Countdown to Singapore Art Week: 4 shows you can experience now
Art Week runs from Jan 17 to 26, but these shows are already open ahead of the city’s biggest art celebration
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Behind The Canvas Series 1
Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo & Convention Centre
The world’s first immersive exhibition of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art debuts in Singapore across 10 rooms in a 16,000 square foot exhibition hall. It’s a spatial spectacle, with striking set designs and interactive installations drawing visitors into the famous artist’s world of 1970s and 1980s New York.
Basquiat, who died in 1988 at the age of 27, painted images that were layered with cryptic text, raw brushstrokes and clashing colours. His canvases reflect the tension of a black artist navigating a predominantly white art world. They explore the complex intersections of identity, power and money; and critique the systemic oppression of minorities – even as the artist himself was being absorbed by the systems he sought to expose.
It would be too much to ask for a non-museum show like this to examine these tensions in great depth. What the show tries to do instead is stay respectful towards his life and creativity, and capture some of the 1980s New York vibe that inspired him – from the graffiti-covered streets of the Lower East Side, to the pulsating nightlife of clubs like the Palladium and Studio 54.
Although some purists may argue that such a slick, commercial approach simplifies the complexity of his art, the show succeeds in making Basquiat’s art accessible to a new generation. It captures some of the restless energy, bold experimentation and unapologetic truth-telling that defined his career.
Unfortunately, there are no original paintings here – many of them are now valued in the tens or hundreds of millions, and an estimated 85 per cent of them are in the hands of private collectors. But the show producer Covenant Art has managed to obtain 160 original pages from his notebooks and 25 licensed prints of his paintings, which offer some insight into his thought patterns and creative process.
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Covenant Art co-founder Jude Robert says his Singapore-based company created the show “in response to the growth of the experience economy”, and is now working to bring the show to other cities in the region, such as Shanghai and Bangkok.
Tickets from Sistic.
The Second Sex
The Culture Story, Leng Kee Road
The small art salon, The Culture Story (TCS), has been punching above its weight for some time now with its well-curated talks and exhibitions. Its latest show, titled The Second Sex, takes a timely look at Asian women artists, with some 20 artworks drawn from the collection of TCS co-founders Chong Huai Seng and his daughter Ning.
Named after Simone de Beauvoir’s seminal 1949 book, the exhibition delves into themes of gender, identity and empowerment. It brings together an eclectic mix of works from both emerging and established women artists, spanning mediums such as painting, sculpture and mixed media.
There are several established stars here, such as South Korea’s Lee Bul, Singapore’s Jane Lee and Indonesia’s I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih (better known as Murni). But there are also works by emerging names such as Singapore’s Yanyun Chen, Hong Kong’s Angela Yuen and Indonesia’s Nana Tedja.
Some situate their practices in response to the patriarchy. Murni, for instance, has garnered posthumous acclaim for symbolic paintings that embrace female erotic pleasure and empowerment, challenging the conservative norms of Indonesia. But other women, such as Jane Lee and Rose Cameron, are more interested in experimenting with form and medium, making their identity somewhat less of a focal point.
Taken together, these works offer a testament to the complexity and diversity of women’s perspectives, bringing nuanced reflections on social norms, gender struggles and personal narratives.
Open by appointment. E-mail admin@theculturestory.co or call +65 6924 9742.
Joel Meyerowitz: A Master of Street Photography
Leica Galerie, South Beach Quarter
Camera manufacturer Leica has just opened a new flagship store at South Beach Quarter, doubling the size of its previous location at Raffles Arcade. The new premises house a larger gallery to showcase works by photographers using Leica cameras, such as Steve McCurry and Nick Ut.
Its inaugural exhibition features celebrated New York street photographer Joel Meyerowitz, whose pioneering use of colour photography in the 1960s challenged the dominance of black-and-white photography in the art world then. Meyerowitz’s vibrant snapshots drew attention for capturing the spontaneous and even surreal moments of everyday life.
The exhibition includes his most iconic snapshots, including Fallen Man, Paris (1967). Here, a man lying unconscious on a Parisian sidewalk draws only curiosity and indifference from passers-by – instead of help and concern. The image, like much of Meyerowitz’s street photography, offers a profound commentary on urban isolation and the detachment of city living.
Besides the gallery, the new store also features a cozy cafe, allowing visitors to grab a coffee while reflecting on the show.
Admission is free.
Gustav Klimt: Falling In Gold
Sports Hub Library, Stadium Walk
Even the Sports Hub is involved in Singapore Art Week this year – and what better way than through the lush and dreamy art of Gustav Klimt? The Austrian artist, who lived from 1862 to 1918, is famous for his opulent artworks featuring glittering gold leaf, Byzantine-inspired motifs and sensuous depictions of the human form.
Two storeys of the Sports Hub Library have been transformed by creative studios Dirty Monitor and Dual Mint into an immersive showcase boasting 360-degree room projections, virtual reality experiences and artificial intelligence-powered portrait-generating machines.
Unlike the Basquiat exhibition, there is not a single authentic print, drawing or work by Klimt here. A gallery showing textured reproductions of his famous works looks as cheesy as it sounds, and the show offers not enough insight into the man and his methods.
But where the show triumphs is in its immersive technology: A large room envelopes you in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of shimmering colours and images. Characters in his paintings come alive as Amazonian figures staring down at you. His famous painting Tree Of Life is rendered here as a life-size object with swirling leaves and golden branches.
While the lack of authentic works may disappoint purists, the exhibition succeeds as a technological spectacle, bringing Klimt’s vision to a broad audience.
Tickets from Sistic.
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