“Singapore has banned a film festival from screening a documentary later this week that features a teenage Palestinian female activist whose arrest last month has made her a symbol of resistance to Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. Justifying the ban, authorities in the Southeast Asian city state said the film “Radiance of Resistance” was […]
Singapore bans film focused on indicted Palestinian teen Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (575 words, 5-minute read) Nabilah Said’s last staged play, Drip, had a wisecracking and irreverent script which, at its heart, was a story about family. The play looked at the struggle of finding a sense of belonging within one’s family when the wide rifts in beliefs and behaviours seem impossible to bridge.
Teater Ekamatra’s “Angkat”: Uncarried Baggage Read More »
“The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” Audre Lorde, 1978 Earlier this year, I was part of a group of co-curators invited to set up an exhibition at Birmingham Museum and
The Museum Will Not Be Decolonised [UK] Read More »
In the middle of the black box studio of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre there is a white rectangle placed on the floor. Above it, a rectangular box is mounted, casting fluorescent light diffused through a white screen. At the periphery of the studio, there are rows of slender pillars attached with fluorescent tubes.
Rantau Reviews: “Co/exist” & “Private Conversation” in Bangkok Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Bali from 8-14 January 2018 JAKARTA Kawah Candradimuka, 11-24 January 2018, Kineforum, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta In the Mahabharata epic, Gatotkaca had to go through a crater called Kawah Candradimuka before he was reborn as a hero with super strength. It is said
8 – 14 January 2018: Indonesia Read More »
Thought Lines – An exhibition by Berny Tan, at Supernormal, 333 Kreta Ayer Road, 11 – 28 Jan In her first solo exhibition, Berny Tan presents a new series of twenty abstract embroideries, reflecting on the medium’s obsessive nature through the repetitive motion of stitching. Each study is created by adhering to sets of written
8 – 14 January 2018: Singapore Read More »
“Mouly Surya’s latest genre smash hit, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, was screened last month in Singapore as part of the 28th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival. A work that resists easy classification, SINdie had the privilege to catch Mouly and her effusive full-bodied laughter outside of her busy schedule for a
An interview with Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya [Sindie] Read More »
It is unlikely that, while writing her novel Once We Were There, Bernice Chauly foresaw the events currently taking place in Malaysia’s political landscape. Yet, the timing of the book’s publication now, set in Kuala Lumpur at the height of the 1990s Reformasi era, seems uncanny. Early December last year, Malaysia’s main opposition party, the
Writing the Reformasi: Bernice Chauly’s “Once We Were There” Read More »
Read this review in English. Baca review ini dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Lima tahun belakangan, Eko Supriyanto, seorang koreografer terbaik yang dipunya Indonesia, telah menyita perhatian publik baik domestik ataupun mancanegara. Kerja koreografi yang dilakukannya melibatkan riset mendalam pada sebuah tempat dengan locus yang berbeda dari kebiasaan serta kebudayaannya. Jailolo, sebuah daerah di Halmahera Barat, Maluku Utara,
“Salt”: Perjalanan Tubuh Eko Supriyanto Read More »
Read this review in Bahasa Indonesia. Baca review ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia. Over the last five years, Eko Supriyanto, widely considered the best choreographer in Indonesia at the moment, has attracted both domestic and international attention. His choreographic work involves deep research in places with different habits and cultures. Jailolo, an area in West Halmahera,
“Salt”: The Journey of Eko Supriyanto’s Body Read More »
“Boating along a serene stretch of the Mekong River near the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang, some passengers were overcome with emotion. “I screamed,” said Xaisongkham Induangchanty. “We all screamed.” Tears poured down Siege Ledesma’s face. “I cried ugly,” she confided. “Really ugly.” Their tears were an expression of joy, unrelated to the
Laos film festival nurtures big screen dreams Read More »
The Bangkok Theatre Festival takes place at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, a handsome 9-storey rotunda building right beside the Siam Square shopping district. Instantly recognisable by its white, curved exterior, it houses a library, malls and galleries (the upper floors consist of a spiral ramp a la the Guggenheim Museum). In terms of
Rantau Reviews: 3 Plays at the Bangkok Theatre Festival Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Yogyakarta and Bali from 1 – 7 January 2018 & some Open Calls YOGYAKARTA My Friend Has Come, 6-7 January 2018, 7:30 PM, Jogja Contemporary, Yogyakarta To usher you into the new year, the Flying Balloons Puppet invites you to a production of Toshiro Suzue’s “My Friend
1 – 7 January 2018: Indonesia Read More »
Missing: The City Of Lost Things 不见: 失物之城 by 戏剧盒 Drama Box, starting 6 Jan MISSING: The City of Lost Things is a participatory experience that sets up a personal and intimate journey for the audience to re-encounter a lost connection in their lives. It calls for you to step out of your comfort zone
1 – 7 January 2018: Singapore Read More »
“The 2016 inaugural presentation of the Painting Collection of the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia, 17/71, Goresan Juang Kemerdekaan (The Brushstrokes of the Independence Struggle), 2-30 August at the National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, highlighted the relevance of art and culture to the nation. Officially opened on 17th August by the current Indonesian President Joko Widodo, on
“U HLA TUN, a Myanmar fine artist, ranked first in Category 36 of 2017 American Arts Awards among international artists from more than 50 countries, including some ASEAN member countries, Asian countries and western states. Under the title of “Landscape with life”, his artwork “Going to the field” was selected as the world’s best landscape
Myanmar artist wins at 2017 American Arts Awards Read More »
2017 was an eventful year for the arts in Singapore, full of the promising and the problematic. While there were the good, such as new projects and plans to develop the cultural landscape in exciting ways, there were also the not so good: controversies or conflicts that have spawned endless debates and infinite scrolling through
Ten Newsmakers of the Year in the Arts Read More »
Bold and unrelenting, Shuttle Life 《分贝人生》is an emotionally-charged social drama about Malaysia’s urban poor, offering a poignant insight into privilege and powerlessness in modern Kuala Lumpur. Featuring strong performances and gritty cinematography, the film marks an award-winning feature debut for director Tang Seng Kiat, clinching Best Film, Best Actor and Best Cinematography in the Asian
“Shuttle Life 《分贝人生》”: Grief and Powerlessness in Modern Malaysia Read More »
Insatiable, presented by Sigma Contemporary Dance and choreographed by Hong Guofeng, is crafted to explore the concept of choice and its consequences in our current world. As we are embroiled in a system dominated by corporations with their far-reaching influences, how much autonomy do we still retain? In accordance with the idea of choice, there
“Insatiable” by Sigma Contemporary Dance: A Game of Thirst Read More »
THEATRE Angkat by Teater Ekamatra Artist Residency Programme, 20 – 24 December, Malay Heritage Centre Auditorium Salma, a National Idol hopeful, is asked to alter her image so as to appeal to the masses. As compromises are made, she starts to question her identity, creating a clash between her roots and her upbringing as an adopted
18 – 24 December 2017: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Yogyakarta from 18 – 24 December 2017 JAKARTA Proyek Seni Perempuan Perupa: Tulang Punggung, Now – 15 January 2018, Galeri Cipta III, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta Jakarta Art Council’s visual art committee is back with another exhibition under the female artist art project series. This
18 – 24 December 2017: Indonesia Read More »
By Ezekiel Oliveira (573 words, 5-minute read) Subtle lighting can enhance any dance piece, but the gloom that pervades this triple bill too often leaves the fine choreography lurking in the shadows. The decision must have had an artistic impetus, but the result often leaves everyone – performers and audience – dancing in the
Three Kin, T.H.E Dance Company Read More »
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, founded on Dec. 9, 1985, as part of the “mosquito press,” helped dismantle the Marcos dictatorship in February 1986. With the new dispensation followed a liberalization of attitudes, newfound freedom of expression, the democratization of the arts, and a check on art patronage, as practiced by the previous administration. This led
32 Defining Moments in Philippine Arts and Culture since 1985 Read More »
Tokyo Notes, a 1994 play by Oriza Hirata, was inspired by the 1953 film Tokyo Story by Yasujiro Ozu. The shift from ‘story’ to ‘notes’ forms what could be described as the play’s conceptual frame. While Ozu’s film tracked the story of an elderly couple visiting their children in Tokyo, Hirata’s play, fragmented and elliptical,
Rantau Reviews: “Bangkok Notes” Read More »
By Ezekiel Oliveira (524 words, 5-minute read) Maya Dance Theatre tackles mental health in a mashup of dance and theatre that gives us a quartet of characters all struggling with depression and social anxiety. There is Shazam, an artist struggling with depression, played by Shahrin Johry. Providing contrast, Bernice Lee lets her hair-down as Jane – a
ANWESHA – Beyond the Darkness! Read More »
Although modern art is little known in Cambodia, Nov Cheanick hopes his work can inspire Cambodians. PHNOM PENH — Battambang is best known as Cambodia’s second city and a hub of free expression, the home of numerous artists, musicians, and writers.During the reign of the Khmer Rouge, this world was almost snuffed out, but four
Nov Cheanick: From Humble Beginnings to Transcendent Art [Cambodia] Read More »
THEATRE Southernmost: 1 Table 2 Chairs Project by Emergency Stairs, 12 – 24 December, The Arts House Presented by up-and-coming experimental theatre company Emergency Stairs, the first edition Southernmost is a theatre festival which brings the most outstanding and established traditional and contemporary theatre artists from the region together in this red dot for an intensive
11 – 17 December 2017: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Yogyakarta from 11 – 17 December 2017 JAKARTA Alur Bunyi – Indra Perkasa, 14 December 2017, 8 PM, Goethehaus, Jakarta Alur Bunyi is Goethe Institut’s musical series under its Listening Differently performance series. Alur Bunyi presents performances that juxtapose electronic music against other genres of
11 – 17 December 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Visual artist Seelan Palay was arrested outside Parliament House on 1 October 2017 for his performance art piece “32 Years: The Interrogation of a Mirror”. The performance, which ran from 2 – 4.15pm, was a tribute to former Elected Member of Parliament, Chia Thye Poh, who was detained for 32 years without trial. Seelan Palay turned
National Youth Council’s public engagement program, in September, “For Your Consideration” misappropriated the techniques and methodology from theatre group Drama Box’s The Lesson (which took place across three weeks in July). This was not the first time authorities recycled or re-appropriated artworks or artists’ concepts without permission or acknowledgement. At the Singapore SEA Games in 2015, the Organising
National Youth Council Read More »
