Singapore Seen

Printing anew - PhotoSynthesis

By Ch'ng Yaohong



The photographic image originated from the simple camera obscura, a dark box or room that let light in through a hole. Scientific progress over the years saw huge developments – from chemical processes in the past to today’s digital manifestation. However, the photographic print has roughly stayed the same through the ages, presented on a piece of paper. But a little ingenuity, coupled with the help of technology, allows artists to alter the medium on which the print is presented, as evident in the latest exhibition, 'Photosynthesis', at 2902 Gallery showcased from 4 to 14 December.

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Reel experience

The Vision of Frank Beyer

This year’s German Film Festival, held from 5 to 16 November 2008, featured the films of German director Frank Beyer. Beyer was one of the more prominent directors under DEFA (Deutsch Film AG), the state-owned film company of the German Democratic Republic (GDR, formerly East Germany); his body of work spans from the mid-Fifties to the late Nineties, its subjects providing a critical commentary on the political and moral complexities of the German historical experience, ranging from stories set in the Holocaust to anti-fascist social realist dramas revolving around the conditions of life in the GDR. 

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Of Photography

Starting a photography collection affordably

By Usha Nathan & Chris Yap

In a series of articles last year, we discussed aspects of collecting photographs, about valuing works of photographers, about the ways in which collectors can start a collection of their own, and how to be acquainted with trends and, also, how to help photographers. This time around, we are taking on board a somewhat new trend in Singapore: the affordable art fair.

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Perceiving nature: In Kaz Orii’s paintings

22 Jan - 7 Feb, Mulan Gallery

By Usha Nathan



The paintings of Kaz Orii have the quality of glimpsing out of the window, created as if in quiet meditation with what confronts the senses on a tranquil afternoon, perhaps. On the canvas, the painting and the scene have become one and we get drawn into this reality, their reality, beguiled as we are by the view they offer.

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And the Difference is…

The Independence Project

Till 15 Feb, NUS Museum

An exhibition to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Memorandum of Understanding between Arts Victoria and the National Arts Council, titled ‘And the Difference is…’ takes, as its starting point, the contract – paper agreements between nations, which are often symbolic and seemingly distant from us, the ordinary citizens, but which often have wide-ranging ramifications, both, on the public and personal realms.

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Sleeping in Singapore

7 - 18 Jan, The Substation

Lullabies are found in numerous human cultures and are sung to soothe children as they go to sleep. Household composers such as Brahms and Chopin, as well as contemporaries such as Billy Joel and The Beatles, have all composed memorable lullabies in their time. Emily J Hoe explores why artist Shigeaki Iwai has researched lullabies for his world premiere exhibition, ‘A Light Sleep’, part of the M1 Fringe Festival 2009.

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Alliance Française de Singapour:

Cultural Discourse within the SG Private Banking Gallery

By Syed Muhd Hafiz



Since its inception in 1949, the Alliance Francaise de Singapour has come a long way. From its humble beginnings as a social club in 1949 to a language school, the Alliance has now evolved into a one-stop centre for, both, the local French community and the locals to engage in cultural exchanges through the myriad of activities on offer.

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Transcendence: Modernity and Beyond in Korean Art

8 Nov - 15 Mar 2009, Singapore Art Museum

Contemporary Korean art is a revelation of unique aesthetics and sensibility. When seen from a broad perspective, modern Korean art may appear to be oscillating between two seemingly divergent approaches. On the one hand, there seems to be an effort to transcend traditional forms. And, on the other, many artists have been trying to rediscover the spirit of traditional art.

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Cover Story: Full Circle

7 + 8 Feb, Kelly Reedy - Studio Arts

Visual artist Kelly Reedy has always felt compelled to search for and express a deeply personal vision of beauty.  It is not a beauty that lies on the surface, but one that transcends or breaks with all preconceived notions.  Her passion for art history and culture has taken her around the world.

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Coexisting Confluences

Frame.Figure.Field

By Nandini Narayanan

A curious title for an exhibition, Frame.Figure.Field consisted of a collection of some of India’s best modern and contemporary art from the 20th century. Bringing together the works of 22 artists, and displaying them in a manner that is cohesive, is quite a task, but it has been achieved quite admirably at the showcase that was on for a month until the end of Nov 2008.

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VOOM Portraits

By Rofan Teo

On a Saturday afternoon, it is easy to forget the sweltering weather when, at Robert Wilson’s ‘VOOM Portraits’ you feel as if you’re being transported into another dimension. Within the subterranean rooms of The National Museum of Singapore, the intimate corners are divided into long and dark passages stretching out to large, high-definition screens which resemble colour photographs. The screens consist of flamboyant, visual tableaus of life-sized celebrity portraitures in motion.

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Embracing the Label

‘Vanitas – Heroes’ at Art Seasons Singapore

By Gillian Nelson

Kim Ji Min is a Korean sculptor whose work deals with that all-pervasive and powerful tag of cloth: the label. While entire industries are busy creating brands, marketing and funnelling them into labels, in ‘Vanitas – Heroes’ that process is under examination.

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Artist Speak

Jeremy Hiah on his Fifth Solo Exhibition

Jeremy Hiah has been involved in the arts since 1993. His works are always based on the social system, where and how one lives in a society.

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