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Synopsis ▶Events ▶

There seems to come a time when many of us are compelled to embark on a journey of sorts. This journey may take many forms even though the goals I believe are the same. It is this searching or yearning of that something that seems to be missing in our lives. And it is with this, that my own journey in art begins. I shall like to give it a name even if I cannot say entirely what it is.

I will hereby call it the “Journey Beyond Rationality”. And I very much like to invite you to join me. Along the way, I will participate in various real-life arts events (both local and overseas) and documenting these experiences as i go. You are welcome to join me at these events or just reading about them here. I hope this journey will take us to places both fulfilling and worthwhile and go towards finding the missing puzzle that modern life seems to have created for us.

Destination:	National Gallery Singapore, Singapore.
Event:	Talk by art historian Dr Pamela Corey (Re-Imagining Home: Vietnam As Sign, Site, and History)
event clip
Date:	Saturday, 12th August 3pm
Brief:	Art historian Dr Pamela Corey surveys the works of diasporic Vietnamese artists that draw on themes of transnational history, such as competing nationalisms, contested historiographies, wartime trauma and diasporic migration.
Shots of some discussed artworks:
Mentionables:
One. This was a talk on a subject I have great interest about but time forbade me from staying back after the end to discuss more with other participants. Being a presentation delivered by an art historian, the talk was academic in nature and focused on providing a survey of artworks and the theoretical interpretations of the various motives and intentions of the artists behind these works. It draws comparisons between the works produced by westerners versus those produced by Vietnamese on the one hand, and on the other between Vietnamese who had left and settled outside their native country and those who have stayed behind. It showcased the different methods or mediums employed by artists for delivering the narrative of the contemporary Vietnamese cultural experience. All these artists nevertheless seem to draw, as its source of inspiration, the Vietnam war and of its aftermath as the definitive context to inform all their narratives or interpretations. Two. The academic nature of the talk notwithstanding, the selection of some works as a subject to explore themes surrounding the devastating aftereffects of chemical warfare and of the attempt exemplified by the work of “Damaged Gene” to recast or transcend the conventional interpretations or narratives of this subject area suggests the speaker’s willingness and readiness to approach the controversial and difficult aspects of her native country’s history of which some consequences are still felt directly today. This does sort of make the whole session less impersonal and even slightly emotional to me at times.
My comments
My feeling coming away from the talk seems to suggest the big area of contention relates to the question of who is the rightful custodian of the Vietnamese experience narrative. Does it belong to the group that has been forced to leave their homelands? Or does ownership stays with those who had remained and are thus naturally bequeathed with the authentic voice of the land that they have always been living in. Or maybe the rightful authority could be the western philosophers or historians that created all the academic concepts that allow such a discourse to happen in the first place. It is no incident that the most original voices of all these discussions often comes from western educated academics who are themselves natives of the subject country. As with all academic discussions, more questions portend more discussions and then even more questions after that. So maybe a fast and acceptable answer could be had by just having a decent chat with the average men and women living their lives in Vietnam.

Destination:	The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.
Event:	Exhibitions Opening.
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Date:	Friday, 9th June 6pm
Brief:	Exhibition 1: “I, Me, Mine” where 5 emerging artists take us on a journey to explore the cornerstones of the ‘self’. Exhibition 2: "Histoire d’un Voyage: Sand in my ears, adrift of the world" where artist Nguyễn Thuý Hằng celebrates the relationship between text and image making. Its my first visit to The Factory and i am very eager to witnessed some of the more edgy works often produced by contemporary artists.
Shots of some interesting exhibits:
Other "mentionables"...
One. Regretted not having the chance to at least speak to some of the artists featured in the exhibition due to spending too much time making video footage and also trying to experiment with some perpective shots for the exhibits. Maybe you can avoid my mistakes when you attend such events in future. :) Two. It is worth noting that one of the exhibits involve a genre of art known as the "Performance Art". This is a relatively new concept to me but i can see why such an approach to presenting art is worth pursuing given its more dynamic and lifelike quality.
My comments
Its my first contemporary arts exhibition and i have half expected to go away from attending such an event feeling confused which is how i often feel whenever i see some of these artworks on the internet. The truth be told though after this exhibition, i feel that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the contemporary arts. If we as audience can slow down and take in what we see in a more gradual manner, we might uncover layers of hidden meaning that is true to us. And that is also when we might realize that art does speak to us, and in the process maybe speak for us as well.

Destination:	Charlie’s Paradiso, Boat Quay, Singapore
Event:	The Hungry Hundred Book Club Meetup (Discussion on “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte).
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Date:	Sunday, 21st May 7pm
Brief:	This book club is organised by an American lady residing in Singapore who loves to read and has set herself a goal of completing 100 of the finest written works in English literature. Every month a target book is selected to be read by its members so that it can be discussed at her meetup held on the last Sunday of each month. I have been to this meetup several times in the past though it’s my first time talking about it here since this being my first entry for the events section at Art-gage.
Some powerful stuff from Jane Eyre
Interesting things said at the meetup...
"There seems to be something very special about the character of “Jane Erye” in the book that makes her so attractive to the male protagonist." "What is there not to like about Jane Erye? She is such a spirited lady in the book. She has her passions and instincts and knows exactly what they are. She is unafraid to show it and completely at ease with being herself. She is a remarkable woman character for her day and age. Her suitor being a man of god whose own life is very much guided by the rules set out by conventions and prevailing social mores will see in Janes Erye someone who can completely trusts her own human instincts and judgment. How can such a guy not be impressed and in fact admire a character like Jane Erye opposite him." "The author has done a good job of showing the theme/message that she is trying to convey rather than just telling about it. And being able to show it rather than talking about it is the most important."
My comments
As usual the discussions are enthusiastic especially among the regular members and the atmosphere is accommodating with a variety of opinions openly received and comfortably debated. Members with different backgrounds also add to the diversity of things being discussed and are shared mostly without hesitation. There are also moments of insightful comments that arised during the interactions which on their own would have made the meetup entirely worthwhile.