Top Picks in Jakarta, Solo, Bali, Yogyakarta from 30 January – 5 February 2017 JAKARTA Kompilasi Festifal Film Dokumenter, 30 January 2017, 7:30 PM, Kineforum, Jakarta Kineforum, the alternative cinema in Jakarta, presents 4 out of the 8 documentaries that was submitted to the Festival Film Dokumenter Yogyakarta in 2016. The 4 films […]
30 Jan – 5 Feb 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Teguh Karya and Suyatna Anirun were each inspired by traditional and popular forms of theatre throughout Indonesia, as well as the Western forms of theatre they adapted for the stage. Their style of theatre resided in the realm of intercultural practices that all theatre artists in Indonesia now revere. Tags: Inside Indonesia Suyatna Anirun Teguh Karya Theatre Directing
Two Visionaries of Indonesian Theatre Read More »
By Pavithra Raja (1695 words, 20-minute read) What are the sounds of Singapore? It’s hard to pin down, given that Singapore is the site of a number of different musical influences, many of them rooted in the different ethnic communities that make up the country. We often hear the term “melting pot” when discussing Singapore
Sonic Multiplicity: Reflections on “Sounds of Singapore” Read More »
…The North’s art scene is tightly controlled – there is no abstract art, which is regarded as anti-revolutionary – and even the top artists earn monthly salaries that bear little relation to the sale value of their work. “We produce pieces that are demanded by revolution, that move people to revolution,” says Hong Chun-Ong… Tags:
See what’s made to order at North Korea’s blacklisted art factory (The Nation) Read More »
For centuries, shadow puppet theater not only captivated audiences across Southeast Asia but also held ritual significance for various local communities. Held outdoors at night, the performances unfolded around the simple setup of a stretched white cloth, lit by an oil lamp, on which the shadows of puppets would dance to orchestral music. Spectators would watch from both
The Enduring Power of Southeast Asia’s Traditional Shadow Puppets Read More »
Deruma by Azpirasi & Dian Dancers, 26 – 27 Jan at Esplanade Theatre Studio Presented as part of Esplanade Theatre’s Pentas series, which is its second annual programme of Malay arts, apart from Pesta Raya. Deruma follows the local folktale of Si Tanggang. It’s a story about filial piety and gratitude told through Malay dance and traditional
23 – 29 Jan 2017: Singapore Read More »
Top Picks in Jakarta from 22 – 29 January JAKARTA Islamic Art Public Lecture, Komunitas Salihara Black Box Theatre, 24 Jan, 7:00 PM Komunitas Salihara, supported by Institut Francaise Indonesia, presents an Islamic Art public lecture featuring Yannick Lintz, Director of Islamic Art Department at Louvre Museum, Paris. The lecture will explore two
23 – 29 Jan 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the comedic play that opens Repertory Philippines’ 2017 season and its 50th anniversary, has got more going for it than a chockfull of references to the despondent characters, dreary settings, and poignant stories of Anton Chekhov. “You don’t need to know Chekov to enjoy it,” said acclaimed award-winning
‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’: An all-star family feud Read More »
The artist could not pursue his dream to take care of his family. But recently he has found his renewed passion for street art. Tags: Murals Street Art
75-year-old artist’s murals bring new life to Saigon alleys Read More »
In celebration of the National Arts Month in February 2017, the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) through the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts recuperates the kuwentong bayan (folk narratives such as epics, myths, legends, folk tales, etc.) as important repository of ideas, information and even knowledge through a festival billed Salaysayan:
Seng Yu Jin: Our roundtable comprises students from the MA in Asian Art Histories programme at LASALLE College of the Arts, and we are looking at the Singapore Biennale 2016 – An Atlas of Mirrors, henceforth SB2016, as a case study of the “curatorial complex”. If I may start with a summary of ideas about
The Curatorial Complex: A Roundtable on the Singapore Biennale Read More »
From nearly 300 submissions, a total of 14 winners, including one Gold Award and three Silver Award winners, were chosen following the selection process carried out by the jury of the award in cooperation with the Association of MANGA Publishers in Japan. This is the second time Vietnamese comics won the award, with the first
Vietnamese Comic “Gateway to Underworld” Wins International Manga Award Read More »
Culture enthusiast group Sobat Budaya (cultural buddies) announced on Tuesday that it had collected digital data and information on 34,000 pieces of Indonesian cultural heritage, a move it sees as essential to prevent such heritage being stolen by other countries. The data, which has been collected since 2005 by the group and Bandung Fe research
Sobat Budaya collects digital data on cultural heritage Read More »
Gaslight Cafe presents Alena Murang, 17 Jan, 9pm Gaslight Cafe at Bukit Damansara shines the spotlight on young Bornean singer-songwriter Alena Murang, whose debut EP, Flight, was released last year. A graduate from the music programme at LASALLE College of the Arts, Alena play folk music of the Kelabit and Kenyah tribes, using the traditional lute instrument
16 – 22 Jan 2017: Malaysia Read More »
SWF POP #15: Screening of Between The Lines: Rant & Rave II, 18 Jan at The Projector This is a screening of a recorded theatre production, Between The Lines: Rant & Rave II, a 2012 play by award-winning playwright Chong Tze Chien. Restaged at the Singapore Writers Festival 2016 featuring actors Serene Chen and Jean Ng,
16 – 22 Jan 2017: Singapore Read More »
We’re barely into the new year, but the dedicated art lover is, no doubt, already exhausted from the recently concluded M1 Singapore Fringe Festival and Singapore Art Week. Pace yourselves, as there are more festivals across Southeast Asia over the next month. January M1 Fringe Festival: Art & Skin, Singapore : 4 – 15 January 2017
Southeast Asia in Arts Festivals: Jan – Feb 2017 Read More »
… anyone who gained the respect and friendship of the late Benedict Anderson, author of the immensely important critique of nationalism “Imagined Communities,” is entitled to as much cake as they want. The creative invention and emotional candor of Weerasethakul’s exhibition “Ghosts in the Darkness” at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum sucker-punched me after my
The special effect of Apichatpong Weerasethakul Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (1800 words, 15-minute read) Continuing our look back on regional arts events in 2016, we consider what the buzz was on the main writers’ festivals held in Southeast Asia. Georgetown Literary Festival: 25 – 17 November 2016 The theme for this sixth edition of GTLF is the Welsh word “Hiraeth”, translating into
Writing the Region: SEA Literary Festivals in 2016 Read More »
Datang Untuk Kembali (Arriving to Return), 13 Jan, 6:30 PM The performance starts at The Exhibition Hall, Block 43 Malan Road. Part of CITIES FOR PEOPLE NTU CCA Ideas Fest 2016-2017, it is a collaboration between artist duo indieguerillas, fashion designer Lulu Lutfi Labibi, and music director Ari Wulu. The performance will move between different locations
9 – 15 January 2017: Singapore Read More »
The mere mention of “Ballet Philippines” brings one’s thoughts to ballet dancers performing a world-class production at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). But amidst the awe of such flawless performances, often, one finds himself wondering how much time, discipline, artistry, and passion is entailed to come up with one successful show. Tags:
Beyond the Grand Plié: Ballet Philippines (via Murphy Report) Read More »
Meta’s Top Picks in Bali, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta from 9 – 22 January BALI Way Up Project, 8 January – 11 February 2017, Cata Odata, Bali Cata Odata’s Street Art Collaboration continues with an exhibition featuring 20 street artists’ works. The term “Way Up” is used in the project to refer to
9 – 22 Jan 2017: Indonesia Read More »
Meta’s Top Picks in Bandung, Yogayakarta, and Jakarta from 2 – 9 January Meta is a freelance arts administrator and a traveling yogi. She spent 16 years of her life as an art practitioner and the last few years as an arts administrator. Her first love in the arts is dance. She left her heart
2 – 9 Jan 2017: Indonesia Read More »
By Akanksha Raja (1200 words, 12-minute read) 2016 has seen a few biennales taking place in Southeast Asia. While we didn’t manage to attend each and every one of them, we’ve been reading all we could find about them. Here is a round-up of what we’ve come across. 1. Visayas Island Visual Artists Exhibition and Conference
An Atlas of Biennales: International Art Festivals in Asia Pacific 2016 Read More »
By Azzief Khali for The Wknd Indonesia tends to loom large in the Malaysian cultural imagination, and likely for good reason: the quality and quantity of cultural production coming out of Indonesia tends to dwarf what we can produce ourselves. This perceived gulf in quality and mentalities has been the topic of many a
Scattered Thoughts on Indonesian Music and Romanticism Read More »
ArtsEquator is a ground-up initiative. We’re a non-profit organisation, committed to building an arts media that supports the arts ecosystem in Southeast Asia. We are, for now, entirely self-funded. We do however, pay all writers who write original pieces for us (admittedly a small fee for the moment) because we want to build sustainability, but
By Wei Er Xun, Finalist, Best Essay by an Emerging Art Writer Competition* (2700 words, 30-minute read) Introduction The stakes of exhibitions have always been high. Before the advent of the cinema, television and other mass media, large-scale exhibitions and world expos were primary sites for cultural exchange. As Maria Lind explains in a text
Singapore Biennale 2016: A/political Performance – Atlas of Mirrors in Context Read More »
By Elaine Chiew, Finalist, Best Essay by an Emerging Art Writer Competition (2996 words, 30-minute read) Much of our ideas about maps today are reduced to their function: their ability to tell us where we are and how to get somewhere. However, maps as art inquire what a map is rather than what it does.
Singapore Biennale 2016: The Myth, the Mirror and the Map Read More »
By Eunice Lacaste, Finalist, The Best Essay by an Emerging Art Writer Competition* Introduction Entering the Singapore Art Museum[1] during the media preview of the Singapore Biennale 2016[2], we could barely disregard the museum staff installing wall text decals. Other artworks were still being shifted around. Some of the art viewers did not mind this.
Singapore Biennale 2016: The Performative Curator Read More »
RICHARD III 《理查三世》by The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat 22 – 25 Dec Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre In Mandarin with English and Mandarin surtitles, this rendition of Shakespeare’s historical classic about the ruthless and ambitious Richard III celebrates the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare. It marks the concluding production of the Shakespeare 400
19 – 25 Dec: Malaysia Read More »
Mulan the Musical at Resorts World Sentosa Runs until 5 Feb 2017 In Mandarin with English surtitles, this rendition of the legend of Hua Mulan is a musical comedy from Taiwan that is quite different from the more popular Disney version. Features “Singapore-inspired” songs, local performers Pierre Png and Ann Kok, and Taiwanese vocalists Zhou Ding
19 – 25 Dec 2016: Singapore Read More »
