting public programmes like the family-friendly Mighty Mughals Weekend Festival is lined up for the
month of March. Contact ACM for details. The annual Mosaic Music Festival gets underway in Singapore on March 12th, kicking off a diverse ten-
day programme of international artists and bands. Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay hosts the event,
Image: Asian Civilisations Museum which offers visitors an appealing mix of jazz, soul, hip hop, rock and world music.
For many years now, private and corporate Collecting contemporary art is a great
investors have realised that investing in way to start collecting or to add new life
art can be very profitable and enjoyable. into an established collection. To make
Collecting contemporary art is a great an informed choice of artist or material to
way to add a new chapter to an existing buy, visit galleries, discuss the pieces with
investment portfolio. Buying modern the artist whenever possible. Research the
Collecting
art can also immediately enhance your artist by reading articles in magazines,
living and working environment, having books and the Internet. Look at the artist’s
an artwork on display, at home or in the longevity; an artist might have only one
Sculptures
office can demonstrate taste, style and big show and then disappear from view
power. Depending on the understanding forever. Therefore his exhibition record
of the artwork and the artist, the piece can becomes very important. See if the shows
express a company’s ethics and mission. are only local or regional, or if the artist
and Their
A background check of the artist and his has been exposed to an international
oeuvre is therefore of different importance clientele. This will quickly reveal if an
for home and office. artist has been hyped by museums or
galleries and this might be an indicator for
Maintenance
Well known artists such as Rodin, Moor quality an acceptance of pieces.
and Giacometti, are like blue chip stocks.
One of the most important Giacometti When buying modern sculptures, it is
works L’Homme Qui Marche recently important to see if the new artist has
Text: Dr. Robert B. Faltermeier
fetched 65 million pounds in an auction in understood the material he is working in.
London. This blue-chip-art is limited and Be it stone, bronze or modern materials.
appreciates better in a poorer market, than Stone is one of the most resilient materials;
lesser-known artists. However, the price the reoccurring maintenance costs such,
tags are vastly higher. To collect masters, as cleaning and conservation are low.
you do need specialised knowledge of the When buying a bronze for indoor or
art market and the artist. These exceptional outdoor display, the patina has to be in
artists have already proven their investment pristine conditions and the sculpture needs
quality and are an encouragement to go regular attention, since bronze corrodes
out and find the next great masters. It is easily in an urban environment. Modern
important to diversify the collection and it materials such as plastics are generally a
is always a good idea to include emerging difficult genre, since many modern resins
regional artists, these will add bulk to your can deteriorate rapidly when exposed to
collection and there is always the potential high light and temperature levels, as they
of an artist to be discovered and really to are typical in tropical region. It is always
take off. Imagine for a moment you were good when investing in contemporary art
one of the few who started buying an early to have the assistance of an independent
Picasso. experienced conservator, familiar with the
material and the subject.
Some legal aspects, a collector of modern and if a good dehumidifying system is used, Sculptures should no be placed under
contemporary art, has to understand the copyright laws can the relative humidity be reduced to trees, bird and other animal droppings are
of the respective country. When buying a piece of art, the deactivate corrosion or an other option very aggressive. Positioning a sculpture
transfer of all copyrights should be contained with in a is the metal sculpture is coated with a in well aerated area allows the surface
sails contract. The buyer has to ensure that the transfer synthetic material to prevent humidity to dry faster, minimising deterioration.
is legally binding. This might be necessary in case of attacking its surface. However; a low It is not advisable to position a sculpture
publication, conservation or future sail of the artwork humidity level in turn will affect wooden near a high traffic road, the pollution and
in question, and might determine the final value. The sculptures, textiles and other organic the vibration increases deterioration and
contract should also indicate the authenticity, history and materials and cause them to shrink cracking. Outdoor sculptures should be
provenance as detailed as possible. and crack. Display cases are therefore washed once a month from top to bottom.
recommended for mixed collections of If the surface is clean, moisture can dry up
The maintenance of Outdoor Sculptures is necessary high value. very quickly, however if there is a layer of
to keep its intrinsic and monetary value. The least dirt it will stay moist longer and initiate
maintenance is needed for stone sculptures. Regular When it comes to cleaning sculptures, deterioration. To wash a sculpture it is best
cleaning and condition checking will keep them in make sure that no commercial cleaner is to use filtered tap water. The carbon filter
good shape. used. They can contain ammonia and other will filter out most of the chlorine and
additives, which stain and rapidly deteriorate fluorine and metal particles if present. A
Even as a bronze sculpture leaves the foundry, its the surface. When dusting an indoor clean flannel or sponge is needed. Should
surface is under attack. Corrosion is due to the sculpture, it is best to use a very soft, clean the sponge or flannel fall to the ground or
interaction between a metal and its environment. The and dry brush to dust the surface and make be used on very dirty, gritty areas, it needs
rate, at which a bronze sculpture corrodes, depends sure the metal sleeve around the bristles does to be replaced or very very thoroughly
on its environment. In a tropical urban climate, this not scratch the surface. washed. Regular cleaning solutions should
corrosion can occur and progress rapidly. This is not be used.
mainly due to the high humidity and temperature, Sculptures made from polyester or epoxy are
but also air pollutants. Both formic and acetic acids best shown in an indoor environment. Coated Every 6 months the sculpture should be
are major organic acids contributing to the acidity of glass-fibre sculptures deteriorate rapidly in washed thoroughly inspected and waxed
rain. These acids readily attack and dissolve patinas, a tropic environment. The high humidity with a neutral microcrystalline wax that
resulting in patchy and streaky surfaces. temperature and light levels have devastating is suitable for the climate what works
effects on its structural integrity. in a European climate is not necessarily
A bronze, containing chloride corrosion, due to the applicable in a tropical climate.
previous exposure to a chloride environment, can still Do not place sculptures directly on soil
corrode in an indoor environment. These chlorides if not absolutely necessary since the For a good management of a sculpture, it
can be due to burial, as in the case of archaeological moist ground accelerates deterioration. is recommended that every 6 to 12 months
bronzes, or in contemporary bronze sculptures due Place sculpture on a plane stone surface a professionally trained conservator should
to airborne salts, handling and others. This chloride preferably marble or granite above the inspect the surface for flaws and damage, and
corrosion can grass line. There should be no grass line clean the sculpture and reapply a sacrificial
be indicated as light green to turquoise spots, powdery around the sculptures since trimming with protective coating. The condition check
or solid in texture, or even as a light green liquid scissors, trimmers or cutters will scratch ensures that the estimated 5-10% increase in
when exposed to high humidity. the surface. Be aware of animals such as value per year is not jeopardised. //
cats and dogs that might use the sculpture
It’s an urban legend that exposure to air-conditioning as a marker, animal secretions can cause
will halt this chloride corrosion completely. Only corrosion of the surface.
Han Sai Por is a top Singaporean Can you tell us about the show? I have grouped the works into four sub- At the risk of over-simplifying, for me,
sculptor who was awarded the themes: Deforestation, Destruction, drawing is a more relaxing form of sculpting.
Singapore Cultural Medallion in 1995 My upcoming solo show is entitled “The Extinction and Transformation, each Making a sculpture out of a material like
for her significant contribution to the Changing Landscape”. I have always been addressing a different aspect of our granite is hard physical work. The sound of
interested in the tropical landscape, and the changing landscape. Instead of using the the machine tools is always whirring in my
arts. She was educated in pedagogical
body of works I have made for the exhibition usual pedestals, I will display the sculptures ears, and the air that I breathe in is thick
methods, the fine arts, and landscape shows my continued involvement in this line as installations. with dust. Very often, the process is so
architecture, and has exhibited in such of inquiry. The works are responses to what I messy that it is hard to visualise the finished
prestigious locations as the Fukuoka see as violence inflicted on the tropical flora product. In contrast, drawing can be done in
Museum, Japan, the National Museum and fauna of Singapore. How are the drawings in the show related a more comfortable setting, and it is easier
of Modern Art, Seoul, Korea, and in to the sculptures? to see where I am going: there is a better
the Landscape Sculpture Exhibition Such violence occurs on at least two sense of the overall image.
in Beijing, China, during the 2008 levels. First, in the last few decades, we Drawing is an important part of my art
Summer Olympic Games. She talks have seen the physical infrastructure of our practice, and I have been doing it for many
to art historian Yow Siew Kah on her country developing at a giddying pace. years. I do not draw only to conceptualise, Please tell us how you work with
Large parts of the natural landscape have although it certainly has that function. If it materials.
new solo exhibition in Singapore.
now been replaced by steel-and-concrete is possible to say that an art work can be
structures. Massive destruction of wildlife “complete”, many of my drawings, including After having worked as a sculptor for
has accompanied this change. Some of the the ones in the exhibition, are “finished” so many years, I have developed an
plants and animals that I used to see as a products. intimate relationship with the materials that
child appear to be extinct. Second, while I commonly work with, such as bronze,
attempts have been made to re-introduce We usually think of drawing and sculpting granite and marble. Depending on the
nature into urban spaces, imported species to be two completely different activities. For natural appearance of a material, I decide
have been given preference over indigenous sure, there are differences, But they have on how much work needs to be done. Some
ones. What we have now are well-manicured more similarities than one would imagine. materials have such beautiful forms that
gardens rather than the untamed vegetation Both are creative acts that involve mark- I leave them pretty much as they are, but
that used to strive under our humid tropical making: drawing lines on paper can be like others require more manipulation. In general,
conditions. carving on stone. Of course, the media and granite has highly patterned surfaces
tools are not entirely the same, and I need to and need a different kind of treatment
The tropical rainforest is an important feature be sensitive to the differences. For example, from marble, which tends to have a more
of the landscape of our region: it marks sculpting is usually about removing material, homogenous appearance.
the difference between us and the more while drawing is “adding on”. But as
temperate areas of the world. Many places movements of the hand, they are really not Different materials respond differently to
in Singapore were named after tropical that dissimilar. treatment. For example, granite is really
plants which used to be abundant on the hard, and cannot be carved the same way
island. Now that the flora has disappeared, One of my key concerns in creating a as marble. Also, not all materials can be
the names no longer have the same sculpture is the effect of light, including how polished with good results: granite shines
significance. light and dark areas can be juxtaposed easily, but sandstone never does.
to create interesting visual effects. I also
explore light-dark in my drawings.
What Makes
P. Gnana?
Sculptor & Painter
Text: Vidhya Gnana Gouresan
This holy Mother Earth bears, together was always drawing, requesting every art, the herbivore is very much a part sculptures was officially launched to the
with many other things, a massive number guest to his home to vote for the drawing of the artist’s fascinating childhood in public via his eighth solo exhibition, The
of artists of all sorts and nature. However, that he/she considered to be the best of his hometown, that was almost entirely Eternal Cow: Sculptures and Paintings
in every country or culture, there is always all his drawings. This childhood practice a rural ambience. His mother used to by P. Gnana, which was presented at the
a selected few who stand out from the did lay a foundation for the artist’s current own and breed two cows and a calf. Singapore Philatelic Museum from January
rest for one or more reasons. P. Gnana, a penchant for observing the subjective Gnana fondly recalls moments whereby 2009 to March 2009.
painter and sculptor, is one such artist who reactions (verbal and behavioural) to his he enjoyed assisting his mother in
has obtained a highly-captivated audience art from the viewer or the appreciator. the upkeep of the cows in duties such Experimentation, serious and sometimes
in the Lion City and internationally, for This practice, the artist reveals, “gives me as collecting grass for sustenance, meditative, has been one of the key
the aesthetic and conceptual niche that an awareness towards the communicative searching for a missing cow during the instruments that has shaped Gnana’s creative
he has created for himself within the process that my art provokes in the viewer.’ monsoon season and even in the process journey through the years, allowing him to
ever-competitive dynamics of urban art- of birthing a cow. When one talks to rejuvenate in a world of constant change and
making, This, he continues to achieve, by On the contrary, it will be a tedious task Gnana about his experiences with the fluctuating emotions. Gnana’s fascination
constantly counter-challenging or taming for the viewer to tempt Gnana to talk cow in his formative years, it will be towards the technique of collage in his
the forces that urge him to dispel his about his own art. He finds this daunting impossible to miss the instant twinkle paintings began in the first few years of his
obsessive fascination towards the cow, a indeed. “My artwork, together with the in the artist’s eyes. The cow in Gnana’s career. Today, collage is back in his art, but
recurring symbol in his art since the past processes within it, is my conversation,” art is not accidental at all. Indeed, it this time, on both sculpture and painting.
four years. Gnana explains. During the birth of his is a worldly expression of an element “With collage, an artwork is never complete,”
self-exploratory career as an artist, the of his subconscious; an element that Gnana opines in a matter-of-fact manner.
It is a fact that exemplary paintings by figurative mode was a dominant aspect is undeniably linked to the carefree For Gnana, collage is process-oriented with
Gnana are also in the collections of the of his paintings, together with a clear innocence of his childhood and his deep layers and layers of ideas, presenting him
President of the Republic of Singapore and evidence of the artist’s very rigourous affection for the one who nurtured him with fresh possibilities that emerge on the
the Singapore Art Museum of the National study of the many possibilities of colour and the cows at home – his mother. In spur of the moment.
Heritage Board. Gnana is a recipient of the manipulation. Then, there came a phase essence, Gnana’s celebrated Eternal
LASALLE Scholarship of the LASALLE whereby he was lured into the challenge Companion series of paintings embraces “I don’t like to be controlled.” Simple as it
College of the Arts (Singapore), from of abstract expressionism. What begin as the notion of emotional ecstasy and the may sound, this very spontaneous statement
where he received his formal training in a phase to prove his spontaneous creative enjoyable taste of being cherished, with by P. Gnana is not to be taken lightly, as it
the art of painting. capability in abstraction, did indeed turn the cow and an often androgynous human manifestly resonates the eminent artist’s
out to be a monumental phase that offered being as metaphors, portrayed in a subtle yet forceful stance as a creator and
In 1970, Gnana was born to Ponnusamy (a Gnana an absolute sense of freedom as an blatantly stylised, semi-figurative mode. the very motto of his personal disposition.
foreman) and Navaneetham (a homemaker) artist. During this phase, Gnana declares, At this point, it has to be acknowledged However, it is almost paradoxical to note that
in the township of Neyveli in Tamil Nadu “I truly experienced ‘art for the artist’s that the Eternal Companion body it is control, in varying intensities at different
(South India), as the third of four children. sake’. My brush was uncontrollable.” of paintings did indeed emerge as a points in time, that has stimulated the
Trained as a mechanical engineer for Gnana’s admiration towards significant phenomenon in its own right, brilliance of the intense process of formation
the sake of his parents’ vision for his modern artists such as Andre Mason, – from mind to medium - in the compelling
livelihood, his entry into the unfathomable Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrian were Moving further into his affair with the span of art that this man-of-a-few-words has
world of art was an unexpected occurrence vital in this phase. cow in his art, Gnana obeyed his urge to contributed to the seemingly enigmatic realm
that served as a platform to realise his venture into creating three-dimensional of contemporary art and its market. //
innermost desire to drown into a realm that Coming back to the impervious representations of his inspiration. The
he related to naturally. As a child, Gnana representation of the cow in Gnana’s debut collection of Gnana’s charismatic
David
Gerstein
in Singapore
dimensionality of the cut and painted cars. The improved technique gave rise to
Gerstein went through different expressive strong characteristic graphic bravado,
phases, yet in all of them he brought with stylistic gestures of strong figuration,
together the biographical with the local. classical elements of drawing and
Marc Quinn:
traditional painting compositions. With
Over the years his image reservoir grew these came a great release of color and
to include trees, butterflies and birds, and a switch to shiny, sensual colors that
his painting technique improved until it celebrate life and its fullness, with their
A Profile
reached the formulation of handwriting, television-like flickering and their lack of
line and coloring which are uniquely his guilt and conflict. The respective shadow,
own. His images were treated again and which forms when the cutouts hang against
again, his funny figures internalized their the wall, is also taken into account as
slight stammer, their innocent absurdity part of Gerstein’s poetic duplication and
and their kindness, until they became more echoing effect.
Text: Elisabeth Chairil
and more graphic, automatic, spontaneous,
immediate, schematic, direct, with no David Gerstein one-man show runs from
double-lining; Merely a smiling gaze. 15th April to 6th May at Sunjin Galleries
at 43 Jalan Merah Saga, #03-62 Workloft
Before the metal cutouts with their @ Chipbee, Singapore 278115. For more
industrial-like process of production, information, please contact the gallery
Gerstein created works in painted at + 65 6738 2317 or email sales@
woodcuts. He painted the first of these sunjingalleries.com.sg. //
objects in the exact same manner as his
canvases - with conventional oil paints.
However, the transition to another medium
and material called for relevant paints
and painting techniques: super-lacquer,
stencils, tapes, airbrushes, etc. He tried
to liberate the “statues” cut in wood from
the flatness of the plywood. In order to
achieve an expressive, tangible effect
he covered the image’s surface with a
mixture of glue, sand and paint, and added
acrylic paint on top of the resulting rough
texture. However, it seems that even this
did not satisfy him. His quest for a suitable
personal language led him to metal,
forcing him to give up acrylic paint and
adopt industrial paint, since acrylic does
not take to metal.
One often asks, what is the role of his works are done through the private
an artist in his studio? He is the market of dealers and galleries all over
creator of art, yes. But how different the world. It was only recently that the
is he then from the scientist in the artist was featured in the Sotheby’s
lab? Like a scientist, Marc Quinn publication, as his works were included
similarly experiments and creates his in a charity event held by the auction
works not only in practice, but also house in which his large-scale oil
in subject matter. Often dwelling on canvas Flower Painting sold for
with the subject of science and nature US$330,000.
in his works, this painter, sculptor,
photographer, furniture designer and This newly formed relations with the
scientist only wants to be labeled auction house has more than ever given
purely as an artist. a commercial validity to the artist
and yet Quinn is still able to hold his
Born and based in London, Quinn artistic integrity by making something
graduated from Cambridge University that is personally significant. In a
and he soon became considered as profile interview the artist stated:
one of the most important and young
emerging artist of his period in the “Ideally you want to find something
UK. He rose to prominence in the 90s that’s profound and appealing, but
with his controversial self-portrait sometimes you have to do things that
piece titled Self (1991) which was are personally important even if you
made from the artist’s blood collected suspect you’ll never sell them.
1. Moment of Passion, 2009 Oil on Canvas, 100 x 200 cm
over a period of five months and Luckily I’ve found that if you connect
displayed in a refrigerated case. with people the sales thing takes On the opposite spectrum of his works, Quinn’s
He has since created numerous care of itself” Flower Paintings are equally as majestic in scale as his
monumental pieces made from figurative sculptures. Nearly eight-foot by nine-foot
various materials. Many of his works (September 2008 ) in size, larger than life hyper-realist style paintings of
discusses the relationship of the flowers and fruits explored the artist’s interest in the
human body, science and nature and His more prominent sculpture, Venus human’s increasingly distant relationship with nature
include key themes such as creation (2006) is of one that he made of and all things natural. Among other things, it also talks
and the beginnings of life, death and Kate Moss which talks about the about the human’s want to create a more complex and
beauty. changeability and flexibility of the hybrid fruit and plants during any time of the year,
human figure and the duality of human regardless of seasonal change. These highly well-
Like many artists, his successful and life. The statuesque and yogic pose of executed hyper-realist images based on photographic
whirlwind career started with a solo the supermodel body sculpted out of still lives are manifest of the artist’s talent and interest
exhibition in the renowned Jay Jopling various mediums ranging from bronze for perfection in natural forms. //
/ Otis Gallery in London not long and some adorned with gold leaf
after he graduated in 1986. Rarely to creates a near-perfection representation Marc Quinn’s works are exclusively available at
appear in auction houses, the sales of of the human figure. S.Bin Art Plus Gallery.
CONFABULATION
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REVIEWS REVIEWS
REVIEWS
and theatre company. Nonetheless, Goh Goh Boon Teck’s script, it would mean consisting of veteran actors Julius Foo sand artist Chen Huan, for her fantastic
Boon Teck’s relentless pursuit in putting that the play needed to move along the and Judy Ngo (whose strength seems display of sand art in creating images
minority voices out in the public sphere time-history of this country in charting its to lie in Mandarin Theatre more than her at will has garnered attention in the
through the performance was indeed relevance and power-effect. That would English productions); veteran come- local theatre circle in recent times. Her
commendable. be very interesting. On the contrary, Peter backs such as Ling Poh Foong (The live drawings in Raka Maitra’s work
Sau’s version of the play was merely an Theatre Practice’s Love A La Zen in 1999 (please see review: http://www.theatrex.
15 years on, where Singapore has update on Goh Boon Teck’s version in and 2 versions of Toy Factory’s Titoudao) asia/?p=176) have impressed many
experienced a couple of first(s): the 1996, with some new additions of his own, and Tan Wan Sze; new actors Guan Jin audiences. Unfortunately it also drowned
first time issues on homosexuality in the usual irreverent Peter Sau satirical Sen, Derick Qiu and Loki Tung -- gave the other elements in the Indian dance
(Penal Code 377A) were debated humour. There is also a fair amount competent performances throughout, performance. Similarly, in K, Chen Huan
openly in Parliament; grounds-up civil of questioning in the play, a typical with differences in acting abilities clearly has again drowned Wong Chee Wai’s set
society activities without government theatre-making style in Singapore in the delineated. New actors Guan Jin Sen design, making it looked like a piece of
intervention as seen in Singapore women 1990s. Unfortunately, these questions and Derick Qiu had strong streaks of the canvas, rather than an organic set piece
organization AWARE’s dramatic saga of were left unanswered, together with the Chinese spoken-drama of the 1980s in that will move together with Chen Huan’s
leadership tussles between groups, one proclamations laid by Goh Boon Teck, them, while Loki Tung a lack of energy images. On the other hand, Chen Huan’s
that protects secularism and the other which were highly didactic. in his performance. Veteran actors, art – seen twice by this reviewer – seems
promotes Christian-right values; the open especially the come-backs, needed to be moving in a 2-dimensional manner,
embrace of a so-called social ill in Asian Having watched a couple of Peter revision, especially with their new-found lacking perspective in creating attention
societies: the setting up of casinos in Sau’s works in recent years, I realized energies in their bodies; while others like points for the viewer. For it to become a
Singapore -- where would this play stand? that his strength lies in the systematic Julius Foo and Judy Ngo, more training piece fine art, there is a need to make
One notable example is how Chinese- deconstruction of text and ridiculing to strive towards breakthroughs in their sure that movements are accentuated
Language is taught these days, albeit them to the maximum. This quality that existing styles of performances, which with depth, on stage.
the less than effective ways, where the should be highly valued in the local were prevalent in their performances
language has gotten itself unprecedented theatre scene. The ultimate objective in the Yang Family presented by The On the whole, K is a well-presented play
attention in the light of China’s rise in the of art-making is the subversion of its Finger Players and Chestnuts by STAGES that touches on issues not unfamiliar to
world. Hence the ethno-centric critique seriousness through comedic humour. respectively. Singaporeans. However more needs to
as expounded in the line 我不喜欢上英 Artists should not take themselves so be done in excavating their collective
语课,因为我是华人 seems to have lost seriously, as seen in the behaviour of Designers Lim Woan Wen (Lights) memories in establishing dialogues to
its relevance and effect in the present contemporary artists in Singapore. and Philip Tan (Sound and Music) get out of the dire cultural condition.
day. But some perennial issues will stay had also created wonderful light and As said earlier shouting does not solve
for a long time, especially loneliness in Hence the very strength in Peter Sau’s sound-scapes in the space allowing problems, neither do they make our lives
contemporary urban societies, something K lies in his meticulous direction of the Peter Sau’s direction to come forth better. Proclamations and humour can
not restricted to Singapore, applicable to actors in creating a carnivalesque-like with greater strength. However Wong only effect little changes. Action needs
major cosmopolitan cities in the world, as performance style that made fun of almost Chee Wai’s set design – as much as it to be done. We should be confident
said aptly in the play: 一个空虚人. everything in the play, from children was beautiful and aesthetically strong that theatre can be the place to effect
songs to children games, not to mention a – was devoured by the organic state important changes. //
If we were to read Peter Sau’s version dash of contemporary Chinese pop-music of Erika Chen Huan’s sand art display.
as a response, or even an extension to on the side. The ensemble cast members Special attention is needed on the
Cheo Chai-Hiang’s
“Banyak Orang Bergelang Tanggan”
The Esplanade
Till 28.02.2010
Banyak Orang Bergelang Tangan… Veteran Singaporean artist, Cheo Chai- but the meaning is the clear and
Hiang’s installation, “Banyak Orang understood by all.
The mention of the phrase “In the Swing of Things” – with its Bergelang Tangan” at the Esplanade is, in
connotations of ease, simplicity, naturalness and grace - invokes in me the artist’s own words, one that “invokes Cheo asserts that this installation was
in me scenes from my childhood spent inspired by childhood memories, of
scenes from my childhood spent in Nee Soon Village. Amid the current
in Nee Soon Village”. The Malay title conversations that move freely among the
on-going public discussion about school children acquiring their mother-
translates to “In the Swing of Things”, various languages spoken in Singapore.
tongue language, my own childhood memories conjure scenes from market and the viewer is immediately directed Cross-cultural interaction is a major
places, satay stalls, weekends on the beach, even political rallies where towards the idea of conversation and theme, yet the seashells come across as
conversations moved freely between several dialects and languages – often discussion, coupled with feelings of nothing if not homogenous; Shiny beige
within a single sentence. nostalgia and memory. shells floating in a sea of white. They
evoke a sense of peace and calm, but
In homage to these childhood memories, I place this beautiful Malay Central to this installation is the use little of the visuals one expects to see in
pantun at the centre of the installation, titled Banyak Orang Bergelang of a beautiful pantun, a Malay poetic relation to the cross-cultural connotations.
Tangan. form. The poem is also translated into The installation is beautiful, if restrained,
English, Mandarin and Tamil. The poem is to the extent that one might even see
presented both visually, in rolling text on it as clinical and sterile. There is an
In his recent exhibition Journey to the Wet Lands, featured at the
small screens, and aurally, with narrators austere quality to the work, yet its lines
Singapore Art Museum, Latiff Mohidin makes use of the motif of Chinese
reciting them simultaneously in the four are organic. This dichotomy is subtle
landscape in his ink and brush drawings to exercise and explore his own languages. and easily overlooked, but will perplex
particular visual language. This type of cross-cultural referencing is once recognised. It makes one wonder
reminiscent of some of the Pioneer Artists who introduced the local motifs These intermingling voices swirl amidst how memories can be collected in an
of tropical fruits, kampong scenery and fishing boats, using traditional the resultant work: Seven irregular, environment such as this, for is it not
Chinese ink and wash painting technique in their attempts to address the organically-shaped “islands” filled with contradictory and not conducive to the
question of their new “Malayan identity”. an assortment of seashells set against retention of memory?
the ascending steps of the Concourse
My introduction of the Malay pantun in four official languages, in an of The Esplanade. This is an homage to Cheo Chai-Hiang’s art is conceptual in
event closely related to the Huayi Chinese Festival of Arts, seeks to raise the oral tradition of the pantun, and the presentation and dialectic, but at heart,
continuous back-forth recitation of the it is a local art. This installation is social
issues about the use of languages and contemporary cultural practices in
poem in the four official languages of commentary, disguised as a personal
Singapore today.
Singapore forms a verbal discourse of memory, and situates itself in the centre of
sorts, where the languages are different, the Singaporean diasporas. His art recalls
Cheo Chai-Hiang (15th November 2009)
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POSTSCRIPT
LOVE
Artist: Robert Indiana. Consists of the
letters 'L', 'O' (titled sideways) over
the letters 'V', 'E'.
Recreated
in multiple
versions, colors
and languages,
the sculptures
are displayed
around
the world. The polychrome
blue and green
piece in Singapore
was commissioned
Image started by Wing Tai.
as a design for a
Christmas card Unveiled by Dr Ker Sin
for the Museum of Tze, Minister of State
Modern Art in 1964 The LOVE emblem for Information and the
has been adopted by Arts on 29 July 1993.
and included on an
eight-cent United skateboarders and
States Postal Service frequently appears
postage stamp in in skateboard
1973. magazines and
Originally placed in
videos.
front of Park Mall.
After skateboarding
It was quite
was banned in
unfortunately
First exhibited as a Philadelphia’s LOVE
removed and kept
sculpture in NYC in Park, the emblem was
in storage a couple
1970 and later moved used by organizations
of years ago.
to Indianapolis Museum opposing the ban.
of Art.