Exhibitions to Visit this July: Singapore
ByGrace Ignacia SeeImage courtesy of The Culture Story and Artcommune Gallery
As July rolls in, so do numerous riveting exhibitions for you to check in on. For this month’s edition of Exhibitions to Visit, we shine our spotlight on the happenings on our proud nation that is Singapore. From printmakers like Rauschenberg, to nostalgic photos by John Clang, to abstractive paper sculptures by Irfan Hendrian, The Artling presents what’s worth a visit for the month of July.
Wong Keen: Flesh Matters
Collaboration between The Culture Story art salon and artcommune gallery brings about Wong Keen’s latest solo exhibition entitled Flesh Matters. Cited as “one of the most accomplished series in Wong’s painted oeuvre in over 50 years”, this exhibition presents 40 new works by the artist, incorporating mediums ranging from acrylic and oil on canvas, to ink, to paper, and mixed media collage.
His effective amalgamation in the embodiment of Chinese ink wash techniques coupled with his eye for a Western approach towards form and colour, allows visitors to vividly comprehend his continuous evolution as a committed artist. It is due to such an innovative disposition that sets Wong apart from his Singaporean contemporaries.
Measuring 305 by 610cm, the largest piece of work in Flesh Matters entitled ‘The Aftermath’ is a mural-like acrylic painting where forms and atmospheres of flesh reflect an aura of warfare, amongst other recurring threads. Whilst themes pertaining to violence and destruction are scattered throughout, they are implied and not imposed, allowing for interpretations of horror rather than direct imageries of destruction.
When:
12 – 22 July 2018
Opening reception 14 July 2018, 12-4pm
Where:
Artspace @ Helutrans
Ground floor
39 Keppel Rd
Singapore 089065
Admission:
Free
For more information, click here
Image courtesy of The Culture Story and artcommune gallery
Image courtesy of The Culture Story and artcommune gallery
Of Frames and Passing Times: Of Frames & Passing Time - The Gift of a Year
Marrying functions of archiving with the display of performativity, John Clang’s father takes a photograph of his life every day in 2017 and proceeds to send them to him in New York City. What is conceived in the formation of this exhibition is one of assemblage; Clang, in response and reflection, re-photographs selected shots corresponding to the months of his life.
Joined by Cheryl Chia, we trace their collaborative journey where emotions are derived from personal experiences in the same months of 2017. This is presented in the form of 12 writings that articulate John’s relationship with his father as well as Cheryl’s with those close to her.
This exhibition seeks to reveal encounters, perspectives, and interactions that may occur in our lives, allowing us to re-contextualise the images in front of us. It pushes us to acknowledge the range of proximities between our own relationships, be it physical or emotional.
When:
11 July – 4 August 2018
Opening reception 11 July 2018, 7-9pm
Where:
DECK
120A Prinsep Street
Singapore 187937
Admission:
$4 for general admission
$2 concession
Free for DECK members
For more information, click here
Image courtesy of John CLANG, from the exhibition Of Frames and Passing Time at DECK, 2018
Irfan Hendrian’s SANS☒
“To a graphic artist, paper is a finished medium. In art, it is often used as a temporary medium where the image is more important than the paper that it is painted on”
-Irfan Hendrian
Known for his analyses in artistic abstraction with paper, Hendrian’s enthusiasms lie with methods of reducing, subtracting, and simplifying his works to their most essential states. This results in his works reflecting a certain logical and utilitarian air. Working mainly with paper, he appropriates their malleable nature by engaging with their sculptural characteristics.
SANS☒ aims to explore potentials with representational aesthetics and thinking strategies. Hendrian’s practice allows for perceptual and imaginative involvements. Foreign, strange, yet equally playful, this show draws visitors through the integration of its peculiar imaginary space.
When:
7 July – 12 August 2018
Where:
#01-06 Gillman Barracks
Block 5 Lock Road
Singapore 108933
Admission:
Free
For more information, click here
Image courtesy of Sullivan+Strumpf Singapore
Image courtesy of Sullivan+Strumpf Singapore
Re(collect): The Making of our Art Collection
With the national collection comprising of over 8,600 visual artworks, the National Gallery reveals for the very first time Singapore’s journey of collection and acquisition over the years. This exhibition features over 120 works of modern art from Singapore and Southeast Asia, where visitors can expect to come face-to-face with the history of Singapore’s collection. What are uncovered are untold stories and dynamic evolutions two years into the opening of the Gallery. Re(collect) allows for visitors to examine the means in which Southeast Asia is constituted through art, which further allows for a more thorough understanding of the region’s heritage.
Seven different sections delineate the art journey that commenced during post-war Singapore. It was the course of this era when this country prioritized nation building, which subsequently led to the arts having to take a backseat. What are witnessed are the milestones in relation to the crystallization of Singapore’s visual arts collection. The shift in custodianship from the National Museum Art Gallery (NMAG) in 1976 to Singapore Art Museum in 1996, to present day National Gallery Singapore that opened in 2015, highlights developments in site, whilst recognizing how ongoing processes for our artistic institutions have not ceased.
Expect to get up close with significant acquisitions by the Gallery, such as Singapore artist Kim Lim’s Abacus (1959), Pegasus (1962), and Naga (1984) which are being shown together for the first time. Keep an eye out for Navin Rawanchaikul’s compelling installation consisting of 11,000 medical bottles containing photographs that the artist has painstakingly documented.
When:
11 May – 19 August 2018
Where:
Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery B & C
National Gallery Singapore
1 St. Andrews Road
Singapore 178957
Admission:
Free entry for Singaporean & PRs
$20 for non-Singaporeans
Concessions available
For more information, click here
Image courtesy of National Gallery Singapore
Handmade Readymades: Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg & James Rosenquist
“Printmaking is a collaboration not only with people, but with materials too… collaboration not only takes the self-consciousness out of the artist, but the total result is generally so much greater, almost immeasurably”
– Robert Rauschenberg
Avant-garde icons of American Modern masters and their printmaking collaborations are examined in this exhibition, from Rauschenberg’s photographic images, John’s allegorical numbers, Rosenquist’s surreal cutout designs, and Lichtenstein’s quintessential comic strips. Handmade Readymades reviews the means in which these artists have reevaluated figurative art by examining their genesis, along with how and what they represent.
We note the appeal of print, and how printmaking collaborations caused an instrumental shift in paradigm towards The Readymades. Such a revival of the 50s-60s revolutionizes how prints were understood to ground-breaking effect – through the amplification of radical ideas and provocative visual language.
When:
9 June – 8 September 2018
Where:
Singapore Tyler Print Institute
41 Robertson Quay
Singapore 238236
Admission:
Free
For more information, click here
Image courtesy of STPI
Image courtesy of STPI
Any views or opinions in the post are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the company or contributors.
