Category Archives for "Blog"

0 Singapore art administrator talks favorite art and culture spots of Indonesia

Tan Siuli, an art administrator at the Singapore Art Museum and one of the organizers of the upcoming Singapore Biennale, recently revealed her favorite artistic destination in the region: Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This bustling city is special because rich history exists side by side with modern touches. Yogyakarta also has the distinction of being host to a thriving arts scene, and a handful of artists from this city are slated to display their works as a face of the biennale.
The home of an architecturally breathtaking sultan’s palace, monuments preserved through the ages, and charming sights and sounds, such as traditional pedicabs, this area is a hidden jewel that reveals itself to those willing to explore.
A puppet theater that put on a show at the Singapore Art Museum this year calls this region its home, delighting audiences with its boundless creativity. Many other contemporary artists set up shop here, drawing from the history and culture of the community to produce important works that resonate across the art communities of the world. Gallery spaces that art aficionados can browse have themselves played important roles in Indonesian history, and a yearly art fair is a popular destination for both artists and visitors alike. The city has also seen a boost in tourism following the release of a popular movie, fans visiting cafes, galleries, and other sites included in the film.
A bustling center for retail shopping with artsy stores offering high fashion takes on traditional Southeastern Asian garb, this area truly has something for everyone. History buffs will love the palace and monuments, and foodies can get their delicious fixes from a number of cultural offerings. Social media fans can snap pictures of dozens of colorful murals throughout the area, adding to the distinct flavor of the region. For those who love a good adventure, explore the underground tunnels that might have once been a mosque, or secret entrances into the palace. Travelers to the area should accept the fact that they are in for a treat in experiencing all of the offerings this special place embodies.
If you’re a diehard traveler, you might find that a good way to experience and understand a culture different from your own is through art. Visit art museums and galleries when you’re abroad, taking special care to keep your eyes open for public art like sculptures and murals. It might also help to enroll in an art class before you hop aboard a plane, train, or ship on your journey to better appreciate art. Visit SGArtClass.com to see an exhaustive listing of art classes you can take, including cityscape photography, mural painting, found art, and many more. Expert teachers will provide you with valuable background on your chosen subject and help lead you to complete projects you’re most interested in — even if you don’t have any artistic background or experience.
To read more about Tan Siuli’s picks for enjoying the thriving arts scene in Indonesia, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/travel/artsy-jogja.

0 Singaporean architect: Science of successful cities more dependent on art

William Lim knows just how important art is to everyday life. The famous Singaporean architect can attest to just how essential melding creativity with functionality it is, having designed several iconic landmarks around the nation. Now, though, he is focused less on architecture and more on the unique issues and challenges surrounding successful urban living, having written several books on the subject. The patron of the arts — he has donated undisclosed sums of money in the range of millions of dollars to various artistic enterprises — is taking part in an upcoming art and education exhibit on urban living, which was organized partly based on his own musings on the subject.
Lim understands firsthand just how much architects and city planners must realize about the role of art and successful planning in successful and sustainable urban areas. A designer wouldn’t, for example, exclude green spaces such as parks and trails in order to fit in more lucrative housing and business complexes. A balance and creative harmony must exist to include everything that’s essential to happy and healthy life, and art plays a large role in that.
Based on his participation and establishment of various panels and organizations, Lim touts the importance of preserving the heritage of a city while promoting new and emerging arts to support the ongoing culture. Just because a historic building is preserved, for example, doesn’t mean that the entities it will now house can’t do something cutting edge with the space. Recent historic buildings including a religious school now house artsy boutiques in Singapore.
The art show organized around Lim’s beliefs, ideas, and teachings will cast the city-state of Singapore in a unique light. Less of an art exhibit and more of a place where ideas will be formulated and grown, one installation will take participants on a tour of Singapore based only on scents commonly found in different parts of the nation. Video art and film will also be on display as a part of the special event.
Lim lauds artists and those with creative minds as valuable contributors to the cities they live and work in. He frequently commends artists for having unique ways to solve problems that other, differently minded people might not come up with. Having artists participate in making an urban area thrive is one of the most important things a city can have.
Art has many benefits that you might have never considered. Even spending just a handful of minutes a day drawing and creating does wonders for your stress level, and learning how to complete different art projects can give you an unexpected boost in your creative problem solving skills — which could give you a corresponding boost in your work or school life. Explore all the benefits art can impart to you by enrolling today in one of the many art classes offered via SGArtClass.com.
To read more about William Lim’s views and for more information about the upcoming exhibit, go to http://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/arts/breaking-new-ground.

0 Singapore Biennale a journey of masterpieces throughout region

Though Singapore might have arrived a little late to the party of hosting art biennales, its signature event, which takes place once every two years, has brought a lot to the table in the creative world. Thought it began as a place to showcase artists in the country, the Singapore Biennale has since expanded to be an incredible look at art across the Southeast Asian region. This makes sense, especially with how the nation is physically positioned in the center of the area.
As with many other events, preparing for the Singapore Biennale — and executing the four-month showcase without a hitch — takes a lot of work from a lot of people. The organizers and curators of the biennale must sift through art that often is fraught with political and cultural implications. While Singapore has come a long way itself in terms of art and expression, curators must tread carefully when it comes to truly controversial works. With creative freedom laws and censorship regulations differing from nation to nation in the region, curators work to foster an art experience that will make visitors think and engage in respectful and important dialogues while understanding that not all art is appropriate for all ages. Therefore, curators must issue warnings amid different portions of the exhibit so that parents can understand how best to navigate the display.
While many people laud the Singapore Biennale for its regional focus, some critics wish the event would bring in artists from around the entire world. Showcasing works from a wider community would help to bring in new creative ideas, they argue, which would in turn benefit artists in Singapore and the rest of Southeast Asia. As the event continues to grow and develop every two years, it might benefit organizers to be more flexible and experimental when thinking about display spaces and curation. One good thing about the first Singapore Biennale only being in 2006 is that the art show isn’t yet ingrained and bogged down by tradition. As different curators and institutions take up the mantle of future biennales, they will be free to leave their own mark, reshaping the celebration to reflect the changing times.
Celebrate the upcoming Singapore Biennale by enrolling in an art class today. Visit SGArtClass.com to see a broad offering of all the various art classes available, such as watercolor painting, jewelry making, fashion design art, and many more. You are sure to find an art class that ignites your curiosity and creative passion. It doesn’t matter if you’re an accomplished artist or someone who has never even held a paint brush before. Teachers with artistic backgrounds and plenty of experience will be on hand to lead you on your artistic journey, developing curriculum and projects that suit your various creative interests.
To read more about the development and journey of the Singapore Biennale, go to http://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2039876/singapore-biennale-has-come-long-way-focusing-close-home.

0 Singapore River festivities include art from a variety of angles

Heritage will collide with cutting-edge technology and art for two weekends straight as a part of Singapore’s River Nights festival, which celebrates the country’s ever-shifting relationship with its namesake Singapore River. One of the organizers of the festival likened the relationship between the nation and its river to a gorgeous, dreamlike affair. As the modern architecture and skyscrapers in Singapore continue to go up, the nighttime lights of these buildings are reflected in the river below, creating the illusion of a dual world and identity for Singapore.
This year’s River Nights event, which spans two consecutive weekends, will feature exciting art displays and performances sure to ignite the interests of the majority of visitors.
One performance scheduled will be the first time in world history that a Japanese Noh theater production has incorporated 3-D technology into a show. Viewers of the spectacle will all receive 3-D glasses attached to a Noh mask to wear during the performance so they can thoroughly enjoy all of the subtle additions to the traditional art form.
A Singaporean poet composed text for a special sound art display. The display takes place in a specially designed theater in the round — only the audience is the one sitting in the center of the circle. Arranged near the newly refurbished Victoria Theatre, stages ring the audience, who sits in the center to enjoy being surrounded by sound. The display itself is interesting, as the poet himself considers it incomplete. Unique instruments such as a traditional Chinese stringed lute, as well as a didgeridoo that most people will readily associate with Australian culture, will create a special soundscape while singers and speakers will recite poetry relating to the river. The poet says that the audience will be required to participate, using their imaginations and own personal experiences with the river to complete the performance.
Other performances include Singaporean talent, as well as a special collaboration between an American dance company and a renowned American technological institution. The two entities teamed up to create 100 light-up umbrellas with various settings that are designed with a choreographed performance in mind. Students from a Singaporean school of higher education will be wielding the umbrellas in this particular performance, and will be sure to dazzle the audience with their moves, lights, and coordination.
Do you have something in your life — a vacation, a series of memories, or perhaps just a certain feeling about a dear friend or family member — that you would like to examine and preserve? Think about taking an art class to learn about all the creative ways you can commemorate your memories and display them in a more accessible and permanent fashion. Visit SGArtClass.com to investigate all of the various art classes you can enroll in — from photography art, scrapbook art, and many more.
To read more about all the various art on display at the River Nights festival, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/return-of-river-nights.

0 Series of unfortunate events almost excludes installation from Singapore Biennale

More than fifty artists are expected to take part in the Singapore Biennale, which will be on display in the country from this month through February 2017. However, the number of artists was almost one less due to a series of unfortunate events that ended up ironically reflecting one of the many sub-themes of the biennale.
The installation artwork of a Vietnamese artist became stranded at sea during the shipping process for two weeks because the company responsible for the shipping suddenly fell into financial hardships. More than one hundred ships belonging to the South Korean company were stranded around the world, many of them unable or unwilling to dock because of fears they would be seized to help recoup some of the company’s losses. The art installation was one of the victims of the turmoil that surrounded this issue, particularly since the Singapore Art Museum had budgeted precious exhibit space for it and was waiting to set it up.
While administrators and officials at the Singapore Art Museum scrambled to come up with alternatives and backup plans in the case that the installation didn’t make it in time for the biennale, the shipping company worked with other intermediaries to offload products on its ships to the intended recipients. After two weeks in limbo, the Vietnamese art installation was delivered to the Singapore Art Museum, where officials were relieved to find that the delicate works didn’t suffer during the ordeal on the open water.
The piece in question is a collection of sculptures that assemble to look like a house, and the artist and other creative minds worked for two years to carve the intricate stories and culturally significant designs into jackfruit wood. The piece itself is called “Dislocate,” calling to mind themes of belonging and community whether a person stays in the same place they were born or moves across the world, taking their culture with them to try and fit in or pepper a new place with a new understanding. That is why it is so ironic that the installation was adrift at sea for so long — many people, including immigrants, must also often drift before they find the places they can now call home.
One of the most interesting concepts about art is that it is often seen to imitate life. Explore this idea by taking an art class in a genre that interests you through SGArtClass.com. This website is a one-stop shopping opportunity for all things art, including educational articles, discounted art products, and an exhaustive listing of tens of classes you can choose from. Whether you take assemblage art or acrylic painting, charcoal drawing or abstract art, expert teachers will help you develop the background understanding and technical skills necessary to create a body of work you can be proud of.
To read more about the art piece stuck in transit and other works to be featured in the Singapore Biennale, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/stranded-artwork-arrives-in-time-for-biennale.

0 Chewing gum art ignites imagination in Singapore

Singapore is a nation respected as a financial and business center of the world, and its recent push to bring more art into the country has made it a top destination to see important Southeastern Asian works. However, the nation is perhaps most infamously known for a strict ban on chewing gum, and one art exhibit is pushing the boundaries in a fun way.
The exhibit is an exciting display of an Italian artist embracing unique mediums to push art into new territories. The artist said that the first work of art he made from chewing gum was a small head sculpture, which made him realize that the bright pink treat would work well as a medium for sculptures. He works alongside assistants who heat the gum with hot air blowers — there is no chewing involved, and the artist himself even confessed that he doesn’t imbibe in chewing gum. Once the gum is softened, it is manipulated onto frames and into sculptures, meticulous details added later. To preserve the shape, color, and structural integrity of the gum, the artist then paints the sculpture in coats of chemicals, including formaldehyde. Patrons should avoid, therefore, sampling the sculptures with anything but their eyes.
While the sugary smell of the gum and its bright pink color serve as initial draws to get visitors interested in the art, upon deeper examination, the silly-looking sculptures have deeper meaning. One of the most visible sculptures in the exhibit, held in a Singapore gallery, is a large chewing gum giraffe with a European Union flag draped over its haunches. The artist said he was inspired by an African children’s tale about a giraffe being out of touch with its feelings because such a long neck meant that its head was too far away from its heart. With all of the convulsions recently coming from the European Union, it made sense that the center of the union is depicted as out of touch and far away from other pressing issues with the countries involved in the partnerships, isolated by distance and bureaucracy.
A special piece was made just for the exhibit in Singapore — a chewing gum portrait of Singapore’s founding father. While the artist extolled Lee Kuan Yew as a valuable leader who pushed for Singapore to become a viable leader in the world, one can’t help but see the joke implicit in the rendering of the portrait — especially as chewing gum restrictions loosen within the country.
Art can be made out of anything, and your imagination is your only limitation. Investigate all the different ways you can create art by enrolling in an art class via SGArtClass.com. This website organizes many different art classes for your perusal, including classes on found art, recycled art, portrait drawing, and many more. Teachers familiar with working with students of all skill levels will help you push the boundaries of your creativity.
To read more about the sticky sculptures made from chewing gum, go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/arts/maurizio-savini-singapore-chewing-gum-art/.

0 Singapore artist has more than meets the eye

Singaporean artist Ch’ng Seok Tin didn’t let losing nearly all of her vision deter her from her practice as an artist. Instead, she reshaped the way she made her masterpieces and adapted using special techniques to help support her eyes’ new limitations.
Ch’ng studied art in Singapore and around the world, earning several degrees and much experience in the Untied States in printmaking. However, when she fell and an abscess was found in her brain, she required surgery that robbed her of her sight.
It might have been easy to give up after that, especially for an artist who relied on her eyes to help her make important creative decisions. But Ch’ng decided simply to switch tacks and shift her fine art medium from 2-D printmaking to 3-D sculptures and mixed media works. She stopped solely relying on her eyes and started entrusting her art to her hands, making tactile works shaped by her fingers.
Ch’ng has since become one of Singapore’s most famous artists, due, in part, to overcoming her limitations and the prolific nature of her work. She has published several books with her own illustrations, and she regularly sells and exhibits her artwork. One such exhibit catered specifically to experiencing art without the eyes, leading visitors on a journey of touch, taste, and sound. Unlike many other exhibits, participants were encouraged to interact with the sculptures and displays throughout the exhibit by touching them. However, the life of an artist like Ch’ng isn’t glamorous. She has to rely on her savings account most often if she doesn’t make enough selling her pieces, necessitating a simple and frugal life.
That doesn’t make Ch’ng despair, though. Instead, she continues to create whenever she has the inspiration to and also works to bring art to others. Ch’ng leads a printmaking class for other visually impaired people looking to explore the benefits that art might have for them. Though they cannot see the colors — Ch’ng herself has an assistant to help her with her own colors, when she requires differentiation — the class discusses historical and cultural importances of different colors and uses them according to the moods they wish to convey in their art.
Experience all of the senses art employs by signing up for an art class. SGArtClass.com offers tens of art classes to pick from depending on your interests. Whether you’re most intrigued by mixed media art, 3-D sculpture, digital art, or printmaking, there is sure to be an art class that will pique your creativity. Work one-on-one with an expert art teacher to examine all the different ways you can approach your art projects. You can also consider signing up alongside a group of friends or coworkers for an unforgettable creative experience that will have you talking and reminiscing for months. Who knows? You might just discover a passion for creating art that you were never aware of prior to taking an art class.
Learn more about Ch’ng Seok Tin by visiting http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/10-things-about-chng-seok-tin-the-blind-artist.

0 Indonesia a key facet in Singapore Biennale

Seven artists from Indonesia are shining a spotlight on unique parts of their country’s culture and heritage as a part of participating in the Singapore Biennale. This year’s theme for the artistic event, “An Atlas of Mirrors,” is especially pertinent to the historically rich masterpieces that will be on display from this group of artists.
One of the artist’s work is an in-depth examination of a classic literary tale from a beloved royal figure of legend. The piece, which required about four years of research to complete, has been lovingly rendered in an enormous retelling that includes sculptural, textual, and figure painting aspects. The larger than life work of art displays the prince of legend in various scenes of the famous story. Exquisitely crafted in a large, hanging piece of canvas, viewers will be sure to linger for a long time, examining each scene of the prince interacting with other characters in the story. However, at the end of the canvas, which drapes down and out across the floor, the images fade to a cluster or black specks. These specks unite and draw the viewer to a wooden base with hand-cut characters in a variety of languages relating to the story itself. An even more special facet of this artwork is that the artist employed school dropouts in his town to help him complete it, highlighting a special part of Indonesian culture in which communities rally around their members to help complete jobs.
Another artist is making something rich and resplendent out of a very simple medium: nutmeg. She strings dried nutmeg on copper wires and uses a process that allows for the nutmeg to become coated in copper, gold, and other metals. Then, she creates gleaming fashion reminiscent of intricate armor, hanging hooded cloaks and other works on a lighted base to make the metal shine and sparkle. The artist says that her work is a tribute to the fact that part of Indonesia was historically the sole source of nutmeg for the entire world. Creating the fashion pieces from the export was a commentary on commerce and trade, as well as the importance of the global economy both in the past and looking toward the future.
Celebrate your own culture by investigating all the different art classes you can take on SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive website full of informative articles about different artistic genres and is the easiest way to decide how to better direct your creative energies. From classes on 3-D sculpture to oil painting, SGArtClass.com can help connect you with teachers who will be eager to work with you while you complete projects you’re interested in. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never had any formal artistic training before or if you’re an established artist looking for a new creative outlet.
To read more about the Indonesian masterpieces that will be on display as a part of the Singapore Biennale, go to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/indonesian-artists-bring-history-to-life-for-singapore-biennale/3181902.html.

0 Contemporary art on display in new exhibit

The question of what, exactly, makes something a work of art has plagued and delighted in equal parts everyone from the casual art observer to professionals who critique and analyze art for a living. It might be tough for visitors to art museums to accept abstract swaths of paint on canvas reminiscent of children’s doodles to fine art, or even a collection of everyday items arranged meaningfully, or even the famous toilet art that heralded Dadaism. However, discussing just how and in what context hard-to-understand pieces might serve important roles in the art world can benefit and expand the mind, and a special exhibit at the National Museum of Singapore is doing just that.
This museum is not well known for its art exhibits, entrusting that kind of work to institutions like National Gallery Singapore and other facilities in the country. However, a unique showing of classic contemporary artworks that have served as conversation pieces globally throughout history has the distinction of igniting conversation about art, its meaning, and human beings’ role in determining its importance.
Many of the masterpieces in this exhibit depend heavily on the viewer’s participation, drawing visitors in to an intrinsically interactive experience. One example of this is a more than 50-year-old work titled “Blue Sail.” This sculptural piece is simply a large square of cloth tied down at all four corners. A fan is turned on below it, in the middle, filling the cloth with air and making it ripple, take shape, and fly. It is up to the viewer to decide whether this is a worthy example of art. If there was no fan blowing in the middle, the fabric would simply hang down, suspended from the ties of each of the four corners. Would that be worthy of art, or is the fan the key portion of this work? “Blue Sail” relies on both its kinetic nature and the willingness of people to believe in it, providing the context it demands by imagining their own experiences with sails, fabric flapping in wind, and other memories.
Another highly interactive display is an installment experience called “Repulse Bay” after a popular Hong Kong beach. However, once the viewer descends a ladder into the installation, the experience is nothing like the beach. It is dark and cool, lit by blue lights, and contains only a few towels. The viewers themselves must complete this illusion, whether they decide to imagine a warm and cheery beach scene, or recall times when the weather or time of day at the beach was not so favorable.
Explore art in all of its various iterations by enrolling in an art class today. SGArtClass.com is a wonderful place to start your creative journey whether you’re interested in contemporary art, installation art, assemblage art, or any number of art classes. Expert teachers will provide you with the background and skills necessary to take your creativity to the next level.
To read more about the new exhibit, go to http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/arts/immaterial-world.

0 Five receive Young Artist recognitions

Five young and emerging artists have been honored in Singapore, winning grants to continue exploring the world from an artistic perspective.

Alecia Neo is a photographer who thrives when exploring relationships through her craft. One of her first projects featured the house of a prominent Singaporean feminist that was about to be torn down. What emerged from that project was a sense of understanding of the feminist and an intimate look at her battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Neo was also recently commissioned to create an art installation that went along with a photo series she created on the lives of blind people. The installation included Braille displays and audio art.

Liu Xiaoyi has been exploring art through highly symbolic theater performances. He won an award from one of his works, which was designed to be recited on the radio. Just this year, Liu crafted a piece that featured actors moving extremely slowly for twenty-minute spans of time. While this might be seen as groundbreaking and experimental, he is good natured about some of the poor reviews he might receive from the audience — including people who fall asleep during performances.

Muhamad Harezam doesn’t have an art studio, so he does smaller scale pieces in an unexpected by highly accessible medium — skin. Harezam’s skin masterpieces have both delighted and revolted viewers. Highly delicate and detailed, it is difficult to perceive the medium at first. The artist admits that his housewife mother is disgusted by the process of collecting and crafting the flakes of skin into art, but it has made Harezam a widely known artist. He credits his art for helping him through a troubling childhood.

Marc Nair is a poet who is prolific — he already has six collections of his work by the age of 34. He is excited about winning this award because it recognizes the rising power of spoken word poetry, which he says is art in motion. He can shape the energy of the people in the room and influence the mood of the audience as he performs, which means that his art isn’t as static as a painting simply hanging on the wall. Nair looks to use the grant money to continue to travel, which influences his writing.

Pooja Nansi grew up writing silly poems about boys she had crushes on. It wasn’t until she attended her first poetry slam that poetry in all its visceral beauty really took shape for her. She is a creative writing teacher and also performs spoken word poetry and music as a part of a duo. Nansi, whose parents are Indian immigrants, finds many stories to tell about Singaporean experiences from multiple perspectives.

Art can take on many forms, and there is sure to be an art class that will interest everyone on SGArtClass.com. Sign up for a lesson that you’re passionate about on this website, from found art to assemblage art, recycled art to artistic photography. Your imagination is your only limitation.

To learn more about the four recipients of the honors, visit http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/young-artist-award-recipients.