Pain and Cauterisation in “Off Centre”
By Casidhe Ng (1, 543 words, eight-minute read) When the play ends (although it never really ends), Saloma sits on stage, alone, even after the house lights have been turned back on, with a look of uncertainty and shock plastered…
To V and S in “Off Centre”
By Teo Xiao Ting (1,103 words, five-minute read) Dear Saloma and Vinod, I first met the two of you seven years ago, when I was 16. I dissected your words, and tried to live alongside you in Off Centre. I…
“A Land Imagined” and The Ghosts We Forget
By Alfonse Chiu (1200 words, six-minute read) The three definitions of the word “ghost” from the Oxford dictionary are as follows: the first, “an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living”;…
What More Ballet Might Be: William Forsythe at da:ns series 2019
By Chan Sze-Wei (687 words, four-minute read) In 1987, William Forsythe created a ballet for the Paris Opera with a young Sylvie Guillem and Laurent Hilaire in the central duet. In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is a high-octane incarnation of…
Exploring the Past Through the Personal: “Meantime” and “Rojak Romance” at TFOOPFest
By Akanksha Raja (1181 words, five-minute read) It’s 2019 and nostalgia is in the air in Singapore, thanks to the Bicentennial fever that is sweeping the country. Standing out among the plethora of Singapore Bicentennial events is a youth-led initiative,…
Weekly S.E.A. Radar: Environmental Activism and Art; “Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War”; The Fall of Art Stage
ArtsEquator Radar features articles and posts 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. Here’s a round-up of content from this week,…
C(l)ocked: “Catamite” by Loo Zihan
By Ray Langenbach (1213 words, 5-minute read) In this over-the-shoulder ‘clocking’ of Loo Zihan’s solo performance I see the silhouette of my own head looking on from the side. Having worked extensively with Zihan over the past several years, I…
“Inside Voices”: There’s Something About Malay Women
By Shanon Shah (983 words, four-minute read) I love plays with Malay women characters. Call it my Malaysian Bumiputera baggage, call it internalised Orientalism – perhaps these are two sides of the same coin – but I have long relished…
Experiencing the Ebb and Flow of “yesterday it rained salt”
By Casidhe Ng (1,068 words, five-minute read) In yesterday it rained salt, we are always surrounded by the acoustics of the sea. The beating of waves upon the shore and the receding ebb of the ocean water feels both transformative…
Letters to and from “yesterday it rained salt”
By Teo Xiao Ting (and Nabilah Said) (1,600 words, eight-minute read) Dear yesterday it rained salt, You crept up on me. After I met you that Saturday afternoon, after those initial moments of inexplicable resonance with what you presented —…
“Ayer Hitam: A Black History of Singapore”: On The Edges of History
By Iwani Mawocha (1020 words, five-minute read) The sound of djembe drums filtered out into the courtyard of Centre 42 — the signal to take our seats before the production started. The stage was arranged like the hull of a…
Enter Stage Right: Tay Tong
Tay Tong, or TT as he is affectionately known in arts circles locally and internationally, is one of Singapore’s pioneer producers and arts managers. After 30 years as the MD of TheatreWorks, TT left in April 2018. During his time…
Weekly S.E.A. Radar: Digital Public Art in Hanoi, A Mobile Library in rural Cambodia
ArtsEquator Radar features articles and posts 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. Here’s a round-up of content from this week,…
The Sensorial Trail: Experience Art through Smell, Sound and Touch at National Gallery Singapore
Art doesn’t have to be for the eyes only. As part of the Light To Night Festival 2019, National Gallery Singapore presents The Sensorial Trail, a series of artworks that draw on your other senses – those of smell, sound,…
“Jogging” To Survive: Hanane Hajj Ali at M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019
By Stephanie Burridge (800 words, four-minute read) Metaphors abound in this complex work about living, loving and surviving. The broad canvas is a country at war. Jogging falls short of running full out, and this black clad woman has survived…
Music – a propaganda promoting the Khmer Rouge socialist identity (via the Phnom Penh Post)
Shortly after their rise to power in April 1975, the Khmer Rouge sought to change the social identity of the Khmer people. Through forced relocation, expropriation of possessions and separation of family members, the regime sought to eliminate old identities…
After a century of false dawns, the film industry is beginning to rise (via SEA Globe)
The rollercoaster ride of Indonesia’s film industry is currently cresting yet another hill in its bumpy, twisting history. Southeast Asia Globe talks with a feature moviemaker who’s taking a break from the big screen to tell stories for HBO Asia. Indonesian filmmaker…
Female artists, art biennial to grace National Gallery this year (via The Jakarta Post)
Indonesia’s arts scene is by no means lacking, yet most of its big names are men, with notable female artists largely unexplored. An upcoming art exhibition at the National Gallery in Central Jakarta, titled Into the Future, aims to change…
In Ho Chi Minh City, there’s a music street called Nguyen Thien Thuat (via Tuoi Tre News)
Nguyen Thien Thuat Street in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, is best known for its wide array of music stores. But it is not just the stores that make the street popular. There is an aura of good old…
ArtsEquator’s Top 10 Picks at the Performing Arts Meeting 2019
Established in 1995, the Tokyo Performing Arts Market (TPAM) was created to be a platform to network Japanese artists with producers and funders. 24 years later, TPAM has expanded in scope and purpose, to include live performance, panel discussions and…
Solid are the Winds: Aeolian Encounters at The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial (Part II)
By Marcus Yee (1340 words, five-minute read) This is the second of a two-part essay on the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial running at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia, from 24 November 2018 to 28 April 2019. Read Part I here….
Solid are the Winds: Aeolian Encounters at The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial (Part I)
By Marcus Yee (1259 words, five-minute read) This is the first of a two-part essay on the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial running at the Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia, from 24 November 2018 to 28 April 2019. Read Part II here….
ArtsEquator’s Top 10 Articles of 2018
Before we plunge headlong into 2019, here’s a quick recap of some of our most-read articles on ArtsEquator, in ascending order. 10. Nathalie Johnston: Creating a home for contemporary art in Myanmar by Victoria Milko As part of ArtsEquator’s series covering…
Which Singaporean Artistic Director Are You?
Artistic directors of the many theatre companies in Singapore have strong, iconic personalities. Ever wondered who your AD alter ego is? Find out in ArtsEquator’s new personality quiz!
Gloomy outlook for Vietnamese cinema, literature scene: workshop (via Tuoi Tre News)
Attendees at a national workshop held in Hanoi on Wednesday to discuss the multitude of issues plaguing the Vietnamese film and literature industries were not shy about voicing disdain for the current state of literary and cinematic art in Vietnam. …
What to expect from the Repertory Philippines stage in 2019 (via Rappler)
MANILA, Philippines – Theater junkies of all ages will be happy to know that our local theater scene has some top-notch stage entertainment up its talented sleeve for everyone to enjoy in 2019. Repertory Philippines, one of the country’s leading…
Sandi Tan’s “Shirkers”: Moving Backwards in Order to Move Forwards
By Ke Weiliang (1180 words, six-minute read) NB: It is important to differentiate between the two versions of Shirkers that were filmed. In this article, Shirkers refers to the 2018 documentary film that I am reviewing, whereas Shirkers 1.0 refers to…
Walking Alongside “BITTEN: return to our roots”
By Teo Xiao Ting (1,420 words, seven-minute read) Taking a right turn towards Camp Kilo Charcoal Lounge (formerly Sam Tat Building) at Kampong Bugis, I spot a crew member sweeping the rainwater from the late afternoon downpour clear from the…
Traversing Two Divergent Paths in “BITTEN: return to our roots”
By Casidhe Ng (1,320 words, six-minute read) We move through the Kampong Bugis landscape throughout the performance, along patches of grass, the river, and brick-tiled pavements. A residue of dirt, sand, and mud clings to our soles, and the afternoon…
Saigoneer Bookshelf: A Touch of Magical Realism in ‘The Cemetery of Chua Village’
Vietnam transitioned to a market economy like an old train lurching to life: momentous shakes and shudders, steam bursting out busted gaskets, disheveled cargo tumbling from luggage racks, sparks shooting off wheels screeching across warped rails and a whistle ripping…