This week, the National Gallery Singapore is putting on a blockbuster show dedicated to the medium of video art, following its well-received exhibition on the genre’s godfather Nam June Paik back in 2021. This time, the exhibition, titled See Me, See You: Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia, hews closer to home with a look at how artists across the region helped to develop the medium here. More details below.
The idea of masculinity has long been stagnant and rigidly defined, but a new show titled Can You Show Me Your Drawer Of Drawers? is aiming to present a varied spectrum of masculine identities who are diverse in ethnicity, upbringing and social class in Singapore. A photography series created by image/film director, stylist and editorial writer Nicholas See and image maker and creative director Aaditya Sundar, the show aims to display a raw and unfiltered look into the lives of 15 male-identifying individuals in Singapore.
“It was important that the images present the male body beyond how it’s normally portrayed in the media,” says Aaditya in an interview with FEMALE last year on this project. “I think the beauty of the perception of masculinity now is that it’s ever-changing – something that is only formed by life experiences and is unique to each individual.”
Runs May 6-28 at Starch, #02-11 Tag A Building, 81 Tagore Lane. The exhibition will be open from Fridays to Sundays from 12pm to 7pm. All other days are by appointment
Following the successful Nam June Paik: The Future is Now exhibition in late 2021 that covered the influential practice of the eponymous South Korean artist (aka the godfather of video art), the National Gallery Singapore is set to explore the genre further with its latest show. Titled See Me, See You: Early Video Installation of Southeast Asia, the exhibition is a two-part series that delves into the pivotal moments when video installation first emerged in the region starting from the ’80s.
The first instalment of this show features five pioneering Southeast Asian artists (Johnny Manahan, Apinan Poshyananda, Baharudin Mohd Arus and Chng Nai Wee) who broke through conventional art forms that were prevalent at that time (such as painting and sculpture). These artists helped to birth a new form of art through experiments and interdisciplinary approaches, combining installation, performance, and audience participation with video.
To enable visitors to experience these works, the Gallery has commissioned the recreation of several of these artworks, many of which have been forgotten and have not been exhibited for decades. The second part of this monumental exhibition is slated to take place from Oct 13 this year till February 4, 2024, and will feature artists Heri Dono, Hasnul Saidon, Ray Langenbach, Vincent Leow and Krisna Murti.
Admission is free.
Runs May 4 to Sep 17 at National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road
Asian stories in film have certainly been making waves lately, as we’ve seen with the cult hit Riceboy Sleeps. Another gem to look out for is Return To Seoul, which focuses on Freddie, an irrepressible 20-something Korean adoptee brought up in France who spontaneously decides to visit her native country one day to seek out her birth parents.
As you can imagine, Freddie’s return to a country she’s completely unfamiliar with unearths a lot of fun – and dirt – for various players in her life, both familial and strangers she comes across. Return To Seoul, which currently holds a 96 per cent positive rating on Rotton Tomatoes, premiered at Cannes Film Festival last year under the Un Certain Regard section, and it also represents the acting debut of Park Ji-min, who is a French-Korean visual artist in real life.
Get your tickets here.
Opens May 4 exclusively at The Projector Golden Mile Tower, #05-00 Golden Mile Tower and at The Projector: Picturehouse, #05-01 The Cathay
No, it isn’t the usual sweat shop – non-profit Post Museum is putting on its Renew Earth Sweat Shop, a community and participatory art project where the intention is to counter waste, re-think the value of labour and ultimately, renew the planet through non-commercial methods.
Here, you’ll get to learn how to mend and repair your clothes, which is a movement that’s increasingly gaining traction globally. Various Singapore-based artists such as fashion educator Daniela Monasterios-Tan and textile artist Agatha Lee will conduct mending and upcycling workshops, with machines and materials included. You might find yourself walking away with environmentally mindful methods and practices that last far beyond Earth Day. Follow Post Museum on Instagram for more details.
On now till May 7 at Plaza Singapura Main Atrium