Biennale a celebration of Southeast Asia’s creative connections

Just because this edition of the Singapore Biennale features art and artists exclusively from Asia doesn’t mean that it is any less international-minded than other biennales across the globe. At least, that’s what the creative director of the four-month art event says, highlighting the fact that Singapore serves as an important hub for all of the nations within Asia — each of which has something valuable to contribute to and reflect to one another. That’s why the Singapore Biennale’s theme — “Atlas of Mirrors” — is even more meaningful.
The creative director goes on to say that the cultural exchange among Asian countries isn’t simply a one-way transaction — or even a two-way street. Instead, all of the interactions, influences, and communication among the countries in different parts of Asia act as a sort of tapestry, with unique threads combining to make a whole.
The focus on Singaporean and other Asian artists in this installation of the biennale echoes across the world with meaningful pieces that have turned the attention of the global art world toward the show. One Singapore artist built a functioning loudspeaker for the show made entirely of woks, showing how prevalent this cooking tool is even beyond Asia. Other exhibits include a projection of videos of ocean waters shone on actual water, creating an immersive experience that recalls the journeys people make in order to find work to support themselves and their families. An art exhibit constructed exclusively with sound includes recordings the artist made in areas frequented by immigrants, reinforcing the idea of different cultures intwining to make new cultural connections all their own.
While the Singapore Art Museum is the main site for a majority of the artworks present in the Singapore Biennale, a number of other annexes and locations house other pieces. These pieces are the more heavily political, reflecting the tumult of history in the region. One artist from Myanmar reconstructed a map of the country using carved soaps very similar to the ones he carved while in prison for protesting. Others document periods of time rife with controversy. Artists are examining an interesting segment of time in which the traditions of the past are fading in the face of future advancements. Art does some work in preserving these traditions, but it is artists who are caught in the middle.
Celebrate the Singapore Biennale by finding your own place in the art world through taking an art class. Visit SGArtClass.com today to browse an exhaustive listing of art classes that are available for enrollment, including oil painting, portrait drawing, collage art, and many more. There is sure to be an art class to inspire you, along with an expert teacher to lead you through the history of your chosen art genre as well as the techniques necessary to complete projects you’re most interested in doing.
To read more about the art on display at the Singapore Biennale, go to http://theartnewspaper.com/news/news/singapore-biennale-reflects-on-the-ties-between-asian-countries-/.