AMANDA HENG: Amanda Heng (b. 1951) is one of the founding members of The Artists Village, Singapore's first contemporary art collective, and has maintained an influential presence in Singapore art since the late 1980s. Locating herself at the intersection of Eastern and Western values and traditions, she employs a diverse range of media (ranging from photography to assemblage) to investigate issues of memory, identity, communication, gender roles and the urban condition. She has presented her work at the 1st Singapore Biennale (2006), the 1st Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (1999) and the 3rd Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (1999), among others. Heng is also actively involved in organising and participating in talks, workshops, and other occasions of public fora and exchange, including the female artist collective WITAS (Women in the Arts, Singapore).
MANIT SRIWANICHPOOM Manit Sriwanichpoom (b. 1961), known for his photography and video works, is an artist whose practice addresses the social and political issues of modern Thailand. His works, such as the Pink Man series and This Bloodless War, are infused with darkly subversive humour, combining the glossy imagery of consumer society with stark images of the cruel and obscene effects of global processes. He has presented his work at international platforms including the 6th Gwangju Biennale (2006), the 1st Pocheon Asian Art Festival (2005) and the 50th Venice Biennale (2003). Sriwanichpoom is also a writer and critic, and has published art criticism and articles on topics such as gender equality and state censorship in the Thai periodical Silpa Wattanatham.
SOPHEAP PICH Sopheap Pich (b. 1970) is perhaps Cambodia's most well-known and significant contemporary artist. Trained in painting at the University of Massachusetts, he found upon his return from the United States that his paintings did not connect with the Cambodian people. In response, he began experimenting with commonplace materials and visual metaphors familiar to Cambodians. This eventually led to the development of the rattan and wire sculptures that now dominate his work. These sinuous and organic forms bring to mind shapes and forms such as body parts or indigenous tools, pointing to pertinent socio-economic issues in Cambodia. Pich has exhibited extensively, and recently participated in the 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (2009) and the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (2009).
SUZANN VICTOR Suzann Victor (b. 1959) received her Diploma in Fine Arts (Painting) from LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore. She has gained widespread recognition for her dramatic installations which combine a theatrical flair with her fluency in cultural theory, and address subjects such as the female body and the postcolonial condition. Victor has exhibited on many major international platforms, including Thermocline of Art (2007), the 2nd Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (1996), and the 49th Venice Biennale (2001). In 1991, Victor assumed the artistic directorship of the artists' initiative 5th Passage Ltd. She was amongst those caught in the controversy surrounding the 1994 performance art event during which artist Josef Ng snipped off his pubic hair. The subsequent media-incited moral panic led to a decade-long ban on state funding for performance art.
NINDITYO ADIPURNOMO The work of Nindityo Adipurnomo (b. 1961) reflects his early and enduring fascination for the tensions and traditions of his native Javanese culture. His choice of materials and exploration of themes challenge viewers to reassess their assumptions about issues such as the roles and position of women in society. An important aspect of his practice is his collaboration with local craftsmen, who help him realise his works. In 1988 Nindityo and his spouse, artist Mella Jaarsma, co-founded Cemeti Art House in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. A rallying point in Indonesian contemporary art, Cemeti welcomed unconventional artists rejected by conservative institutions of the day, and continues to be a driving force in both the Indonesian and international art scene.
Showing posts with label 6_Mar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 6_Mar. Show all posts
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
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Matthew Ngui "Self portrait: Interrogation of an Image" 1999
Why do you think the artist included markers in his artwork and encouraged viewers to write on his artwork? What is anamorphosis?
Art Club visit to 8Q at SAM on 6 March 2010
This exhibition was full of contemporary Southeast Asian artists. The students were given about an hour to tour the exhibit armed with a response sheet. Then we had a mini SOVA lesson right in the gallery itself.
Fatin, Clara-Ann, Lynette and Cherie (above) reading about Montien Boonma's "The Pleasure of Being, Crying, Dying and Eating". The girls with Boonma's bone chopsticks and handkerchiefs.
1st Floor Gallery:
Theme: A critique on contemporary society amidst rapid social change. Forces such as industrialisation, rural-urban migration, tourism, education and income disparity put society in a state of constant flux. The artworks put forth questions about the individual being tied to society and the fragility of society.
3rd Floor Gallery (Right):
The theme in this gallery is politics and questions of power.
3rd floor gallery (left):
Existentialism and Identity. These artworks put forth questions of what does life amount to, what is our role on earth and what happens to us when we die.
4th floor gallery (right):
These artworks comment on institutions of domesticity vs. female sexuality, money (materialism & status), education and man's dominance/exploitation over the environment.
4th floor gallery (left):
In this gallery you will find various representations of woman. These artworks are a reflection on womanhood and sexuality; and women's status in society. In Southeast Asia's recent history, women have had the opportunity to step out of their traditional roles. However, gender equality may be a Western construct and Southeast Asian women have to grapple with their own shift in roles and identity that is peculiar to this region's context. 
Some thoughts and concerns:
- When dealing with contemporary art in Southeast Asia, one cannot ignore the history, culture, economics and geography that is peculiar to this region. Recen't history's colonialist (save for Thailand) rule, adaptation, struggle for independence then post-colonial politics and rapid modernisation has meant this region constantly needs to re-evaluate itself. The sentiment is one of wonder at how society, values and the urban environment is changing so (if not too) fast. Hence the artist's role in society also changes and artists must create a common safe zone for expressing disgust, despair and perhaps hope that society will change for the better.
- The issue of censorship is a bitter one in Singapore's recent history. Tang Da Wu and Amanda Heng, both founding members of THE ARTIST'S VILLAGE (TAV) create performance art even though there is a ban on performing performance art publicly. Tang Da Wu's "Tiger's Whip" was performed in Chinatown and outside the National Museum before this ban was enforced. This work recalls a time when art in Singapore was undergoing a mini renaissance due in large part to the founding and collaborative atmosphere of TAV. In the last 10 to 15 years the government has taken a more liberal approach to censorship and specifically towards the artistic community/practice. However, this exhibit is a reminder of why artists feel a shared responsibility to deal with society's taboos.
Art discussion lead by Miss Enci and Mdm Lai
Post-visit homework:
Visit every other post with the tag "6_Mar". For each of the artworks, answer the following questions:
- What does the artwork consist/what does it look like?
- What is the artwork about/what is the artist trying to say through the artwork?
- Why I like or dislike the artwork (don't give general answers like "it's nice looking")?
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