ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar features articles and posts about arts and culture in Southeast Asia, drawn from local and regional websites and publications – aggregated content from outside sources, so we are exposed to a multitude of voices in the region. In the weekly Southeast Asia Radar, we publish a round-up of content that have been scoured and sifted from a range of regional news websites, blogs and media platforms.
Here is this week’s Southeast Asia Radar:
Yaleng returns with thought-provoking local film Fathers
The Phnom Penh Post
“This film will shed light on the real-life struggles of a cyclo driver – something we’ve never seen before. We see them on the road, travelling slowly with their rickshaws.
“We see them calmly pedalling every day. But we don’t see how miserably they must sleep every night.
“We fail to notice that they are debt-ridden. People have no idea what their daily meals look like – an egg with plain rice. They have to pedal their cyclos for a small amount of money to support their children’s education.”
Indonesian performance art club shocks and startles with confrontational shows not all will enjoy
South China Morning Post
“Though his near-nakedness may appear like a spontaneous decision, Nugraha says everything in his performance piece is deliberate. Plague is an exploration of humanity, he explains.
“I ask myself whether the nudity is required, and if it is, in what way is it important?” he says. “What am I trying to communicate? In terms of Plague, I wanted to showcase how the way that each part of our body is constructed results in a different sound [when slapped]. Being naked was a necessity.”
Bangkok Art Biennale Returning to City’s Temples in October 2020
Ocula
“The event featured works by 75 artists displayed in 20 locations, including several of the city’s temples, or Wats. Showing contemporary art in some of Thailand’s most significant temples for the first time ever required some serious persuasion on the part of the event’s artistic director, Dr Apinan Poshyananda.
‘I spent a lot of time talking to Abbots,’ he said at the time.
“Starting on 10 October 2020, the second edition will again display works at the Temple of Dawn, the Temple of the Reclining Buddha and the Temple of Iron Fences, all of which are situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.”
Films, workshops, and spaces you can lose yourself in: all the new things you can expect from Art Fair Philippines 2020
Rappler, Philippines
“MANILA, Philippines – After 8 years, Art Fair Philippines has become something of a tradition for people in Metro Manila, thousands of whom make their way to the fair every year to enjoy the art – and, let’s not kid ourselves, take the requisite OOTDs for the ‘gram.
After 8 years, most Art Fair patrons already know what to expect from the event: big crowds, the artwork by the greats as well as promising up-and-comers, immersive installations, and endless photo ops.”
As Hong Kong’s Economy Wavers, Singapore Wants to Become a Destination for Southeast Asian Art. Can a Tiny Art Fair Help the Cause?
artnet
“Participating dealers were in good spirits by the end of the first day. Sullivan+Strumpf, which has spaces in Singapore and Sydney, sold many of the fossilized sculptures it brought by Singaporean artist Dawn Ng for undisclosed prices. “The fair is small but the quality is high,” said the gallery’s owner Ursula Sullivan. “It brings together a proactive group of Southeast Asian galleries and collectors.”
The Columns from Seoul held a solo presentation of Eisa Jocson from the Philippines, who won the 2019 Hugo Boss Asia Art Award. Jocson’s eerie sculptural installation Becoming White, which consists of figurines of broken limbs dressed up as Disney’s Snow White, was a key attraction at the fair. Dong Jo Chang, the gallery’s president, said a number of works were on reserve on opening night.”
Malaysia’s hand-made incense craftwork a declining art
Malay Mail
“With machines, can you make the dragon head like this?” the 60-year-old asked AFP, pointing to his intricately carved creations.
Ong’s sticks are primarily made from sawdust, using a mix of locally-grown “meranti” timber — a common hardwood in Southeast Asia — and aromatic agarwood. These are combined with water to make a sticky paste that forms the sticks.
The next 12 months will be the Year of the Rat — the first creature in the Chinese zodiac’s 12-year cycle — but Ong said his buyers weren’t keen on depictions of the whiskered rodent.”
ArtsEquator’s Southeast Asia Radar is compiled every week. All sources and credit belong to the original publishers and writers. Click here for past editions of Southeast Asia Radar.