Artist Speak: Eight Local Artists on the Singapore Biennale 2008 |
 Infinite Islands. Ryuro Fukuda. 2005. 54cmx70cm lambda print. Photo courtesy of National Arts Council. LIM BEE LING: I enjoyed all the artworks. There were a number of good, interesting works, but I would prefer there to be more local artists. ARTHUR WONG: It was well curated, better than the first one. Individual works were very strong. All together, I was quite satisfied. City Hall is not a good venue for showing contemporary art, whereas South Beach was very good. It was also important to showcase Asian, South American and Russian artists. ARRON TEO: I find that this year’s biennale lacks a balance between traditional mediums and new media. There seems to be an excessive focus on video works. TAY BEE AYE: The publicity was poor and it was not so exciting. HAZEL LIM: I’ve just visited the Taipei Biennale, and I think SB2008 had a wider range of mediums in comparison and not as many video works. LYNN LU: I wish there had been more to touch and/ or interact with. It would have been nice if some works invited the viewer to contribute to the creation of the piece. GILLES MASSOT: I was, overall, pleasantly surprised. There were some good works and it was less ambitious, but that’s not a bad thing. I also feel that, somehow, the strongest works are the photo works. MICHAEL TAN: There are high quality works. Question 2: Which was your favourite artwork and why? I LIM BEE LING: I particularly liked I’m Not Expensive by Lee Yong Deok. It really fit the title – it’s not expensive to make the illusion and it was executed well. I also liked Address (Project: Another Country) by Alfredo Juan Aquilizan and Maria-Isable Gaudinez-Aquilizan. It looks impressive, is a good use of old, unwanted goods, and really well executed. HAZEL LIM: My favourite was Blackfield by Zadok Ben-David, from Yemen. It was very surprising – the plants, which were coloured on one side and black on the other, made the experience of the space very interesting. LYNN LU: Leandro Erlich’s Hair Salon. I enjoyed the "Oh!" moment of realisation, and the sudden shift of perception. It was a poignant reminder to snap out of auto-drive and to be awake to all that we encounter from moment to moment. GILLES MASSOT: I like quite a few works, but my favourite is the ‘Infinite Island’ series by Japanese photographer Fukuda Ryuro. This work is interesting in the context of Singapore, as it deals with an ideal, fabricated environment in the midst of an ideal, natural environment. I must also mention my least favourite piece, as it has to be said. It is Teratoma II: War of the Worlds. It has zero concept – there’s a UFO-like building, so add some aliens. It looks like Christmas decorations and is really problematic. MICHAEL TAN: I particularly like The Wreck of Men by Charly Nijensohn. It’s a good reminder of man’s insignificance in the vast landscape. TAY BEE AYE: My favourite work was Singapore by Thai artist Wit Pimkanchanapong. It was able to engage the viewers intimately, and every label told of a relationship. ARRON TEO: One of my favourite artworks was Location (6) by Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck. It was an illusive installation which made me feel out of this world. ARTHUR WONG: Leonid Tishkov’s Private Moon was poetic, and means a lot to me, personally, what with it being performative and using photography as the medium. It was well-thought-of, and the artist being in it himself is very interesting. This column is presented by Post-Museum, an independent cultural centre in Little India which seeks to examine contemporary life, promote the arts and connect people. For more details, visit www.post-museum.org or call 63963598.
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