Michael Lee, a Singaporean artist and curator whose current role finds him in the middle of the Singapore Biennale, recently sat down with a reporter to answer some questions about art in Singapore, the biennale, and broader topics about art in general.
Lee expressed excitement about this year’s Singapore Biennale, talking about how thrilling it is to have such a foremost art celebration focusing on art and artists exclusively from Southeast Asia. This brings a focus to art produced in this region, showing the rest of the world what the area can contribute to contemporary art. All of these different perspectives will combine to bring a greater understanding of both art and culture as well as belief systems and histories among all of the artists and the countries they come from. The biennale itself will take place over the course of four months in a variety of locations. Though the hub of the celebrations is the Singapore Art Museum, other annexes and museums in the country have also been tapped to house everything from art exhibits to artist performances, talks, and tours.
One Singaporean artist who will be addressing a topic that can be applied to the entire world creates installations examining forest fires. This important environmental issue will also be on display at the biennale, where the artist will recreate a scorched forest with burned logs and stumps standing upright to reflect a forest that has been burned but hasn’t fallen. This stark symbol of loss and hope could appear anywhere in the world that has experienced the environmental fallout from forest fires, including North America, Europe, Australia, and beyond.
Lee’s own views of the importance of art are influenced by being an artist himself. He believes that his own freedom is intrinsic on understanding his place in culture. While he learns from the past and accepts its influence on the present, he also understands that there are parts of the past that can never be known. Whether they’re lost to history or conflicting reports or suppression of the truth, Lee knows that it’s up to us to put ourselves in the historical context we best understand.
Lee also addressed the idea that the art world was rife with elitism. With a majority of art funding in Singapore coming from the government, many have feared that the government — in a direct or indirect way — has influence over the art produced in the country. Lee disagrees, saying that the government funding enables artists to explore topics that might not necessarily be as marketable as more traditional paintings. This gives them the chance to pursue passion projects or things more important than selling their work. The assumption that elitism is present is also problematic, Lee says, implying that people don’t understand art is for them, too.
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To read more details about the question and answer session with Singaporean artist and curator Michael Lee, go to http://sea-globe.com/singapore-biennale-michael-lee/.
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