PHUNK presents ‘CONTROL CHAOS’: 25 Years of Art Making

This month, Singaporean art & design collective PHUNK celebrates their 25th anniversary with 'Control Chaos', Redefining the Visual Cultures of Asia. The internationally acclaimed studio was founded in 1994 by Alvin Tan, Melvin Chee, Jackson Tan, and William Chan. The commemorative exhibition portrays a new world; it is an amalgamation of their childhood memories, Chinese mythology, and heritage landmarks such as Haw Par Villa. The striking imagery depicts heaven, earth, and hell, and the reflections and imaginations of their environments at the time of its creation. Each character in this new world has its own sets of orders, living according to the valued truths of their world. The combination of these distinct universes of the characters results in a symptomatic chaos, thus breathing life into the exhibition's title - 'Control Chaos'.

Beyond the humorous icons and contradictions, PHUNK suggests a glimpse of the postmodern identity: singular and universal. The characters maintain their individual identity and universe without classification or categorisation, coexisting inside the unbounded chaos. Such chaos in the post-mechanical age might be a new vision of fluid utopia. At the time of its creation, 'Control Chaos' was a reflection of the world's environment, but its relevance continues to express the socio-political environment today. This seminal work is the central theme of PHUNK’s 25th anniversary: Redefining the Visual Cultures of Asia. 

Featured in the exhibition are 'Monsieur Robo' and 'Madam Robo': citizens from the "Daydream Nation" universe, an artificially constructed utopia filled with fond memories of youth and eccentric characters. In this technologically advanced nation, 'Monsieur Robo' is a Frenchman in a robot suit, often seen with 'Madam Robo' who is programmed to receive the emotion of happiness and shares it with the rest of her fellow citizens. 

PHUNK's iconic 'Giant Love Bomb ' took its inspiration from the atomic bombs detonated in 1945. Both a man-made invention and a tool that has the power to destroy mankind, the imagery of the atomic bomb encapsulates the duality of creation and destruction, akin to Yin and Yang of Taoist philosophy. While the 'Giant Love Bomb' reflects this duality, it also emphasises love as the most powerful force in the universe.

You can see the 'Giant Love Bomb' installed at Straits Clan until 3 May 2021. 

'Creatures of Eccentricity 1 - Day' and 'Creatures of Eccentricity 2' - Night art are collaborative works that express an alternative to the “Eccentric City”, a brilliant future where PHUNK and Tanaami's characters invade and integrate dramatically into each other’s spaces. PHUNK and Tanaami reunite their worlds through a fantastical, evading the fate of destruction. The vast and open worlds are a combination of PHUNK's ideas of the self and inner world and Tanaami’s ideas of memories and dreams.

Click here to browse the full collection available exclusively on The Artling and here view more of PHUNK's artworks.