Category Archives for "Blog"

0 Contemporary Philippines art to be the focus of Singapore art show

An exciting and illuminating new exhibit of artwork from both new and experienced artists from the Philippines will be on display in a Singapore gallery. The common thread among all these artists? Each of them is talented in creating art from found objects. This means that artworks featuring collage techniques, recycled items, and objects the artists have stumbled across in their everyday lives will be combined with traditional art techniques to make exciting and transformative masterpieces.

One of the pieces that will be featured as a part of the exhibit features a collage of figures both new and familiar. A cutout of the famous statue of David stands on one side of the large canvas, perched among a palette knife, a pair of pink, rabbit-like creatures, a bolt of rainbow lightning, a disco ball, and a spilled ice cream cone, among other items. On the other side of the canvas, which is divided into two distinct areas, a woman examines a beverage cradled carefully in her hands. It’s a cutout from an advertisement hailing from a different era, and behind her, American money carpets the horizon. Below both sides of the canvas are a number of smaller shadowboxes, each of them holding small art installations of their own. Small figurines as well as maps and tiny paintings act as a sort of comic strip bordering the larger work.

Another shadowbox features something of a dramatic scene. A pair of Christian figurines stand in the center of what appears to be a room. The sober coloring and staging of the scene almost recalls a televised courtroom drama, a bust on a pedestal on one side of the religious figurines, and a similarly colored statue on a pedestal on the other side of the room. Above all the figures is a digital clock display. Is it telling the current time, or is it counting down to something? Only the viewer can decide.

In another installation, two planes perch together to shelter a video. The planes, made of aluminum, are covered in brightly colored rags that the artist found and gathered for the purpose of making the art. The effect marries old with new, used with modern.

Find space in your busy schedule to immerse yourself in the art world. It’s as easy as visiting SGArtClass.com at your next convenience. SGArtClass.com offers a wealth of art classes for every interest. Expert teachers can meet with you in the comfort and convenience of your own home or a common meeting place depending on your schedule and needs. For maximum flexibility, which would come in handy if your work or school demands are strenuous, SGArtClass.com even offers the option of online-only classes, meaning you can pause and restart your lessons whenever you need to.

To read more about the show, as well as to see a sneak peek of some of the art that will be on display, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2781145/street-mining-contemporary-art-from-the-philippines-at.

0 A sampling of events for fans of this year’s Singapore Art Week

January is the month that marks a lot more than just the start of the new year, especially in Singapore. The end of the month is the time for one of the nation’s most popular and celebrated art festivals — Singapore Art Week. This year, as with years past, visitors can expect to delight in a variety of different shows and events designed to appeal to multiple tastes and interests.

There are a number of opportunities to appreciate masterpieces from the street and public art genres. Street artists can include anyone from muralists commissioned to beautify building facades and other blank wall space, increasing the visual interest of otherwise nondescript locations, to graffiti artists who often do not seek permission to add their art to the public space. One of the world’s most famous graffiti artists, Banksy, will have pieces on display during Singapore Art Week. Since graffiti is often classified as destruction of property or against the law in other ways, Banksy’s true identity remains anonymous — even as his artwork garners international accolades and attention. Other chances to take in public art include walking tours around specific Singaporean neighborhoods, including Little India. There, participants will get an opportunity to appreciate mural art  that has a purpose — to draw interest to historic neighborhoods and attract more foot traffic from art aficionados.

National Gallery Singapore will again host a “Light to Night” exhibit that illuminates the facades of several buildings, turning them into giant art pieces amid entertainment options and food. Other prominent galleries around Singapore will also be hosting late-night programming, which includes live music performances, samplings from eateries and bars, and much more for fans of creative nightlife.

One of the best and most renowned portions of Singapore Art Week include Art Stage Singapore. The festival will see over a hundred art galleries hosting multitudes of paintings for visitors to view and even purchase. The artists who participate are from Singapore and all around the world, guaranteeing that there is an opportunity for all participants and visitors to learn from one another and take in viewpoints on the world from cultures they’ve never experienced.

Have you been stressed out lately by your job or your overwhelming school work? It might be time to take a moment for yourself and find a relaxing hobby that will help you unwind from your daily routine while enriching your life with new skills and experiences. Visit SGArtClass.com to investigate just how simple it is to enroll in an art class of your choosing. From mural painting to portrait drawing and everything in between, SGArtClass.com connects art students with the classes that will challenge and inspire them the most. Soon, you’ll be creating masterpieces that inspire you to take a moment for yourself and explore your own creativity.

To read more about the upcoming artworks and shows that will be a part of Singapore Art Week this month, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2772002/singapore-art-week-at-national-art-council-singapore.

0 Historic Singapore air raid shelter the site of new art show

A special and immersive new show that will be part of this year’s Singapore Art Week promises to dazzle and surprise visitors even as it plunges them into a world that many haven’t experienced. The show features work from a large group of young Singaporean artists, but the truly unique aspect to it is that the works will be displayed in a World War II-era air raid shelter.

The shelter itself was built as a part of a public housing facility, and it has never been opened to the public until now. The young artists who will be displaying their work in the shelter are faced with numerous challenges that wouldn’t be present in any other exhibit space, including the tendency for groundwater to seep into the space, threatening the art installations. Other difficulties include brick walls that force the young artists to adapt the ways they would usually hang their art. Irregularities, like stray nails and out of place tiles, add to the disorder. Coupled with dismal lighting and overall dampness, the air raid shelter feels like a hostile environment for the art that is meant to be displayed there.

This, however, is where creative resilience and problem solving comes in. One of the most special features of the air raid shelter, besides the opportunity to see a preserved, historically important space from another era, is that there are writings on the wall from the people who sheltered in the facility. Many young artists remarked that they felt like they were a part of that special story and history of the shelter, often working around the messages scrawled over the bricks in the walls. A majority of the artists who will be displaying their work even drew inspiration for their pieces and installations from the air raid shelter itself.

One of the installations features dried flowers that a person might find at a funeral, as well as concrete slabs that appear like ones used in burials. The symbolism of being buried is strong with that installation. In another installation, lights are rigged up on the wall. Coupled with a motor to create motion, the artist said her art, which resembles an improbable window underground, promotes the idea of hope in the midst of turmoil, like many people sheltering in the facility must have felt during World War II.

Art is a fantastic way to interact with the world around you, including fostering deeper connections with places you might not have understood or appreciated otherwise. Visit SGArtClass.com to learn more about the different genres of art while browsing through all the various art classes you can enroll in. Whether you’re interested in installation art, oil painting, assemblage art, or other genres, there is certainly a class that will boost your passion for art.

To learn more about the history of the air raid shelter, as well as to see photos of the exhibit being installed, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/art-in-a-dark-dusty-damp-place.

0 Singapore exhibit space to host pop art show

An upcoming art show in Singapore is the perfect way for visitors to get a crash course in pop art. Dozens of pop art masterpieces will be on display during the exhibit by both Singaporean and international artists. In general, pop art can be defined as art that borrows imagery or themes from modern society, popular culture, entertainment trends, and more. Usually, artworks that fall under the pop art umbrella can be viewed as satire, offering commentary on the very society and culture the images and styles are borrowed from.

In one piece from a Dutch pop artist who curated and organized the show, the soup can that was a visible and memorable part of American artist Andy Warhol’s famous art makes an appearance. But instead of Campbell’s emblazoned on the label, it’s a portrait of Warhol himself. Text instructs the viewer on how to successfully make the substance inside the can, which is advertised as instant fame. Other instructions include mixing the innards with ambition and advises that the recipe only takes fifteen minutes — just like the fifteen minutes of fame Warhol predicted everyone would receive.

Another pop artist from Singapore incorporates cartoon characters in his work, which often tends toward traditional patterns. In one painting, the viewer must look hard to locate Mickey Mouse, Bambi, Hello Kitty, Tin Tin, Pikachu, and others in the center of what, at first glance, appears to be a porcelain dish. In another, Hello Kitty is front and center, the bottom half of the character’s face concealed with a bandana. Colorful patterns instantly recognizable to fashionistas around the world act as a bright collage in the background — there are logos for Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Versace, and others.

Another Singaporean artist painted an irreverent but cheerful tribute to Buddha — if the Buddha in question were a DJ. The religious figure is seated atop a lotus, arms raised in the air, presiding over a deck. Around him, speakers don’t so much as blare as they emanate red waves of sound, which lift a trio of nude women to the top of the canvas. The women look peaceful, swaddled in red cloth, the joy from the Buddha below buoying them.

Invest your free time in taking an art class. Visit SGArtClass.com today to browse an extensive listing of all the different art classes you can enroll in. From digital art to acrylic painting, 3-D sculpture to jewelry art, comic drawing to mural painting, there is sure to be an art class to pique your interest. Art is a wonderful way to engage in the world around you, and can even help you understand and participate in popular culture. Make your mark on the art world with the help of a professional art teacher.

To read more about the pop art exhibit, as well as to see a sneak peek of some of the works that will be on display, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/pop-art-for-the-selfie-generation.

0 Singapore curators master art of storytelling

Curators are often the unsung heroes of art exhibits big and small. They are the gatekeepers between visitors and a museum or gallery’s collection of treasure. They work hard to engage with the public and to keep things interesting and immersive inside the limitations of the facilities they work for. And a recent interview with a small sampling of these hardworking individuals offers valuable insight into the time and effort they pour in to their work at their various venues.

For one curator, the challenge comes from getting people interested in something they might not usually enjoy: stamps. This curator, who has collected stamps since she was young, looks to inspire a similar devotion with visitors to the stamp museum where she works. That’s not always easy, especially since stamps are tiny and the art of writing letters is falling out of fashion. However, this curator uses her creativity — along with the power of storytelling — to get people excited about stamps. A recent successful exhibit that she curated focused on the fantasy world of “Harry Potter.” The show featured a collection of stamps, along with interactive displays that included a collaboration with technology students that allowed visitors to cast “spells” via a wand and radio waves. Other shows included an exploration of Shakespeare and even an entire exhibit devoted to anime. Visitors had the opportunity to view anime-themed stamps, as well as rare and interesting figurines and artwork from a variety of fandoms.

Another curator focuses on the preservation of memories. At her facility, which highlights Indian heritage and art, the curator has used her own story as an immigrant to connect with the items that are on display. She successfully convinced a number of people to donate items to the center that most might discount as just being ordinary. But with the help and care of this curator, the items take on beauty and new meaning in context. In one room, hundreds of colorful bowls are suspended on the walls, creating an irresistible pattern and texture for viewers. The curator has helped to restore and preserve many items that would’ve otherwise been ruined by time and poor storage, and now people can see and learn from them.

A third curator left a much more lucrative career in moviemaking to engage with audiences in a different way. Two decades later, she has made her mark on a number of different arts facilities in Singapore. Perhaps her strangest exhibit she curated included cajoling an undertaker to loan her a coffin so she could make an even bigger impression on visitors during a show on funeral rituals. Now, she works for Singapore’s National Library, reaching out to visitors in new and immersive ways.

Curate your own life through art. Visit SGArtClass.com to read informative articles about different artistic genres, shop for highly affordable art supplies, and enroll in a variety of art classes today.

Read more about the lives and work of art curators in Singapore by visiting http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/telling-stories-in-a-museum.

0 Singapore Art Museum becoming late-night destination

The Singapore Art Museum is adding a new dimension to its regular programming, and it’s designed to reach people beyond normal hours and offerings. After the museum closes its doors to visitors at the end of the regular business day, SAM Late Night begins, looking to attract nightlife-loving visitors who might not regularly attend more traditional exhibits at the facility.

The regular museum space will remain open during these late-night events, which have been scheduled to feature a number of different educational and entertainment options. Guests can wander the exhibit space and imbibe in food and drink opportunities for trendy eateries right on premises. Visitors to the SAM Late Night programming will also be treated to unique musical acts from a variety of performers. One such show on the docket features music set to a visual art display, meaning that visitors will be dazzled by both sight and sound. Another benefit of having live music is that fans of such performances will be drawn to art to see their favorite bands and musical acts playing. They might become fans of art museums and galleries as a result, meaning they’ll be more likely to attend festivals and other art events in the future.

Visitors to the special evening hours shouldn’t miss the exhibit that will anchor everything else. Decidedly modern, the exhibit features breathtaking and immersive video and sound art from across the Asian continent. Visitors will be able to experience these cutting-edge technological feats of art at any time of day — though the displays are sure to take on a new dimension after dark during the other attractions at SAM Late Night.

One of the best excuses for visitors to SAM Late Night is the price of admission — it’s free. So instead of going to the regular bars, restaurants, and clubs, individuals seeking out new experiences in night life can give the Singapore Art Museum a try.

Bringing art into your life has a number of benefits. While you can learn new creative skills and broaden your understanding of the world around you, art also helps people lower their stress levels, develop a more advanced set of creative problem solving techniques, and process life’s griefs and traumas. You should consider signing up for an art class today via SGArtClass.com so that you can start taking advantage of art’s many benefits as soon as possible. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive website that offers everything from informative art articles and deeply discounted supplies to an exhaustive listing of different art classes you can enroll in. From charcoal sketching to watercolor painting, caricature drawing to recycled art, there is a class for every interest. Professional teachers with experience instructing students of all ages and abilities will be on hand to help develop curriculum suited to your own talents and interests.

To read more about the late-night programming the Singapore Art Museum has scheduled, go to https://www.bandwagon.asia/articles/singapore-art-museum-late-night-fridays.

0 Singapore gallery to turn focus on ethnic group’s perception of landscapes

Landscapes and the world around us — as envisioned by a specific ethnic group — is in the spotlight at a new show at a Singapore gallery. The group — the Minangkabau — originate in West Sumatra. The pieces in this show all come from artists in that specific group and region, and explore the rich context in which the artists find themselves both dispelling incorrect notions about their culture and illustrating the intricate and interesting relationship they have with nature as a teacher and the world around all of us.

One oil painting that will be on display is a delicious abstract rendering of a landscape. The only immediately recognizable shape on the canvas is a thick, white, puffy cloud in a pale blue sky. The rest is a riotous jumble of color, shape, line, and form, reminiscent of a joyful tangle of a rich jungle. If the viewer allows their eyes to blur and lose precision focus, however, something interesting emerges. It’s as if the white drips in the middle of the canvas become a gushing waterfall, and the colors and shapes around the rocky cliffs transform into lush foliage. The texture of this painting adds intriguing dimension, as brush strokes and drips are fully present and embraced.

In another abstract landscape, the viewer can perceive steep mountains rounded tops heaped on top of one another, reaching toward a deep blue sky. Bright colors denote clouds obscuring the highest peak, and changes the perception of traditional, realistic landscapes.

In a very interesting piece, a digital print is combined with an odd shape of canvas and oil paint. Dark silhouettes of unsettling mountains border the bottom of the shiny acrylic canvas, while blue, yellow, and red paint conjure up ideas of sunset or fall foliage. The effect is arresting, especially with the unique choice of medium.

A darker painting’s interpretation lies with the viewer. A black bottom and orange top of the canvas frame what appears to be a hulking human figure bending over the wild lines of a bush. The lines themselves can represent a tangle of foliage or vines, complete with red, white, and black drips throughout the canvas.

In a more traditional take on a landscape, a pair of human figures offer an example of scale for the size of the river and mountain behind them, both going gauzy as an indication of realism and distance. The richly rounded mountain has a sharp peak at the top, calling to mind a mother’s shape.

Find the art in your own life by visiting SGArtClass.com. On this website, browse discounted art supplies, informative articles, and a wealth of classes you can enroll in. From digital art to acrylic painting, comic drawing to 3-D sculpture, found art to mural painting, there is sure to be a class to inspire you.

To read more about the exhibit, as well as to see a slideshow of some of the works that will be on display, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2750479/landscapes-legacies-visualizing-alam-minangkabau-at-gajah.

0 Mother of adult children turns to art to fill time

When a mother devotes years of her life to rearing children, it’s natural to feel a bit adrift after those children have left the home, creating adult lives for themselves. Hours that were spent cooking or helping or consoling children are now empty, along with the physical space in the home that the children used to occupy. Having an empty nest is a big life change, and some mothers are at the risk of falling into depression or other maladies because of it. However, Belinda Low took that sudden free time and did something productive — art.

Low felt lonely after working during the day and coming home to an empty house, bereft of the now-adult sons she’d raised. So when a friend lost a son of her own in a boating accident and slipped into sadness, Low suggested that they enroll in an art class to take their mind off of things. For Low, the lessons opened up a world she never would’ve stumbled upon otherwise. Painting became more than a hobby for her. Now, a number of murals she’s made can be found all around Singapore. She’s even transformed one of the rooms of her home into an artist’s studio.

Art became more than a way to pass the time for Low. As she painted, she realized that she was relieving any lingering feelings of sadness she’d had at having an empty nest. She was able to better manage her emotions as a result of it, along with having an often lucrative hobby. Though Low still works during the week, she now spends her weekends painting. Low paints for herself, and is unbothered by the idea that her husband and sons have never accompanied her on any of her mural projects. Painting functions as its own outlet for her, just as the rest of her family has their own hobbies and interests. A Singaporean government official has even sponsored her to personally dress up the plain and boring walls of buildings in a certain neighborhood.

The subjects of Low’s paintings are often strong women, and many times, come from her own life experience. One features Low’s own grandmother holding a younger version of the artist while watching men going off to work. It’s a commentary on gender roles as well as a tribute, and it gives passers-by the opportunity to consider all the various ways that women have impacted their lives.

Art can do everything from providing a new pastime to becoming a healthy way to process different emotions at various stages of life. You can explore the different ways art can enrich your life by visiting SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a website that hosts everything from informative art articles and discounted art supplies to an exhaustive listing of classes you can easily and conveniently enroll in.

To read more about Belinda Low’s life and art, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/empty-nest-leads-mum-to-discover-a-life-full-of-art.

0 Diverse group of artists to take on challenge of depicting ocean

A contemporary art facility in Singapore is offering an exciting and immersive show that features artists from all different kinds of backgrounds and experiences. Everyone from composers and filmmakers to painters and other artists will show their work at the exhibit, knit together by a common theme: the ocean. Partly inspired by oceanic expeditions, and also influenced by the pressing need to take action to save the essential and sometimes delicate ecosystems present in the ocean, visitors can anticipate a diverse offering of art. Those who attend the show will also be treated to ambient sounds of the ocean, recorded on some of the expeditions that inspired several pieces of art.

In a screen capture of a video art piece that will be shown in the exhibit, a hand holds a 10-euro note under a blacklight. The blacklight illuminates various security features of the note, including neon-colored aqueducts and a bright map of Europe. The euro unites many countries in the union, offering a common and strong currency for many to use. In the same vein, though, viewers are forced to wonder just what is gained and lost with such a common currency. Are there winners and losers in the exchange? What about the seafaring ideas of colonialism?

A digital art piece that will be on display is a curiosity for many viewers. What appears to be a topographical map, rendered in 3-D, is actually a collaboration of math, science, and myth. The artist used a formula to map out radiation from an atoll where nuclear weapons were tested, resulting in a surreal formation of a landscape we perhaps don’t understand yet.

Another still of a four-part video that visitors can view is puzzling and richly textured. At first glance, what appears to be a long and tangled centipede grips a webbing of flowers. However, on closer examination, the animal is like a type of starfish, and it is hanging on with multiple arms to a formation of coral or underwater vegetations. It is a delicate, precarious, and powerful image all at once, and visitors should look forward to getting the rest of the story from the videos.

Another image that will be on display at the oceanic exhibit documents a colorful canoe that is typical to a group of people. Art merges with life in the intricate and beautiful ornamentations on the watercraft, which features swirls and inlaid curls of white, blue, and red on the stern.

Art is all around us, if we just know how to look. Open your creativity by enrolling in an art class via SGArtClass.com. Whether you’re interested in video art, digital art, watercolor painting, or anything in between, SGArtClass.com is sure to feature a class that will ignite your artistic skills.

To read more about the display and see a sneak peek of some of the works that will be available to view during the show, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2749058/the-oceanic-at-ntu-centre-for-contemporary-art-singapore.

0 Marina Bay Sands featuring new digital art display

A new digital art display at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands proposes to immerse visitors in a sea of light. Containing several different levels of participation, as impressive as the digital display is, it depends on something simple to make it really come to life: humans.

People who visit the display at Marina Bay Sands are encouraged to use the location’s Wi-Fi or use a QR code to participate in the first interactive level. Once they’re connected with the display, participants can hang festive, digital ornaments with their smartphones on the display. They also have the ability to set off an appropriately festive year-end fireworks display — thanks to an augmented virtual reality experience.

For a small fee, visitors can immerse themselves even more fully in the digital experience. After paying, people have the ability to walk out on a specially designed floor. The floor has been rigged with bright LED lights that have been programmed to respond to pressure, meaning that they change colors and react in other ways as the person moves across the floor. In fact, based on how the person is comporting themselves, the lights change to reflect everything from fish swimming in a digital ocean to bright, LED flowers blossoming at every soft touch. Swirling pinks, greens, and blues dance around, making the display almost as fun to watch as it is to participate in.

The digital installation itself was designed and executed by a Japanese group of digital artists that was also behind a recent ArtScience Museum display. One of the members of the group said he hoped that the display helped break down not only the barriers that exist between people and art, but the barriers that separate people from one another and keep them from getting to know and understand one another.

If you’ve been looking to take on a new hobby but haven’t been sure what to do, consider art. Art has a number of benefits beyond being fun and a great way to pass the time. Learning art can impart everything from new skills, an increased dexterity, and a boost in creative problem solving skills — as well as a relaxing way to unwind after a long and stressful day at work or at school. Visit SGArtClass.com to learn more about different art genres and browse all the different art classes you can sign up for. Whether you’ve always been interested in acrylic painting or you’d like to take on something more modern, like digital art, there’s a class that would be perfect for you and your various interests. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush before. Teachers are experienced with developing curriculum for students of all ages and abilities. Soon, you’ll be able to share your new masterpieces with your friends and family.

To learn more about the digital art display at Marina Bay Sands, including pictures of part of the light show, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/new-digital-art-exhibit-adds-sparkle-to-mbs.