Censorship Snapshot: Unclear Guidelines
Artist Ngo Dinh Bao Chau shares her experience with the ambiguous censorship guidelines in Vietnam with curator Linh Le.
censorship
Translating the Sacred and the Profane
Zikri Rahman takes us on a short tour of the way that artists have used symbols of statehood to commemorate, challenge and expand the idea, and meaning of nationhood in Malaysia.
Gen X to Gen Z: Generational Differences in the Shaping of Cambodia’s Cultural Preservation Policies
In Cambodia, most cases of arts censorship are linked to the notion of protecting and preserving culture. Kai Brennert examines how different generations of civil servants and policymakers are shaped by their lived experiences, which in turn influence their view of “cultural preservation”.
Finding Ratna Asmara and the Herstory of Indonesian Cinema
The tale of a pioneering woman Indonesian filmmaker converges with the mission of a group of women film researchers, as Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights how archives and historical records often render some stories invisible.
Silenced Voices, Unacceptable Humor, Distasteful Desires: The Censorship of Gender and Sexuality in the Philippines
Katrina Stuart Santiago demonstrates how recent incidents of artistic censorship in the Philippines have focused on the silencing of female and LGBTQIA+ voices.
Yang Ditapis, Yang Terlepas
Zikri Rahman menghuraikan tentang filem-filem yang ditapis secara tegas dan peluang yang terlepas akibat tindakan tersebut.
Podcast: Freedom for Artistic Expressions in Vietnam
Researcher Linh Le interviews artist-curator Bill Nguyễn, in a wide ranging conversation about historical and contemporary censorship in Vietnam.
documenta fifteen: Dreaming of a New Cartography
Alia Swastika, the Director of the Jogja Biennale, offers a bold analysis of ruangrupa’s documenta fifteen, one that frames their artistic direction as an opening of new pathways that are long overdue.
documenta fifteen Ends, But The Timeline Continues
documenta fifteen closed on 25 Sept after its customary 100 days, which were filled with controversies and generated intense debate in the global art world. To mark the end of the exhibition, ArtsEquator has created a timeline to track the key incidents over the past two years.
Artistic Freedom in Cambodia: When Legal Safeguards Are Not Enough
In a country with a range of national and international laws to protect artistic rights, Reaksmey Yean questions the reality of freedom of expression for artists in Cambodia.
សេរីភាពសិល្បៈនៅកម្ពុជា ៖ នៅពេលដែលការការពារតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់មិនគ្រប់គ្រាន់
នៅខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០២០ អាជ្ញាធរកម្ពុជាបានចាប់ខ្លួនអ្នកចម្រៀងរ៉ែបវ័យក្មេងពីររូប គឺ គា សុគន្ធ និងឡុង ពុទ្ធារ៉ា ទាក់ទងទៅនឹងពាក្យពេចន៍រំលេចនៅក្នុងបទចម្រៀង ដីខ្មែរ របស់ពួកគេ ដែលចេញកាលពីខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០២០។ បទចម្រៀងនេះបានទាក់ទាញឱ្យមានការទស្សនារហូតដល់ជាង ២,២លានលើក អំឡុងពេល៥ខែបន្ទាប់ពីការចេញផ្សាយ។ បទដីខ្មែរ នេះជំរុញឱ្យយុវជនខ្មែរទាំងឡាយក្រោកប្រឆាំងនឹងការគាបសង្កត់ អំពើពុករលួយ បោះបង់ចោលគ្រឿងស្រវឹង ហើយយកចិត្តទុកដាក់លើបញ្ហាទឹកដី។ នៅក្នុងបទចម្រៀងនេះ សុគន្ធរ៉ែបថា៖ «ខ្ញុំចាប់កំណើតកើតនៅលើដីកម្សត់ មានបេះដូងអព្យាក្រឹត ប្រឆាំងជាមួយនឹងជនក្បត់ វ៉ៃយកកេរដំណែល ក្រវែលអ្នកគាបសង្កត់ ជួយជាតិតាមសំឡេង ឱ្យគេឮតាមបទ។ ខ្ញុំអ្នកសៀមរាបរស់នៅលើដីប្រាសាទ មានឈាមវរ្ម័នក្លាហានមិនបាក់ស្បាត ឈរតំណាងទឹក តំណាងដី តំណាងសាសន៍ លើកទង់ជាតិកម្ពុជា ស្មើមេឃ ស្មើអាកាស។» ពាក្យពេចន៍របស់សុគន្ធ គឺពោរពេញទៅដោយមនោសញ្ចេតនា ជាតិនិយម ជាពិសេសពេលដែលសិល្បកររូបនេះរម្លឹកដល់អ្នកស្ដាប់ថា ៖ «យើងបើអស់ដីគ្មានអ្វីនៅទៀតទេ… សាសន៍មួយចំនួនកំពុងតែឈ្លានពាន ពេលដែលបាក់សាមគ្គីគេនឹងមកទន្ទ្រាន…» បើទោះបីជាបទចម្រៀងទាំងមូលមិនលើកយកពាក្យ «វៀតណាម» មកពណ៌នាក៏ដោយចុះ ក៏បញ្ហាទឹកដីដែលបានរំលេចនៅក្នុងចម្រៀងមួយបទ នេះធ្វើឱ្យអ្នកស្ដាប់យល់បានថា ជាការសំដៅទៅរកបញ្ហាព្រំដែនដ៏រស៊ើបមួយជាមួយនឹងប្រទេសវៀតណាម ទៅនឹងការចោទប្រកាន់ជាយូរយារណាស់មកហើយថា …
សេរីភាពសិល្បៈនៅកម្ពុជា ៖ នៅពេលដែលការការពារតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់មិនគ្រប់គ្រាន់ Read More »
“It Has Been Dreamed”: Kiri Dalena on documenta fifteen
Kiri Dalena, one of the artists at the controversy-ridden documenta fifteen speaks with Pristine De Leon about the uneven dynamics between global exchanges and local needs, between lumbung and rigid hierarchies, between what has materialised and what was dreamed.
Art in Exile: Burmese Artists in Thailand
Burmese artists make art in exile in Thailand, finding refuge and showcasing cross-border solidarity for artistic freedom.
Creativity, Conservatism, and Censorship: A Philippine Snapshot
In a wide-ranging historical analysis of censorship in the Philippines, from Marcos (Senior) to Marcos (Junior), Katrina Stuart Santiago lays bare the myth of artistic freedom in the Philippines. In the process, she identifies a mounting conservatism, and new kinds of censors.
Censoring the Pandemic in Indonesia
Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights the inequalities faced by the arts in Indonesia which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Menyensor Pandemi di Indonesia
Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu mombongkar masalah yang dihadapi oleh bidang seni pada masa pandemi.
Kuiz: Sejauh Manakah Pengetahuan Anda Tentang Penapisan Seni di Malaysia?
Baik buku yang dilarang mahupun frasa yang tabu, dunia seni kita telah menyaksikan semuanya. Ikuti kuiz kami untuk mengetahui tentang penapisan seni di Malaysia!
Quiz: How Much do you Know About Arts Censorship in Malaysia?
From banned publications to forbidden phrases, the arts has seen it all. Take our quiz, here to learn about arts censorship in Malaysia!
The Power of a Poem
Zakir Hossain, a celebrated poet and migrant worker in Singapore, wrote a poem, which sparked a response from the state. Diana Rahim reflects on the power of words, wielded to question, and words wielded to control.
RED LINES: 60 Global Cartoonists Talk Fear And Favour
“If satire is so toothless, then why are cartoonists so often badly bitten?” Ann Lee reviews RED LINES: Political Cartoons and the Struggle Against Censorship by Cherian George and Sonny Liew. The distribution of this book, which examines the boundaries of free speech, has been banned by the Singapore government under its “Undesirable Publications Act”. …
RED LINES: 60 Global Cartoonists Talk Fear And Favour Read More »
Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring
A new collection of poems and essays bears witness to the bravery of ordinary citizens since the brutal military coupe of Feb 2021 in Myanmar.
Witnessing is political: Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring
A new collection of poems and essays bears witness to the bravery of ordinary citizens since the brutal military coupe of Feb 2021 in Myanmar.
Leading art collectors put pressure on Balai Seni Visual Negara
by Kathy Rowland In a first for Malaysian art history, a Collectors’ Petition signed by 55 private art collectors have warned Balai Seni Visual Negara that they will no longer be lending works from their collection to Balai in future unless Balai reinstates pieces removed from Ahmad Fuad Osman’s exhibition immediately. Fuad Osman’s critically praised …
Leading art collectors put pressure on Balai Seni Visual Negara Read More »
Arts censorship: At the end of the day, this is not new
By Kathy Rowland (1400 words, 8 minute read) Balai Seni Visual Negara Malaysia (Balai) is once again accused of censoring artists’ work. The victim this time is noted visual artist Ahmad Fuad Osman, who was honoured with a mid-career solo show at Balai, At the End of the Day Even Art is Not Important (1990 …
Arts censorship: At the end of the day, this is not new Read More »
Unravelling the History of Nudity in Singapore Theatre
By Akanksha Raja (2144 words, nine-minute read) The naked body on stage (even if only imagined) has a potent social power: taboos surrounding the body can shock and offend some Singaporeans. But when did this start? How has public response to incidences of nudity on the Singapore stage changed, and how have changing policies on …
Unravelling the History of Nudity in Singapore Theatre Read More »
C(l)ocked: “Catamite” by Loo Zihan
In this over-the-shoulder ‘clocking’ of Loo Zihan’s solo performance I see the silhouette of my own head looking on from the side. Having worked extensively with Zihan over the past several years, I find writing a review of his performance exceedingly difficult. How do I cram so much data into such a tiny space? The …
In George Town, a Proxy War for the Nation
By Kathy Rowland (1165 words, 5-minute read) Coloured ink on paper. Only a society that polices gender and sexuality can turn ordinary photos into weapons of mass gay conversion. Over the past eight iterations, the George Town Festival (GTF) has built an international name for itself as a gem of a festival – a small, …
Artist charged for illegal one-man procession from Hong Lim to Parliament House (via The Online Citizen)
Seelan Palay, a local artist, has been charged by the Attorney-General’s Chambers for participating in a public procession from Hong Lim Park to the National Gallery, and to the Parliament House on 1 October 2017. It is written in the charge sheet that the public procession is to publicise the cause of “the illegal detention …
Malaysian court jails, fines artist for clown caricature of PM (via Reuters)
A Malaysian artist and prominent opposition activist was jailed for a month on Tuesday for publishing a caricature of Prime Minister Najib Razak looking like a clown, a ruling likely to exacerbate concern about free speech. Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy recently announced plans to amend a law to stamp out fake news, the latest step …
Malaysian court jails, fines artist for clown caricature of PM (via Reuters) Read More »
Singapore bans film focused on indicted Palestinian teen
“Singapore has banned a film festival from screening a documentary later this week that features a teenage Palestinian female activist whose arrest last month has made her a symbol of resistance to Israeli military occupation in the West Bank. Justifying the ban, authorities in the Southeast Asian city state said the film “Radiance of Resistance” was …
Singapore bans film focused on indicted Palestinian teen Read More »