p-10 Picks (25 June - 1 July)

Dear friend,

Here are our picks of the art events happening in Singapore this week:

1. Talk: Sat (30 June), 3pm

An ‘Extra Ordinary’ Talk

Plastique Kinetic Worms (61/63 Kerbau Rd)

Free

Listen to Jennifer Koh, Erica Lai and Genevieve Chua, the three female photographers of the current exhibition Extra Ordinary, talk about their works.

2. Now – 8 July

Me, Myself and All

By Chun Kaifeng

Esplanade Tunnel (1 Esplanade Dr)

10am – 10pm

Free

Chun's first solo exhibition presents an assemblage of objects and large-scale drawings which speak of the need for individuality and freedom along with conflicting desires for security and relationship within the community.

3. Now – 15 July

Picturing Relations: Simryn Gill & Tino Djumini

NX Gallery, NUS Museum (50 Kent Ridge Cres)

Tue – Sat: 10.00am - 7.30pm, Sun: 10.00am - 6.00pm

Free

As a means of story telling, photography enables the framing of selective views of reality and also reveals how a ‘true’ picture of reality may be negotiated. The works of Simryn Gill and Tino Djumini stimulate us to rethink our concepts spaces and domesticity in relation to various aspects such as socio-cultural identities, history and memory. Both artists’ practices have been shaped through the experiences of migration and diaspora.

Do check them out and have a great week ahead!

Regards,

Jennifer.

Artists in Residence = Lisa Kelly is here.

Our Asialink artist in residence, Lisa Kelly is now in Singapore for a good 2 months.

More reporting on this later on.

Meanwhile, Here is the blog where Lisa is a contributor.
http://runartistrun.blogspot.com/

Transmission out. Woon Tien Wei

Have you seen ArtSingapore editorial?

ArtSingapore Editorial by Jennifer Teo

I quote at length...

[...]

Welcome to ArtSingapore. We are now well into 2007 and the Singapore art scene is starting to heat up after the first restful months.

Several incidents earlier this year have reminded us that Singapore and the art scene have still quite a way to go.

First, there was the World Economic Forum report which listed Singapore among the top 10 travel destinations but placed it 42nd (out of 124 territories) in the world in terms of human, cultural and natural resources. This is in spite of the celebrated "more than 6,000 performances and exhibitions last year" and "increase in funding for the arts to $15.5 million a year".

The second is the appeal from focas for financial support from the arts community to help it publish another issue, which will be featured in Documenta 12. focas has been funded by the NAC since its first issue, but in 2003 just before printing the fifth issue, the funding was cut "due to funding re-prioritisation". The issue was published, but since then, focas has been lying dormant. Publishing a journal in Singapore is an economically unviable venture and I am glad that focas has not become defunct, like many other art magazines in Singapore. But I am even gladder that focas has managed to gather the $20,000 it needs and 80% of this is from local sources.

The third incident which I want to mention began with a petition in October last year from the ArtsComm to our state media SPH in relation to inadequate coverage of the arts in The Straits Times. 55 people signed the letter and then a group of about 50 people gathered at The Substation to further discuss the matter and possible lines of action. In February this year, a representative group of the ArtsComm had a meeting with the editorial team of The Straits Times who conceded that they were "committed to cover the arts over and above the readership level".

[...] For entire editorial go to ArtSingapore.org

new residency - Feature Bruce Quek

Bruce is a young person who believes that a great many things are funny. As a result (or in spite of) his training in sculpture at LASALLE, his work is centered around investigatory practices and strategic interventions, using any number of media and methods, such as found sound, performance, text and so on. He is also an amateur photographer and occasionally attempts to write.

He is currently serving his national service, which happens to be an excellent way to study bureaucracy.

p-10 Picks (18 - 24 June)

Dear friend,

Do check these out this week:

1. Now – Sun (24 June)

1st Singapore International Woodcarving Symposium

Fort Canning Park

9am – 6pm

Free

During this symposium organised by the Sculpture Society (Singapore), 8 local artists and 6 international artists will be create artworks based on the theme ‘In Progress’. For more info, see http://www.sculpturesociety.org.sg/iws07/content.html.

2. Now – 1 July

Superstring

By Joshua Yang in collaboration with NUS High School of Math and Science

Esplanade Concourse (1 Esplanade Dr)

10pm – 10pm

Free

This series of drawings are inspired by the Superstring theory which postulates that all matter in the universe is made up of and connected by tiny vibrations called strings. Each drawing is made using a single-continuous line with no breaks or overlaps, attempting to express a grand scientific idea through the use of the simplest mode of drawing: a single line.

3. Now – 5 July

Azhanti High Lightning

By Simon Birch (UK)

NAFA Galleries 1 & 2 (80 Bencoolen St)

11am-9pm daily

Free

Azhanti High Lightning is one of the most ambitious multiple media projects ever undertaken at NAFA Gallery and consists of an installation of paintings, sculpture, photography, film and video. Taking its name from a fictional space craft, this exhibition is about sudden and unexpected change, evolution and inevitability.

Here's wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

Regards,

Jennifer.

p-10 Picks (11 - 17 June)

Dear friend,

Here's this week's selection. Do check them out:

1. Screening: Wed (13 June) to Sat (16 June)

Alternative Visions: Matthew Barney

Gallery Theatre, National Museum of Singapore (93 Stamford Rd)

$10 per session

Barney's epic Cremaster cycle of films, produced from 1994 to 2002, established his reputation as one of the most original artists of our time. Filled with visually stunning and original images that draw upon diverse subjects, his films never fail to provoke a reaction. His latest work Drawing Restraint 9 will also be screened in this series. For schedule and more info, see www.nationalmuseum.sg.

2. Now – Sun (17 June)

Lasalle Degree Show 07

Lasalle Amphitheatre (90 Goodman Rd)

12 – 6pm

Free

This exhibition features over 100 works by graduating students from both Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) programme in Fine Arts as well as BA (Hons) programmes in Design and Media Arts. This is also the last exhibition to be held in the current campus.

3. Now – 18 June

Streetworks – Inside Outside Yokohama
The Substation (45 Armenian St)
11am – 9pm
Free

A highlight of the 2005 Yokohama Triennale, this exhibition from leading Australian video artists, Shaun Gladwell and Craig Walsh, makes its way to Singapore on its tour of Southeast Asia. Part of the Singapore Arts Festival.

Have a good week ahead!

Regards,

Jennifer.

p-10 Picks (4 - 10 June)

Dear friend,

Here are our Picks for this first week of June:

1. Opening: Today (4 June), 7pm

Domestic Bliss

Sculpture Sq (155 Middle Rd)

Mon – Fri: 11am – 6pm, Sat & Sun: 12 – 6pm

Free

In this exhibition curated by Laura Fan, three contemporary Malaysian artists (Sharmiza Abu Hassan, Vincent Leong and Chang Yoong Chia) present challenging, funny and thought-provoking explorations on family and domesticity, questioning the links between family, home and material advancement. The exhibition is held until 5 August.

2. Fri (8 June), 12 – 2pm & Sat (9 June), 6 – 8pm
Contemporary Artists’ Books Presentation
Alliance Française de Singapour (1 Sarkies Rd)

Free

Rather than an exhibition, this is more an invitation to come and browse, to look at, read and experience the way each artist creates a form, by giving a space, a structure and the time of a book itself – in other words, a striking of poses where reader and viewer are constantly questioning each other. Nearly 60 artists’ books will be shown, including those by Daniel Buren, Richard Long, Hamish Fulton, Alfredo Jaar, Edward Rusha and Lawrence Weiner.

3. Talk: Sat (9 June), 2.30 – 5pm

Genesis of Documenta and Development of the Art Scene in Germany after 1945

Salon, National Museum of Singapore (93 Stamford Rd)

Free

In this lecture and tour, Dr Michael Glasmeier and Dr Annelie Lutgens will provide and insight into the historial development of Documenta. Representative works from the various Documenta will be highlighted alongside a discussion of how global events have shaped contemporary art. The second part of the lecture will discuss the development of the German art scene after 1945. Part of Archive in Motion.

Best,

Tien.