A Singapore artist and former Olympic sailor is challenging fellow Singaporeans to appreciate something important to anyone who lives on an island nation: the ocean. A sea-centric exhibition of the artist’s works is the first major show for a Singaporean artist to be hosted at the NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
Most Singaporeans have an ambivalent relationship with the body of water that surrounds their home, doing leisure activities beside of it, having it serve as a backdrop for buildings or photos, and not much else. This exhibit seems to reflect and prod this notion at the same time, encouraging viewers to really examine their own relationships with the sea. Overall, the artist’s body of work is diffused in an ocean-like light, lending a cool and serene atmosphere to the show space. Many visitors to the gallery might feel suspended or weightless when walking around, almost as if they are floating in the ocean themselves. The artwork itself is placed cerebrally around the space, giving all of the pieces ample room to breathe and float along, as well.
Charles Lim, the artist, is well known for videos on plasma screens, and this exhibition is no different. A number of these screens are anchored to the ceiling, reminiscent of a previous display in a Venice art show. The suspension of these videos from the ceiling allows for a wildly varied viewing experience. Instead of being forced to view the video from a certain angle, visitors to the exhibit can walk around, wandering while the videos play, experiencing their own perspectives of Lim’s work. Each of the videos plays something different, but one of the more notable works is of a number of workers carrying a large sailboat deep into a cave, perhaps simulating the idea that water or its basic elements is all around us at all times.
Another theme of the exhibition is the idea of land reclamation and what it means in regards to the sea. Some may think that dumping sand into the ocean in order to gain more land disrespects the natural beauty of the ocean. To pay tribute to this idea and to reflect on an island that was submerged again after being reclaimed originally, Lim submerged a buoy for a period of time and recovered it, rotting and speckled with sea life, to display at the show.
Art is a wonderful way to reflect on all themes great and small, from the largest ocean to the tiniest sea creature living within it. Celebrate your favorite theme by taking an art class today. Visit SGArtClass.com to explore all the artistic offerings, from found art to oil paintings and everything in between. Even if you’ve never had any formal artistic training, a teacher will work with your already available skill set to develop lessons tailored to your interests.
For more about the exhibition, go to http://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/arts/art-review-charles-lims-sea-state-examins-our-oddly-blase-relationship-sea.