merrick's Weblog Site • NuTang.com

at this point when i am writing this entry, i am both excited and regretful.

excited because fad and i are going to the biennale (i finally got the spelling) at city hall - the old supreme court later on after work

and I am regreting the fact that the lazy bum i am din go see the exhibits when i was on leave. I am this close to kicking myself.

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part 1

Let the Enchantment begin
Be intrigued by the largest and most provocative showcase of contemporary art by renowned visual artists from around the globe.

Singapore Biennale 2008 (SB2008) is the follow up to the hugely successful inaugural event in 2006 and now challenges you to wonder anew at the world you live in. Feel surprised, be awed, challenge your perspectives and ponder the profound. With both indoor and outdoor exhibitions at Singapore's iconic landmarks, it�s time to reserve your opinions and immerse yourself in a new state of wonder.

SB2008. Intrigue your senses.

The theme is Wonder. So the showcase might not have any other meaning except to provoke thought and leads pple to wonder abt their surroundings, their abt their existance or merely provoking a sense of wonder.

I went to the South Beach development site yesterday evening after work. Despite the name, the site is no where along a beach but is somewhere in between raffles hotel and bugis. in fact its only a 10 min walk from raffles city.

the works were.... intriguing. I do not profess to be an art critique or even an artsy person who knows the difference between neo and post modernism. Frankly, I don't understand some of the exhibits.

what i liked
"The Breathing Room"
The artist made a small squarish room breathe. U can feel the dulations of breath and see the walls expanding and contracting with each breath. its fascinating.

"Swing"
A swing made entirely out of florescent tubes... swinging swinging swinging. a symbolism for the fragility of childhood. hypnotic

"Story of a Face"
Was tucked in an enclave. caught me unawares. the booklet said some v chim things abt it. But i couldn't see the layered ballerina.

"Address"
This one receive some media coverage before.
its bright and colourful. i like it. lolx. not very astute observations.

"Everytime we say Goodbye"
The jutapox of charcoal and film and the reality of me wondering through them is .. . pretty amazing for lack of better words.

"Private Moon"
A light hearted piece. shhhh.... i intend to use the image for my msn

"Impossibility of the Superstring Theory"
The last one i saw before the exhibit closed for the night.
This one i understand.. where succeeding and failing will both be an exercise in futilitity

.........Its lunch time and i'm off to esplanade for more art.
updates later

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part 2

back from the Central Promotory Site
(one wonders where does the govt pull such a difficult name from, and btw, the damn map the biennale organisers provide is super crappy lah)

there aren't many exhibits there, i suppose its coz of the location? bite sized art for lunch? its just behind the new NTUC glass building which makes it a less than 10 min walk from the my office.

The specially contructed building is by itself, an art piece, built entirely from NOL shipping containers.. aka the kind that looks like huge pieces of legos at ship yards

the 2 most captivating art works ...."Flight" and "Location (6)"

"Flight" has nothing to do with birds, wings, feathers, planes or any aviating object. Its about slippers. lol

Don't start imagining flying slippers smacking pple on their faces!

this is purely my own thinking, not in the book, i hope i am BSI-ing : the location of the installation lends itself as a backdrop. its near the new IR area, with construction going on. the piece is according to the guidebook pays homage to and laments tradition. hence whether intentional or not, its rather ironic when the cranes in the backgrd blends into the installation.

"Location (6)" is simply beautiful. The starkness of the snowscape particularly emphasized in singapore's equatorial weather. I'll prob be going again just to sit there and be drawn into another world.

i can't do the biennale justice with words. i promise to upload and post the photos.. erm soon. lolx.
wat u can do if u really wanna see the exhibits, either go down to the biennale but it ends this sunday. or go google images. u might find sth.