Category Archives for "Blog"

0 New art installations on display in Singapore transit stations

You don’t have to go to a museum or art gallery to see some beautiful and intriguing art in Singapore. One simply has to commute, walking through multiple transit stations on their journeys to get from point a to point b. A number of transit stations throughout the nation are featuring the work of Singaporean artists in a variety of interesting and unique installations.

Keep your eyes peeled during your transit commutes to see everything from sculptures to murals to installations even located inside of the public restrooms. Art can be found throughout everyday life, and the art located within these transit stations are no exception.

In one station, more than a dozen artworks are displayed throughout, most of them taking on the artistry of everyday pleasures. Even a simple black coffee in a to-go bag, or a piece of cherished clothing on a hanger, can be classified as art if the viewer looks upon them in a certain way, as the artist has done in this case.

At another station, a large and impressive installation features hundreds of fingerprints with words embedded in them that use a special technology to only reveal themselves to commuters at certain angles. That means when people stroll through the transit station, they could be viewing the same artwork in a myriad of different ways. It could be possible, with as many words that are in the artwork, to never see the same installation twice. Especially if a commuter was in a hurry, the impression would always be fleeting, but lasting, staying in the commuter’s mind long after the person reached their final destination.

One of the largest installations of transit station art in Singapore features two chairs with a pair of speech bubbles suspended between them. The artist explained that the work was meant to encourage dialogue as well as reflect the kind of discussions that occur during business transactions and interactions between people of all different walks of life. Conversations can occur between anyone, and can range from the most important to the most inane.

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To read more about the art installations that can be found around Singapore’s transit stations, as well as to see pictures of a few of the displays, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/art-in-transit-on-dtl3.

0 Singapore fixture to celebrate 130th birthday

As the National Museum of Singapore was set to celebrate its 130th birthday, art installations and interactions will take the center stage of the festivities. A number of the displays will continue throughout the month of October, offering a festive atmosphere for visitors who might miss the weekend of the official celebrations.

The museum is the oldest fixture in Singapore. It survived a number of upheavals throughout the history of the nation, culminating in its current form. Visitors who did get the chance to visit during the birthday celebrations had the opportunity to take part in tours of the facilities that included visits to portions of the building normally not seen by the public. There will be a variety of tours to register for, including ones that will detail how galleries are curated, as well as more traditional experiences with professional docents who have a history of describing all the various sights throughout the museum. Visitors also had the chance to pick up a commemorative gift set that included a number of classic photos and documents reproduced for the birthday celebration. Many of the images would be nostalgic for older Singaporeans, including a card featuring the skeleton of a whale that was on display at the museum for many years. The entire set was designed to look like a travel journey, highlighting just how many years and events the National Museum of Singapore has witnessed.

Some of the art installations that will be set up for the event include a disco ball in the lawn that is the size of a concrete mixer truck, throwing colorful dots of light around outside for revelers to dance in and enjoy. Another interactive installation will be a forest of flowers visitors can walk through. The experience itself will be scented through a special partnership with a perfume maker. Visitors to the installation will be immersed in the experience, elevating the art to another level previously unseen. A vintage marketplace will also be organized, along with a variety of musical performances catered to please visitors of all ages. As a special treat for children, a paid program will show them how to turn their doodles into immersive animations, perhaps piquing interest in the arts and technology world for the future.

If you’ve always wanted to take a dive into the art world but didn’t know where or how to start, visit SGArtClass.com. Our website takes an exhaustive listing of art classes — all led by highly talented teachers — and makes it easy for you to browse through the offerings based on your interests. Take a beginner’s course in acrylic painting, or something a little more advanced if you already have a background in working creatively, like recycled art. Teachers with experience working with students of all ages and abilities will help make the experience fun and memorable.

To read more about the history and celebration of 130 years at the National Museum of Singapore, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/national-museum-of-singapore-celebrates-130th-anniversary-this-weekend.

0 Singapore art show goes mobile

Singapore’s upcoming Portable Art Week is just about as easy as it gets for visitors to experience new and collectable pieces of art. The idea of such an art show is that it is a great place for new and emerging artists to have the first experience of displaying their work in a gallery space without the high pressure that comes with an initial solo show. The group show will be held in a gallery in Singapore. Artworks that will be on display are hemmed in by size requirements to make the art easy to display, admire, and collect. The art is also defined by its relatively low price point, meaning that beginning collectors can get a taste of what it’s like to start purchasing their first masterpieces. It’s a win-win for everyone involved — artists who might not get the opportunity to show in a gallery because they’re too new to the scene, and collectors who might not get the opportunity to begin purchasing art because it’s out of their price range.

Another special part of Portable Art Week is that the eight artists participating are all Singaporean — with the exception of a Japanese artist whose Singaporean ties are him attending school at LASALLE. That means that visitors to the show will get a taste of what local artists have to offer.

One of the pieces that will be on display is from an artist who was born in Singapore, raised in Hong Kong, and now attends art school in London. The piece, titled “Corner,” is a quick view of a city corner filled with a number of different textures and sights, rendered in black, white, and gray. Though devoid of people and traffic, the number of textures — from the pavement to the sidewalk to the items offered for sale in a shop window — act as a sort of interesting patchwork of visual interest. It could be anywhere in the world, which reflects the kind of traveling that the artist has done in her lifetime.

For the featured artist of Portable Art Week, one of the pieces that will be on display has also been completed in monochrome. The piece in question, which is a quiet but powerful depiction of plugs in a wall with cords coiling downward, is striking in its simplicity. Capturing these kinds of scenes on canvas is a testament to the artist’s view of the magic in everyday life.

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To read more about the portable art show in Singapore, as well as to get a sneak peek of the artworks that will be available to view and purchase, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/new-collectors-can-afford-these-artworks.

0 Singapore Esplanade’s impact on art examined

As the Esplanade in Singapore marks its 15th birthday with a yearlong celebration aimed at raising funds for a new waterfront theater, one reporter looks back on the impact the venue has had on the arts in Singapore.

At first, there were worries about just who in Singapore the Esplanade was for. Would it only cater to the elite and wealthy, who would wear tuxedos and ball gowns to attend operas? Would anyone come at all once the doors were open? Those fears were allayed almost immediately. Hundreds of thousands visited the Esplanade within the first year, the numbers growing to the millions in subsequent years. And though some of the Esplanade’s programming could be defined as fancy, a bulk of the visitors came for non-ticketed events, meaning people from all walks of life got to experience the Esplanade’s offerings.

Music at the Esplanade has really been a big selling point, with two music festivals in particular raking in the visitors. With diverse musical programming, officials at the Esplanade are able to draw in a variety of different visitors from all different age groups. The festivals are a way for visitors to explore different kinds of music, including everything from jazz and world to indie acts. A recent effort to include Singaporean musicians has also brought a new facet to the performances, acting as a platform for local talents.

Another way the Esplanade has stood out as a jewel in the community is its commitment to theater. At first, critics feared programs would only include Broadway-type traveling shows, limiting diversity on the stage. While the Esplanade did stage several big acts, today, many of those shows have migrated to other venues around Singapore. Now, the Esplanade offers everything from experimental theater to stagings of Singaporean plays and actors to large, international productions. Many shows are in different languages, meaning there is something presented for everyone there.

Perhaps one of the Esplanade’s biggest contributions to the Singaporean art scene is its dance programming. Because of key dance events in October, this month has also been unofficially designated as Singapore’s dance month, spurring a selection of spinoff festivals on different days. Esplanade’s festival continues to grow in popularity and scope, scheduling everything from ballet to traditional dance forms to international styles like flamenco.

But the Esplanade isn’t only about performing arts. Officials at the facility have recently began pushing to display visual arts in some of the spaces in and around it. At first, officials received backlash from some artists complaining that the spaces aren’t specifically designed to show art. However, with more and more art in Singapore popping up in unexpected places, the Esplanade can plan on enjoying more art showings in its unique spaces.

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To read more about the Esplanade’s impact on art in Singapore, go to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/lifestyle/5-ways-esplanade-impact-singapore-arts-scene-9303264.

0 Sifa events featuring art shows in private homes analyzed

With the departure of the former organizer of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, and his critiques of heavy-handed regulation of the events surrounding Sifa, many in Singapore’s art world are taking a closer look at some of the past programming for the art event and examining how it benefits the public. This comes at a time when the future leader of Sifa seems confident that subsequent celebrations will not have to be regulated by government entities. Many say that the new director embraces more commercial forms of art, while the former director pushed for newer and more challenging art forms.

The former director of Sifa said that he struggled to develop organic art experiences because of heavy regulations by government officials. One such example of this is the Open Homes event, in which thirty homeowners from around Singapore threw open their doors and welcomed art fairs into the places they lived. For each of the thirty unique experiences, home owners presented art that they had collected and shared art-related stories about their personal lives. Each of the home owners who participated in this event worked with a theater expert to develop their presentations. However, government regulators required scripts for the presentations to be submitted for approval before the event. The organizer says that the fact that scripts were necessary eliminated any kind of organic development of conversation between the participating home owners and the visitors to their houses. It also could have made the home owners believe they needed to self-censor, limiting the depth of their messages. What could’ve been an illuminating and interactive experience was hobbled by regulations, the former director said.

Another example of this was an event in which visitors were actually invited to act as censors themselves. In the Sifa programming, participants read a variety of plays with different themes and talked about the content, including proposing different ways they could be staged — or if they should be staged at all. This could’ve been a wonderfully educational forum for people to share their ideas and encounter others with differing and unique viewpoints, but regulators instead had questions for organizers of the programming that included just who, exactly would be invited to join in the discussion for the plays.

Especially with its ever-growing arts scene, Singapore has a wonderful opportunity to enter into a discourse about what is expected in the art world’s relationship with the government. As the government funds many different art ventures, one might explore other avenues, including private support and funding. Overall, the people of Singapore must decide the kinds of arts they want in their community and learn from different experiences.

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To read more about the analysis of the Open Homes Sifa event, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/opening-the-door-to-diverse-views-in-the-arts.

0 Art experience inspires Singaporean children of all abilities to come together

Children of all ages and abilities are getting a firsthand lesson on how wonderfully diverse art and life can be in a new art program that groups children from special needs schools and backgrounds with students from other campuses. The goal is to help the different groups of children learn from one another and discover that there are a wealth of unique abilities and personalities out there in the world — all with the help of art.

Organizers for the program say art is one of the most effective ways to bring people together because it acts as a common denominator. While some people might have trouble reading and writing, nearly everyone has the ability to make and understand some form of art. This is a simple way to unite people from different backgrounds — children particularly — and make a learning experience out of it for everyone.

One such program hosted by the organization recently had the theme of a dinner party. Students from different schools got to sit around the table, socialize, eat snacks, draw portraits, and create their own special recipe for artistic pizza out of reusable materials like caps from bottles, string, paints, and other creative mediums. The goal was not to put students too far outside of their own understandings — everyone has sat around a table for a meal before, for example — and to focus on being hands-on and creative.

Though the programming was originally scheduled around young students around preschool ages, the organization behind them recently opened them up to the public, meaning parents can bring their own young children in to get an early taste of art. Crafts inspired by many different art genres, including making collages and working with wood, are on the docket, so children can return to the facility again and again and never get bored — whether it’s working on a completely new project that tests their creative skills or meeting new students from different walks of life. The facility itself serves as a place to inspire creative pursuits, as it is decorated with work from projects completed by young participants in the past. One of the most popular installations is a small room designed to look like a rocket, complete with seating and twinkling lights.

You’re never too young — or too old — to find a place for art in your life. Begin your foray into art today by visiting SGArtClass.com. Browse everything from informative articles to affordable art supplies before getting your creative juices flowing by enrolling in one of the many art classes offered on our website. Try your hand at portrait painting or collage art, or start lessons in landscape painting. If you’re a busy professional, there is even the option of enrolling in online-only classes, meaning you can start and stop your lessons whenever you need to, offering a maximum of convenience.

To read more about the shared artistic experience the group of children enjoyed in Singapore, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/inclusive-art-sessions-draw-kids-together.

0 Artist’s exhibit tells stories of Singaporean prisoners

A British-born artist now living in Singapore first got the inspiration for her upcoming solo exhibition by being appointed an art teacher and mentor to a group of twenty Singaporean prisoners. Sponsored by the Singapore Art Museum, the artist spent twelve weeks with the female prisoners, giving them lessons in art basics and leading them with projects that would set the stage for them completing artworks on their own in the future. Art is a wonderful way to express feelings, work through traumas, and relieve stress — perfect for inmates incarcerated because of past mistakes.

Officials at the Singapore Art Museum, inspired by the artist’s work with the inmates and the success of that endeavor, asked her to create a body of work for a solo show. She used her time with the group of inmates as a sort of muse, soliciting stories from anonymous users online about various challenges and heartbreaks they have undergone. Everything from bullying to domestic disturbances were submitted, and the artist took them and wove them into her work.

The installations the artist came up with are empowering and inspiring themselves. Part of them are outlines, profiles, and designs drawn on rice paper by burning incense. These works are suspended from the ceiling in the exhibit space and turn with breezes, offering different experiences for visitors to the show. The other part of the installation includes words taken from the stories the artist solicited. By design, some of the words obscure others. The artist said it was because even as people reveal one part of themselves to others, there are always hidden depths that remain untapped. One person might even show different sides of themselves to different people in the same day, depending on the situation, meaning that no one person will receive the full picture. Every single person in the world is complicated, beset by challenges and filled with hope — or free of challenges and lacking hope for the future. We all contain multitudes, and it is that multilayered beauty that the artist is looking to share through her exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum.

Start your artistic journey by visiting SGArtClass.com at your next opportunity. SGArtClass.com is a highly useful website filled with informative articles about different artistic genres, deeply discounted art supplies, and an exhaustive listing of different art classes you can enroll in. Whether you’re interested in digital art or acrylic painting, comic drawing or nail art, 3-D sculpture or installation art, there is sure to be a class that will pique your interest and inspire you to grow as an artist. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have any experience putting paint to paper. Our expert teachers can teach you the skills you need to learn to complete the projects you’re most passionate about.

To learn more about the exhibit inspired by Singaporean prisoners, as well as to see photos of some of the work that will be on display, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/telling-stories-of-the-disenfranchised.

0 Artist born in India to be focus of Singapore gallery event

Antonio Puri, an artist now living in Colombia who was born in India, will be the focus of an exhibit at a Singaporean gallery. Puri’s work, which is rich in the artist’s spiritualism and sense of self within the places he has lived and worked, will be on display. It’s a show that isn’t to be missed, as the artist uses a wonderful and unique method to complete his masterpieces.

Even if Puri doesn’t live in India anymore, it’s clear the place of his birth and childhood continues to influence him. Working in mixed media, the artist considers this sense of place, location, and home in his artwork. He has even used soil from his childhood home in India in some of the multilayered pieces. Though the work is abstract, its message and meanings speak volumes. He uses string dipped in different colors of paint to bisect his canvases, creating different sections of his layout. In these moments, Puri explores attachment — to things, to places, to pasts that are no longer present. As his works dry, he removes the strings, revealing the stark outlines they left, which gives the masterpieces the look of maps. In these moments, Puri examines detachment — the art of letting go and living in the moment.

In one of the works that will be on display at the gallery’s show, the canvas has been partitioned off into twelve segments. Though all of them are the same size and shape, it appears as if the viewer is looking down on a topographical map. Variations in color, textures, and mediums produce a uniform look, as if it’s one common landscape split apart. Although the dominant hues are various shades of black and gray, upon closer examination, the viewer can discern colors hidden in the depths of the work.

Another work looks like it is composed of 48 different panels. Gray dominates again, but textured drippings add dimension to each of the rectangles, as if in ink blots or frames of a movie. It’s up to the viewer to analyze the differences in each, or to take the work as a whole tapestry of texture.

Another painting takes place on jute, a woven material that adds another dimension to the mixed media. In this masterpiece, eight slender, vertical panels are repeated, but each has a green- or blue-toned circle at the top. They appear like windows, or screens, and the viewer must imagine what is on the other side of them, perhaps looking back.

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To read more about the exhibit in Singapore, and to see examples of Antonio Puri’s art, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2567599/antonio-puri-at-sundaram-tagore-gallery-singapore.

0 Art is for the dogs — and cats — in interactive exhibit

Art exhibits aren’t just for people. At least, that’s what one pet food company has decided. The company is launching an interactive art exhibits tailored to entertain canine and feline art fanatics as a way to promote healthy pets and the company’s line of food for them. Pet owners are encouraged to bring their cats and dogs to the interactive art show in Singapore, as it is designed for them in mind.

Some examples of the ten exhibits that will be on tap for dogs and cats include a magic carpet ride installation, fence art that will turn dogs into the masterpieces in question, and a multi-room cat experience that will be worth the ride to the event.

The magic carpet ride art installation does indeed look magical. Dogs are meant to sit on a fancy carpet, which is positioned so that it looks like it is floating in the room, while things like clouds and meat are projected behind it. Dogs will get to relax and enjoy the barrage of their favorite things.

The adorable fence art features circular cutouts dogs can slip their heads through. It’s a perfect concept, as many dogs normally kept in backyards are separated from the outside world through fences. It’s the reason many of them bark at strangers and passers-by — because they can’t see them. This art installation offers a solution and some humorous commentary on the situation. Now, dogs can see what’s happening on the other side of the fence. An added bonus is that when they poke their heads through the white and black fencing, they become unwitting masterpieces themselves, the fencing framing their happy, curious faces. It wouldn’t be a surprise if their owners cut holes in the fences at their own homes for dogs to peer through after seeing just how happy the dogs are in this art exhibit.

Nearly half of the art exhibits and installations in this pet-friendly show are designed with cats in mind. Though cats are notoriously hard to travel in, your feline friend might not blame you too much for the journey if the end was as rewarding as a multi-room cat play area. Cats will be able to enjoy the experiences contained in the different rooms, which includes textural treats for relaxing scratching and clawing, as well as pheromones and other interesting smells to sniff. Cats will also be encouraged to explore with treats to snack on and irresistible toys to bat at.

It might be surprising to consider an art exhibit for our pets, but that just goes to show that art really is for everyone. If you’ve been thinking about bringing more art in your life but haven’t been sure how to, visit SGArtClass.com today to learn more about art and even enroll in an art class to have a creative experience of your very own.

Learn more about the interactive pet art show and see photos of the exhibits at http://nerdist.com/cats-dogs-interactive-art-exhibition-pets/.

0 Singapore art festival seeking licensing exemption going forward

Singapore government officials say there is a good chance that the Singapore International Festival of Arts will not have to seek licensing regulations from the government from now on, trying to allay concerns that the festival would become watered down if it had to answer to government rules. Previous incarnations of the festival have had to seek the licenses, as the organizations that controlled the programming were new to the scene.

Art festivals that do not have to obtain licensing regulations from the government handle things like organizing programming and exhibits themselves, including designating ratings for some that might be deemed offensive or inappropriate to some age groups.

The previous leader of Sifa decried the licensing requirements for the festival, saying that it was too difficult to adhere to the government’s rules while bringing new and challenging programs for the event. Sifa has long been regarded as important for introducing new concepts and important but often controversial subjects and shows.

However, in watering down Sifa, which was previously known as the Singapore Arts Festival, officials run the risk of it becoming obsolete. The Singapore Arts Festival was replaced by the more cutting-edge Sifa after a sharp plunge in guests. In the Singapore Arts Festival’s final year, the event enjoyed less than half visitors from the previous year.

With a new person at the helm of Sifa, though, government officials say that it is possible that the festival could obtain an exemption from the licensing regulations, meaning there would be more creative freedom and influence over the festival. The previous leader of Sifa struggled with some of the more controversial programming under the government’s rules, resulting in an important production about pedophilia to be unavailable for individuals younger than 18 to view. In other showings around the globe, children were allowed to view it; the showing of the program in Singapore was the most restricted.

While many might question the purpose of shocking and challenging art, it is important to remember that art should, at times, shock and challenge. If viewing an art exhibit or attending a festival doesn’t make a visitor feel anything or take them out of their normal bubble of comfort, it might be said that the exhibit didn’t push hard enough to make an impact. Art should push the boundaries. It should make people feel, think, and talk to each other.

Start the conversation with art in your life by visiting SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive website that features highly affordable art supplies, informative art articles, and a wealth of different art classes available for artists of all ages and abilities. Sign yourself, your child, or your parent up for art classes and it’s extremely likely you’ll discover a passion and talent for art within yourself that you never believed was possible.

To read more about licensing requirements for art festivals and the Singapore International Festival of Arts, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-international-festival-of-arts-might-be-more-independent-from-next-year.