The Edge, at Lot’ng, 8–23 Dec This is a beautiful locally produced musical that explores the relationships and past of a man standing on the edge. Absolutely worth the watch, this award-winning show is now in its tenth anniversary and should not be missed. Seats are limited in this venue, so get your seats booked
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (3–9 Dec 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and various cities in Indonesia from 3-9 December 2018 This week, you can catch many films under the 16 Film Festival at various cities in Indonesia. 16 Film Festival is a film festival that is created in line with UN Women’s 16 days of activism and campaign
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (3 – 9 December 2018) Read More »
Island Song by The Song and Dance Players (SoDa Players), Centre 42, 7 – 9 December In Island Song, five 20- to 30-something characters navigate their lives the same way they navigate the city: sometimes confidently, sometimes hopefully, and sometimes recklessly As the characters wander in and out of each other’s lives, whatever happens, the city is
Weekly Picks: Singapore (3 – 9 December 2018) Read More »
Symposium – How Easily Modernism Could Be Disturbed, at ILHAM Gallery, 1 Dec, 10am–6:30pm A symposium in conjunction with the Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago (1960–1969) exhibition in the gallery. The entire programme looks interesting — conversations included discussions between writer Pauline Fan and ILHAM Gallery director Rahel Joseph; writer Goenawan Mohamad and art critic Lee Wheng
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (26 Nov – 2 Dec 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Yogyakarta and Solo from 26 November – 2 December 2018 We have two film festivals happening this week in Indonesia. The annual Japanese Film Festival (JFF) started last week in Makassar and this week the films are going to be screened in Yogyakarta before the festival continues to
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (26 November – 2 December 2018) Read More »
Guards at the Taj by Singapore Repertory Theatre, KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT, 14 Nov – 1 Dec 2018 A wickedly dark comedy based on a myth surrounding the Taj Mahal that “nothing so beautiful shall ever be built again”. Two long-term friends, Humayun and Babur stand guard at the Taj Mahal hours before
Weekly Picks: Singapore (26 November – 2 December 2018) Read More »
As part of ArtsEquator’s interview series profiling artistic directors across the region, we spoke with Alan Oei, AD of The Substation and co-founder and executive director of OH! Open House, on his hopes, his challenges, and how he balances different needs and roles between the two companies. How do you come up with the themes
8 Questions with Alan Oei Read More »
By Kathy Rowland (910 words, five-minute read) Joe Sidek will not be cowed. “Everyone thinks I’m down and depressed. I’m fine!” It’s been a challenging year for the founder of the George Town Festival. In the foreground: the removal and public backlash following the censorship of Moorayameen Mohamad’s photo exhibition, Stripes and Strokes, at this
Joe Sidek: “I’ve never felt more strong” Read More »
KLEX 2018: Translucence, at various locations, 22–25 Nov An independent artist-run grassroots international festival of experimental film, video art and music. It’s a good introduction to contemporary experimental cinema and regional creative works. Admission is free for the lectures, and by suggested donations for performances (RM10 film, RM30 music at RAW Art Space, RM90 music
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (19–25 Nov 2018) Read More »
Some photographers are able to capture the most delicate moments deftly. With her project Living Choices, Singapore-based shooter Grace Baey showed her ability to do just that. Baey spent one month in Yangon taking pictures of the city’s trans population for the photo series — and despite the short time frame and limited window for gaining the
Grace Baey’s Portraits of Yangon’s Trans Population (via Coconuts Yangon) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Bali, Solo and Jakarta from 19 – 25 November 2018 We start our picks this week from Sanur, Bali. Rumah Sanur Creative Hub is holding the exhibition Anxious Visual, a solo exhibition by Zulkarnain Putra Ramadhan. As a former inmate, Zulkarnain uses various sketches, photographs and installations to
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (19 – 25 November 2018) Read More »
Charlie by Bhumi Collective, Goodman Arts Centre Music Studio, 20 Nov – 7 Dec What would you say to an innocent child who has literally never seen the world? Bhumi Collective is delighted to present the Singapore premiere of Charlie by Victoria Chen, after two successful runs at the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival and the
Weekly Picks: Singapore (19 – 25 November 2018) Read More »
THE fact that arts and culture has the lowest priority in government planning was borne out by Budget 2019. Except for the RM30mil allocation for the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, there is no specific allocation for the creative industries of arts and culture to revitalise traditional arts and
Budget leaves arts and culture out in the cold (via The Star) Read More »
ArtsEquator is two years old today! 🎉 Aside from our original reviews, essays, podcasts and visual essays, we’ve also organised programmes to strengthen performance criticism and critical discourse. ✒️ 💬 💭 🎭 👯 🎪 🎨 🎵 🎬 None of this would have been possible without the support of a community of critics, performance
ArtsEquator Turns Two! Read More »
The seventh edition of the President’s Young Talents exhibition (PYT) opened 4 October 2018 at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM). Since its first presentation in 2001, the platform has presented 38 artists, including this year’s Chen Yanyun, Chong Weixin, Debbie Ding, Hilmi Johandi and Zarina Muhammad. David Chan, Grace Tan, Zaki Razak, Roger Nelson, Jason
An Interview with Dr June Yap: President’s Young Talents 2018 Read More »
Bisikan Monsoon — Open Rehearsal, at Selangor & KL Kwang Tung Association, 13 Nov, 5:30pm An invitation to view the rehearsals for Kwang Tung Dance Company’s Bisikan Monsoon (the show is travelling to China later in the month). This opportunity is only open to 10 participants, and registration is required by Monday 12 Nov, with
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (12–18 Nov 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Bali, Bandung and Jakarta from 12 – 18 November 2018 If you’re in Bali, swing by the exhibition “Efek Samping” part of the Futuwonder Project: Masa Subur. The Masa Subur project is an interdisciplinary project that involves women artists in Indonesia. In this particular one, the artists selected
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (12 – 18 November 2018) Read More »
667, a Film Screening by Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, 17 – 18 November 2018 Here’s your chance to catch 667 《回程667》 as the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre celebrates the latest win of local filmmaker, Jun Chong, whose debut short film Ke《客》, was awarded the Best Asian Short at the 13th Sapporo International Short Film Festival. The
Weekly Picks: Singapore (12 – 18 November 2018) Read More »
In post-colonial Southeast Asia, the constraint of politically-engaged artworks is not uncommon. One can see the spatial and temporal struggles through telling cases from the region: last July, Seven Decades was a retrospective of political prisoners’ narratives in and out of Myanmar that was aptly shown at the Pyinsa Rasa Art Space in the Secretariat
Mirrored Interrogations Read More »
A critically acclaimed documentary about a member of Vietnam’s trans community will finally see an official premiere in Vietnam next month. Finding Phong, or Di Tim Phong in Vietnamese, tells the story of the titular character, a trans woman named Le Anh Phong who documented the journey from when she decided to undergo sex reassignment surgery to
Vietnam’s Award-Winning Documentary About a Trans Woman (via Saigoneer) Read More »
In the performance room of Penang House of Music, a museum dedicated to the musical history of this Unesco-listed Malaysian island, a crowd claps excitedly. They are cheering the group of young performers who get up from behind the stage, fatigued and sweaty, holding colourful puppets high above their heads. Their performance tells the story
Ombak Potehi: the Malaysian group reviving traditional Hokkien puppetry (via SEA Globe) Read More »
IF WALLS COULD TALK vol.55, at The Gaslight Cafe, 8 Nov, 8pm The ever-popular Walls returns with its open mic for spoken word, and featured acts. This chapter features fresh indie band Senja, and writer Zedeck Siew with artist Sharon Chin, who have recently published an illustrated book, Creatures of Near Kingdoms. Cover charge
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (5– 11 Nov 2018) Read More »
Bras Basah.Bugis Art Sprawl, Handy Road Open Space, outside The Cathay, 9 – 10 November The Bras Basah.Bugis Arts Sprawl is a two-day event that offers an eclectic line-up of arts and heritage offerings for visitors young and old, held along Handy Road Open Space outside The Cathay. ‘Art sprawlers’ can indulge in some “me
Weekly Picks: Singapore (5 – 11 November 2018) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Bandung, Jakarta, Solo, and Semarang from 5 – 11 November 2018 If you’re in Bandung, come and attend the last day of [NOT] ARTOFFICIAL – OUT OF TRACK, an art exhibition on Ikebana. This exhibition is a collaboration between Indonesian, Japanese, and Vietnamese artists, this exhibition aims to
Weekly Picks: Indonesia (5 – 11 November 2018) Read More »
At first encounter, it’s a terrifying word. The first time I came across the title I was still at school, and had just become angrily aware of the existence of Ben Power, a person who somehow had my ideal job. Now the first ever deputy artistic director at the National Theatre, at that point he
Dramaturgy Under Capitalism (via Exeunt) Read More »
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 »
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
Southernmost: One Table Two Chairs Project 2018 by Emergency Stairs, Centre 42, 3 – 10 Nov Catch Southernmost: One Table Two Chairs Project 2018 from 3 to 11 Nov 2018 at Centre 42 – an arts festival for the future presented by experimental theatre company Emergency Stairs. Immerse yourself in a week of artistic experimentation and dialogue across art forms, cultures,
Weekly Picks: Singapore (29 October – 4 November 2018) Read More »
Man Bai, at No Black Tie, 30 Oct, 9pm The award-winning singer songwriter Man Bai is best known for his hit single and karaoke staple, Kau Ilhamku. He also has three solo albums. Man Bai will be doing a one night performance in NBT with a special guest appearance by ‘Malaysian Godfather of Rock’ Rahim
Weekly Picks: Malaysia (29 Oct – 4 Nov 2018) Read More »
A quick squeeze of a breast and the motorbike-riding groper was already vanishing into the Mandalay traffic. Ma Chuu Wai Nyein barely saw it happen. It would have been easy to forget and not make a scene, as usual, and perhaps that’s what she would have done if she were the victim. But the groper
Staring down the male gaze: Chuu Wai Nyein (via Frontier Myanmar) Read More »
