For the first time ever, Singapore will be represented at one of the most visible art events in the world: Art Basel in Switzerland. Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen will showcase his work alongside some of the most famous names in the art world today, including famed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
Art Basel is now in its sixteenth year and lasts nearly an entire week. Almost 100,000 people from all over the world attends the annual event, making it a wonderful way for artists to gain visibility and boost their career. The Singaporean artist’s entry was picked to be one of nearly 90 on display. More than 200 works applied to be shown at Art Basel, meaning Ho was a part of a fierce competition to be included in the prestigious festival.
The installation that Ho will display is a video art piece called “The Nameless.” The work is based on a number of different things, including a historical secret agent from Vietnam who was revealed to have been working several different sides against one another. He was executed after that discovery, and though he operated under several different names, his true one was never known, not even by his executors. Ho’s piece explores this story by stitching together scenes from movies an actor from Hong Kong has appeared in over the last fifteen years or so. This feat of editing creates a larger examination of secrecy, identities, and namelessness. As the actor in the film clips plays different aliases, so did the secret agent in real life.
What is even more powerful about Ho’s video installation is that while the artist is from Singapore, it shows how interconnected the entire Southeastern Asian region is. Ho examines a secret agent from Vietnam who was executed in Thailand. His medium is the movies from a Hong Kong actor. These kinds of connections are part of the reason why the art scene is so exciting and dynamic in the region. Artists from all over Southeastern Asia can be inspired by the art of others in the same area, developing highly thoughtful and culturally rich works that draw from the best parts of all the regions to bring greater visibility for everyone involved.
Art doesn’t always have to be painted on a canvas and hung on a wall in a frame. Art can be anything you make it, and the best way to explore these new ideas and push the boundaries of your creative understanding is to take an art class. Visit SGArtClass.com to enroll in an art class today. Browse all kinds of different art classes to challenge your notions of traditional art, including assemblage art, recycled art, mural painting, video art, and many more classes. Professional art teachers will assist you in your artistic journey, pushing you to complete projects that you might never have thought possible.
For more on the artist’s appearance in the upcoming event, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-artist-to-show-in-art-basel-unlimited.