November wraps up on a strong note as major exhibitions and festivals continue – including film buffs’ favourite Singapore International Film Festival. Over at Gillman Barracks, check out Leica’s Celebration of Photography – a photography exhibition headlined by none other than Vietnam-American photographer Nick Ut. More details below.
By now, like most of us, you may be feeling inundated or even rolling your eyes as celebrities have taken it upon themselves to launching beauty brands left, right and centre. But here is one that’s guaranteed to be one-of-a-kind. Stranger(’s) Touch is an art project cheekily masquerading as a beauty brand, started by emerging artist/curator Daniel Chong and designer Pixie Tan. Their premise: to change the way we view the sense of touch through unusual surfaces and objects.
The project’s first edition took place this March and the duo are back with a sophomore edition, this time with a series of quirky home objects that attempt to bring a sense of strangeness closer to your domestic spaces. Featuring new works by artists Jenevieve Woon, Moses Tan, Teo Huey Ling (pictured), Tiffany Loy, and Weixin Quek Chong, expect tableware resembling fruit skin, pastel-hued “massage sticks”, adorable night lamps and alien-esque buttonholes.
Nov 25 to Dec 18, 1pm- 9pm, at Red Bus at Somerset Youth Park, 121 Somerset Road
German optics manufacturer Leica is putting on a photography exhibition to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a very special photo in the world’s history; the infamous “Napalm Girl” captured by the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Nick Ut in 1972 at the height of the Vietnam War.
For the uninitiated, the photograph depicts a nine-year-old (at the time) local Phan Thi Kim Phuc, fleeing after an American chemical bomb attack on her village – the photograph eventually went on to become known as “Napalm Girl”, as well one of the most prominent images from the war.
Alongside Ut’s work, the exhibition will also feature photography from a specially curated selection of photographers from Singapore. They include Mathias Heng, a photographer with a 37-year career reporting from conflict zones, who’ll be showing his recent work during the war in the Ukraine through a digital projection, and K.C. Eng, a self-taught photographer who captures moments of beauty in the midst of chaos.
The exhibition will be accompanied by photographer storytelling sessions, workshops, and darkroom experiences from the participating photographers and instructors.
On now till Nov 27, at 7 Lock Road, Gillman Barracks
Boutique Fairs is always a popular event on the retail calendar and they’re back with a final hurrah for the year titled The Gifting Edition. The fair is sprawling; it’ll span seven rooms across two floors, featuring works by more than 240 brands and independent designers.
It’s a great all-in-one spot to check out singular gifts and works, such as this wire bag from emerging industrial designer Karyn Lim of Studio Karyn Lim. Lim’s work has previously only been showcased at tradeshows and exhibitions both in Singapore and Tokyo, and this marks the first time her works (such as bags and brooches formed from wire) will be readily available for retail.
This edition of the fair also sees some new initiatives being introduced, such as its inaugural Young Designers’ Showcase Grant that aims to nurture the next generation of designers, as well as hassle-free delivery services by most of the participating brands. Check out the full line-up of participating designers here.
Nov 25 and Nov 26 (10am-9pm) and Nov 27 (10am-6pm), at F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard
The Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is the biggest film festival on the local and calendar and this year sees over 100 works from 57 countries on the expansive line-up to check out for film enthusiasts. Now in its 33rd edition, SGIFF kicks off with a film from Central Asia for the first time – titled Assault by director Adilkhan Yerzhanov, one of the most exciting and well-regarded filmmakers from Kazakhstan. The satirical thriller – which is the winner of the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival – focuses on a school located in a fictional remote village in Kazakhstan called Karatas, which is seized by a group of armed men.
Two new categories, Altitude and Horizon, have also been added to this year’s line-up – the former showcases important new works by some of the most respected filmmakers today, while the latter spotlights eclectic works sourced from all over the world.
If you were looking forward to catching Singapore director Ken Kwek’s #LookAtMe (a drama that focuses on a pastor and his stance on homosexuality), look elsewhere; while the film was originally scheduled to be screened, new ratings by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has resulted in it barred from being screened in Singapore. There are still plenty of local films to be enjoyed though – the Singapore Panorama section will showcase 26 local works, including the world premiere of Absent Smile by artists John Clang and Lavender Chang.
Check out the full extensive line-up here.
On now till Dec 4 at various locations