By Patricia Tobin (561 words, 4-minute read) Constellation of Violence consists of a very simple setup: a giant screen on stage, a historian, two artists and a group of individuals. These elements are combined, in varying degrees, to form a three-part artistic investigation on the Cold War in Indonesia in 1965. Indonesian artist Irwan […]
The brutal examinations of “Constellation of Violence” Read More »
By Patricia Tobin (1,140 words, 6-minute read) The concluding production of TPAM 2019 was Constellation of Violence, a lecture-performance by artist Irwan Ahmett, which focused on the culmination of the Cold War in Indonesia in 1965, from its lead-up to its aftermath. Irwan is an artist who positions his existence in the complexity of
The Personal, the Humour and the Horror: Interview with Irwan Ahmett Read More »
A little over a year ago, I was invited to be a part of MI(X)G, Festival Tokyo’s 2018 opening production, and the cherry on the sundae was to work together with legendary Thai contemporary dance artist Pichet Klunchun for five weeks spread out over four months. I missed my flight to Bangkok, the only flight
The Traditional Body, The Contemporary Mind and The (Dancing) Mother Read More »
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
Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: BACC director fired; Kelantan lifts Mak Yong ban Read More »
Content warning: References to sexual content, situations and violence The final line of Terre Thaemlitz’s Deproduction reads: “Admit it’s killing you, and leave.” It is a neat summary of the work—a deeply nihilistic critique of contemporary family values and neo-liberal queer politics. But, as this last piece of text scrolls off the screen, it also
The disturbing cruelty of Terre Thaemlitz’s “Deproduction” Read More »
By Patricia Tobin (670 words, 4-minute read) Content warning: References to sexual content or situations Deproduction by musician-producer Terre Thaemlitz was released on December 28, 2017 as a multimedia album consisting of audio, video and text. In TPAM 2019, it was staged as an “anti-live AV performance”, as Thaemlitz combined the album’s textual, audio
Disturbing behaviour: “Deproduction” by Terre Thaemlitz Read More »
Duration: 20 min Podcast host Chan Sze-Wei and guest Melissa Quek discuss works they saw at the recent M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival, specifically at the platforms DiverCity, Off Stage and M1 Open Stage. These include H A S E R by Singapore dancer-choreographer Syimah Sabtu and Leftovers by Josh Martin from Canadian company, Company 605.
Podcast 65: M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival (Part 1) Read More »
When I signed up for The Class Room, a participatory theatre piece created and facilitated by veteran theatre practitioners Li Xie, Kok Heng Leun and Jean Ng, I was expecting a thought-provoking experience, with meaningful exchanges with people from different walks of life about issues of poverty. I had seen a recording of The Lesson
An exercise of privilege: “The Class Room” at M1 Peer Pleasure 2019 Read More »
ArtsEquator 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. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range
Weekly Southeast Asia Radar: Malaysia mulls on Jawi calligraphy; racism in Singapore Read More »
The year is 2049: two hundred years since the Pontianak first appeared in writing, marked insignificantly in Hikayat Abdullah as residues of superstitious and foolish beliefs of the Chinese and Malays that have persisted with time. I guess the only parts that Munsyi Abdullah was right about are the Pontianak’s timelessness and persistence. She is
Celebrating the monstrous other: “Anak Pontianak” and “Nobody” at LumiNation Read More »
We asked our readers what they would put in a time capsule. The answers were heartwarming, quirky and intriguing – through each of them, there was a consideration of what deserves preservation, and an imagination of our futures. In Tan Pin Pin’s documentary, In Time To Come (2017), one time capsule is opened, while another is
“In Time To Come” at LumiNation 2019 Read More »
By Patricia Tobin ( 700 words, 5-minute read) It starts with a song. Faiq Syazwan Kuhiri strums the ukulele and gently sings about hope and the future. For a lecture-performance, A Notional History, a work in progress by Five Arts Centre, is filled with pockets of tender moments like these. Together with journalist Rahmah Pauzi and filmmaker-activist
Tender notes on violence in “A Notional History” by Five Arts Centre Read More »
By Patricia Tobin ( 700 words, 5-minute read) “GE14 will be the arts festival to outdo all arts festivals,” said performer-politician Fahmi Fadzil. He is referring to the live spectacle: from theatre productions to political speeches, performativity is a constant. All the world’s a stage, as the production of GE14 shows, from the car parks
Fahmi Fadzil’s “GE14”: The sound and fury signifying everything Read More »
ArtsEquator 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. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range of regional
ArtsEquator 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. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range of regional
By Chloe Chotrani (1,130 words, 6-minute read) The 10th anniversary edition of Binary – International Artist Showcase presented two returning artists to the festival. Last performed here in 2013, Stigma is a dark and enigmatic solo by highly acclaimed Danish artist Kitt Johnson; while Shintaro Oue presents『談ス』(Dan-su), the Singapore premiere of an adventurous and uncertain
Binary at M1 CONTACT 2019: Breaking all the rules with “Stigma” and “Dan-su” Read More »
Landscape and memory – grand themes in the analysis of culture – came together at the Sharjah Biennial 14 (SB14) in the most unexpected ways. Perhaps for the outsider, like me, who had scant knowledge of both the Biennial or the United Arab Emirates before deciding to travel, the six days were an absolute eye-opener.
Sharjah Biennial 14: Embarrassment of Riches Read More »
Having securely fastened the headgear, I am submerged into the virtual world of Frogman. The instructional voice of the Queensland Jury service informs me through an earpiece that I have been selected at random to join a jury. I am accompanied by 49 others seated on swivel chairs arranged in two tiered rows surrounding the
Reconstructing the Virtual in “Frogman” Read More »
The M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival returns this year for its 10th edition with 20 shows and over 30 classes and workshops. Returning platform DiverCity, which in past years was combined with M1 Open Stage, stands on its own this year with three new creations by up-and-coming Singaporean dance artists: NAMUH by Amelia Chong; Disappearing Act
“Disappearing Act” “NAMUH” “DBL.TAP”: What’s In A Name? DiverCity at M1 CONTACT Read More »
Why do people choose to go into poor, dangerous, war-torn countries to work as humanitarian workers? Do they have boundless courage, hope and kindness? Do they have a death wish? Do they believe they can make a difference? Are they simply naïve? Do they suffer from a messiah complex? Or First World guilt? Did their
Go Big or Go Home: “Displaced Persons’ Welcome Dinner” Takes Flight Read More »
By Jocelyn Chng (1,138 words, five-minute read) My strongest memory from the first instalment of this three-year series by Toy Factory, A Dream Under the Southern Bough: The Beginning, was its dramatic cliffhanger of an ending. There, the protagonist, disgraced naval officer Chun Yu Fen, approaches a fantastical ant kingdom all set in brilliant gold;
“A Dream Under the Southern Bough: Reverie”: Down the Ant Hole Read More »
By Corrie Tan (1,700 words, eight-minute read) This review contains spoilers and/or plot points for The Bacchae, a 2,500-year-old ancient Greek tragedy; Beware of Pity, a 1939 German novel adapted for the stage by the Schaubühne Berlin and Complicité; as well as the final season of the fantasy television epic Game of Thrones, which concluded
Mad women, divine punishment, and “Dionysus” Read More »
The prestigious Paris Opera Ballet arrives on local shores this June as part of Esplanade’s da:ns series, bringing with them a trio of wide ranging works. These include the stories of romantic love told through balletic duets in Jerome Robbins’ In The Night (1970), the speed and precision of William Forsythe’s Blake Works I (2016),
ArtsEquator 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. Here’s a round-up of content from this week, scoured and sifted from a range of regional
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, scoured and sifted from a range of regional news websites, blogs and media platforms, and
Weekly S.E.A. Radar: Vietnamese artwork ruined; Myanmar rocket festival Read More »
By Patricia Tobin (736 words, 3-minute read) Spoiler Alert: This review contains spoilers for The Mysterious Lai Teck, which will run from 17 to 19 May at the Singapore International Festival of Arts. “I am the shadow of Ho Chi Minh,” a voice states. It starts as a whisper, before being repeated later as a fast,
Confronting Truths in Ho Tzu Nyen’s “The Mysterious Lai Teck” Read More »
2019 marks the 10th edition of the M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival, a humble endeavour by Kuik Swee Boon, artistic director of T.H.E Dance Company, that has expanded to be an incredible force and champion for contemporary dance not just locally, but internationally. Reflecting on the Festival’s past nine editions, Kuik muses, “So many artists
For events in Penang this week, go to the Penang Free Sheet. Pesta Playlet, at KongsiKL, 3–4 May This non-profit and artist-run festival offers two days of workshops, forums, performances, found object exhibition and more. For the second day, events begin at 10am. Of note, the 6pm forum Malaysiana: On Creation, Criticism and The Performative
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (29 Apr – 5 May 2019) Read More »
Have you ever imagined dancers’ bodies turning into sculptures, as if time stood still? This is the impression of Körper (Body), the signature dance performance of this year’s edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts. Choreographer Sasha Waltz (SW), Artistic Director designate of Berlin State Ballet, is renowned for her multi-disciplinary productions, blurring boundaries
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, scoured and sifted from a range of regional news websites, blogs and media platforms, and
Weekly S.E.A. Radar: Starchitecture in the Philippines; Thong Lor’s erotic art museum Read More »
