La Cie Maxmind’s “Isle of Dreams”: The Dark Fantastic
By Akanksha Raja (620 words, four-minute read) 拾念劇集 La Cie Maxmind’s Isle of Dreams (蓬萊) was the headlining event for the George Town Festival’s Taiwan-focused showcase this year. It is a three-hour long work of musical theatre, original in story…
The World Cup, The Japanese Occupation and Our Painful Inheritance
This article is republished from the Singapore International Film Festival editorial. It is part of New Waves 2018, an annual series of screenings and dialogues with regional filmmakers. For this third edition of the New Waves series, SGIFF invites participants…
Mayfly Docus: “Die Tomorrow” and “14 Apples” at SIFA’s “Singular Screens”
By Dan Koh (1,715 words, 15-minute read) At this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), the two films from Southeast Asia are documentaries, or hybrid-documentaries—just like last year’s three, curiously. Despite the glaring gaps that remain in the funding,…
Is Singapore losing its standing as the art hub of Southeast Asia? (via SEA Globe)
Despite the government’s desperate attempts to position Singapore as Southeast Asia’s arts hub, flagging figures at major shows and accusations of artificiality have put the city-state’s art scene under more scrutiny than ever Singapore has long tried to combat its…
Zai Kuning’s “Dapunta Hyang”: Homeward Bound From Venice
Dapunta Hyang: Transmission of Knowledge by Zai Kuning returns from its showing at the 2017 Venice Biennale for a month long exhibition at Theatreworks Singapore. The exhibition runs from 12 April through 13 May 2018. A series…
Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab unveils second round of projects (via Screen International)
Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab (SEAFIC) has finalised the selection for its second edition, focusing on first-time filmmakers from Laos, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand. Established producers such as Fran Borgia (A Yellow Bird) and Anthony Chen (Pop Aye) are attached…
Dance as Devotion in South India and Southeast Asia
By Chloe Chotrani (1400 words, 12-minute read) Dance was practiced as a devotional union between the ancestral and earthly realms through ritualistic performances in architectural spaces, with its genesis in India, extending into Southeast Asia. This essay examines the bronze…
One Man, Stand Alone: On the trail of the old movie theaters (via Asiola)
“After nearly 10 years of documenting the vanishing stand-alone movie theaters in Southeast Asia, I’d like to invite the public into my world, to experience exactly what it is that I experience when doing this work.” Philip Jablon is a cultural…
Art, autism and love: the world of Nem
By Ha Dao (970 words, 6-minute read) The Asia Europe Foundation’s Culture360 and ArtsEquator present a series of 5 co-commissioned articles that look at arts groups, artists and performances in Southeast Asia that are comprised of or address artists with disabilities. In…
Southeast Asia Stakes Its Claim in the Art World (via the New York Times)
“Until recently — the 1990s, let’s say — an American critic keeping tabs on new art would concentrate on New York’s museums and galleries; cast an occasional, often dismissive eye on Western Europe; and perhaps try to visit Los Angeles…
What Else is Disappearing With Southeast Asia’s Mangrove Forests? (via the Nib)
“There’s no other place on Earth where such a variety of flora and fauna can flourish together. And it’s in danger.” View Kazimir Lee’s infographic-comic on Southeast Asia’s endangered mangrove forests on The Nib.
Move over China, Southeast Asian art takes center stage
“Not to be outdone by North Asia, which hosts major events like Art Basel every year, Southeast Asia is rapidly growing its own art fair line-up. The inaugurating edition of Art Stage Jakarta attracted 15,000 people last month and pulled…
Book Review: “Photography in Southeast Asia: A Survey” by Zhuang Wubin
By Marina Zuccarelli (550 words, 5-minute read) Photography arrived in Southeast Asia soon after its discovery in Europe in 1839, provoking contrasting reactions and developing in different ways according to the environment where it was introduced, yet having indeed an…
Regional Forum on Creative Hubs: Connecting Creative Communities
By Akanksha Raja (900 words, 8-minute read) The Regional Forum on Creative Hubs and Cities, organised by the British Council, took place at the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) on 10 October 2017. It was an extension of a…
ArtsEquator’s Picks: Southeast Asian films at SGIFF 2017
By Meta Setiawan Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) returns this year from 23 November to 3 December 2017, presenting an exciting array of films from Singapore, the region and all other corners of the world. ArtsEquator.com is excited to see…
![ASEAN Music Festival: After K-pop and J-pop, what about ASEAN-pop? [Philippines]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RADAR_ASEAN-Music-Fest-455x250.jpg)
ASEAN Music Festival: After K-pop and J-pop, what about ASEAN-pop? [Philippines]
“There’s K-pop, J-pop, Cantopop, and even Pinoy pop. But do we know what kind of music our ASEAN neighbors are producing? The dominance of Western music notwithstanding, ASEAN Music Festival organizer Annie Luis of the National Commision for Culture and…
![First Asean-China Film Festival to take place in Malaysia in December [SEA]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/RADAR_Asean-ChinaFilmFestival-455x250.jpg)
First Asean-China Film Festival to take place in Malaysia in December [SEA]
“This year is the the 50th anniversary of Asean (Association Of Southeast Asian Nations). To commemorate this, the Asean-China Film Festival has been announced to establish a long-term exchange and cooperation platform for the Asean film industry, in line with China’s Belt and…
Tikam-Tikam Japan: Site-Specific Monkeys by Pichet Klunchun
By Leow Puay Tin (911 words, 6-minute read) Pichet Klunchun was invited to create an outdoor performance at Minami Ikebukuro Park, a popular hang-out place for families and young people in Tokyo, by the Festival Tokyo 2017. It was an…
![ArtAsiaPacific: After Darkness, Southeast Asian Art in the Wake of History [SEA, USA]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Radar_USA_SEAArtWakeofHistory_AAP_review-455x250.jpg)
ArtAsiaPacific: After Darkness, Southeast Asian Art in the Wake of History [SEA, USA]
“A lasting impression one got from the exhibition “After Darkness: Southeast Asian Art in the Wake of History” at the Asia Society Museum in New York was the sense of art’s power to propel. Walking a tight rope between personal…
“SUNSHOWER”: Encounters with Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia
By Leow Puay Tin (1645 words, 14-minute read) The “SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now” exhibition in Tokyo has collected so much material that it could be split into two substantial halves, one at the Mori Art…
![Ombak Potehi Performs in Tokyo [Malaysia]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/RADAR_Malaysia_Penang_OmbakPotehi-455x250.jpg)
Ombak Potehi Performs in Tokyo [Malaysia]
“After a successful season of performances at the Heritage Celebrations, George Town Festival and Butterworth Fringe Festival in Penang, Ombak Potehi is set to perform in Tokyo from November 2 to 8, 2017. An outreach program of Ombak-Ombak ARTStudio, Ombak…
I Send You Off Like a Lover: SEA at Venice Biennale
By Alvin Lim (1860 words, 20-minute read) “I send you off like a lover.” – Zai Kuning, at the launch of Dapunta Hyang: The Transmission of Knowledge, 10 May 2017 With his palms over the bow, Zai launched the ship….
Ten Women Behind Photography in Asia
“When we talk about photography, oftentimes we talk about those in the frontlines, the photographers and artists, and forget the facilitators behind the scenes who are just as committed in their efforts and contributions. Here are some of our favourite…
![Artists in Southeast Asia: Zoncy, Anon Pairot and more share what inspires their recent artworks [SEA]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_SEA_luxuo_artinspiringartists_Rizal-Matchbox-Inspiration-of-Alwin-Reamillo-1-455x250.jpg)
Artists in Southeast Asia: Zoncy, Anon Pairot and more share what inspires their recent artworks [SEA]
“The references that artists use to inform their work are widely varied: these can be a song, a film, a novel, a fashion image, a building in their neighbourhood, a childhood memory and sometimes a combination of two or more…
![Following the Threads that Connect Clothing to Religious Persecution in Southeast Asia [Thailand]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_Thailand_JakkaiSiributrDisplaced_hyperallergic-455x250.jpg)
Following the Threads that Connect Clothing to Religious Persecution in Southeast Asia [Thailand]
“The violence meted out against people for their religious, political, and ethnic affiliations, often signaled by clothing and the symbols they wear, provides a lens through which to see abuses of power. All over the world, clothing and symbols can take on protective,…
![Prayer, Puppetry, and Politics: The World of Malay Performance Art [SEA]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Radar_SEA_PrayerPuppetry_YaleDailyNews-455x250.jpg)
Prayer, Puppetry, and Politics: The World of Malay Performance Art [SEA]
“Kathy Foley, curator of Malay Theatre: Intangible Cultural Heritage and Islam, boasts decades of experience studying the art and theater of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. A trained performer in the art of wayang, traditional Indonesian mask and puppetry, Foley holds…
![Curated: Southeast Asia’s Contemporary Dancers [SEA]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Radar_SEAViet_andofotherthings_ArcoRenz-1-455x250.jpg)
Curated: Southeast Asia’s Contemporary Dancers [SEA]
Belgian-German contemporary dance choreographer Arco Renz — who recently staged Hanoi Stardust with Nguyen Duy Thành, Vũ Ngọc Khải and the Vietnam National Opera Ballet — shares his list of up and coming contemporary dancers in the region whose steps…
![Political Acts review: Artists weave defiance into performance art [SEA]](https://artsequator.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/LeeWen_Splash7-4-455x250.jpg)
Political Acts review: Artists weave defiance into performance art [SEA]
Review of POLITICAL ACTS: PIONEERS OF PERFORMANCE ART IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, Arts Centre Melbourne Steven Tonkin has curated a useful survey of Southeast Asian performance art as part of the inaugural Asia Triennial of Performing Arts. The photographs and videos…
Zai Kuning on the Singapore Pavilion project at Venice Biennale 2017 (via Art Radar Journal)
“What I present is not about Singapore history, but rather it is the history and living cultures across Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand up to Vietnam. This is the Malay world that the world knows very little about. Even the…
10 great modern Southeast Asian films
A rough guide to contemporary cinema from Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is an expansive region that produces diverse cinema, much of which now reaches the international festival circuit. Yet only a relatively…