This is a good read about Curators.
Taken from the above article.
"One thing that's bound to annoy any museum curator is other people abusing the word for what we do. In a world where department stores talk about "curating" their shoe selections or whatever, people think that curating just means choosing nice things. But this is only half of it. Our real job as museum curators is to look after artefacts from the past, yet also to be the repository of knowledge about them, to be expert, to have spent 10000 hours immersed in the subject. Curating isn't just a matter of taste. It involves building up real knowledge of the items in your care. As the world gets quicker, and shallower, and bite-sized, retaining our ability to take a deep dive into history is more and more important."
The term is often loosely used. And if you look at the above opinion by Lucy Worlsey, chief curator, Historic Royal Palaces, many of the art curators in Singapore don't fit the definition with really superficial knowledge of the shows they are asked to curate.
Just like the term art collector. Whence one has one or two paintings of value on a wall, you are bestowed with the title art collector. The definition of collect is just to bring or gather things together so the word collector is correctly used. But there is more to it to earn the title of art collector, which along with collecting has to be an aficionado too. Or maybe we should use the term aficionado more?
My 2 Cents.
Interesting exhibitions which we attend. Mainly paintings but everything Art in Singapore with hot collector tips.
Saturday 23 January 2016
Light + Shadow - ANTZ
This exhibition is held from 22nd to 24th January 2016 at Art Outreach over at Gillman Barracks.
It was an interactive show where you place objects in front of a projector to form images/ scenes on a screen. Interesting fun thing, not really fine art but in line with Art Outreach's objectives.
It was an interactive show where you place objects in front of a projector to form images/ scenes on a screen. Interesting fun thing, not really fine art but in line with Art Outreach's objectives.
Singapore Contemporary Art Show 2016
Went down to the first edition. Interesting. Not as big as Art Stage but still works of good/decent quality. Supposed to plug the gap between Art Stage and Affordable Art Fair. Think it does. Definitely better quality than AAF. But I felt Singapore Art Fair 2014 had better quality. You can check out TodayOnline, Straits Times, Channelnewsasia and other news websites to see how they rank the fairs, including Art Apart Fair. (Been to previous editions, only so-so, thus go only when you are feeling art starved.)
I think that the organisers of SCA are working hard and I think have committed to 3 years at least and the next edition should be better. They have set the date for next year already. Just hope that Art Week doesn't move before it. And it's good to have another fair in case Art Stage pulls out. Heard some talk about it, dunno if it's just to get NAC /EDB to continue with their grants.
Anyway back to the Art, posting some art which caught my eye:
I think that the organisers of SCA are working hard and I think have committed to 3 years at least and the next edition should be better. They have set the date for next year already. Just hope that Art Week doesn't move before it. And it's good to have another fair in case Art Stage pulls out. Heard some talk about it, dunno if it's just to get NAC /EDB to continue with their grants.
Anyway back to the Art, posting some art which caught my eye:
Ng Woon Lam's work
Ng Woon Lam
Mendez Big and Small Art Company Booth
Mendez Big and Small Art Company Booth
Mendez Big and Small Art Company Booth
Leo Liu
Park Jin Won
Katsutoshi Yuasa
Syagini Ratna Wulan
Hendra Hehe Harsono
Hendra Hehe Harsono
Yoga Mahendra
Chun Kwangyoung's small work, 50x72.7cm
A Gallery HK
Tokuhiro Kawai
Tung Yue Nang
Hwang Seon-Tae
Randy Li
Catch the show if you can. You can buy a ticket online: 1 for 1 ($30), so it works out to $15 per person only. Hope we get a bigger and better curated exhibition next year. Maybe they should jump on the bandwagon and also do a show with a strong South East Asian push, supported by other galleries from Asia than international. But should have a strong SEA flavour. Then we really can get many people coming to SG during this period and Singapore is the go to place for SEA art especially during Art Week.
Thursday 21 January 2016
Art Stage 2016 - Part II
Just a few more pictures of interesting works from Art Stage 2016. Haven't headed over to the Singapore Contemporary Art Fair yet, but will head over tomorrow and on Saturday. Asst Prof Ng Woon Lam from NTU's ADM will be having a book launch tomorrow over at the Singapore Contemporary Art Fair, will definitely go check it out.
Anish Kapoor
Navin Rawanchaikul
Robert Zhao
Takashi Kuribayashi
Chou Ching Hui
Shinnosuke Tojo
Ploenchan Vinyaratn(Mook)
Fernando Garcia Vasquez
Piyarat Piyapongwiwat
Chun Kai Feng
Jennis Li Cheng Tien
Jennis Li Cheng Tien
Sung Chul Hong
Norberto Roldan
Do try to catch Art Stage!
Wednesday 20 January 2016
Art Stage 2016
Only managed to do the left half today. Rather interesting. Walkways are narrower. More galleries or bigger gallery spaces? Not complaining. Gives us more works to see. Will just post a few interesting pieces which I saw. Not comprehensive though.
At the entrance of the VIP lounge
Entang Wiharso
Ruben Pang's Works at ChanHampe Booth
Mulyana's Coral Island at Art Porters
Zen Teh's works (front 2 works) at 2902 Gallery
Jennis Li Cheng Tien at Mizuma Gallery
Si Jae Byun at Chan Hampe Galleries
Si Jae Byun at ChanHampe Galleries
Jane Lee at Sundaram Tagore
Ha Chong Hyun
Ansen
Will post more pictures tomorrow.
Scout Singapore: Emerging Art Practices
This exhibition is held from 20th January 2016 till 24th January 2016 over at Gillman Barracks.
It is a short exhibition which is part of Art Week 2016. It was initiated/curated by Patricia Chen and Joanna Lee with the support/funding of NAC. It was held in 16 containers in car park b of Gillman Barracks. The lay out was a social sculpture by Jennis Li Cheng Tien.
24 artists were featured. Initially 25, but Zen Teh pulled out. Dunno why, but from hearsay it was due to the dissatisfaction with the container wall for the presentation of her art works. But she was at Art Stage with Gallery 2902.
Anyway the advantage of such a programme is the promised exposure to some people from various arms of the art industry including some collectors (Joanna Lee's connections I guess). But with the clash of Art Stage, Singapore Contemporary Art fair amongst others, foot fall might be limited. And I think exposure to most collectors will be very limited. Further, most of the shows at Gillman have already had their opening, so less spill over of the collectors. Art after dark this friday, will bring in alot of general public for them, I'm very sure. In short, Scout will find it difficult to pull in collectors. Most of the people who are most keen on it are industry people. The organisers should plan the dates of the exhibition to clash with the opening of significant shows at Gillman to catch the spill over of collectors. I haven't any data to back me up, but that's what I feel.
I have no problems with Scout. I really really enjoyed myself and meeting those artists who were present and talking about their practice. Would be great it if came round again next year as it made a difference to Art Week 2016.
Anyway back to the meat of the write up.
Artists which stood out for me (not in any order):
Check out their bio's here.
1. Allison M. Low - Drawing and painting. Really really nice woks.
2. Ashley Yeo - Drawing but in this exhibition she showed paper cuts. The ones that were shown at FOST gallery. Really superb and well executed.
3. Yap Soke Kee- Really young artist just fresh out of SOTA, and awaiting to go on to do her BFA in UK. Abstract artist. Showed a really nice painting which was done over someone elses's painting so as to recycle. She also presented Gel Wax works. One was indoor and fixed. Another was outdoor and melting each day and changing form/shape.
4. Wilfred Lim - Photographer. Presented photos of abandoned buildings and intervention of fish/seafood parts to form mutants/chimeras.
5. Fyerool Darma - Presented his Moyang series.
6. Ezekiel Wong Kel Win - Presented his political/ social statement series of the black and white male figures. You can refer to my post on AAF young talent programme in 2015.
7. Antz - together with Zero whom he shared the container with, transformed the entire container into an installation. Painting/ tagging/ bombing the outside of the container. And transforming the inside of the container to a white half/legal half of Zero who was awarded the Young Artist Award by the government and a black half of Antz who was arrested and charged as an accomplice in the SKLO/ sticker lady case.
8. Jennis Li - didn't present much except some sculptures as part of the study when coming out with the arrangement of the containers.
Please catch this if you can. Not many days left.
Points for collectors: Allison Low - possible buy rating. Need to research more on her, but really like her works. Ashley Yeo - Buy rating. Yap Soke Kee- too young to give a buy rating, but definitely very talented. Wilfred Lim - possible buy rating. Fyerool Darma - Buy Rating (will be featured in this years Singapore Biennale). ANTZ - Strong Buy if you are into street art. Smart guy going places. Ezekiel Wong Kel Win - Buy rating. Jennis Li - Buy rating.
It is a short exhibition which is part of Art Week 2016. It was initiated/curated by Patricia Chen and Joanna Lee with the support/funding of NAC. It was held in 16 containers in car park b of Gillman Barracks. The lay out was a social sculpture by Jennis Li Cheng Tien.
24 artists were featured. Initially 25, but Zen Teh pulled out. Dunno why, but from hearsay it was due to the dissatisfaction with the container wall for the presentation of her art works. But she was at Art Stage with Gallery 2902.
Anyway the advantage of such a programme is the promised exposure to some people from various arms of the art industry including some collectors (Joanna Lee's connections I guess). But with the clash of Art Stage, Singapore Contemporary Art fair amongst others, foot fall might be limited. And I think exposure to most collectors will be very limited. Further, most of the shows at Gillman have already had their opening, so less spill over of the collectors. Art after dark this friday, will bring in alot of general public for them, I'm very sure. In short, Scout will find it difficult to pull in collectors. Most of the people who are most keen on it are industry people. The organisers should plan the dates of the exhibition to clash with the opening of significant shows at Gillman to catch the spill over of collectors. I haven't any data to back me up, but that's what I feel.
I have no problems with Scout. I really really enjoyed myself and meeting those artists who were present and talking about their practice. Would be great it if came round again next year as it made a difference to Art Week 2016.
Anyway back to the meat of the write up.
Artists which stood out for me (not in any order):
Check out their bio's here.
1. Allison M. Low - Drawing and painting. Really really nice woks.
Allison's works
Allison's Dorothy
Allison's Frog Prince
2. Ashley Yeo - Drawing but in this exhibition she showed paper cuts. The ones that were shown at FOST gallery. Really superb and well executed.
Ashley Yeo's Arbitary Metrics II
Ashley Yeo's I'm Here
Yap Soke Kee's Innards
Yap Soke Kee's Untitled - Gel wax painting
Wilfred's photographs of abandoned buildings
5. Fyerool Darma - Presented his Moyang series.
Fyerool Darma's Portrait No.8
Kel Win's Works
Kel Win's Works
7. Antz - together with Zero whom he shared the container with, transformed the entire container into an installation. Painting/ tagging/ bombing the outside of the container. And transforming the inside of the container to a white half/legal half of Zero who was awarded the Young Artist Award by the government and a black half of Antz who was arrested and charged as an accomplice in the SKLO/ sticker lady case.
8. Jennis Li - didn't present much except some sculptures as part of the study when coming out with the arrangement of the containers.
Please catch this if you can. Not many days left.
Points for collectors: Allison Low - possible buy rating. Need to research more on her, but really like her works. Ashley Yeo - Buy rating. Yap Soke Kee- too young to give a buy rating, but definitely very talented. Wilfred Lim - possible buy rating. Fyerool Darma - Buy Rating (will be featured in this years Singapore Biennale). ANTZ - Strong Buy if you are into street art. Smart guy going places. Ezekiel Wong Kel Win - Buy rating. Jennis Li - Buy rating.
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