This week, don’t miss out on Mental: Colours of Wellbeing, a new exhibition opening at ArtScience Museum that combines art and technology to tackle the topic of mental health in a fun and accessible manner. More details below.
Approaching the vast topic of mental health can be daunting and overwhelming – but it may become less so with the opening of Mental: Colours of Wellbeing, a new exhibition at ArtScience Museum. Rather than dwelling on mental ill-health, treatments or cures, the exhibition takes a more accessible – and fun – approach through more than 20 interactive artworks that embrace the diversity of the human mind and its complexities.
First presented at Science Gallery Melbourne at The University of Melbourne in the first half of this year, the exhibition was originally developed in consultation with a group of young adults in Australia alongside experts and academics from the fields of sciences and creative arts. For the Singapore leg, there are seven artworks by Singaporean and Southeast Asian artists that explore mental health from uniquely Southeast Asian perspectives.
The works will challenge visitors to reflect upon, question, and empathise with what it means to be human, potentially changing their perspective of themselves, others and society as a whole. For example, Mirror Ritual by Nina Rajcic and SensiLab (pictured) is an interactive artwork that appropriates an everyday object – a mirror – and augments it with artificial intelligence to pique one’s literal and metaphorical reflection.
The mirror ‘speaks’ to the viewer by assessing their emotional states from their facial expressions and generates a uniquely tailored poem in response. Instead of dictating how a person feels, the installation provides an opportunity for the viewer to reflect on their internal disposition, emphasising harmony or conflict between both their intentional and unintentional expressions.
Runs Sep 3 to early 2023 at ArtScience Museum
One of our go-to places for emerging artists is Cuturi Gallery – its latest show, titled Little Red Dot, is a celebration of the vibrancy and diversity of the Singapore art scene. It’s also a group exhibition of sorts that showcases the progress made by 14 artists who have been part of the gallery’s regular roster since the it moved to its current Aliwal Street digs two years ago.
You may recognise names like Marla Bendini, Aisha Rosli, Israfil Ridhwan (his work pictured) and Shen Jiaqi, but to be honest, most of the artists involved in this show (Casey Tan, Afiqa A’mran, Chloe Ong, Claudia Koh, Faris Heizer, Jonathan Leong, Khairulddin Wahab, Oneal Parbo, Vanessa Liem and Vanessa Seah) are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
The exhibition is a two-parter, with the first leg being showcased in Singapore before it moves on to be staged in Cuturi Gallery’s brand-new London outpost later in Oct.
On till Sep 4 at Cuturi Gallery, 61 Aliwal Street
One of the stand-outs from this year’s Cannes Film Festival is a work that doesn’t star any major names but has been described to “quietly devastate” the audience. Plan 75 is a debut feature by Japanese director Chie Hayakawa and its premise is rather dystopic – set in Japan in the near future, the eponymous plan is a government initiative that is basically voluntary euthanasia for elderly citizens.
It’s common knowledge that the country has one of the world’s most sizeable ageing populations – according to The Japan Times, the figure for elderly folks (defined as age 65 and above) is expected to rise to as high as 35.3 per cent by 2040. In a bid to counter this “problem”, the government rolls out Plan 75. Targeted at elderly citizens, it offers cash gifts, promises of dying in a five-star resort, and going out on your own terms.
At Cannes, the film won the Special Mention award in the Camera d’Or competition and was selected to screen in the Un Certain Regard section Over here, it will be screened exclusively at The Projector – and if you’re planning to catch it, make sure to book this Sunday’s slot as director Chie Hayakawa will be there in person for a Q&A session after the show. Get your tickets here.
Now screening at The Projector, various locations
German photography equipment specialist Leica is well-known for their support of great image-makers and its latest exhibition spotlights the works of Australian lensman Jesse Marlow. Marlow is a well-respected name Down Under – his works are held in public and private collections across Australia, including the National Gallery of Victoria, Australian Parliament House Canberra and the Monash Gallery of Art.
The exhibition at Leica’s Raffles Hotel store is titled Anything Can Happen and Probably Will and it’s inspired by the banality of modern-day existence, exploring themes of suburbia, abandonment and daily rituals. While the topic might sound quotidian, Marlow infuses his images, which are captured on the fly, with a rich sense of colour and energy, so much so that they come across as poetic film stills.
“Street photography is something that can’t be rushed or forced,” says Marlow. “When I head out onto the streets, I never leave the house with any preconceived ideas. Some days I’ll come home with nothing and others, I’ll capture a moment that will be with me forever.”
On now till Nov 4 at Leica Galerie Singapore, #01-20, 328 North Bridge Road