By Ben Valentine (1,600 words, 10 minute read) Meta Moeng was the first person I met from Cambodia’s arts scene. This was in 2014, and I was eager to learn more about the country’s arts ecology. She was then the community projects manager at SA SA BASSAC (SSB) arts gallery in Phnom Penh, and I […]
Meta Moeng: a bridge-builder in Cambodia’s art world Read More »
In the next few years, we will be witnessing the completion of some new theatre facilities, such as Wild Rice’s own theatre space in the redeveloped Funan Mall, and Esplanade’s new medium-size theatre. How are these new theatre facilities designed? What will theatres look like in future? How would lighting, projection, sound and other technologies
The Future is Here – Interview with Mathias Woo (via ArtsRepublic) Read More »
Cambodian-American poet Sokunthary Svay is tired of hearing about the Khmer Rouge. After concluding a yearlong review of Cambodian literature available in English, Svay found that nearly every accessible text about the country of her birth concerned either Angkor Wat, the ancient Angkorian Kingdom, the Khmer Rouge, or memoirs written by Cambodians who survived the
A Child of Cambodian Refugees Finds her Past through Poetry (via Electric Literature) Read More »
‘Street Mining: Contemporary Art from the Philippines’ features the works of Poklong Anading, Louie Cordero, Victor Balanon, Nona Garcia, Kawayan de Guia, Mm Yu, and the collective ‘Broke’. The show runs at Sundaram Tagore Gallery from 20 January to 2 March 2018 and has been guest-curated by ‘Broke’ co-founder Gary Ross Pastrana. I am meeting
In Conversation with Contemporary Art’s Street Miner (via The Artling) Read More »
Cross-Border Series: Malaya by Raksasa Collective and Pennylane Events, The Substation, 10 Feb, 5pm The first of many showcases, as part of the Cross-Border series between nations around Singapore, celebrates the ties that have been left unsaid in current times. This showcase present musicians from both Malaysia and Singapore as part of the Malayan Exchange to
5 – 11 February 2018: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali from 5 – 11 February 2018 JAKARTA Setelah Residensi Trimatra, 11 February – 11 March 2018, Galeri Salihara. Opening: 10 February 2018, 7 PM. This exhibition presents the works of 3 young contemporary artists who won Salihara Trimatra competition in 2016. The 3
5 – 11 February 2018: Indonesia Read More »
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 to some of the projects, which cover topics including family strife, sociopolitical bureaucracy, cross-cultural humour
Lorenzo Rudolf seems to be taking the adage “all publicity is good publicity” a bit too far. Speaking on the opening day of Art Stage Singapore, the president and founder of the annual contemporary art fair gave such a downbeat description of the city state’s art market that seemed like a peculiar ploy to get
“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 researcher and photographer based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. He has been documenting the stand-alone movie
One Man, Stand Alone: On the trail of the old movie theaters (via Asiola) Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Yogyakarta and Bali from 29 January – 4 February 2018 YOGYAKARTA Jazz Mben Senen, 29 January 2018, 8:30 PM, Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta Jazz Mben Senen started as a place to share cultures. It has grown into a sharing of the art form every Monday night at Bentara
29 January – 4 February 2018: Indonesia Read More »
The Dark Web by USP Productions, Drama Centre Theatre, 2 – 4 Feb The Dark Web is a play that examines the culture and implications surrounding the titular part of the internet known as the ‘dark web’ – where users and their activities are concealed behind layers of anonymity and encryption, and content ranges from
29 January – 4 February 2018: Singapore Read More »
What is the difference between finished and unfinished? No one can tell. It’s invisible to us but looms large in the artists’ minds. What the artist sees as unfinished and unsatisfactory may appear beautiful to our naked eye. Here, six local artists unearthed some of their unfinished and abandoned artworks. Tay Bak Chiang “This was from 2000 or
There’s something inherently sneaky about Thailand’s annual music festival Wonderfruit. The fest, which is fast becoming one of the best in Southeast Asia, is about so much more than music. Sure, those festival memories may have started in the Quarry, but the daylight side of the fest is so packed with informative discussions about sustainability, sexuality,
Live at Reading Room: UnFree & Unspoken by Ethos Books, The Reading Room, 26 Jan, 8pm At The Reading Room (Downtown Gallery, #02-09/10), Ethos Books presents a poetry reading by local poets Joshua Ip, Theophilus Kwek and Marylyn Tan at Yellow Bash. In UnFree (8.00 – 9.00 pm), Joshua Ip and Theophi Kwek will introduce
22 – 28 January 2018: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Riau, Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta from 22 – 28 January 2018 RIAU Festival Musik Rimbang Baling, 22-28 January 2018, Koto Lamo, Kampar Kiri Hulu, Kampar, Riau. Immerse yourself in nature and come to this unique music festival while supporting nature conservation efforts! Presented with a theme “Menyemai
22 – 28 January 2018: Indonesia Read More »
We are in a moment where the connection between art, real estate, and the displacement of longtime residents is undeniable. How might artists take responsibility for how we alter people’s lives, in terms of the impacts of real estate speculation and gentrification? How do we refuse co-optation and engage locally with our neighbors? How are
An Artist’s Guide to Not Being Complicit with Gentrification (via Hyperallergic) Read More »
There’s no denying that at some point, all of us have dreamed of having an entire cinema all to ourselves, along with the freedom to scream, shout and blabber all we want without anyone telling us to tone it down. It’s great to know that AMENIC Film Space is that dream now made real. Founded in late
In the wake of sexual harassment scandals that dominated news headlines in the latter part of 2017, gender-based violence and discrimination have become a hot topic—and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop soon. Women (and some men) around the world are coming together to speak out against abuse (or lend support to those
#therageisreal: tackling gender inequality, one play at a time (via Esplanade Singapore) Read More »
This is an excerpt from “The Pangalay Dance in the Construction of Filipino Heritage” by Joelle Florence Patrice Jacinto. The research discusses how the Pangalay dance of the Tausug people was used as a heritage tool to support the construction of a Philippine culture. The paper was published on the Journal for the Anthropological Study of
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 this fifth and final article in the series, Ha Dao meets with Nem, 11, a prolific young artist in Vietnam with autism,
Art, autism and love: the world of Nem Read More »
In her article, “The Persistent Presence of Cambodian Spirits: Contemporary Knowledge production in Cambodia”*, Courtney Work argues that the presence of spirits in Cambodian culture has been made a subjacent subject in the dialogue of empire, but that the human culture of this complex nation cannot be properly explained without reference to the “other-than-human world”.
Ghost Stories (via Mekong Review) Read More »
Ben-Hur Villanueva is a sculptor who is not native to Baguio but has made his studio and home there. He says something about the place that drew him there, and continues to nourish the passion he has for his life’s work. His most recognized sculptures can be viewed at Bonifacioo Global City, Caleruega, and Baguio
Filipino Sculptor Ben-Hur Villanueva (via Murphy Report) Read More »
“We arrive at Dan Sinh market in Ho Chi Minh City on a sweltering afternoon. The monsoon season is just starting. After parking our scooters, we dive into the stands, which sell everything from army apparel to fruit and vegetables. A middle-aged man directs us to an antique stall. Immediately I spot discs inside a
Yellow Music (via Mekong Review) Read More »
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ArtsEquator Photography Competition: Capture a Moment of Art in the Making Read More »
Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali from 15 – 21 January 2018 JAKARTA Sastra, Hoaks & Humaniora, 17 January 2018, 4 – 7 PM, Dewan Kesenian Jakarta Come join the Jakarta Arts Council’s literature committee in their 10th public lecture titled Sastra, Hoaks & Humaniora. This 10th edition
15 – 21 January 2018: Indonesia Read More »
Acts of Voicing Artist Panel, Parkview Museum Singapore, 19 Jan, 3pm Moderated by Dr. Michelle Lim, Acts of Voicing is a dialogue session which presents the experiences of Singapore artists negotiating fields of artistic production and concept of the ‘international’. The practices and approaches of the shortlisted artists focus on revealing perspectives about society, narratives
15 – 21 January 2018: Singapore Read More »
“Almost a decade ago, professor Jane M Jacobs burrowed herself in research. She was investigating how high-rise buildings were a solution to housing issues. There, she came across Glasgow’s Red Road Estate. The eight towers of apartments arrived at their end and were due to be razed to the ground. “Effectively, we watched a building ‘die’,”
In Singapore, Buildings Made To Die (via the New York Times Style Magazine Singapore) Read More »
“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 now and again. No longer. By the ’90s the idea of a single avant-garde was
Southeast Asia Stakes Its Claim in the Art World (via the New York Times) Read More »
“The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, is an annual awards show celebrating achievements in cinema across a number of categories from the past year. “First They Killed My Father” is among the 92 films on the Academy’s initial long list, which will be shot down to a handful before the final nominees are
Oscar predictions: Cambodia frontrunner in best foreign language film category Read More »
Can you describe the mood of Singapore as you feel/see it? Singapore is how your favorite prawn noodle hawker auntie still remembers you take your meal with extra chili even after you’ve been out of town for six months; Singapore is the scrawny kid in the playground whose name no one can remember—until with showy
The City and the Writer: In Singapore with Amanda Lee Koe (via Words Without Borders) Read More »
