Arts

Private art collection and commercial art galleries are definitely not the first things that come to mind when we consider art culture in Singapore, mainly due to the prohibitive costs of pursuing art ownership. Often associated with snobbery and ostentatious bourgeoisie tendencies – no thanks to popular culture – private art collection and commercial art galleries are thus often given neither attention nor understanding in the public domain. The question remains however: just what kind of place do they have Singapore’s art culture? Mazel Galerie Singapore’s director, Kevin Troyano Cuturi, demystifies this and more in an exclusive tour of the…

Having first brought the Pride Lands to the Lion City in 2011 to roaring success, The Lion King comes full circle as the Circle of Life takes centre stage once again at Marina Bay Sands. As a worldwide phenomenon, The Lion King is a cultural cornerstone and is a generation-defining symbol of childhood for many. Those who remember the animated film with fondness are sure to be captivated again by life that the theatrical production breathes into its characters. The world-building of The Lion King is impeccable in the thought and care that went into adapting the locales of the…

“Four or five moments, that’s all it takes,” Colossus declares towards the end of Deadpool (2016). He goes on to dictate, in his booming and richly accented voice, how it is just a few instances in life that make or break a hero. The choices made at those points are what will define someone; everything that happened before or after is irrelevant. As a film, Deadpool 2 has its share of those moments – four or five of them, in fact. These moments sure made their landings in triumphant superhero fashion, and in doing so, saved the day – just…

Serious photography in Singapore remains relatively nascent in the public consciousness and still suffers from a lack of mainstream recognition as art. This isn’t surprising given that the average Singaporean either associates it with high-brow culture consumption, or doesn’t deem photography to hold enough intrinsic value to be recognised as art. Anyone with a camera can take a photo – so why should it be art? Such obtuse views are repudiated with X EDITION, Asia’s largest hotel photography art fair, through its specially curated exhibition: Marang: The 1950s in Colour and Monochrome. Co-presented in collaboration with Canvas Gallery, the exhibition…

Spoiler Alert: If you have not watched Avengers: Infinity War, get out of here and read our “Before You Watch” guide here. The Avengers: Infinity War ending title card slowly faded away, taking a part of me with it. Although it was the second time that I am witnessing it, its effect was equally as profound as the first time. It is almost unheard of that a movie with such a huge global impact could leave such a strong impression on a personal level. Although most of us have been mere spectators in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), we became…

The theme of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was thoroughly explored with two ingenious exhibitions – A-DROYX and Human Version – which were exhibited for the Voilah! French Festival Singapore 2018. A-DROYX by Mathieu Briand was an exhibit that showcased his assembly of androids in his laboratory studio. It is a testament to the fact that the story behind creation can be more interesting than the final product itself. To call the space in A-DROYX messy would be an understatement – the circuits, tools, and makeshift limbs strewn all over were an immediate indication to viewers of the nature of the undertaking.…

The human mind continuously seeks self-expression: this is an enduring desire that has only strengthened in tandem with the evolution of technology as new forms of self-expression are invented. Visual mediums, in particular, catch on especially fast and the invention of photography has seen its meteoric rise towards occupying an integral part of everyday life in the 21st century. Most of us would likely assume that fawning over celebrity Instagram Stories and be making duck faces in our selfies are relatively modern phenomena, gaining recognition as cultural cornerstones with the prevalence of youth culture in the modern global society. The…

Debuting to a sell-out run at the 2017 Singapore International Festival of Arts, Pangdemonium’s Dragonflies once again returns with a potent and renewed relevance in the political climate of today. Bringing to life a dystopian world set in 2021 against a backdrop of seething xenophobia, racism, fearmongering and the worst of humanity’s darker nature, Dragonflies explores the resultant trials and tribulations of an everyman — Leslie Chen and his family as they try to navigate the turbulence thrust upon their lives. This is not a play that expects audiences to stay happily muted in their seats. Right from the start…

“Interactive = Incomplete”, the phrase shone on the pitch-black screen like a lone star in the night sky. Founder of Blast Theory, Matt Adams, began his presentation at Lasalle, College of the Arts with the curious claim. He then dove into an explanation of his company’s expertise: interactive art. Based in Portslade, England, Blast Theory is an artist collective that combines elements of theatre, film, video games, and many more for an ultra-unique take to art. What makes their pieces special – besides varying themes and mediums – is the inclusion of audience members’ participation. It is hence that the…

Welcome to the sanctuary for everyone who has not witnessed what might be the biggest movie event of all time: Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. Yet. The rest of the world must seem like a scary place; dodging spoilers and ducking from Avengers references at every turn. Whether you are a fan who has not had the chance to catch a screening yet or someone who just wants to find out what all the fuss is about, there is no more need to worry, for we have prepared a guide to navigate the chaos. Background The Avengers series depicts a world where an extravagant…