Features Archives

Celebrating Indonesian Modern Art: the Painting Collection of the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Indonesia – Senandang Ibu Pertiwi

“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

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Myanmar artist wins at 2017 American Arts Awards

“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

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Ten Newsmakers of the Year in the Arts

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

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18 – 24 December 2017: Singapore

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

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18 – 24 December 2017: Indonesia

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

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Inquirer.net

32 Defining Moments in Philippine Arts and Culture since 1985

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

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Tum Malis/VOA Khmer

Nov Cheanick: From Humble Beginnings to Transcendent Art [Cambodia]

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

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Zuni Icosahedron

11 – 17 December 2017: Singapore

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

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11 – 17 December 2017: Indonesia

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

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Seelan Palay

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

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National Youth Council

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

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Faisal Tehrani: From Poster Boy to Pariah

Since he broke into the literary scene in his teens, Malaysian writer and academic, Dr Faizal Musa, better know by his pen name, Faisal Tehrani, has written several best selling and critically acclaimed novels and short stories. His articles on issues of culture, human rights and religion have also appeared in periodicals, newspapers and blogs.

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Sonny Liew

Graphic novelist Sonny Liew made history as the first Singaporean to win at the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the “Oscars for comics”, held in July 2017 at Comic-Con International, San Diego, USA. The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye, which retells the life of a comic artist growing up in pre-independence Singapore, won not just one

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Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

“Ninagawa Macbeth”: The Bold and The Beautiful

By Patricia Tobin (500 words, 5-minute read) A dark traditional Japanese Buddhist altar, or butsudan, stands tall onstage. Engraved gold hinges line the thick borders and towering, half-folded black doors, akin to an oriental treasure chest. Upon the tolling of a bell, two old women slowly push open the butsudan doors, inviting us into the

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Shrey Bhargava

In May, actor Shrey Bhargava, 21, shared on Facebook his experience auditioning for the latest Ah Boys To Men, where he was told to exaggerate an Indian accent and “make it funny”. His post pointed to the proliferation of racial stereotyping and caricaturing in Singaporean cultural media and the need for more nuanced representation of minority

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W!ld Rice

A Short History of the Singaporean Pantomime

By Corrie Tan (2094 words, 20-minute read) The pantomime has come to be associated with a set of recognisable traits: traditionally staged during the winter festive season, they are musical comedies based on folk stories and fairy tales, stuffed with songs, farce and some form of audience participation – with colourful gags for the children

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Stamford Arts Centre

The previously defunct Stamford Arts Centre, located in the vibrant Arts Heritage District, is undergoing a $7 million redevelopment process under Arts House Limited, which manages other cultural venues such as Aliwal Arts Centre. It is set to be a new hub for the traditional arts, with studio spaces, residency spaces, and a multi-purpose hall.

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Same same but different: ASEAN 50 at the Singapore Writers Festival 2017

By Akanksha Raja (840 words, 8-minute read) “Language is born from imagination, and imagination is what makes language real. Without language, we have no memory: therefore, literacy (the mastery of language) is important. Our sense of language is the most intimate access to what is real, and our literature is our people’s memory; through language,

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SIFA Changing of Guard

In March, it was announced that Gaurav Kripalani, the Artistic Director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre, would succeed Theatreworks Artistic Director Ong Keng Sen as Festival Director of Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). This changing of guard foretells a significant shift in approach to programming and presentation choices: Ong is known to favour presenting

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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 in collectors and curators to visit not just the city but the adjacent art hub

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The Golden Staircase

In March, a LASALLE College of the Arts student, Priyageetha Dia, gilded a grey cement staircase on the 20th floor of her HDB block. The golden staircase divided the internet (of course). Some saw an inconsiderate act of vandalism, others, an insightful and resonant artwork. The Town Council declared the work not permissable, but were

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4 – 10 December 2017: Indonesia

Top Picks of Indonesia art events in Jakarta and Bali from 4 – 10 December 2017 JAKARTA Goro-goro: Bhineka Keramik, Now – 12 December 2017, Galeri Nasional Indonesia, Jakarta “Goro-goro: Bhineka Keramik” is a rare exhibition by Indonesian famous funny man, actor and critic Butet Kartaredjasa. The exhibition will present 90 of Butet’s paintings

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4 – 10 December 2017: Singapore

Three Kin by T.H.E Dance Company, Esplanade Theatre Studio, 7 – 9 Dec Three Kin is leading contemporary dance group T.H.E Dance Company’s closing production for the 2017 season and part of the company’s annual headlining showcase of creations by acclaimed Singaporean and international guest choreographers. Performed by T.H.E’s full-time principal dancers, the triple bill

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Syonan Gallery

In Feb, an WWII exhibition, titled Syonan Gallery: War and its Legacies was to open at the former Ford Factory. Previewing the show, The Straits Times noted that the title “Syonan Gallery” was a contentious choice. Members of the public too expressed their discomfort with the use of the name “Syonan”, invoking as it did,

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POP AYE

Kirsten Tan’s debut feature film POP AYE, became the first Singaporean film to win the prestigious Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Screenwriting in January. The film is a road trip tale about the bond between an aging architect and an elephant, set in Thailand. Her victory was lauded by Prime

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Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara Opens in Jakarta [Indonesia]

“JAKARTA, Indonesia — For a city of its huge size — 10 million people — and economic heft, Jakarta lacked many things one might expect of a thriving Asian metropolis: a metro system, for one, as well as a major international modern and contemporary art museum. The metro system will be operational in 2019, but

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Undressing Room

In late 2016, anonymous attacks on the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2017 program surfaced online. The IMDA subsequently refused to issue ratings to M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2017’s performance-lecture Naked Ladies by Thea Fitz-James and Ming Poon’s Undressing Room, unless elements of the works be modified. The Fringe organisers pulled these shows out of the

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Artists must challenge censorship [Malaysia]

“Artists in Malaysia must speak out and challenge any effort by the authorities to control and dictate the direction of their work, said arts activist Raja Ahmad Aminullah. Raja Ahmad said the recent seizure of works during the Biennale Kuala Lumpur (KLB) 2017 exhibition shocked him, adding that he was disappointed at the lack of

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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 research and mapping project conducted earlier this year by the Council, to chart creative hubs

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Myanmar art exposed

“After a controversy over terminology and a year’s preparation, the ambitious Yangon Art Expo has helped to create greater international interest in contemporary Myanmar art. U Aung Min of Yangon’s Magic Art Gallery declared last week’s Yangon Art Expo the best exhibition of Myanmar art for 100 years. Objectivity may have been elusive when the

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