Despite the flash of contemporary retail – some garish, some tasteful – Yangon’s old-world charms prevail. Today, walking past the crumbling moss-covered walls that advertise the pleasures of late 20th century globalisation – unlimited wireless connectivity – are slipper-wearing, lungi-wrapped, betel-nut chewing millennials generating unlimited images in a city that only a decade ago still […]
“8888 Uprising”: Thirty Years Later Read More »
Total darkness. The sound of sleep. Sleep of an eternal sort. Slowly the light reveals a solitary human body conveying a sense of sleep or is it semi-consciousness? Now, the entry of layers and strands of sound. Gentle clink of cymbals. Do I now hear the sound of waves lashing the shore? The lilting sound
Rianto’s “Medium”: Of Journeys, Transformations & Corporeality Read More »
The 26th ENCATC Congress on Cultural Management and Policy on “Beyond EYCH2018. What is the cultural horizon? Opening up perspectives to face ongoing transformations” concluded recently in Bucharest, Romania and looked to cultural priorities in Europe beyond EYCH or the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018. ENCATC is the European network on cultural management and policy. Maria Sharon Mapa Arriola tells us
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Bali from 22-27 October 2018 Don Quixote is a work that continues to be talked about and interpreted since it was first written in 1615. Indonesian writer Goenawan Mohamad also wrote a poetry book based on Don Quixote. On Wednesday and Thursday, these poems will be
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (22 – 27 October 2018) Read More »
With Malaysia Day just around the corner, there is a lot of conversation happening about East Malaysia. But why do Sabah and Sarawak mostly come to our minds only when it is time to celebrate Malaysia Day? The arts and culture industries, too, are not exempt from being problematic with issues like inclusion and representation
[Podcast] Arts Apart: Where Are Sabah and Sarawak in the Malaysian Arts? (via BFM) Read More »
Because it’s Fun by The Fool Theatre 愚者剧场, Drama Centre Black Box, 12 – 21 October The inaugural production for The Fool Theatre, Because it’s Fun shows how bullying is omnipresent in our society and how it affects our mental well-being. Don’t miss this mind-blowing new play by playwright Tung Ka Wai and artistic director Xavier Kang, founders
Weekly Picks: Singapore (15 – 21 September 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Bali, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta from 15-21 October 2018 The first edition of Art Bali is here from the 9th of October to the 9th of November. Held as a parallel event to the 2018 IMF-WBG Annual Meeting, Art Bali showcases the best artworks from balinese artists, and artists
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (15 – 21 October 2018) Read More »
No Black Tie Ivory Series presents ‘To The Moon’, at No Black Tie, 15–16 Oct, 8pm Part of No Black Tie’s 20th anniversary celebrations, To The Moon draws inspiration from the likes of Jean-Philippe Rameau, Louis Couperin, Ludwig van Beethoven, Henry Purcell, and Gluck. It’s okay if you don’t know all the names, all you
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (15–21 October 2018) Read More »
Check out the list below to find out the list of open calls and job opportunities that are currently available in Singapore: IMPART Awards 2019 Open Call for Submissions Calling all Singaporean & PR Visual Artists and Curators: The IMPART Awards 2019 is now officially OPEN for submissions! The IMPART Awards will confer SGD 20,000
Open Calls and Job Opportunities: October 2018 (Singapore) Read More »
If you have ever felt that classical Indian dance is too melodramatic – if you have ever rolled your eyes at a dancer’s fervid abhinaya, or a poem narrator’s extravagant diction – or if you think all the bright drapery, clashing saris, and coloured lights are unbearably gaudy, then Padmini Chettur’s Varnam is the corrective
Padmini Chettur’s “Varnam” and Pichet Klunchun’s “I Am A Demon”: An Instructive Contrast Read More »
Lopung Is Dead! – Pangrok Sulap’s Inaugural Solo Exhibition, at A+ Works of Art, 4–27 Oct Artist collective Pangrok Sulap’s first solo exhibition comprises recent and ongoing work. Expect woodcut print works with a DIY punk aesthetic and confrontations with socio-political issues — especially those pertaining to marginalised communities in Sabah. Their work Sabah Tanah
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (1–7 October 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Bali, Yogyakarta and Bandung from 1-7 October 2018 Have you ever wondered where does inspiration come from? Cata Odata curated Scattered Trails as an attempt to trace the origin of Inspiration by showcasing records of an artistic encounter between Gus Punia and Philippe Janssens, 2 visual artists who
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (1 – 7 October 2018) Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (960 words, four-minute read) Prior to stepping into the mystifying world of The Misinterpreted Futures of George Town 2068, I was curious and fascinated by that science-fictioney title, coupled with the exciting premise of a performance with no performers: the technical elements of the show (lights, sound design, video projections) perform in
“The Misinterpreted Futures of George Town 2068”: Missing Futures Read More »
Duration: 32 min In this month’s dance podcast, host Amin Farid chats with Malaysian dance practitioner and writer Bilqis Hijjas on wide-ranging topics from her roles as president of MyDance Alliance and director of the dance programme Rimbun Dahan, to her thoughts on the dance scene in Malaysia, dance criticism, the Southeast Asian identity, and some emerging choreographers and
Podcast 48: Interview with Bilqis Hijjas Read More »
On the closing weekend of the George Town Festival, ArtsEquator interviewed Singaporean musician Charlie Lim and indie-electronic music duo .gif who were in Penang to perform at China House, along with other Singaporean musical acts including Tabitha Nauser and Yung Raja. The artistes were in George Town as part of Connexions: Passion Made Possible, a
AExGTF Chats: Charlie Lim and .gif in George Town Read More »
Esplanade’s da:ns festival returns this year from 9 – 21 October. The 13-day celebration of movement features powerful performances from around the world, internationally acclaimed acts and exciting new works. Apart from ticketed performances, the festival offers free programmes, including mass dance sessions, workshops, and da:ns lab, the festival’s annual platform for critical discourse on
SHIFT (Your Perspective) at Esplanade’s da:ns festival 2018: A Sneak Peek in GIFs Read More »
PAN Productions presents Popgiler, at No Black Tie, 19–20 Sept, 9pm A night of pop songs throughout the years, in the best jazz bar in town, with performances by award-winning vocal powerhouses Dina Nadzir, Elvira Arul, and Lynn Tan. The show is directed by Nell Ng, with musical direction by Dennis Law. Admission is RM70.
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (17 – 23 Sept 2018) Read More »
Faye Lim dances, facilitates, performs, improvises, makes, and mothers. In Singapore, she presents works with the Strangeweather Movement Group, a collective she founded to create and perform dance works at off-stage venues around Singapore. As part of Singapore’s Contact Improvisation (CI) community, Faye has also facilitated jams and workshops in Singapore and KL, and she runs child-friendly
Sitting in the ‘gap’: Faye Lim explores body autonomy for children (via Talking Circles) Read More »
A result of a research collaboration organised by the University of Sydney’s Power Institute in partnership with the Institut Teknologi Bandung and National Gallery Singapore, Ambitious Alignments: New Histories of Southeast Asian Art, 1945-1990 is a recently published volume of ten collected essays. It is comparable to an archeological excavation, unearthing and resurfacing forgotten, if
Book Review: “Ambitious Alignments: New Histories of Southeast Asian Art, 1945–1990” Read More »
Some may say that modern performance art in Vietnam looks the way it does thanks to the works of Tuan Le and his colleagues. Almost two decades into a series of smashing theatrical successes across the country, Le invites Saigoneer into the creative power behind AO, Teh Dar, and Lang Toi. About 17 years ago, Le decided to turn his
In the vast firmament of Singaporean-Malaysian art history, no star illuminates as radiantly as T.K. Sabapathy. An art historian by training, Sabapathy initially began his career in the early 1970s by reviewing art and thereafter spent close to half a century doggedly writing art history into being in our corner of the world. Seven years
By Felipe Cervera (1600 words, eight-minute read) Excavations, Interrogations, Krishen Jit & Contemporary Malaysian Theatre, edited by Charlene Rajendran, Ken Takiguchi and Carmen Nge, is a long overdue resource that sheds light on important aspects of the cultural, artistic, and political histories of Malaysian contemporary theatre—and, by extension, some medullar elements of Singaporean theatre too.
Book Review: “Excavations, Interrogations, Krishen Jit & Contemporary Malaysian Theatre” Read More »
Penyampaian kritikan sosial atau politik dalam filem-filem Malaysia jarang berlaku melalui suasana yang berani dan mendatangkan ghairah. Malah mengkritik melalui karya secara berdepan seperti sukar untuk dilakukan. Terdapat banyak hal yang menyumbang kepada keadaan ini. Ia antara lain ialah kekangan kebebasan kreatif yang ketara dan banyak aspek perundangan serta peraturan telah menjadi rantai memasung kaki
“One Two Jaga”: Keberanian Baharu Sinema Malaysia Read More »
NDO – The Vietnamese Culture Week opened at Chaktomuk theatre, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on September 11. The opening ceremony was attended by the Cambodian Minister of Cults and Religion Him Chhem, Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Khanh Hai, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia
Vietnamese Cultural Week opens in Cambodia (via Nhân Dân) Read More »
The 15th Johor Arts Festival kicked off on 1 September, and runs until 23 September 2018. One of Malaysia’s longest-running festivals, it features a variety of performances, exhibitions, workshops, talks, and activities, ranging between the traditional and contemporary; the loud and the quiet; the lighthearted and hilarious and the moving and poignant. Here are ArtsEquator’s
Johor Arts Festival 2018: Top 8 Picks Read More »
Duration: 35 mins At SeaShorts 2018, which took place from 1 – 5 August 2018 in George Town, Penang, we caught up with Cambodian film director, screenwriter and producer Rithy Panh, and Park Sungho, programmer for S-Express Cambodia (a selection of Cambodian short films at SeaShorts), who’s also a programmer for the Cambodia International Film
Podcast 45: On Southeast Asian Film with Rithy Panh and Park Sungho Read More »
The opening weekend of the George Town Festival 2018 also saw the opening of the Griffith Creative Arts Room at Wisma Yeap Chor Ee, Penang: a room dedicated to presenting the works of creative arts from the students and faculty of Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. This is the first time a university has been invited
AExGTF Chats: The Griffith Creative Arts Room at George Town Festival Read More »
The SeaShorts Film Festival ran for its second edition as the official pre-festival to the annual George Town Festival from 1st to 5th August in a radical geographical shift away from the Kuala Lumpur home of its parent organisation, Next New Wave. It showcased more than 120 short films scattered over 22 programmes in two
Three Short Films about Women at SeaShorts 2018, George Town Read More »
Duration: October 2018 – March 2019 “What distinguishes the good, valuable theatre critic … is that you sense that [they are] writing about a cause – about a theatre in his or her mind. The … writing is possibly in some ways cloaked, but it is a crusade.” – “The Theatre Critic as Thinker”, New
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: ArtsEquator’s Reading Group for Critics Read More »
The annual Asian Restored Classics (ARC) festival is an initiative by the Asian Film Archive (AFA). It’s the first of its kind in Singapore, providing a platform to celebrate the best of Asian cinema by screening the restored historic and iconic films to be appreciated by new generations of audiences. The past two editions of
Asian Restored Classics 2018: Revisiting the Past In New Light Read More »
