The Pocket Arts Guide (Dec 2011)

TPAG DEC 2 01 1 / ISSUE 2 6
Jia Haoyi
T PAG De c e m b e r 20 1 1 / I s s u e 2 6
Conte nts
EDITORS LETTER 5 ART WIRE
2
Gallery updates and events
Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom
IN THE FRAME
36
MARKET VOICES
Paving the way
18
Albert Yonathan: Ceramic Poetry
FEATURE
22
Laos in Transition
ART LANDS
46
PERSPECTIVES
The return of Brother Cane
28
Beneath the surface
STORY
44
Eating the concept
SPACE MAP
46 30
Art Galleries in Singapore Elephants in the Lion City
GLIMPSE
32 GLIMPSE
Figures of Speech
DIRECTORY LISTING 60 CLASSIFIED

52
1
editors
Dear Readers,
l e tte r
ISSN 2010-4375 / MICA (P) 130/03/2011
Editor-in-Chief
Remo Notarianni
remo@thepocketartsguide.com
So this is the last issue of the Pocket Arts Guide (TPAG) for 2011. Its been a tumultuous year at times but generally a productive one. Were a relatively young publication but weve had to grow up quickly as Asias art world matures with the rapid nurturing of young talent and creative breathing spaces in the region. Its a matter of keeping abreast with the right amount of depth and coverage. As expected, there have been birthing pains and challenges. Our prime goal in becoming Asias Global Art magazine has been to create a platform for artists in the region and Singapore to gain a certain amount of recognition globally. Although we cant compare the publication to a biennale, our goal is to put a spotlight on groundbreaking talent that might not have the platform it should and to TPAG, the small exhibition is as important as the mega event. In that time, we have become distributed in London and LA, and with a presence in Hong Kong that is almost as great as that in Singapore. Weve also learned that theres a danger of forgetting our roots. So, even as we look farther afield with the content, we have made sure to interweave Singapore galleries into the coverage. This issue has some connecting themes and subject matters that in many ways sum up the year for TPAG. Local collective vertical submarine merge text and image to redefine Singapores landscape and the Art Lands on Laos is indeed relevant to our endeavours to showcase art in places that do not get enough coverage. Enjoy the rest of 2011 and have a great Christmas and New Year.
Art Director
Melvin Ho
melvinho@thepocketartsguide.com
Contributors
Roy Voragen, Gladys Teo, Gosia Klimowicz

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On the Cover
Remo Notarianni
Editor-in-Chief
Jia Haoyi, The Magnificent Rider, 2006, 99X90cm, Ink & colour on paper
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THE POCKET ARTS GUIDE PTE LTD (TPAG) 43 Jalan Merah Saga, #03-62, Work Loft @ Chip Bee, Singapore 278115 All advertising bookings and materials for TPAG should be received by 21th each month. Printed in Singapore by KWF Printing. Copyright of all editorial content in Singapore and abroad is held by the publishers, THE POCKET ARTS GUIDE MAGAZINE. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from the publishers. THE POCKET ARTS GUIDE (TPAG) cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to unsolicited material. TPAG, ISSN 2010-9739, is published 12 times a year by THE POCKET ARTS GUIDE MAGAZINE. Every effort has been made to contact the copyrights holder. If we have been unsuccessful in some instances, please contact us and we will credit accordingly. Even greater effort has been taken to ensure that all information provided in TPAG is correct. However, we strongly advise to confirm or verify information with the relevant galleries/venues. TPAG cannot be held responsible or liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, alterations or errors that may occur as a result of any last minute changes or production technical glitches. The views expressed in TPAG are not necessarily those of the publisher. The advertisements in this publication should also not be interpreted as endorsed by or recommendations by TPAG The products and services offered in the advertisements are provided under the terms and conditions as determined by the Advertisers. TPAG also cannot be held accountable or liable for any of the claims made or information presented in the advertisements.
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art wire
Tomorrow 02.12.11 17.12.11

Richard Koh Fine Art www.rkfineart.com Singapore
Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2011 Finalists Exhibition 11.11.11 04.03.12
Singapore Art Museum www.singaporeartmuseum.sg Singapore The Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Signature Art Prize is an award to recognise artists whose artworks represent a significant development in contemporary visual art in the Asia Pacific region. Aimed at recognising the single most outstanding contemporary visual artwork produced in the preceding three years, the award is open, by nomination, to all visual artworks, regardless of medium, subject matter and size. Now in its second instalment, the award reaches out to 24 countries and territories in the region, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Mongolia, the Oceania islands, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and many others. From the 130 nominated artworks, 15 finalist artworks were selected and exhibited in SAM. The exhibition offers an excellent opportunity to see and discover some of the most exciting contemporary art produced in this dynamic region in the last three years. An international jury will then convene to judge the exhibited finalist artworks and select the winning artworks.
ETHOS VI: THE ETHOS OF MODERN MASTERS 07.10.11 13.12.11

Indigo Blue Art www.indigoblueart.com
Singapore
Ethos is an annual exhibition conceived by Indigo Blue Art, as a series of aesthetic journeys through the Contemporary World of Indian Art. It also demonstrates how modernity and Indian tradition are embracing each other with spiritual ideas expressed in modern forms and techniques. This years Ethos VI: The Ethos of Modern Masters features a collection of high-calibre and significant paintings by leading artists of Contemporary Indian Art. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to view and procure works from a rare collection never before showcased in Singapore. Artists include Arpana Caur, Jayashree Chakravarty, M.F Husain, Ram Kumar, Paresh Maity, Akkitham Narayanan, B. Prabha, Sohan Qadri, S.H Raza and Paramjit Singh.
Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA) Singapore is proud to present Thai artist Kedsuda Loogthongs (b. 1983) new series of works. In this latest series, associating nature with time passing, Loogthong is full of hope and signs in sparkling starlight of better things to come. Loogthong acquired a wisdom passed down from her grandmother to her mother and then to her: The sky hides some good things. As with Letters from Songkla, an undercurrent of heartache is the backbone of this series. This is fast becoming one of Loogthongs most significant skills. Reproducing calendar pages in such a plain and undeniable manner, Loogthong brings the uncontrollable monster of time into the equation. These works explore the fortune-telling of Chinese astrology as many people turn to spirituality in crisis, to its mystical ability to give gifts in life. I didnt want to lose anything and the last thing I could do was to ask mercy from scared items for any miracle. [Also], the Chinese astrological is interesting because it involves the lunar system, the earths orbit, and water levels going up and down.
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art wire
Retrospective Exhibition of Jia Haoyi - The Poetry of Vitality 9.12.11 8.01.12

Luxe Art Museum www.thelam.sg
Singapore
Cai Zhi Song: A Solo Exhibition 9.12.11

Ode to Art
Singapore
Jia Haoyi (Born 1938 in Zun Hua of Hebei Province), graduated from Arts Faculty, Beijing Institute of Fine Arts in 1961. In 1978, was transferred to Beijing Fine Art Academy. Since 1988, held personal exhibitions and another in Chinese Art Gallery, Jiang Su Provincial Art Gallery, He Xiangning Art Gallery, Korea Seoul Art Gallery and Singapore and so on. He has participated in numerous big national art exhibition internationally too. In 1997, he built Lao Jia Art Gallery. He is also the President of Lao Jia Art Gallery, member of Chinese Artists Association. currently. He has published personal painting anthologies and comments collected works Lao Jia Says As It Is Within and Beyond Painting Circle. Today Jia Haoyi is known as one of Chinas top traditional painters. His magnificent freehand brushwork portraying subjects like horses, bulls and landscapes has won him decades of admiration. He has infused his northern Chinese character into his art and his magnificent freehand style has won him fame and praise around the world. Many of his works have been displayed at international exhibitions and collected in museums in Asia as well as other continents.
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Cai Zhisong is one of the five artists elected to attend Venice Biennale 2011 for the Chinese Pavilion. Zhisongs most recent creation entitled Cloud will be on display in the festival. With the use of specialist techniques, this piece of work will float at the entrance of the Chinese Pavilion and automatically rise and fall according to temperatures, sunshine and other weather variations. Visitors can walk through freely among the clouds, producing a feeling of emptiness and Zen.While Cai Zhisongs interest in the past proves unequivocal, he also stresses the need to connect past and present to keep traditions alive and developing. He states: Everything which we call heritage should be considered precious, especially living heritage, or, it may not truly be called heritage in the true sense of the word. I continually attempt to create artworks which are derived from our past legacy. The artist is hence drawn to the Qin (221-206 B.C., whose emperor first united the many warring states in China) and Han (206/202 B.C. - 220 A.D.) dynasties because he was inspired by the flourishing culture of those periods, a legacy that has left a lasting impact on Chinese history and customs today.
OVER, UNDER, & BEYOND 2.12.11 30.12.11
M Gallery www.mgallery.com.sg
Singapore
OVER, UNDER, & BEYONDan exhibition showcasing a collective body of work by emerging Thai artists. In a time of environmental fragmentation and uncertainty, the yearning for calm and serenity resonates through the exhibitions whimsical narrative of vernacular and natural habitats. It is perhaps through the playful use of colours, contortion and illusion of the seemingly mundane and terrestrial that these artworks attempt to evoke a deeper sense of contemplation about the world we live in. The show also runs in tandem with M Gallerys long-standing objective to provide a platform for visibility and collaboration amongst Mekong artists and by putting them in the spotlight.
Wan Tai Feng Pure Evanescence Ongoing
Fragments of My Imagination by Chila Kumari Burman 19.11 23.12.2011 Re-opening and celebration of nine years 15.01.11 30.03.12
Gaffer www.gaffer.com.hk
Hong Kong
MAD Museum of Art & Design www.madmad.com.sg

Singapore
Blindspot Gallery www.blindspotgallery.com

Hong Kong
Chinese artist Wan Tai Feng loves peace and advocates universal balance, in the face of mounting self destruction in the world. As with many of the Chinese artists emerging after the 80s, those who are exposed to global influences, fast-paced change and the secularisation of China, Wan often draws inspiration from urban issues on social emptiness, cultural indifference, consumerism as well as environmental and political upheaval. Since his 2007 series, Wan has explored the issues of urban progression in relation to the erosion of true liberty and synergy. With the increasing march towards economic advancement, he seems to feel that we, as a species, have slowly forgotten our own natural and spiritual being. His latest installation of paintings depicts the power struggle between Man and Mother Nature, as well as the impact it has made. Wans paintings try to provoke the urgent need for respect between man and beast with his whimsical yet romantically elegant strokes.
Re-opening and celebrating the start of nine years in Hong Kong with an exhibition new works by six Melbourne artists Simon Strong, Robert Doble, Ruth McCallum-Howell, Terri Brooks, Phil Stokes & Jane Hall. Howells large cast glass pieces are inspired by the organic formation found within nature. Brooks abstract oil paintings are her explorations & observations of inner-city Melbourne and its weathered patina, flaking paint, rusted metal, marked & graffiti covered red bricked walls that line the cobble stoned lanes ways built in the gold rush days of 1880s Melbourne CBD. Hall has been dedicated towards learning the old skills & tradition of Asian & Japanese printmaking through extensive travel and by being an artist in residence held in Japan, Italy, Nepal & Thailand. Hall repeats the process and overlapping blocks of ink are pressed leaving shades of built up single color marking the handmade paper.
Fragments of My Imagination is the first solo exhibition of British Indian artist, Chila Kumari Burman, in Hong Kong. Following the exhibition shown in Singapore in September this year, the Hong Kong exhibition will feature a collection of 13 artworks including print and photographic artworks on paper and canvas that are uniquely embellished with gems, rhinestones and crystals, as well as intricate mixed media works composed entirely from bindis and stickers. One of the few British Asian artists to exhibit internationally, Burmans story is no ordinary one. Born to Punjabi immigrants who came to Britain to earn a decent living, Burman grew up in the back streets of Bootle in Liverpool. Although her father was a bespoke tailor, he could not find work and became an ice cream man to support his family. Chief influences in Burmans art remain her family and Indian roots. One often finds images of ice cream, cornets, and lolly ices scattered throughout her beautiful works that seamlessly blend references to popular culture with family photos, Bollywood stars and Hindu gods.
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art wire
Revitalising the Glorious Tradition:The Retrospective Exhibition of Pan Tanshous Art 25.11.12 02.05.12
Sumiyo Ito [childs play] 11.19.11 12.17.11
New Editions and Acquisitions 17 .11.11 14.01.12

Alan Cristea Gallery www.alancristea.com
London
Hong Kong Museum of Art www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/ Arts/english/exhibitions/exhibitions01_oct11_02.html

Hong Kong
NANZUKA UNDERGROUND www.nug.jp

Tokyo
Acclaimed by critics and art historians as one of the four giants of traditional painting, Pan Tianshou (1897 1971) was a leading exponent of modern Chinese art history. He developed a unique style which is characterised by expressive brushwork, vigorous form, forceful composition and monumental scale. Pan was an outstanding graduate of the Zhejiang Provincial First Normal College, he taught at a succession of art schools including the Shanghai College of Fine Arts, the Xinhua Art College, and the Hangzhou National College of Art. Selected from the Pan Tianshou Memorial Museum in Hangzhou, the exhibition features 36 works including landscape as well as flower and bird paintings and also calligraphy, accompanied by a number of valuable documents.
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Nanzuka Underground is pleased to announce Sumiyo Itos debut solo exhibition, Childs Play. The exhibition features an installation of ten new sculptural works. Itos works, magnifications of casually executed activities such as dissecting dolls and putting them back together to form new figures, are faithful to the fact that we as mankind have made progress due to that fundamental appetite known as curiosity. The overarching theme for childs play is the childhood desire to conquer the environment and scenario through the unique childhood role-playing game in which children assign and enact household roles. Ito attempts to cast forms that express that innocent childhood appetite displayed while playing house to make everything around me mine and to determine the casting of roles as I please.
Featuring highlights from 2011, this exhibition will present the best examples of classic works by modern masters alongside new works by leading contemporary artists. Highlights of the show include a series of new woodcuts by Gillian Ayres, her first foray into the medium, which were made at Thumbprint Editions in Camberwell earlier this year. It also includes a series of pyrographic etchings by Gordon Cheung based on photographs of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, Prismatic Diptych, the largest etching ever made by Ian Davenport and a series of new portraits by Julian Opie of his daughter and a school friend, inspired by Japanese manga film cells. The exhibition is a good retrospective of old and new, and the contrasts are striking and consistent in their creative intensity. The show is a good review of a calendar of work that is creative and cutting-edge.
IN THE FRAME
Striving
Spirit of freedom
JIA HAOYIS HORSES RACE BEYOND FORM AND TRADITION WITH INK THAT FLOWS FREELY INTO THE SPACE OF THE CANVAS. JIAS HORSES ARE STRONG, POWERFUL AND FREE, AND THEY TAKE THE ICONIC ANIMAL INTO A NEW ERA OF CHINESE ART.
Text: Remo Notarianni
Jia Haoyi-
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IN THE FRAME Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom
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Men of Hulunbeer, 2003, 124x248cm, Ink & colour on paper
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ith bold brushstrokes Jia Haoyus horses seem to gallop beyond grasslands and fields into a skyward leap. The images could illustrate an ancient battlefield or a romantic journey across an ancient kingdom, but they are strikingly modern in their free-flowing dynamism. During the past 2,000 years the depiction of the horse in Chinese art has gone through four turning points, says scholar Chen Chuanxi of the Chinese Peoples University. First in the Han dynasty, the second in the Tang dynasty and subsequent dynasties, and the third in the 20th century with the art of Xu Beihong (18951953). Jia Haoyi thus signifies a fourth turning point in the history of the horse in Chinese art contrasting starkly with previous depictions where artists emphasised the animals physical formits strength often depicted regal prowess, and a symbolical manifestation of power. However, the work of Jia Haoyi takes that representation into the essence of the horse: its spirit and dynamism. This is something that cannot be harnessed or beholden. It
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may be because of the brushstrokes but Jia emphasises the freedom of the horse through movements. There is an emotional strength in the thickly-laden ink, delivered boldly-- and it is as if Jia finds catharsis in the power of the strokes. I confessed that I am clueless as to why, but I have different kinds of emotional release when I paint horses, says Jia, but perhaps it could be something to do with the freedom of horses. The landscapes, although dark and broody, provide the horse with freedom and space for spiritual energy but this helps to bring out its swift movements, dynamism and energy. The horse perhaps symbolises a search for artistic freedom that breaks free of fixed ideas about proportion and formal structure. Jia s horse combines formal elegance with wild expressiveness and in many ways it tells his personal story. Born in 1938 into a poor rural family in Chinas Heibei Province, Jia tired of Chinas increasingly soulless industrial landscape in the 1950s, which was filled with manmade machine parts. He searched
Jia Haoyi, Women of the Grassland, 69.5x69cm
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Herding, 2007, 68x68cm, Ink & colour on paper
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The horse is perhaps an emblem of Jia Haoyis work, career and search for artistic freedom.
for and found a spirit of freedom in the arts. He dropped out of mechanics school and was admitted to Beijing Art Normal College in 1958 where he professionally trained as an artist. After graduation, Jia worked as a grassroots artist at the Chaoyang Cultural Hall for 17 years. In the 1970s, he moved to the Beijing Art Academy to become a professional painter. He was given the nickname Laojia, or Old Jia and in 1997, Jia founded his own art museum in northern Beijing. The museum presents passionate images and reveals his fascination with horses. The horse is perhaps an emblem of Jia Haoyangs work and career and his search for artistic freedom. In his career, is an evolution towards a free style that combined deft brushstrokes outside the form of Chinese traditional ink painting and western abstract expressionism. Jias horse signified different
aspects that he found in different climates of artistic freedom. He recalls clearly the political and social struggles from the early 1950s onwards and how his work mirrored that. He says that some of the experiences of his youth are reflected in a number of his works. The freedom in his paintings first stemmed from his childhood when life wasnt so politically bound and horses are seen roaming naturally. During the Cultural Revolution, art became a tool of political influence and there was no visible creative freedom. It was in the 1980s that the free-flowing essence of his horses found a new expressiveness, as Jia painted more abstract work. This abstract quality combines emotion with the figurative, and this brings out an energy that characterises his spirit of freedom. I wanted to let go in my art, to be free and bold in my line and my forms.
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Retrospective Exhibition of Jia Haoyi The Poetry Of Vitality

Luxe Art Musuem is pleased to present The Poetry Of Vitality, an exhibition featuring new works by Jia Haoyi. Venue: Luxe Art Musuem Date : 9th December 2011 8th January 2011 Opening & VIP Preview on Thursday, 8th December from 7 - 9:30pm The artist will be present on the opening reception.
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On the Grassland, 96cm x180.5cm, 2005
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FEATURE
Albert Yonathan: Ceramic Poetry

Text by Roy Voragen
Diamond mind
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Albert Yonathan
andung has been a university town since the Republic of Indonesias founding in 1945. This laid the groundwork for generations of artists and thinkers whose talents only really blossomed when former President Suhartos New Order regime collapsed in 1998. Today, Bandung is a fertile place to live for aspiring young artists. One of its rising talents is ceramic artist Albert Yonathan (b.1983 in Bandung). He did his undergraduate studies at the ceramic department of the art school at the Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), where hes currently a graduate student. Yonathan partly owes an improved learning environment for his creative nurturance. Yonathan states that his lecturers at ITBs art school, the oldest
in the country, have influenced him in terms of conceptual thinking, but not in terms of technical skills, which he developed by himself over the years. This contrasts starkly with educational institutions around the world that emphasise the mechanical learning of techniques over creativity. Tisna Sanjaya (b.1960) and Hendrawan Riyanto (1959-2004) are artist-cum-lecturers at ITB who inspired him the most, the former for how he works and the latter also for what he makes. Since Yonathan finished ITBs undergraduate program, he has shown his artwork at solo and group exhibitions (including biennales) at home and abroad (Australia, Japan and Singapore so far). Moreover, his work is gaining more and more
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FEATURE
Equilibrium
critical acclaim as well as commercial success (his work cosmic labyrinth was recently acquired by the Singapore Art Museum). Yonathan prefers to speak in terms of producing and reproducing, instead of creating to emphasise his focus on the visual idea he starts with (also because he uses moulds and castings). This initial idea can either be an individual component (e.g. the stupa) or the pattern (e.g. a labyrinth). Earlier in his career, the emphasis was more on the individual component and later his sculptural ceramic work transformed into a
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preoccupation with patterned configurations. The sculptural presentations of his early work morphed into installations. And lately, these presentations have also turned into performances (including sound) as he changes one shape of a pattern into another one in an exhibition space; this means that in his performed installations, the act of producing and of presenting coincide. There is an obvious spatial dimension to his work, and for different spaces the presentation alters. A variable dimension, though, does not mean that he uses less components or different patterns,
Symmetrical Flight detail
but that he has to use a different density. With the use of space, tangible materials, geometry and repetitive patterns, the visitor can experience embodied ideas. And he hopes that his work enhances visitors concentration, which he can help to focus. Only later did he realise that his work has philosophical connotations; the stupas, for example, arranged in a pattern form a mandala, i.e. a geometric figure representing the universe, but he wants to leave room for interpretation. For the Yogyakarta Biennale (25 November 9 January), Yonathan takes the performance to a whole new level. In Bandung, he will perform the first act of cosmic labyrinth: the bells; the 460 bells will change from a circular pattern into two pyramids. The second act will be performed in Yogyakarta: the two pyramids will change into a labyrinth. He plans a third and
final act on his return to Bandung, which might involve participation, but he hasnt yet decided on the final shape (if it will have one, hes pondering on the idea to return it to a state of nothingness). In 2009, he spent some time in Japan for a Japan Foundation sponsored residency at Shikaraki Ceramic Cultural Park. And in 2012, he will move to Japan to study at the ceramic department of Kyoto Sekai University. While his art is not meant to be autobiographical, it will be interesting to see how his work will evolve in Japan the next few years. Will his work become even more calmly cerebral or will he allow a degree of chaos to seep in? More information on the artist: http://www.albertyonathan.blogspot.com/. And the Bandung-based writer can be contacted at http:// fatumbrutum.blogspot.com/.
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Photos: Roy Voragen
ART LANDS
L A O S
Sivilay Souvannasing, High Oil Prices
Laos in Tr a n s i t i o n
Text by Gladys Teo
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Mongkham Bualavanh, Past & Present
he apparent lack of familiarity with Lao contemporary art among collectors and aficionados has sparked off a discourse in the past decade. Some have pointed to the lack of an art market in Laos, the lack of an economic and arts infrastructure, or the lack of compelling, strong art compared to its neighbours - each of these begrudges resulting in another. Whatever the case may be, Lao artists have had little representation in art markets. In a land-locked country where arts funding is limited, and where artists rarely get the opportunity to study abroad, Lao artists are left to
search from within to find their artistic styles and motifs. Many have speculated that these very circumstances have created a repertoire of realistic art, depicting scenes of everyday Laotian life. In the few galleries that pepper Vientiane and Luang Prabang, paintings largely illustrate Buddhist and Animist spirituality; it is common to see symbols such as the national Champa flower, as well as textiles and handicraft. Apart from these, repetitive depictions of Lao women and idyllic landscapes reminiscent of French artist Marc LeGuays romantic landscapes are
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ART LANDS Laos
The techniques and styles of French painters who lived and taught in postcolonial Laos remain influential today.
common. The techniques and styles of French painters who lived and taught in post-colonial Laos remain influential today especially in aspects of figuration and subject matter. Some have criticised the modus operandi of art schools in Laos which teach a seemingly wide set of skills that include modern painting and sculpture, traditional drawing, metalwork, ceramics and woodcarving. But the syllabuses often over-emphasise classical or early modern Western masters, providing limited stimulus for the development of individual technique or original creativity.
scious economic progress with the aim of ensuring that it leaves the UN list of least-developed countries by 2020. A new generation of emerging Lao artists has been making headway in the international arena through a more contemporary and individualistic approach.
Renaissance of resistance
Laos is in a period of transition. It was recently admitted into the ASEAN network, and is slowly allowing outside investment in its infrastructure. Michelle Chan of Singapores M Gallery observes that there is a definite nurturing and growth of ecotourism in Laos, coupled with heavy investments in natural resources and
Politics and peace

Many also wonder at the lack of politically-charged themes in Lao art and there are comparisons to social realism which have dominated much of Indonesia and the Philippines. Like her neighbours Laos has experienced difficult years, but the lack of conflict and sociopolitical framing in Laotian art development seems to be a greater manifestation of the peaceful nature of Laotians who are said to shy away from conflict, emphasising camaraderie over frustration through image and display. This might have been the discourse a decade ago, but much is changing in 2011 as Laos makes con24 TPAG | Dec 201 1
Mick Saylom, Social Network
property, resulting in growing expat community a well as tourists. This period of transition and growth has caused unsettling feelings in Laotians who are not really sure what to expect when the floodgates open, said Chan. The perspectives and reflections of Lao artists facing their nations resistance to rapid transformation and development is reflected in their artwork. An example is Sivilay Souvannasing, a Lao contemporary painter who aims to illustrate the exchange of the strong folk and indigenous culture of Lao farming communities and their wary acceptance change. Sivilays instantly recognisable compositions consist of Picasso-style pictorial, broken frames with rich layering of different scenes. He consistently uses the Champa flower as a motif in the background. The flower is always seen at the centre stretching across the canvas, enveloping multiple layers of characters and social scenes. Drawing inspiration from pioneer May Chandavong who set out to explore rural life and represent it realistically, Sivilays visual stories unravel in villages, and look for inspiration in the marketplace and paddy fields; they also focus on women who confront onlookers with strong, direct gazes. His paintings provide a beautiful and timeless window into Laos rich and exciting culture. In Memories: Morning Market, he portrays the common scene of the marketplace with peaceful colours, attention to facial expressions, layered with fabric patterns and Laos
Marisa Darasavath, Spirit of Mother - Umbrella IV
landscape. The busy picture keeps the audiences eye zoning in on details, refocusing on the second layer, bewildered by the third and fourth layers, and finally taking a step back again to absorb the entirety of the composition. Chandavongs recent works have subtle flashes of modernisation, snippets of inventions such as vehicles and commercial companies sneaking up amidst depictions of traditional rural life. This creates tension between the layers, which convey the frustrating struggle of resistance and acceptance of change to audiences. In High Oil Prices, company logos such as Shell and Honda are painted
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Marisa Darasavath, Celebration
Sivilay Souvannasing, Hmongs ll
on the backs of oxen that are used to plough the countryside of Laos, illustrating the communitys helplessness at price inflation in the region, and the necessary consequences of urbanisation and globalisation. Marisa Darasavath, a unique female artist, consistently uses strong colours combined with traditional patterns and modern realism. Her recent works show a gradual but increasing emphasis on capturing the beauty and essence of traditional Lao costumes and culture through the use of bolder, brighter colours, blacking out facial and bodily features to draw audiences concentration on the activity and form of her female figures, as if to remind herself, her community, and audiences of the beauty and elegance of Lao culture. With the creation of newly formed transportation links both in air and over land, Lao artists are gaining more exposure to neighouring countries, especially Northern Thailand and Vietnam, said Chan
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The techniques and styles of French painters who lived and taught in post-colonial Laos remain influential today.
of M Gallery. The geographical proximity of these regions have increased cross-cultural exchange and influences within. The gallery is slated to present a Mekong Collective in February next year showing mutual influences and distinctions in styles between artists handpicked from each of these regions.
Evolution and exchange

Mick Saylom is one artist whose repertoire of works showcases his experiences of cultures outside of his own. His large canvases articulate his personal influences and encounters with different urbanscapes and iconic figures. As he gains exposure to different places, his themes change, moving away from abstractions about dancing women and the
ART LANDS Laos
marketplace towards more contemporary social issues. During his residency in Singapore, he reportedly marvelled at the difference in the pace of life and grappled with the fast-moving, competitive nature of the city. His puppet series was created during his residency, perhaps taking swipes at its sociopolitical power imbalances. In Who Is He?, Mick plants a blue man with strings attached and with arms akimbo on a dinner table and shows the congregation at the table looking up at him. The blue puppet being lowered from the top is perhaps a criticism of top-down impositions that create tension, animosity, and fear. His themes have become more aggressive, and his colour use has stepped up in intensity. Amidst his more candid and playful fascination with Singapores busy cityscape and iconic architecture by the river, his canvases are increasingly sombre visual displays of societys ills and cynicisms. His Eat series takes swipes at imperialistic notions, showing a big mouth trying to bite off more than it can chew, whereas Who Is Number One (III) and Big Fish, Small Fish point at controlling tendencies.
Travel and transformation

Mongkham Bualavanh is another Lao contemporary artist who experiments with semi-abstract works. His artwork displays cubist tendencies where the plane is flattened, fragmented and re-assembled. Using strong colours and bold lines with touches of Impressionist-style dabs, Mongkhams affliation with his countrys ethnic groups was a recurrent subject matter in much of
his earlier compositions. His recent works, however are more like observations of the realities of a changing society that is gaining greater exposure and influence from neighbours and beyond. While he still paints faces with irregular shapes, the figurative pictorial language throughout 2008 and 2009 express his helplessness through Power Struggles and a familiar grudge about inflation with the Impact of High Oil Prices. Art in Vientiane is definitely finding new sources of inspiration and paths to the international art world. With prominent art figures and institutions such as M Gallery ceaselessly promoting Lao art in overseas markets, and acting as a bridge and paving the right way contemporary Lao artists will find inspiration in the trials and tribulations of socioeconomic development in the years to come. The expanded artistic expression will undoubtedly allow the nations art to become more powerful and competitive in international art markets. It may be a blessing in disguise that the fine arts sector in Laos has remained relatively isolated from contemporary international trends, in part due to the cultural pride and protective nature of its people. Lao artists are, however, expected to create a discourse at their own pace, as the time and resources allow. Crosswinds an exhibition featuring recent works by Lao contemporary artists, celebrates the continued creative exploration of Mick Saylom, Marisa Darasavath, Sivilay Souvannasing and Somphet Chantala at M Gallery, 51 Waterloo Street #03-03B/04, Singapore 187969.
27
STORY
A View with a Room, winner of Celeste Prize 2011 in the installation and sculpture category, by Vertical Submarine
Beneath the surface

ertical submarine is a creative collective that is helping Singapores art scene come up for air. The group is made up of artists Fiona Koh, Justin Loke and Joshua Yang who combine installations, drawings and paintings which involve text, storytelling and humour in a way that act and react on each other. Through the mix of mediums, the group aims to defamiliarise the landscape, and with this juxtaposition it redefines - pointing out how language conditions our view of the society we live in, and highlights aspects of the landscape we look at. We mention places and faces found in this island rather than abstract terms like Singapore
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Text: Remo notarianni
or identity, says artist Justin Loke,and we avoid overused motifs and subjects such as founding history or coconut trees. In 2010, vertical submarine displayed medieval instruments of torture along with a guillotine in the Singapore Art Museum, but that was part of a greater invasion that saw them complete projects in Spain, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. Between them they have won several awards including the Credit Suisse Artist Residency Award 2009, The Presidents Young Talents Award 2009 and the Singapore Art Show Judges Choice 2005. They have recently completed a residency at Gertrude Contem-
porary, Melbourne, Australia and Pasagero in Mexico D.F. The work, while being more relevant to the region, reverberates outside Singapore, through an aesthetic that connects the viewer with the artwork. In Decomposition II (2008) and Abusement Park (2010) onlookers were abused by the artwork they were appreciating and soon discovered that they enjoyed it, as the work held up a mirror to the inherent masochistic tendencies of the onlooker that makes the work quirkily human. We are starting to resonate regionally and have some friends in the neighbourhood Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines now, says Loke. We are bonded by comment hatreds but we find interesting ways to turn around script and image: the text is a script and at times the script is the form. vertical submarines work A View with a Room was made for Presidents Young Talents 2009, 8Q SAM, Singapore and won the prestigious Celeste prize. It typifies their ideas about image, text and surrounding context. It also shows how this relationship translates into space. It is about text, image and object, and demonstrates the disjuncture between categories, says Loke. The installation begins with detailed descriptions of rooms. From a word found amongst the wall text, viewers notice a peephole with a view into a room. Through a closed wardrobe, viewers pass a tunnel that leads to the concealed room. The installation is a visual translation of the wall texts and attempts an inversion: a 3-dimensional space that imitates the flatness and other
pictorial characteristics of a black and white photograph. All the objects in this scene, based on a fictitious character, are in greyscale. Anything that touches the margins of the image, and the borders of the room, is cropped like in a photograph. A painting, which is a copy of Isaak Brodskys Lenin in Smolny shows only the lower-half of the figure; and the cropped TV set shows the film Lenin in October dubbed into Mandarin. Apart from books and local groceries found in the room, traces of anachronism and nostalgia could be further extended to the clock rotating anti-clockwise, and the old calendar dated May 1968. Like dusk, the light from the window petrifies the room with perpetual twilight. The collective has won recognition globally, and it continues to rewrite the often flat, overused and touristic touchstones that are in traditional images of a landscape. Beauty is eerily subjective in the world of vertical submarine but it will continue to make waves in Singapore and beyond. A few years ago, Cheo Chai Hiang told us, an interesting failure is more important than a mediocre success, said Loke. Its a modified version of the one by Kuo Pao Kun, which is often quoted, a worthy failure is more important than a mediocre success. Whether interesting or worthy, this maxim about failure is what some local artists choose to live by, and we respect that more than international success Vertical Submarine is represented by Richard Koh Fine Art
29
GLIMPSE
Jamie Paul (Singapore)
Sabine Roemer (UK)
Ben Cabrera (Philippines)
Justin Lee (Singapore)
Ronald Ventura (Philippines)
Elephants in the Lion City

Text: Remo Notarianni
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Carrie Chau (Hong Kong)
Farhad Hussain (India)
Ketna Patel (India)
Ahmad Zakii Anwar (Malaysia)
he Elephant Parade is the largest open air art exhibition worldwide for the preservation of the Asian elephant. In a surreal transformation of the city, hundreds of brightly painted life size art elephants swarm the streets of Singapore during the event. Painted by local and international artists, each elephant has been presented as a unique piece of art. After the exhibition, all elephants are auctioned and part of all benefits from Elephant Parade is donated to The Asian Elephant Foundation. The Elephant Parade is a unique union of contemporary art with conservation, and plays an important role in engendering heightened awareness of humanitys impacts upon elephant populations while also funding elephant conservation and the variety of efforts required to safeguard these gentle giants, said Claire Chiang, Ambassador of Elephant Parade Singapore 2011, and Chairman of Wildlife Reserves Singapore. The Elephant Parade is truly an inspirational project and I am honoured to be a part of it. This unique combination of art, business and charity has attracted some of the most prestigious artists globally and I am so pleased that Elephant Parade has come to Singapore, my hometown, for its first Asian installation. I look forward to seeing these beautiful sculptures all over the city, said Quek Chin Yeow, Deputy Chairman, Sothebys Asia and Auctioneer of Elephant Parade, Singapore. The Elephant Parade runs from 11 November 2011 to 12 January 2012
31
GLIMPSE
Landscape, 97 x 130.3cm, acrylic on canvas 2010
Figures of Speech
IN YOO SUN TAIS IDIOSYNCRATIC UNIVERSE, OBJECTS SHRINK AND THREE-DIMENSIONS MELD WITH TWO. THE KOREAN ARTISTS VISUAL DISCOURSE ON THE NATURE OF LANGUAGE, IMAGE AND SPACE ENLIGHTENS AS IT ALTERS PERCEPTIONS. THE IMAGES ARE PERHAPS INSPIRED BY A LIFE THAT HAS CROSSED CULTURES AND A BROAD ART EDUCATION.
Text by Remo Notarianni
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Garden, 181.8 x 227.3cm, acrylic on canvas 2010
hile studying in Germany, and then in Paris, I became deeply fascinated with matiere, recalls Yoo. I tackled both two and three-dimensional art at the same time. I placed wire on paper to explore the disparate qualities of the two materials. I also worked with ink and focused on the black-andwhite contrast that is derived from paper and ink. Yoos Speaking and Writing series includes a toy-like bicycle crossing a floor into a painted landscape or becoming belittled by plant pots. The image of himself on top of an antiquated vehicle a penny-farthing could be an emblem of movement that breaks creative ground; its antiquity makes
time part of the contrasts. The images also connect old with new, and his work addresses how a visual language can be written and re-written as it brings new objects into its diction. In the same way that Marcel Duchamps urinal exhibit shifted paradigms of representation, new objects are appearing on an artistic landscape that are reshaping it as it reflects new things. Yoos celebration of everyday objects, redolent of Pop Art, communicates something about the world around us and the journey from idea to objecthood. He conjures up a Korean phrase: A Cake in the Picture which proverbially refers to the influential power of two-dimensional images to influ33
GLIMPSE Figures of Speech
Letter to a friend, 181.8 x 227.3cm, acrylic on canvas 2010
ence real life. Even without the smell, taste or dimensions of a real cake, the image has a trans-dimensional sensory power that can connect the mind with a memory or symbolically bond with society; and this affirms that two-dimensional images and three- dimensional space are part of a dialogue. Speaking and Writing, Letter to a Friend, demonstrates how different dimensions and iconography. Yoo has continued this dialogue with acrylic paintings and believes the convergence provides a fertile environment for ideas to flow into each other, and where the viewer can wonder and explore, as if in a forest of art. One way that Yoo
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creates a cultural bridge is with the use of space on a canvas, and space in the Western tradition takes on a different meaning to that of Eastern art in which it is considered shared spaces. Yoo alludes to a time-honoured tradition of writing in spaces on a canvas in Asian art. Unlike in Europe, where every bit of the canvas appears to be filled, space is an important part of the composition. He often writes on the spaces to express this tradition of ecriture; and writing on the space that goes beyond a painters signature. The written word, two dimensional images and objects in three-dimensional space are part of a resonant language. Objects open
Used bookstore, 181.8 x 227.3cm, acrylic on canvas 2011
up a dialogue and with calligraphic precision articulate across the space and image. My father was fond of trees, so since I was young, trees were always around. But Id never thought of the life of trees. Then one day, a tree in front of my studio in Yangpyeong lost its leaves overnight. Staring at the bare tree made me think that it was itself an art. Then what about the leaves? My thoughts reached the idea that perhaps those leaves were spoken words. Or written texts The Speaking and Writing series questions whether our every-
day communication is as effective as we might think: What you say disappears the moment it is said, says Yoo, but is also final once you say it. Meanwhile, texts are erasable and rewritable. Speaking & Writing runs from 10 18 December at Social Creatives Museum @ Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard #0255, thereafter from 20 31 December at 2 Mistri Road, #0102 Lumiere. Korean artist Yoo Sun Tai is represented by Singapores Sunjin Galleries. Contact: +65 6738 2317. Email: sales@sunjingalleries.com.sg
35
Market Voices
Paving the way

Text by Remo Notarianni and Neal Imperial
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he Philippine Art Trek is an annual project arranged by the Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore. It is now in its fifth edition and in that time, it has made the city into a showcase of some of the greatest talents in the Philippines. The event has, however, grown into more than a platform of recognition for Filipino artists; it has filled a vacuum in regional art promotion. TPAG to talked to Neal Imperial, Minister and Consul General at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, on the growing importance of the event and the connection between art and politics. TPAG: Why was the Philippine Art Trek launched and what are its objectives? The Philippine Art Trek was conceived at a time of growing interest in Asian art in Singapore. While Chinese and Indonesian art were receiving most of the attention in the region, Philippine art remained at the fringes, despite the fact that great art was being consistently produced in the archipelago, regardless of whether it was noticed outside or not. I think this is largely a result of a lack of awareness and, to a certain extent, the tendency for collectors to patronize art from their own country (for instance, Indonesians often only buy Indonesian art) or the lack of institutional support overseas. The Art Trek is a response to this milieu and a modest attempt to create spaces for Philippine art to be better appreciated and recognized as on par with art from other Asian countries and the West. One observation that struck me in 2006 was that although there were frequent art shows by Filipino artists in Singapore, they were not
perceived as representing a wider national identity informed by a common thread and history. They were seen as dispersed and unrelated to each other. The challenge then was how to overcome this prevailing ignorance and heighten awareness that the galleries were exhibiting Philippine art, not just art by individual artists. TPAG: Do you think that Filipino artists have had enough recognition globally and in Singapore? I think they are getting there. There are a few who have made a mark in the Western art centres of New York, Paris and London, such as David Medalla, Manuel Ocampo , and Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo in the late 19th century but even these artists struggled to be recognized as Filipino artists and not as mere derivatives of Asian or Western art. In 2009, the Singapore Art Museum was the site of two major art exhibits that can be considered milestones. It exhibited the largest collection of iconic Filipino art pieces ever assembled under one roof. Those two expositions helped raise the profile of Philippine art internationally, more than any individual artist and with reviews being published in Time magazine and The New York Times. What fascinates me about Singapore is its openness to the rest of the world, and its conscious bias for excellence. There is almost no cultural protectionism and artists from all over the world are welcomed in its galleries and museums as much as their local artists. This is the reason why Filipino artists thrive here because there is minimal pressure for the artist to suppress his identity in order to be palatable to the domi37
Market Voices
Philippine art is well-placed in the age of globalization. There is a large diaspora of Filipinos out there who understand and crave to see Philippine art.
AtMaculangan, Equinox. Oil and bees wax on canvas 104 x 152.5cm, 2011. TAKSU Singapore
Anthony Palomo, Group musicians. Sunjin Galleries.
nant culture or the market. The cultural and artistic environment here is what has allowed the Philippine Art Trek to thrive these past five years. TPAG: How has the embassy worked on creating a platform for the recognition of Filipino artists? The concept behind the Art Trek is clustering multiple exhibitions over a specified period of time. We are applying the principle of concentration, of focus in the visual arts to heighten awareness by accentuating what the Philippines has in abundance - creativity and artistic talent. Instead of having dispersed exhibits unrelated to each other, Art Trek clusters and groups them together based on an agreed theme for the year. The embassy works with the existing strengths of Singapores ecosystem for the arts - the existence
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of a large number of independent galleries, a large collector base, and cultural institutions and museums with a large collection of Philippine art, as well as corporations and foundations that are supportive of the visual arts. TPAG: What do you think the challenges are for Filipino artists and what advantages do they enjoy that other artists do not? The challenge is for them to gain wider recognition in the region and beyond through greater international exposure in expositions and art shows. I do not believe that every artist has to use the same traditional route of linear progression, that is, for him to be first recognized locally or regionally, then to be known in the capital of Manila, before he goes international. There are now avenues for artists to avoid certain
stages and leap right into the international arena with the help of platforms such as Singapore-based galleries, Art Trek, Art Stage and the like. This is also one effective way of helping artists overcome their economic hardships and making them achieve their full potential faster by giving them wider exposure internationally. TPAG: Do you think that the current art environment is conducive to the growth of Filipino artists globally? Certainly. Philippine art is wellplaced in the age of globalization. There is a large diaspora of Filipinos out there who understand and crave to see Philippine art. Many are in positions of influence in corporations, universities and cultural institutions who can afford to acquire art pieces. Another plus is that the Filipino artist is well-versed with Western art forms and can communicate in a visual language that can be understood and appreciated cross-culturally. The Philippines has the distinct advantage of having the longest and perhaps the deepest exposure to Western culture in Asia due to its long experience of colonization under Spain and the United States. This has created a constant dialogue, and tension, between Western and indigenous sources that makes Philippine art very exciting and dynamic to the world outside. I have so much confidence in Philippine soft power that I predict that the next pop-culture invasion, after Korea and Japan, will be a Filipino one, with Charise, Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga, Bruno Mars and
Apl.d.Ap of The Black Eyed Peas leading the charge. Our great music, rich literary and visual arts traditions will add depth and breadth to this emerging phenomenon and hopefully make it a lasting one. TPAG: How important a role can politics play in the world of art and, in the case of the Philippines, what do you think the relationship and outcome is? Art can be used as a medium for educating the public, changing perceptions and opening the viewers eyes to truths and social realities. Art can beand has been--used to challenge tradition, institutions, values and defy the powers-thatbe. Social Realism has been a pervasive influence on Philippine art, especially during the 1980s when it played a prominent role in the propaganda against authoritarian rule. The Filipino artist has never shied away from overtly political themes and committed art. TPAG: What future projects does the embassy have for showcasing Filipino artists? We will continue to refine the staging of the annual Philippine Art Trek so that it continues to be a regular fixture in Singapores art calendar. Every year, we try to come up with novel, interesting and intelligent approaches to reflect the dynamism of the visual arts scene in the country. We also support the exhibits of Filipino artists in the different galleries and museums throughout the year and we are open to partnering with them.
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PERSPECTIVE
The return of Brother Cane

Text: Gladys Teo
n February19 next year, artist and filmmaker Loo Zihan will re-enact Brother Cane in front of 100 people in Singapore, the very piece that was performed by Josef Ng in 1993 in a 12-hour event in front of 100 people. This was a seminal performance that signified a new era in Singapores art scene. It sparked off a public debate about obscenity in performance art and a subsequent ten-year blanket ban and no-funding rule on the art form in Singapore. The following question immediately surfaces: 18 years on, would a reenactment spark a similar public outcry in the city? How different are those 100 Singaporeans? Perhaps setting the scene for Februarys performance, and also paying homage to Ngs body of work, Zihan re-enacted one of Ngs other works, Dont Go Swimming, Its Not Safe, in a session by Rooted In The Ephemeral Speak (R.I.T.E.S) on November 15. According to Zihan, this was an important piece that laid the groundwork for the
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seminal Brother Cane, premised on the original performers conviction against gay bashing. By enlisting members of the audience to play certain roles, Zihans re-enactment was a mixture of spontaneous reactions and scripted acts which drew a mix of responses from the audience. Harsh criticism has been drawn from members of the artistic community who questioned the classification of his re-enactment as performance art. Some have termed it mere acting instead, frowning upon the objectification of the original performance and the act of following a script as a point of comparison against purist ideas about performance art which is spontaneous and unscripted. Others have viciously questioned Zihans motives when revisiting the very works that caused so much controversy and created repercussions for performance artists. Nevertheless, an emotionallydrained Zihan holds his hopes high. The frustrations of members of the
community are rooted with good intentions; they are deeply passionate about performance art and are protective of the scene, and of what has been achieved thus far. The last thing they want is another performance that would jeopardise all their efforts. The inability to empathise with Zihans decision to challenge authority is understandable where there is so much at stake in Singapore, and where censorship permeates so many aspects of civil society. Why openly defy boundaries when there is the option of self-censorship, the choice of celebrating artistic convictions through more nuanced ways which will not be persecuted? Similar views have been expressed even outside the Singapore scene. Londons Frieze co-editor Jennifer Higgie, in her article Censorship and the Art World, questions the curatorial approach in Simon Fujiwaras installation that featured gay pornographic magazines that were eventually removed in the Singapore Biennale earlier this year. What was the intention of the curator in choosing to present work where homosexuality and pornography is illegal? Was the
defiance of local laws a symbolic gesture or was it the assumption that the framework and contextualisation of art would give both the artist and curator immunisation and protection from censorship? After all, Singapore has never denied its strict censorship laws. An important point is missed here; the more pertinent issue lies in what is being censored, not why practitioners are electing confrontation over self-censorship. Definitions of what is permissible are often part a dialogue with the state and ways of negotiating these boundaries do not change. There is confrontation and conversation, and then there is acceptance. Stake holders flip back and forth between these negotiation methods, be they the public, artists, sponsors, audiences, buyers, or the media. What is being negotiated, what is really at stake, however, is the subject of negotiation itself: what is permissible? When Josefs performance was publicly decried in the 1993, the authorities issued a joint statement justifying the stern intolerance of the performance, stating concerns over his intention to agitate audiences on volatile social issues, to propagate the beliefs and messages of deviant social or religious groups. In particular, George Yeo convicted Josef of using art as a pretext to exert pressure on the authorities on the gay issue. Susie Lingham, in Art and Censorship in Singapore: Catch 22? in the November 2011 issue of Art Asia Pacific observes how, despite increasing liberalism in Singapore after two decades where homosexual lifestyles are not uncommon, the latest art controversy (referencing Fujiwaras installation) once again centres around homosexuality oppression and the notion of obscenity (Lingham was also part
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PERSPECTIVE
of the 5th Passage Artists Ltd that was censured in the 1990s.) Homosexuality, it seems, is subversive, deviant and will not be tolerated. More progress seems to have been made on definitions of obscenity. Works featuring nudity and sexually explicit content are now permitted on a case-by-case basis, conditional upon the provision of advisory notices. However, there is the lingering question of when the law will be enforced. At this years inaugural Art Stage Singapore, Indian artist T. Venkanna displayed advisory about content and age restrictions, yet his show had to be canceled after members of the public voiced discomfort over the supposed obscenity of his nudeness. There was a public outcry over the naked male torsos of the Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements, yet no one seems to have any lingering concerns over the suggestive clothing and provocative actions of the female Thai dancers splashed cross the huge, bright blinking screens of Titanium club (by the Esplanade), a mega club under the partnership of the National Trade Union Congress that supposedly promotes the healthy lifestyles and rights of Singaporeans. The public response is hard to gauge, and Singaporeans seem undecided and unclear about what they want and what it means to be deviant. Perhaps the real taboo has been political dissent and not nudity or homosexuality. Criticism of the government and its policies has been seriously and consistently suppressed. This was the case for Brother Cane which was a veiled but unabashed
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Criticism of the government and its policies has been seriously and consistently suppressed.
critique of the police, the role of the media and the state. Dissidence was not tolerated then, but the recent May elections have shown that we now live in a more tolerant society with opposing voices at least being heard. Zihans re-enactment, from this perspective, is not an aggressive trouble-making confrontation of social and political hierarchies, but an examination and documentation of how these very divisions have or have not been negotiated in the past 18 years. The context is altogether different from Josefs, so is the intent and trajectory. The last thing that his performance would do is to jeopardise the years of negotiation and conversation between the authorities and the artistic community. For one, the organisers (The Necessary Stage) of the performance have submitted the material at the highest rating of R18 to the authorities and are currently awaiting classification and guidelines on what can or cannot be showed. The eventual performance will be authorised and would be a good opportunity to define which areas are off-limits to the arts in Singapore now, similar to how Ngs original performance defined which areas were off-limits 18 years ago. Secondly, because it is a reenactment of a landmark piece and not an enactment, the 100 strong audience in February will contextually be different from the 100 peo-
ple who turned up at Josefs performance not knowing what would be staged or what to expect. The expected audience in February will be niche and mature. The greater public who will not watching the performance that night but will learn about it through Zihans and the medias eventual documentation will also be different, and eliciting this change or lack thereof in perception and attitudes in civil society is an intent of the artist.
One thing is definite: Zihans desire to ignite conversations about Ngs original work, to recollect this important moment of history in Singapore and the art scene, to refresh and re-investigate the social and political cleavages that framed Singapore in 1993 and 2012 has been achieved. Can a better balance be struck between stability and healthy dissent? Is Singapore mature enough for this? Is it ready for Brother Cane?
Zihan Loo (born in 1983) is a Singaporean moving-image, performance and installation artist. He was valedictorian for the pioneer batch of undergraduates from NTUs School of Art, Design and Media in 2009. Zihan was given a full trustee scholarship to pursue his MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and was awarded a Graduate Fellowship upon completion of the program in May 2011. His films have been screened in various film festivals including AFI Fest (L.A.), Pusan International Film Festival and Singapore International Film Festival. He has had recent exhibitions at NEXT / Art Chicago and Valentine Willie Fine Art (Singapore). His work confronts the performance of ethnic and gay self-shaming with the intent to co-opt and re-purpose its power for alternative ends. By exposing himself in and through performance to transactions and the relations of power, sexuality, and voyeurism, he offers viewers a means to circumvent assumptions they bring to the otherwise private content of sexuality, shame, and personhood. http://www.loozihan.com/
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SPACE
Eating the concept

By Gosia Klimowicz
eople have a constant desire for new and different experiences, said Mr Little Ong from fFurious, one of the visionaries behind the Wanderlust Hotel in Singapores Little India. The venue is a collaboration of designers from top local studios, including Asylum and pPhunk, together with architecture firm DP Architects. The designers have cooked up a feast of the senses in one of Singapores enchanting neighbourhoods. Nestled into the space are conceptual delights as palatable in experience as the dishes on offer, making the surroundings into a mise-en-scene of the food on offer. The Wanderlust Hotel consists
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of four floors and a restaurant, each designed in a different style. The Industrial Glam-themed lobby gently eases guests into its otherworldliness by offering a juxtaposition of the surrounding architectural and contemporary design. Eccentricity at Level 2 is achieved with bright colours and neon lights, including a rainbow- coloured corridor and mosaic-tiled jacuzzi. Level 3 features contrasting black and white painted spaces with origami and Pop-Art works on display. fFurious creation on Level Four is called Creature Comforts, and friendly monsters welcome the guests as they step into the rooms. We remembered that it was the friends who made us feel welcome
Wanderlust Hotel 2 Dickson Road Singapore 209494 Tel: +65 6396 3322 Fax: +65 6298 2211 Email: reservations@wanderlusthotel.com
Photos: Gosia
in different countries, and the new friends that we met during the trips that made those holidays so much more amazing, explains Mr Ong. Whether it is a typewriter monster that lends its cushioned keys for rest, or the bling-bling monster that extends its arms to light up parts of the room, or the tree monster that shelters the guests with its feltleaves canopy. He adds: We just thought anything is possible. We only had to keep in mind that we had a great opportunity to blow some minds. Colour, ambience, mood, and environment everything matters when it comes to dining and leisure. But what has come to matter is concept and thats where artists have been brought into the world of catering. Take some venues that are very en vogue these days. White Rabbit a sophisticated restaurant and club at an old chapel; Food For Thought casual cafe with their own designer merchandise, supporting charitable causes; the Kichn a charming little cafe where customers can compose their own meal. What do they all have in common? The art of making ordinary things look magical
design. They pose the question of whether creativity is as important as function and service, in a conceptually restless public. Being hangouts with much more design than the norm, functionality and comfort would usually be considered, assures Mr Ong. It might not be everyones taste though, but thats the point. Cafes and restaurants, bars and hotels, are competing to deliver their customers a unique experience, and great food and service arent the only ways to gain popularity and recognition. Design is a powerful marketing tool. I decided to try this place upon seeing their furniture designed by local superduo, Studio Juju, says Raymond, a Kichn customer. When you see how gorgeous it is, you just know that the care that went into the decor will carry through to the kitchen - or so my theory went. Great design bridges the gap between what a company stands for, and what the audience is searching for. Places like Wanderlust or Kichn although social venues can be considered designer brands, when the dcor is as widely talked about as the food and service.
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presents
Speaking & Writing
Solo Exhibition by YOO SUN TAI

10 31 December 2011
10 18 December at Social Creatives Museum @ Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard #0255, thereafter from 20 31 December at 2 Mistri Road, #0102 Lumiere.
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1 2 Sunjin Galleries Taksu 1 2 Linda Gallery Red Sea Gallery
22 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The Gallery of Gnani Arts GJ Asian Art Bruno Gallery Boons Pottery HaKaren Art Gallery ZiJuan Art Gallery Mulan Gallery Yang Gallery
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5 5 6 Paragon Paragon ShopParagon 5 ping Shop Shop ping Centre ping Paragon Cent Centre re Shopping
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Cairnhill C airn Rd C ai rn hi llhi ll R d Rd Cairnhill R d
Korean artist Yoo Sun Tai depicts an idiosyncratic universe in which objects shrink down and dimensions combine. Many of the canvases include a toy-like bicycle crossing a carpet into a painted landscape or becoming belittled by plant pots.
Sunjin Galleries (S) Pte Ltd 43 Jalan Merah Saga #03-62 Work Loft @ Chip Bee Singapore 278115 Tel: 6738 2317 | w: www.sunjingalleries.com.sg | b: www.sunjingalleries.blogspot.com
art directories
52 Singapore Galleries 53 Art Auctioneers 54 Museums / Art Services 54 Conservation/ Restoration 54/55 Art Schools / Artist Studios 56 Hong Kong Galleries 56 Other International Galleries 56 Art Fairs 58 TPAG Art Tours HK 60 TPAG Classifieds
Singapore Galleries
Art Trove 51 Waterloo Street, #02-01, Singapore 187969 v +65 6336 0915 Y enquiry@art-trove.com www.art-trove.com
Wed - Sun: 11am-6.30pm
Bruno Gallery 91 Tanglin Road, #01-03 Tanglin Place, Singapore 247918 v +65 6733 0283 Y singapore@brunoartgroup.com www.brunoartgroup.com
Weekdays: Tue - Fri: 10am-7pm Weekend: Sat & Sun 11am-8pm Closed on Monday
Forest Rain Gallery 261 Waterloo Street, #02-43/44, Singapore 180261 v +65 6336 0926 Y info@forestraingallery.com www.forestraingallery.com
Tue - Fri: 11am-7pm; Sat - Sun: 11am-5pm.
ARTXCHANGE Gallery 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #02-65, The Central, Singapore 059817 v +65 9027 3997 Y benny. oentoro@live. com www.artxchangegallery.com
Mon - Sat: 11am-9pm
Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery 140 Hill Street, #01-06, MICA Building, Singapore 179369 v +65 6733 3822 Y capeofgood hope@pacific.net.sg www.capeofgoodhope.com.sg
Daily: 11am-7pm
The Gallery of Gnani Arts 1 Cuscaden Road, #01-05, The Regent, Singapore 249715 v +65 6725 3112 Y arts@ gnaniarts.com www.gnaniarts.com
Tue - Sun: 11am-7pm
Boons Pottery 91 Tanglin Road, #01-02A, Tanglin Place, Singapore 247918 v +65 6836 3978 www.boonspottery.com
Chan Hampe Galleries @ Raffles Hotel 328 North Bridge Road, #01-04, Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore 188719 v +65 6338 1962 www.chanhampegalleries.com
Daily: 11am-7pm. Closed on Public Holidays
Indigo Blue Art 33 Neil Road, Singapore 088820 v +65 6372 1719/38 Y info@indigoblueart.com www.indigoblueart.com
Mon - Sat: 11am-6pm
Daily: 11am-6pm. Closed on Public Holidays
Chan Hampe Galleries @ Tanjong Pagar 27 Kreta Ayer Road, Singapore 088994 v +65 6222 1667 www.chanhampegalleries.com
Weekdays: 10am-6pm. Weekends: 11am-4pm. Closed Wednesday and Public Holidays

52 TPAG | Dec 201 1
Ken Crystals 6 Eu Tong Sen Street, #03-72, The Central, Singapore 059817 v +65 6339 0008 Y kencrystals@yahoo.com.sg
Mon - Sat: 11am-7pm; Sun: 1pm-5pm.
Muse The Art Gallery 4 Toh Tuck Links, Unit 01 01 Singapore 596226 v +65 6762 6617 Y enquiries@
musetheartgallery.com Mon - Fri: 8.30am-5.30pm
ZiJuan Art Gallery 19 Tanglin Road, #0207 Tanglin Shopping Centre, Singapore 247909 v +65 6733 0289 HP: +65 8160 0058 Y zijuanart@ hotmail.com www.zijuanyy. com
Mon - Sat: 11am6.30pm Closed on Sunday
Utterly Art 229A South Bridge Road, Singapore 058778 v +65 6226 2605 Y utterlyart@ pacific.net.sg
Mon - Sat: 11.30am-8pm; Sun: 12noon-5.30pm
OVAS Art Gallery 9 Penang Road, #02-21 Park Mall, Singapore 238459 v +65 6337 3932 www.ovas-home. com
Daily: 11.30am8.30pm
Richard Koh Fine Art 71 Duxton Road, Singapore 089530 v +65 6221 1209 Y info@rkfineart.com www.rkfineart. com
Sunjin Galleries 43 Jalan Merah Saga, #03-62, Work Loft @ Chip Bee, Singapore 278115 v +65 6738 2317 Y info@ sunjingalleries. com.sg www.sunjingalleries.com.sg
Yisulang Art Gallery 6 Handy Road, #01-01, The Luxe, Singapore 229234 v +65 6337 6810 Y mktg@ yisulang.com http://yisulang.com
Tue - Sun: 11am-7pm
Tue - Fri: 11am-7pm; Sat: 11am6pm Established in 2000, Sunjin has built a strong reputation representing some of the leading and most sought after artist in the region. The Gallery has also actively identified and promoted new talents, introducing new and exciting names for the art buying public to invest in. Recently, at the 11th Beijing International Art Exhibition in 2008, the gallery was awarded by the Ministry of Culture PRC a certificate recognising the gallery as one of the Top 10th most influential galleries of 2008.
Art Auctioneers
Christies Hong Kong Limited 22/F, Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong Sothebys Singapore Pte Ltd 1 Cuscaden Road Regent Hotel Singapore, Singapore 249715 Larasati 30 Bideford Road #03-02, Thong Sia Building, Singapore 229922
Tues - Fri: 11.30am-7pm, Sat: 12noon 6pm Mon by appointment only. Closed on Public Holidays
Galerie Sogan & Art 33B Mosque Street, Singapore 059511 v +65 6225 7686 Y vera@ soganart.com www.soganart. com
Mon - Sat: 12noon-7.30pm; Sun: 2pm-5pm
53
art directories Museums

The Luxe Art Museum 6 Handy Road, #02-01, The Luxe, Singapore 229234 v +65 6338 2234 Y enquiry@ thelam.sg www.thelam.sg
Tues - Sun: 11am-7pm
Conservation / Restoration
Singapore Art Museum 71 Bras Basah Road SAM at 8Q 8 Queen Street National University of Singapore Museum (NUS) University Cultural Centre, 50 Kent Ridge Crescent, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119279
PIA Preserve in Aesthetics 63 HillView Avenue, #02-06B, Lam Soon Industrial Building, Singapore 669569 v +65 6760 2602 / +65 9118 7478 Y josephine@ thepiastudio.com www.thepiastudio.com
Specialised in Paper & Book Conservation. Art Preservation, Conservation and Restoration.
Art Services
Florenz 10 Changi South Street 1, Singapore 486788 v (65) 65464133 Y enquiry@florenz.com.sg www.florenz.com.sg
Mon-Thur 8.30am-5.45pm, Fri 8.30am-5.30pm, Sat 8.30am-12.30pm Closed on Sundays
Art Schools
LASALLE 1 McNally Street Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts 38/80/151 Bencoolen St The Singapore Tyler Print Institute 41 Robertson Quay
Introduction of Company: Florenz was first established in 1986 and was recently re-launched with a showcase exhibition featuring artworks by the current in house team and also past collaborators. Florenz specialises in glass art of all disciplines and processes ranging from traditional stained glass, blown work, kiln forming, sandcarving and engraving. Artworks may be purchased or commissioned for commercial and private settings. Florenz is also an active participant in the Singapore art scene, participating in events such as Art Singapore, Affordable Arts and FLasia.
54 TPAG | Dec 201 1
ma ARTS v +65 8611 5280 Y alfred@ maarts.com.sg
Artist Studios
Chieu Sheuy Fook Studio Studio 102, 91 Lorong J, Telok Kurau Road, Singapore 425985 v +65 9669 0589 Y chieusf@ gmail.com Koeh Sia Yong 10 Kampong Eunos, Singapore 417774 v +65 9671 2940 Y koehsy@ singnet.com.sg www.yessy.com/koehsiayong www.koehsiayong. artfederations.com Liu Xuanqi Art Studio Goodman Arts Centre, 90 Goodman Road, Block B #0408, Singapore 439053 v +65 9168 7785 Y hillad2006@ gmail.com
Opens daily 9am-6pm
Transportation & Installation of Art Works and other Art related services.
Jennifer Yao Lin Goodman Arts Centre 90 Goodman Road Block B, #0314, Singapore 439053 v +65 9151 3227 Y cice_lin@ yahoo.com
By appointment only
Rays Transport & Services v +65 9152 2511 Y artswithray@ gmail.com

Artwork Installation & Delivery Services.
Santa Fe Art Solutions v +65 6398 8518 M: 9758 8294 Y artsolutions@ santafe.com.sg
Specialized services exclusive to the Arts: Art Collection Management, Affordable Art Storage, Exhibition & Project Management and Art Movement & Installation.
Urich Lau Wai-Yuen Goodman Arts Centre 90 Goodman Road, Block B #04-07, Singapore 439053 v +65 9682 7214 Y urichlwy@gmail.com
By appointment only
55
art directories Hong Kong Galleries

Puerta Roja Private Latin Art Space Shop A,. G/F Wai Yue Building, 15 17 New Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong v +852 2803 0332 Y info@puerta-roja.com www.puerta-roja.com
By appointment
International
Flo Peters Gallery Chilehaus C, Pumpen 8, 20095 Hamburg, Germany v +49 40 3037 4686 Y info@ flopetersgallery. com www. flopetersgallery.com GALERIE CHRISTIAN LETHERT Antwerpener Strasse 4 D - 50672 Kln (Cologne) Germany Alan Cristea Gallery 31 & 34 Cork Street, London W1S 3NU White Cube 48 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB L & M Arts 45 East 78 Street New York 10075
Art Fairs
Art Stage Singapore 12 15 January 2012 www.artstagesingapore.com Hong Kong International Art Fair (ART HK) 17 20 May 2012 www.hongkongartfair.com Asia Top Gallery Hotel Art Fair (AHAF HK) 24 26 February 2012 www.hotelartfair.kr China International Gallery Exposition (CIGE) April 2012 www.cige-bj.com Art Revolution Taipei 22 25 March 2012 www.arts.org.tw Art Dubai 21 24 March 2012 www.artdubai.ae
Belgravia Gallery 12/F Silver Fortune Plaza, 1 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong Karin Weber Gallery G/F, 20 Aberdeen Street Central, Hong Kong (Close to Hollywood Road) Koru Contemporary Art Hing Wai Centre, 7 Tin Wan Praya Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Get listed with TPAG. Gallery listing Package: SGD700 (per annum) inclusions of one image, address, contact details & operating hours and gallery description. Standard listing: SGD600 (per annum) inclusions of address, contact details and operating hours. Email us for sales form at sales@thepocketartsguide.com
56 TPAG | Dec 201 1
TPAG Art Tours: Hong Kong
10
4 5 11 2 78 9 6
12
will launch TPAG Art Tours. This brings art lovers from around the world toHong Kongs art scenes, art exhibitions, events and activities. Participating galleries, artists, companies and organisations have a chance to showcase their venue and artists.
58 TPAG | Dec 201 1
5 1
Simone Boons Studio Unit17, 9/F, block B, Wah Luen Industrial Centre, 15-21 Wong Chuk Yeung Street, Fotan, NT. 15-21 B917 www.simoneboon.com Y info@simoneboon.com v 852-60120363
Hong Kong Cultural Centre 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, KLN 10 www.icsd.gov.hk/CE/ CulturalService/HKCC v 852-27342009
6 7 8
Hong Kong Arts Centre 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, HK 2 www.hkac.org.hk v 852-25820200 Fringe Club 2 Lower Albert Road, central, HK 2 www.hkfringeclub.com v 852-25217251 Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, HK 10 www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/ v 852-28690690
11
Puerta Roja Shop A, G/F Wai Yue Building, 15-17 New Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong 15 - 17 A email : info@puerta-roja.com www.puera-roja.com Telephone: (852) 9729 1773
Blue City by A. Eugene Kohn, 30.5 x 23 cm
Belgravia Gallery, Hong Kong 19th Floor, Silver Fortune Plaza 1 Wellington Street, Central 1 19 www.belgraviagallery.com Y cailin@belgraviagallery.com v 852 -9222 7315 Viewings by appointment only.
Swire Island East 18 Westlands Road, Island East, Hong Kong 18 www.swireproperties.com v 852- 28445095
12
3 4
10
Hong Kong Heritage Museum 1 Man Lam Road, Shatin, NT 1 www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk v 852-21808188 Hong Kong Museum of Art 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, KLN 1 0 www. hk.art.museum v 852-27210116
Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, KLN, HK 3 0 www.hku.edu.hk/jccac v 852-23531311
Gaffer Ltd 6-8 17th floor Hing Wai Centre, 7 Tin Wan Praya Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong 7 17 6 - 8 www.gaffer.com. hk jules@gaffer.com.hk Telephone: (852) 2521 1770
Please join us and email to remo@thepocketartsguide.com to sign up the Hong Kong Art Tours.
59
TPAG classifieds
LotusAdv2011B.pdf 8/9/11 18:19:12
C M Y
Artwork Exhibition space Art lessons Art materials
CM
Space for hire
MY
CY
CMY
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Our ad space offers an affordable way for artists to showcase their work. It is also a marketplace for anything that can facilitate the art world. For more information, email: sales@thepocketartsguide.com.
60 TPAG | Dec 201 1

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TPAG DEC 2 01 1 / ISSUE 2 6

Gallery updates and events

Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom

Paving the way

Albert Yonathan: Ceramic Poetry

Beneath the surface

Eating the concept

Art Galleries in Singapore Elephants in the Lion City

DIRECTORY LISTING 60 CLASSIFIED

ISSN 2010-4375 / MICA (P) 130/03/2011

Roy Voragen, Gladys Teo, Gosia Klimowicz

sales@thepocketartsguide.com Hong Kong Contact: sallylee@thepocketartsguide.com T: (852) 9095 6316

General enquiries and feedback

Submission of press releases

02 TPAG | Dec 201 1

DONT MISS OUT!

Yes! I want to subscribe...

Recycle. Pass THE POCKET ARTS GUIDE forward.

Tomorrow 02.12.11 17.12.11

ETHOS VI: THE ETHOS OF MODERN MASTERS 07.10.11 13.12.11

Retrospective Exhibition of Jia Haoyi - The Poetry of Vitality 9.12.11 8.01.12

Cai Zhi Song: A Solo Exhibition 9.12.11

OVER, UNDER, & BEYOND 2.12.11 30.12.11

Wan Tai Feng Pure Evanescence Ongoing

MAD Museum of Art & Design www.madmad.com.sg

Blindspot Gallery www.blindspotgallery.com

Sumiyo Ito [childs play] 11.19.11 12.17.11

New Editions and Acquisitions 17 .11.11 14.01.12

Hong Kong Museum of Art www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/ Arts/english/exhibitions/exhibitions01_oct11_02.html

NANZUKA UNDERGROUND www.nug.jp

IN THE FRAME Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom

10 TPAG | Dec 201 1

Men of Hulunbeer, 2003, 124x248cm, Ink & colour on paper

IN THE FRAME Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom

Jia Haoyi, Women of the Grassland, 69.5x69cm

IN THE FRAME Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom

Herding, 2007, 68x68cm, Ink & colour on paper

14 TPAG | Dec 201 1

IN THE FRAME Jia Haoyi - Spirit of Freedom

Retrospective Exhibition of Jia Haoyi The Poetry Of Vitality

16 TPAG | Dec 201 1

On the Grassland, 96cm x180.5cm, 2005

Albert Yonathan: Ceramic Poetry

18 TPAG | Dec 201 1

Symmetrical Flight detail

Photos: Roy Voragen

Sivilay Souvannasing, High Oil Prices

22 TPAG | Dec 201 1

Mongkham Bualavanh, Past & Present

ART LANDS Laos

Politics and peace

Mick Saylom, Social Network

Marisa Darasavath, Spirit of Mother - Umbrella IV

Marisa Darasavath, Celebration

Sivilay Souvannasing, Hmongs ll

Evolution and exchange

ART LANDS Laos

Travel and transformation

Beneath the surface

Text: Remo notarianni

Jamie Paul (Singapore)

Sabine Roemer (UK)

Ben Cabrera (Philippines)

Justin Lee (Singapore)