Arts

Taiwanese visual artist Nien-Ting Chen presented “Collecting a Little Shimmer in Life” at Goodman Arts Centre from 10 to 16 January 2019, featuring a series of works inspired by the intriguing discoveries she made from day-to-day proceedings. The materials used to create her works were all taken from stunningly ordinary items. During the closing reception on 16 January, we got to sit down with the artist herself to gain insight into the meanings behind her experimental art works. In the process, Nien-Ting Chen also opened up about her observations of the art scene in Asia as compared to that in…

For the first time, the National Gallery Singapore has commissioned a local artist – Charles Lim Yi Yong –  to transform its Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden into a social space that enables a deeper understanding of the intricacies of Singapore’s reclamation landscape – which has been pivotal in Singapore’s urban development plans. This exhibition is titled SEA STATE 9: proclamation garden and it is also Charles’ first comprehensive foray into re-designing a physical space for his work. Renowned local artist, Charles Lim Yi Yong. Charles Lim studied Fine Art at London in Central Saint Martins School of Art and…

Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 diva, Shangela, made her Singapore debut with her brand new show ‘Shangela is Shook’ last year on 12 December at Shine Auditorium. Otherwise known as D.J. Pierce, Shangela was the only contestant to compete on three separate seasons of the Emmy Award-winning reality series Rupaul’s Drag Race (seasons 2, 3 and All Stars 3). While she may not have come out of a box during the show, she certainly orchestrated a performance that was worth every dollar spent. After an opening number, she went on joke about her experience in Singapore thus far, which…

Most of us probably remember the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) from school trips. In my impression, the ancient history of the exhibits is easily lost on the young audience. Recently, ACM has underwent a major change in curation, with its management choosing to organise artifacts based on themes rather than chronology. This is a welcomed change — for me anyway — as I find it easier to remember the historical significance of the artifacts better by grouping them with themes in mind, rather than having to recount which the year it is associated with. Since 27 November, three new permanent…

Join Alice in her journey into a land of peculiar characters and magical adventures at ArtScience Museum’s new exhibition, Wonderland. Held from Saturday, 13 April to Sunday, 22 September 2019, the exhibition celebrates the titular heroine of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s – better known by his moniker ‘Lewis Carroll’ – timeless tales and presents the first ever survey of Alice on screen and in popular culture. The exhibition’s opening in Singapore marks the first stop of the award-winning exhibition’s global tour. Wonderland invites visitors to take a trip through the looking glass into an immersive, enchanted world, where a remarkable selection…

“We are in the endgame now” is the pivotal line by Doctor Strange in Avengers: Infinity War. Indeed, we too are approaching the final stages of the massive saga that has lasted more than a decade. The question is, does that also ring true for the actors in the film? Like the Marvel film series, the actors portraying these characters have gone through a long journey. Robert Downey Jr. (RDJ) has been portraying his titular character, Iron Man, for the longest time among the original cast. Even before Iron Man, RDJ was in the film industry for a long time,…

Tomorrow, it all comes to an end. The highly-anticipated movie from Marvel Studios – Avengers: Endgame – will premiere on Wednesday, 24 April 2019, in Singapore. While many of us may have been able to snag a ticket for screenings on the first day, there are also fans who were only able to grab tickets to screenings for the first week; maybe even later. Gold Class tickets at Golden Village are all sold out! Let’s also not forget that – despite the film’s premiere screening today at the US – Avengers: Endgame only releases on 24 and 25 April 2019…

The Future Of Our Pasts Festival – better known as TFOOPFest – took place till 17 March at various locations around the city. Organised by Yale-NUS College, the festival featured a line-up of 11 multidisciplinary projects created by young local artists and cultural advocates in hopes of engaging and inspiring audiences to explore the lesser-known narratives of Singapore’s communities and history. Held in support of the Singapore Bicentennial, TFOOPFest prompted audiences to explore different narratives through the various programmes available, including installations, interactive musical and theatrical performances, as well as film screenings. Here were some of the programmes TFOOPFest offered.…

Singapore Design Week (SDW) – one of Asia’s premier design festivals – celebrated its sixth edition with a robust line-up of programmes. Held till 17 March 2019, SDW 2019 highlighted how good design impacts the economy, environment, society, and culture. Held at the National Design Centre (NDC) and various locations island-wide, SDW included over 80 programmes by more than 70 partners that brought attention to the impact and value of design in everyday living. SingaPlural 2019 The first day of SDW 2019 also saw the launch of its first programme on the list – SingaPlural 2019. A strong advocate for…

The Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) and the Peranakan Museum under the National Heritage Board (NHB) will be closed for redevelopment later this year to refresh the museums’ infrastructure and content. The former will be closed to the public from 18 March 2019, and is expected to re-open to the public in end 2020. The latter will be closed from 1 April 2019, and will re-open in mid-2021. These are major redevelopment projects since SPM’s opening in 1995, and the Peranakan Museum’s launch in 2008. Here is a summarised list of some of the most memorable exhibits – both permanent and…