A LIST.SG - The A List

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S I N G A P O R E ’ s D E F I N I T I V E arts & C U L T U R E G U I D E
27
issue
16 OCT
to
29 OCT
2015
FREE!
www.a-list.sg
Full
14-DAY
listings for
arts & culture
events!
ist first
L
A its
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T ates ary!
br ivers
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INSIDE Cultural Medallion 2015*RAYANN CONDY*Little Bookstores*Elena Wang
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NOISE SINGAPORE
2015 FESTIVAL
ALUMNI SHOW
Noise turns 10 this year, and we’re celebrating with an exciting series of exhibitions
and concerts from 16 September to 8 November – all for free! Soak in the creativity
and be inspired by emerging artists and musicians in Singapore. Let’s make some noise!
ALUMNI EXHIBITION
24 Oct – 8 Nov 2015
11am – 8pm
Galeris Nila & Utama
@ The Foothills*
ALUMNI CONCERTS
& ARTS MARKET
30 Oct – 31 Oct 2015
5pm – 11pm
Lawn @ The Foothills*
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*The Foothills at Fort Canning Park (70 River Valley Road, Singapore 179037; opposite Liang Court)
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Organiser
Venue Partners
Sponsor
Supporter
In Celebration of
the
LIST
CONTENTS
16 oct
to
29 oct
2015
ISSUE 27
10
features
02
14
Our New
Arts
Heroes
One of a Kind
Has it been a year already?
The A List looks back in wonder.
NEWS
What’s
A-Buzzing
Meet this year’s
Cultural Medallion and
Young Artist Award recipients.
The Commissioned,
Singapore: Inside Out in New
York, NADI Singapura, and the
latest contest.
PROFILES
15LISTINGs
06
COVER CREDITS photography Ching/GreenPlasticSoldiers
art direction Tony Law
Elena
Wang
A Singaporean
girl makes it to
Broadway and
beyond.
24EPILOGUE
gkkkkkkh
the A Team
editorial director
Michael Chiang
Going By
the Book
A trio of little bookstores do their
bit to serve the printed word.
The A List is a
publication by
Supported by
[email protected]
creative director
tony law
head, digital marketing
WILLIAM LOW
editor
Pamela ho
specialist, digital marketing
NICK YEO
writer
jo tan
contributors Pamela Quek,
[email protected]
one small
voice
07
[email protected]
ENQUIRIES
In Partnership with
[email protected]
Daphne Ong
www.a-list.sg
09
Let’s hear it for more site-specific
theatre shows, says artistic
director RAYANN CONDY.
[email protected]
[email protected]
TheAListSG
FIND A
NICHE,
FILL A SPACE
associate art director
wang meimei
[email protected]
general
advertising
AListSG
alistsg
[email protected]
[email protected]
The A List is published by MediaCorp Pte Ltd.
Caldecott Broadcast Centre. Andrew Road, Singapore 299939. Copyright is
held by the National Arts Council. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole
or in part without permission is prohibited. Distributed by MediaCorp Pte Ltd.
Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd.
HELD IN
In Celebration of
One
Kind!
of
Has it been
a year
already?
The A List
looks back in
wonder.
2
PHOTO Ching@Green Plastic Soldiers ART DIRECTION Tony Law
BY PAMELA HO
P
eople say magazines the
world over are dying. If
that is true, then there’s
good reason to celebrate
the first anniversary of
The A List, a fortnightly magazine
dedicated to the arts and culture
scene in Singapore. Yes, we’ve made
it to the one-year mark, are alive and
kicking, and still raring to go!
It has been a compelling year of
storytelling. Since our official
launch at the National Museum of
Singapore on 17 October last year,
we have published 27 issues, all of
which are downloadable from our
website (www.a-list.sg) for free.
Initiated by the National Arts
Council, the magazine serves
to promote the arts to a wide
readership, from youth and working
adults to families and the elderly.
Our aim is to showcase the diverse
values and benefits of the arts, as
well as to engage, inspire, inform
and entertain the public. Enhancing
public perception of the arts and
fostering close ties between the
arts and community is what
The A List is all about.
MULTIPLE
PLATFORMS
T
he A List is more than just a
magazine. In the past year, we
have seen our reach expand
through multiple platforms. Original
content is also generated for our
website and social media platforms.
Social Media This has been an
integral part of our bid to broaden
coverage of arts events in Singapore.
Through Instagram, Facebook and
Twitter, we’ve been able to cover
events that didn’t make it to our
pages, and in real-time, too. It also
allowed us to engage the online
community, to encourage them to
‘try out’ the arts through regular
contest giveaways, where concert
tickets, an exclusive tour of the
Naked Museum (National Gallery
Singapore before the paintings
were in) and hotel stays near
event venues were up for grabs.
Within three months, we hit 1,000
followers on Instagram and in
under a month, 1,000 followers on
Facebook!
Radio Every fortnight, 12,000
copies of the magazine are
distributed to over 200 locations
across the island. When the
magazine hits the shelves on
Wednesday, the highlights of that
issue are talked about on-air by DJs
across five MediaCorp radio stations
during the evening drive-time belt.
These stations cover the four official
languages: Class 95FM, 987FM
(English), Yes 933FM (Chinese),
Warna 94.2FM (Malay) and Oli
96.8FM (Tamil).
Television MediaCorp television
has also supported the magazine’s
content with their weekly threeminute arts digest on Channel 8.
Entitled The Arts Is Awesome (Yi
Dian Jiu Tong), the programme is
hosted by the ever-popular Dennis
Chew (aka Zhou Chongqing), and
airs every Wednesday before the
9pm drama series and again on
Thursday, after the 1.30pm news.
online To complement the
content published in The A List,
MediaCorp’s daily newspaper also
ran monthly features on TODAY
Online that tied in with the theme of
each issue.
SPH online properties AsiaOne,
The Straits Times, The Business
Times, Lianhe Zaobao and Berita
Harian also hosted our content as
nano-websites that online users
could explore. M1 and the Singapore
Tourism Board have also partnered
with us to expand outreach through
additional distribution points in
Singapore and through international
platforms that have flown the
Singapore flag for the arts.
INCLUSIVE
ARTS
W
hile the concept of The
A List was clear from the
start, it didn’t stop us
from evolving as we gained a better
feel of the ground.
Overseas Singaporeans
We realised that many Singaporean
artists living overseas are continuing
to create great works. So we devised
a ‘Singaporean Abroad’ tag to
specially acknowledge them. Among
those we have featured under
this tag are Paris-based curator
Khairuddin Hori and violinist
Siow Lee Chin, currently based in
Suzhou, China.
Special-Needs Arts Some of
the most heartwarming stories we’ve
covered this past year have explored
the role of the arts in special-needs
communities in Singapore. Even as
we paid tribute to the ability of the
arts to heal and transform, we also
revealed how these communities
contributed to the arts scene.
We’ve profiled inspiring artists like
sculptor and Cultural Medallion
recipient Chng Seok Tin, who,
despite her visual impairment,
continues to create world-class art.
Then there’s Deaf musician and
educator, Lily Goh of ExtraOrdinary
Horizons, who empowers members
of the Deaf community to make a
living through the arts.
Traditional Arts While
an important part of Singapore’s
cultural landscape, the traditional
arts often escape media attention
because they are not regarded as
‘mainstream’ or ‘cool’. This past
year, we shed light on how Indian
theatre and Chinese opera are
reaching out to new audiences by
including English surtitles in their
performances and adapting stories
from inter-cultural exchanges.
Offstage Spotlight To
acknowledge the arts as an
ecosystem, beyond the talented
creatives, we’ve given voice to arts
educators and arts managers in
Singapore; chatted with technical
director Kenny Wong, wardrobe
mistress Theresa Chan and hair/wig
designer Ashley Lim.
In bringing these less-conventional
stories to the fore, we’ve opened
doors to multiple new worlds and
given readers a backstage pass to
the different groups supporting
Singapore’s arts ecosystem.
This past year of storytelling has
merely set the wheels of change
in motion. There are many more
worlds to explore, conversations to
share and exciting initiatives to tell
you about. We are already rolling
up our sleeves. But first, here’s
a glimpse of what goes into the
making of The A List…. a
3
ind
h
Be
the
nes
cestory,
SEach
each cover, is the
er y owonng"
O ur vN
K
"G u i
product of teamwork. We
affectionately call our little
editorial family ‘The A Team’.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes
glimpse into the production
of this magazine….
CONDENSING CONCEPTS
Conceptualising the
cover for ‘Singapore:
Inside Out’ (Issue
11) challenged us.
Singapore Arts –
compacted and carried
overseas... Why not
a very Singaporean
version of takeaway?
O ur el
oc ver moodour
is alsrat or!
il lust
DOODLE SUPERMODELS Very
early on, we had the idea
of getting NOISE artists
to illustrate our 'NOISE'
issue (Issue 25). So we did
just that – and put them
on the cover too!
4
OUR VERY OWN When
your budget is tight,
you turn your Creative
Director’s pooch, Yumi,
into a cover dog and
your resident writer, Jo
Tan, into a cover girl.
Welcome, SG50! (Issue 6)
LIGHT WORK For our ‘Arts After Dark’ cover (Issue
15), we had light artist Stanley Chee create this
magical effect by ‘drawing’ with light against this
cut-out. Oh, we fed mosquitoes that night!
er
O ur cwovhen we
e
changeard t he
h ws. .
ne
It's r k
hardnwgot he
wavi lag!
f
ABSORBED IN TOTS
You can say we
had our hands
full for this
cover shoot
(Issue 16). Tip:
When working
with children,
make sure they
stay entertained
and happy.
Cool props and
lollipops work!
CHINGAY CHARM The
lovely ladies on our
Chingay cover (Issue
10) are not models, but
People’s Association
artists and actual
performers for Chingay
2015! They took time off
their busy rehearsals
for our shoot.
We edveonur
bake hday
own bpirctakes!
cu
C an I kite,
f ly tlehaese?
p
PARTY TIME! What’s a
birthday celebration
without cake? Yes, we
have good bakers on
our team too.
COLOUR LESS When
we heard the news
of MR Lee Kuan Yew’s
passing, we had already
designed Issue 13’s
cheery cover. In respect,
we toned it down to
blues and greys.
Page Makers
We catch up with some of our favourite
arts advocates, all of whom have been
featured in The A List.
“
One of the highlights this year was being
chief choreographer for the opening and closing
ceremonies of the 28th Southeast Asian Games
in Singapore. I was recently back on stage as a
dancer for Above 40 — part of the Esplanade’s
da:ns festival — after not dancing for seven
years! I’m also choreographing a full-length
ballet, The Nutcracker, for the Singapore
Ballet Academy for 250 kids, and am already
preparing for National Day Parade 2016, as chief
choreographer! Jeffrey Tan choreographer
”
(Profile, Nov 2014)
“
“
It has been a
fulfilling year for us,
with new partnerships
and continued
enhancements to our
channels for partners
and customers.
Among the highlights:
expanding our system
capabilities to cater
“
I've been travelling quite a bit for the past
year, bringing shows from Singapore overseas. I
did Another Country in Kuala Lumpur and Best Of
in Brisbane and New York. It's such an awesome
feeling to be able to represent the country and
give a little introduction of our Singapore arts
scene to those abroad. Once I get back from New
York, I’ll be starting rehearsals for W!ld Rice's
annual year-end pantomime!
”
”
“
to attractions such as the National Gallery
Singapore and the Lee Kong Chian Natural
History Museum. We’ve also recently revamped
our mobile app with new functions for users
to keep track of upcoming events, along with
events they have already purchased. They can
also choose to receive relevant offers that are
triggered by their location.
This past year, I’ve done a few new
sculptures: one is the Moongate, which is at
Boulevard Vue on Orchard Boulevard. I’ve been
busy working on a bronze commission for a
building on Orchard Road. I can’t reveal details
at this point, but hopefully, it will be completed
and installed by mid-October. I’m also working
on another bronze sculpture featuring two
children, a big sister and her younger brother, for
a condominium along Ardmore Park. In the midst
of all this work, I underwent surgery for Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome on my right hand!
Kenneth Tan Chief Executive Officer, SISTIC
(One Small Voice, Jan 2015)
Chong Fah Cheong sculptor and Cultural
Medallion recipient (Beyond Cultural Heroes, Oct 2014)
Siti Khalijah Zainal actress
(Beyond Cultural Heroes, Oct 2014)
A List readers speak up!
The Necessary Stage and Cultural Medallion recipient
”
Josephine Chia writer and Singapore Literature
Prize winner (One Small Voice, Jul 2015)
Vocal
“
Support
Congratulations on your first
anniversary! Thanks for all the
colourful contributions to the arts. Your
presence has made such a significant
difference to the arts community. We
feel ourselves more than ever before,
connected to one another. Here's to
more years of building the arts scene
together!
Alvin Tan artistic director of
“
This past August, I was sent by the National
Arts Council to Thimphu, Bhutan, to present and
teach at the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival.
The festival's patron is the Royal Queen Mother,
Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, who has
authored books on Bhutan with co-writers. Prior
to the festival, I also conducted a Creative Writing
workshop for the locals. Another highlight of this
year for me will be the launch of my new novel,
When a Flower Dies, at the upcoming Singapore
Writers Festival 2015.
”
I’ve loved every edition of
The A List! Beautiful cover designs.
Always enlightening stories and such
good variety of arts events!
“
Petrina Kow voice/presentation coach
”
I especially like Issue 21.
Audrey Luo left an impression. I think
she's wonderful and takes pride in
whatever role she has been given. I
think I will forever remember Mrs Wong
from Our Sister Mambo!
“
”
”
Joanne Mok education officer
”
“
”
I enjoyed reading the profile on
toy pianist Margaret Leng Tan and
Najip Ali. I’d love to read more about
arts personalities in future issues! I
also love the layout of the magazine.
It’s very nice and easy to read.
Mohammad Juhari semi-retired
Congrats! I'm loving every issue, thanks for bringing the arts to us busy
bookworms in these bite-sized digests.
Edric Hsu artist/actor
5
Profile
A Singa
br pore
oa an
d
Elena Wang
Elena
Wang
But that’s
Elena story
have laughed.”
No one’s laughing
now. Wang is currently
understudying Tony
Award-winning star
Lea Salonga for the
lead in the musical
Allegiance by George
Takei, which has just
opened on Broadway
after a successful
West End run. She
6
Never imagined
a Singaporean girl
would make it on
Broadway? Say hello
to Elena Wang. BY JO TAN
Barely nine years ago,
Elena Wang was a theatre student at
LASALLE College of the Arts, just
learning to sing properly for the first
time. Right after graduation, her
newly-discovered voice, since hailed
as “revelatory” and “note perfect”,
secured her the lead in the 2008
production of Singapore musical
Beauty World. This was followed by
a slew of other starring parts on the
Singapore stage.
Even then, she maintains, “If I
had told people I was going to New
York to do a Broadway show, they’d
also produced and
starred in the feature
film Bloodline, all the
while overseeing Berte’
Productions, the Los
Angeles film company she co-owns
with her fiancé.
“I used to think, if you’re in
theatre, you stay in theatre. But
I’ve found lots of film names in
Broadway shows and vice versa.
I’m in Allegiance now, but once the
show is done, I might end up in a TV
commercial or doing a movie... it’s so
flexible,” she says.
Wang has always set her sights
on a different scale. Not a year after
Beauty World, she auditioned for and
won a part on the West End’s The
King and I. She subsequently left
theatre and London for Los Angeles
to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in
Acting for Film at the New York Film
Academy. There, she worked with the
likes of Taylor Swift on music videos,
starred in Schenectady, New York,
part of the Official Selection for the
New York City International Film
Festival, and appeared in various
commercials.
“I was always wondering about
working in film and TV, even after
The King and I,” she explains.
“And I thought, if I’m still thinking
about it even after this wonderful
opportunity, I better give it a shot.
I focused on film those few years
because I didn’t want to be a Jack
of all trades and master of none.
But somebody sent me the audition
notice for Miss Saigon in Los
Angeles, and I got the lead role of
Kim. Then, Allegiance happened.”
Wang was handpicked to
understudy Salonga from an open
audition that attracted actresses all
across New York and Los Angeles,
but the real work started after.
“The musicals were like boot camp,
forcing me to get back into that
intense ‘triple-threat’ mode. On the
most basic level, it’s just getting the
muscles back for the dancing and
all that singing.
“For Allegiance, Lea only
came in during the second week of
rehearsals, so I was filling in for her
pretty much from day one. It was
just, dive into the deep end and trust
your abilities. For this profession in
general, you work hard, but it also
involves a lot of faith, reminding
yourself you’re there for a reason.”
Now Wang’s placing her faith in
juggling both her stage and screen
passions. “And also my love life
and the company while working
on Allegiance,” she laughs. “But an
amazing thing happened: two months
ago, my fiancé got the call that he
had been hired as Allegiance’s fight
choreographer! So we’ll be in New
York together. Sometimes things
just happen. Never say never.” a
by
book
Feature
Going
the
Meet three little bookstores
valiantly doing their bit to serve
the printed word. BY DAPHNE ONG
T
he 2011 demise of
Borders in Singapore left
book lovers here at a loss
for words. While stores
like Kinokuniya and
MPH remain in business, it would
seem that bookshop choices have
clearly shrunk.
But look a little closer and you’ll
find there has been a new breed of
stores quietly appeasing perturbed
book fans. In the past decade, small
independent bookshops have sprung
up across the island, many filling
niches in the market and boasting
their own unique character, sharing
a deep love for the printed word.
Here are some of our favourites.
LIT CHIC:
BooksActually
9 Yong Siak Street
www.booksactually.com
N
estled in the heart
of hipster haven
Tiong Bahru, the
first thing that greets
you when you enter
BooksActually is the
extensive and unusual range of
books on display. Whatever wall
space not covered with books is
plastered with vintage toys, posters
and bric-a-brac.
Once a humble operation by
bibliophiles Kenny Leck and Karen
Wai, BooksActually has
become an institution in the
local literature scene. Book
connoisseurs and newbies
alike make the pilgrimage to
this quirky and sunny store.
“We love books,” says Leck.
“We wanted to sell books
major bookstores don’t
often display. The beauty
of its small size allows us
to feature the
books we want
to feature. Plus,
customers don’t
have to spend
so much time
locating a book
compared to a
big bookstore.”
Ever the
entrepreneur,
Leck turned a
simple handtyped page
into an in-house line of stationery
called Birds & Co., which is sold in
the store alongside the extensive
collection of hand-picked titles.
Perhaps what BooksActually is
best loved for is its active support
for the local literary community.
Math Paper Press is BooksActually’s
own publishing arm focused on
developing local literary voices. It
has published more than 90 titles
and prints since it started in 2011.
The bookshop also hosts numerous
events throughout the year,
including readings, book launches
and exhibitions. Its independent and
supportive spirit continues to endear
it to book lovers.
7
icon Lat. Singapore talent is also
showcased in a section dedicated
to homegrown graphic novels and
children’s picture books.
KID’S PLAY:
Woods in the Books
3 Yong Siak Street
www.woodsinthebooks.sg
A
lso nestled in the Tiong
Bahru neighbourhood is
Singapore’s only independent
children’s bookstore, Woods in
the Books. A simple yet whimsical
storefront façade greets you, but step
through the threshold and you’ll find
yourself amidst a cheerful riot of
colours. Low shelves keep the neat
stacks of books within easy reach of
their key clientele, while an array
of toys and pictures hold court from
their perches on tables, shelves and
wall hangings.
8
Woods in the Books specialises in
picture books for readers of all ages.
The owners, artist Mike Foo and his
partner Shannon Ong, personally
select every title in their collection
of classic and new picture books,
comics and graphic novels.
“We both love and enjoy reading
picture books,” says Ong. “A
bookshop is a channel for us to
let more people know about the
goodness of picture books from our
handpicked selection.”
Children are not the only ones who
enjoy the books here. Adults will
be delighted by the graphic novels
and nostalgic titles from their youth
featuring comic heroes like Tin Tin,
the Peanuts gang and kampung
Those who appreciate the intricacy
of pop-art books will get a buzz
from the selection sold here. Titles
such as The Little Prince and The
Wizard of Oz never fail to impress
with their gorgeous artistry. In
addition to books, drawings,
paintings, prints and plush toys
made by Foo are also for sale here.
Workshops and events are often
held in the shop where children
can read together and get hands-on
with art.
Fans of Woods in the Books may
want to check out their new branch
Books Ahoy! Located at Forum The
Shopping Mall, this junior book
paradise aims to provide a wide
reading selection to children from
infant to 12 years old.
DESIGN HOUSE:
Basheer Graphic
Books
Bras Basah Complex, #04-19
www.basheergraphic.com
A
favourite with design fans,
Basheer Graphic Books is
packed from floor to ceiling
with books and magazines on just
about any design topic. Whether
it’s architecture, interior design,
landscape design, graphic design,
animation, product design, fashion
design, art & craft, typography or
photography, you can be sure of
finding a related publication here.
The bookshop, well situated in the
art-and-print mecca that is Bras
Basah Complex, often draws those
who throng the neighbouring art
shops in search of art supplies.
Often, they end up spending a
generous amount of time browsing
the shelves of Basheer Graphic
Books. Store
owner Basheer
started operations
30 years ago,
tirelessly plying
design tomes to
customers by
hand. His passion
for designrelated books
and magazines,
coupled with his
knowledge of the
subject matter,
has endeared
him to many
art and design
professionals.
It is to his credit
that in this digital
age, designers
still flock to
Basheer’s shop
to check out the
latest offerings.
The store’s
friendly and
knowledgeable
staff are also happy to
recommend titles to
newcomers. In fact, if
you can’t find a particular
title, just leave your name
and contact details with
the staff. You’ll hear from
them when the publication
arrives. a
INTERVIEW BY JO TAN
one
small
voice!
Theatre director Rayann Condy turns her fascination with spaces into
compelling site-specific performances.
I’m a Canadian citizen by
birth. My dad’s British,
which makes me a British
citizen. Later, I migrated to
Australia and because they’re all
Commonwealth countries, I was
allowed citizenship there, too. Now
I’m based in Singapore only as a
Permanent Resident, but somehow,
I’ve chosen this country to settle
down and run theatre company
Skinned Knee Productions (SKP).
continues to grow. We no longer
focus on LASALLE students, but
welcome other theatre-makers
too. At the same time, as Pavan
and I still teach at LASALLE,
we do keep talented students in
mind when it comes to casting.
Our focus at present is on giving
driven individuals a platform to
create their original works, what
we informally dub our ‘training
wheels’ programme.
I’ve always been
fascinated by how
different spaces
speak — I’ve put up
shows at beaches,
bars, restaurants....
RAYANN CONDY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, SKINNED KNEE PRODUCTIONS
I was a pioneer graduate of LASALLE
College of the Arts’ BA Honours
Acting programme. By the time I
completed the course in 2008, I had
met so many interesting teachers,
guest lecturers and fellow students,
I wanted to stay and work with
them. My friend Pavan Singh was
successful in receiving a grant to
develop what is now SKP. He got me
involved to set up the structures so
that young, up-and-coming artists
would have a platform to work,
particularly those from LASALLE,
who use the same language and tools.
Since then, I’ve happily checked
off many collaborators on my
to-work-with list. But the list
Many alumni drama groups don’t
last long because they’re primarily
set up by actors who want to
act. They soon realise there’s
also a whole lot of unglamorous
administration work involved! As
for me, I’ve always been interested
in producing and directing, even
arranging it such that I got the
opportunity to direct as part of the
LASALLE acting programme.
SKP aims to fill a niche in Singapore.
You have W!ld Rice producing bigscale work; you have The Necessary
Stage or Cake Theatrical Productions
producing established professional
work at a more intimate level. What’s
missing is the fringe work, the off-off
Broadway experimental shows which
don’t have to have a profit margin,
but done for the love of it.
When our ‘training wheels’ artists
produce projects with us, they’re also
involved in the fund-raising process,
learning to get sponsorships and grants.
It also encourages creativity: how to
do a show on a string and a dime?
That’s where my own site-specific
performances come in. I’ve always
been fascinated by how different
spaces speak — I’ve put up shows at
beaches, bars, restaurants… it also
helps stretch our budgets because
theatres in Singapore are expensive.
Skinned Knee’s next production,
Mind Map of Love, is a choose-yourown adventure set in a restaurant.
The actors play the audiences’ friends,
coming in to meet them for food and
a chat. But soon, very different story
possibilities unfold.
I’ve directed many stories since I’ve
been here, some very Singaporean
ones like Purple for Toy Factory
Productions, which features lots of
Hokkien. Obviously, that’s not my
culture, but being a citizen of so many
places, I’ve always felt comfortable
being an outsider. I’m curious about
people, of all the different cultures
in Singapore, I’m curious about their
different stories. I guess that’s why
I’ve chosen to call this place home. a
RAYANN CONDY is a graduate of LASALLE College of the
Arts. She has directed several productions for I Theatre and
Toy Factory Productions, but is proudest of her directing work
for Skinned Knee Productions, of which she is co-artistic
director. Some of her stage productions, like Debbie Isitt’s The
Woman Who Cooked Her Husband and Richard Cameron’s
Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down, enjoyed sell-out runs. Mind
Map of Love opens next month. See Listings pg 23 for details.
9
Feature
newaRTS
heroes
10
OuR
PHOTO Ching@Green Plastic Soldiers ART DIRECTION Tony Law
Meet this year’s
Cultural Medallion
and Young Artist
Award recipients.
BY
PAMELA HO
M
ost artists will tell
you frankly that
they do not work for
awards. Whether they
are conferred the
Cultural Medallion or Young Artist
Award is secondary to their calling
as artists — they will continue
creating art regardless, simply
because it’s their life.
An award is simply a recognition,
an acknowledgement of their work
and contribution thus far. But for the
people of Singapore, these awards
matter because they raise to our
consciousness, cultural heroes and
role models for generations to come.
Every year, the National Arts Council
confers the Cultural Medallion on
artists who have demonstrated
excellence in their field and shown
extraordinary contribution and
leadership in shaping the development
of arts and culture in Singapore. It
is the highest accolade that can be
bestowed on a Singaporean artist.
Since its institution in 1979 by
our late President, Mr Ong Teng
Cheong (then Minister for Culture),
the Cultural Medallion has been
conferred on 119 artists, including
this year’s four recipients: painter
Chua Mia Tee, playwright Haresh
Sharma, writer Lim Hung Chang
(Lin Gao) and pianist/composer
Margaret Leng Tan.
Bound 4 Glory
“A
t 32, I
received the
PSC [Public
Service Commisson]
Overseas Scholarship to
study Chinese at National
Taiwan University. There,
I was immersed in Eastern
philosophy and classic
literary works, and was
inspired by Taiwan’s
contemporary literature,”
reveals Lin Gao, who
has published 10 works
of prose, fiction and
children’s literature.
Works such as Mao De
Ming Yun and Long Zi
Li De Xin have garnered
international acclaim.
Chua Mia Tee
84
Painter
H
e has done
drawings for
each President in
Singapore, starting with
Yusof Ishak. The picture
that you see on your
banknote is derived from
Chua Mia Tee’s painting.
PHOTO Chua Yang
“My works reflect reality
as much as possible — not
just likeness of persons
or things, but realism in
what is happening in life
“After a work is published,
it will engage readers in
conversation,” he says. “It’s
like watching my kids grow
up and be independent
enough to face the world on
their own.”
at the time,” says Chua,
a professional consultant
to the Nanyang Academy
of Fine Arts alumni
association and chairman
of the editorial board of
Nanyang Arts.
His works, which include
‘National Language
Class’ (1950), ‘Epic Poem
of Malaya’ (1955) and
‘Workers in a Canteen’
(1974), chronicle
Singapore’s history and
are part of the National
Heritage Board Collection.
Since 2005, he has stopped
accepting commissions but
this year was an exception.
“The Monetary Authority of
Singapore wanted to launch
commemorative notes for
SG50 and approached me
to sketch our late Prime
Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
I’m proud to have left yet
another legacy!”
Haresh
Sharma 50
PHOTO The Necessary Stage
Writer
In 2014, he won the
Singapore Literature
Prize for Lin Gao Wei
Xing Xiao Shuo. Lin has
also promoted Chinese
literature in his role as
vice president of the
Singapore Association of
Writers (1998-2000).
PHOTO Lin Gao
Lim Hung
Chang
(Lin Gao) 66
Theatre Playwright
A
s resident
playwright for
The Necessary
Stage, Haresh Sharma has
written over 100 plays.
In 2006, Off Centre was
selected by the Ministry
of Education to be the first
Singaporean play to be
studied as an ‘O’ and ‘N’
Level Literature text.
His works, Fundamentally
Happy, Good People and
Gemuk Girls, won Best
Original Script at the
2007, 2008 and 2009
Life! Theatre Awards,
and in 2014, he received
the S.E.A. Write Award.
Sharma is also the first
non-American to be
awarded the prestigious
Goldberg Master
Playwright by New York
University’s Tisch School
of the Arts.
“This award is a career
milestone, but I’ve no time
to shake legs. I’m writing
five plays at the moment,
to be staged in 2016,”
says Sharma, who also
mentored young writers
and directors, including
past Young Artist Award
recipients Aidli Mosbit and
Natalie Hennedige.
declares Tan, who is
the first Singaporean to
perform on the main stage
of Carnegie Hall in New
York, where she is based.
Margaret
Leng Tan 70
Pianist & Composer
M
argaret Leng Tan
is the first woman
to graduate from
the prestigious Juilliard
School in New York with a
doctorate, and is a concert
toy pianist and composer.
“Meeting the great
American avant-garde
composer John Cage in
1981 definitely changed
not only my approach to
music, but to life itself,”
PHOTO Margaret Leng Tan
Cultural Medallion 2015 Recipients
Without doubt, she
occupies a unique space
in avant-garde music
internationally. She
has performed at the
2002 Singapore Arts
Festival, the Singapore
International Festival of
Arts 2014 and 2015, and
conducts master classes
for students around the
world.
“I’m approaching 70,
so it’s nice to be finally
recognised by one’s own
country,” she says. “My
philosophy is to never
envy others or mind what
others think of you. Just
do your own thing and live
by the strength of your
convictions.”
11
Magnificent 7
Feature
Young Artist Award 2015 Recipients
12
Chun Kai Feng 33
Visual Artist
“I
only make works based
on things I know. I walk
among objects such as HDB
[Housing & Development Board]
Chun Kai Qun 33
Visual Artist
C
hun Kai Qun’s works, which
display a distinct style
stemming from an interest
in exploring socio-historical
issues through dioramas (threedimensional miniature or life-size
scenes), have
been exhibited
at the Singapore
Art Museum,
The Esplanade
Concourse, as
well as overseas
at the 4th Fukuoka
Asian Art
Triennial in 2009.
Chun demonstrates his potential as
a curator and enabler by providing a
platform for artists across disciplines
to experiment. “I hope that artistinitiated projects, especially pop-up
events taking place at idle spaces
in Singapore, are taken seriously.
This bottom-up approach gives
us an idea of how a space can be
reinvigorated.”
Diana Soh 31
Composer
D
iana Soh is
a composer
whose
contemporary
works feature
cross-cultural
references and
collaborations.
She has been
commissioned
by major
international festivals, radio
broadcasts and commissioning
organisations such as the Singapore
Youth Choir.
PHOTO Danny Toh
Past recipients include playwright
Alfian Sa’at, film-maker Anthony
Chen, musician Bani Haykal and
installation artist Donna Ong.
Recipients are eligible for the
Young Artist Award Grant of up to
S$20,000 to support their pursuits
and development. To date, the
award has been conferred on 140
artists, including this year’s seven
recipients.
Chun’s practice is largely objectdriven and serves to invoke
local contexts and references in
whimsical ways. His works are in the
public collection of the Singapore
Art Museum as well as Hong
Kong’s M+ Museum, and have been
exhibited extensively overseas.
PHOTO Chun Kai Qun
T
he Young Artist Award
is the highest accolade
for young practitioners
of the arts aged 35 and
below. Since its inception
in 1992, it has served to encourage
young artists to continue pursuing
excellence in the arts and to look
towards inspiring others.
PHOTO Chun Kai Feng
Soh holds a doctorate from
the Institut de Recherche et
Coordination Acoustique/
Musique and spent two
years as composer-inresidence at the La
Muse en Circuit and the
Conservatoire D’ivry Sur
Seine in France.
concrete benches, 7-11 lightbox signs, public waste bins and
stainless-steel railings on a daily
basis. Making works with them is a
means of articulating an experience
of existing among objects,” says
Chun Kai Feng.
“I dream up musical
situations or sound worlds,
then I proceed to painfully
mould them into being,”
reveals the Paris-based
composer. “Unfortunately,
a composer learns her craft
publicly, so just have a
thicker skin, keep making
mistakes, keep learning and
keep writing.”
sculpted to alter the way the public
looks at things.
Loo Zihan 32
Multi-disciplinary Artist
U
PHOTO Samantha Tio
PHOTO Sarah Tang
sing theatre, visual arts and
film, Loo Zihan creates wellresearched works
that are often based on
other people and history.
He also introduced the
idea of re-enactment.
“I view the body as my
medium in performance,
and I treat knowledge as
a malleable object to be
“My biggest motivation is
representing histories that have
been overlooked or misunderstood,”
says Loo, who teaches at
School of the Arts and the
Nanyang Technological
University School of Art,
Design and Media. “I see
my work as the provision
of information for people to
understand these histories
in a multi-faceted way.”
PHOTO Ruey Loon Ung
Kirsten Tan 34
K
PHOTO Crispian Chan
irsten Tan’s works display a
distinct storytelling style that
tastefully combines wit and
dark humour. She
has screened in over
40 international
film festivals and
clinched over 10
awards. “My role
as a storyteller is
to give pause and
take stock of life.
In my films, I hope
to heighten the
experience of daily
life and to place it in
sharper relief.”
Lighting Designer
“I
view stage lighting as the
most important supportive
role for any performance
genre — be it to channel focus,
dictate mood or tell the time or
season. But it has to be woven
in seamlessly and not supersede
the plot,” says James Tan, who
sees himself as a collaborator in a
“storytelling team”.
He is a recipient of the International
Association of Lighting
Designers award, and his work in
Pangdemonium’s Next to Normal was
nominated for Best Lighting Design
for a Musical at the 14th Life! Theatre
Awards in 2013. That same year, he
was also nominated for The Rolex
Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.
While based in New York, Tan is
active in the local film community
as co-founder of the Asian Film
Archive, and continues to speak at
various educational institutions.
“Film-making isn’t a career to me
— it’s my life,” Tan reveals. “It won’t
be easy but if you love it, there’s
nothing that compares.”
PHOTO Kirsten Tan
James Tan 35
PHOTO Riduan Zalani
Film-maker
13
Riduan Zalani 31
Percussionist
R
iduan Zalani is a percussionist
and artistic director of NADI
Singapura, a Malay drumming
group that brings a contemporary
edge to a traditional art, putting
Malay music on the world stage.
Passionate about youth engagement,
he is a recipient of the Goh Chok
Tong Youth Promise Award in 2006,
the ASEAN Youth Award and the
Singapore Youth Award in 2013.
“My hope is for NADI members
to rise as respectable artisans,
representing a new breed of cultural
ambassadors for Singapore,” he
shares. “I believe we can revitalise
and generate a renewed interest in
Malay drumming traditions across
generations around the world.” a
Z
NEWS e
Latest
FROM THE ARTS SCENE
BY PAMELA
14
E
ver wanted a special painting
for a wall but nothing quite fit
what you had in mind? Well,
now you can commission an artist to
create a customised artwork for you.
The Commissioned is a web service that
connects you with a curated community
of over 200 artists from more than 35
countries around the world.
“Our clients enjoy viewing the
portfolios of our artists and discovering
their personal preferences. When
they find an artist they like, they can
commission a piece that’s perfectly
suited to them — the subject, medium,
style, colour and size that they want,”
says founder
and chief
executive
officer, Melvin
Yuan. Prices
start from
around US$100
for small-sized
artworks. It’s
perfect for gifts,
too!
missioned
The Com
A new online art
commission makes art
accessible, affordable
and meaningful.
PHOTOS
I Want It
That Way
HO
To find out more, visit
www.TheCommissioned.com.
Our One
and Ondeh
A Singapore drink
shakes up the Big
Apple.
If you’re in New York, a muststop is Shake Shack, the city’s
most famous burger joint. For
those who visited its Madison
Square outpost from 24 to 27
September, a rare treat was
in store: a Singaporean Ondeh
Ondeh Shake, a blend of vanilla
frozen custard with coconut,
pandan leaf and gula melaka.
This was Shake Shack’s way
of showing love to Singapore
when our international
STAY SOCIAL
& WIN!
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL is back in Singapore and
we have some tickets to give away! If you
want to score a pair of passes to TOTEM
at the blue-and-yellow Big Top, stay tuned
to our Facebook and Instagram
pages this week!
Follow us for updates, news and other surprises!
TheAListSG, AListSG and alistsg
creative showcase
Singapore: Inside
Out made its home
at Madison Square
Park last month.
Initiated by the Singapore Tourism
Board, Singapore: Inside Out has brought
our nation’s creatives to Beijing, London
and New York this past year. It returns
home for its final showcase at Tan Quee
Lan Street, 27 November to 6 December.
To find out more, visit www.SingaporeInsideOut.com.
Drumming
Up a (Tennis)
Racket
Malay percussion
group showcased in
Singapore’s bid to bring
tennis fans here.
W
hen Singapore wanted to
woo overseas tennis fans
here for this month’s WTA
Finals (a premier tennis tournament),
former World No.1 tennis player
Caroline Wozniacki was invited to town
for a taste of local culture. And what
greeted her at the Malay Heritage Centre
in Kampong Glam was dynamic Malay
drumming group, NADI Singapura.
“Malay drums are a reflection of joy
in the community. At events such as
cultural processions, the mood is tied
to the rhythmic beats of the drums,
so it was apt to give Caroline a warm,
traditional welcome as a showcase of
Malay culture,” says Jean Ng, director
(Sports), Singapore Tourism Board. a
LISTINGS
Boy, oh boy
Your 14-day guide to what’s ahead
16 oct to 29 OCT 2015
It's time to sit up and pay attention
15
1
Photographic memories
See Sixties Singapore through the photographs of American diplomat George Porter,
exhibited alongside works by students made in response to them (p20)
2
3
Between
the lines
A Cappella with Cocktails
& Chap Chye?
Experience author Haruki Murakami's writing
in a totally different way at this reading-cumconcert, Music Beyond Words (p16)
Popular vocal group Key Elements serves up a
cheeky selection of jazz, hip-hop and Chinese
pop at their one-night only concert (p18)
+
Footwork
The Esplanade Co Ltd, da:ns series
dance
Whatever your age or ability, learn to
loosen those limbs in various genres,
from hip-hop to jazz, swing to salsa
and more, in this series of special
classes. There are also classes targeted
at parents and kids, and even toddlers,
not to mention workshops for youths
and adults.
VENUE Various venues in the Esplanade
ADMISSION PRICE Various prices
DATE Till Oct 2015
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.dansfestival.com
Literary
CReations 2015
— We Are All
Hypocrites!
Maya Dance Theatre
16
Put aside those notions of
transcendence, love and assorted
flowery themes. This evening of dance,
themed around hypocrisy, features
dance-makers such as Jereh Leong
Da:ns Festival
The Esplanade Co Ltd
You’ll get to move it, move it at
this annual festival, with legends
in various dance genres not only
performing for you, but conducting
workshops for dance lovers of
different dance levels. Highlights
this year range from pieces
by international icons such as
Sylvie Guillem, Akram Khan and
Israel Galván, plus a host of free
programmes including the What’s
Your Move? mass-dance sessions.
DATE Till 18 Oct
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.dansfestival.com
Got to Move
Islandwide
National Arts Council
Set your inner dancer free at these
fun music and movement activities.
Includes open classes and studios;
experiential dance workshops and
and Indonesia’s Danang Pamungkas
creating brand-new pieces you’ll fall in
love with, or at least pretend to.
VENUE Goodman Arts Centre Black Box
ADMISSION PRICE $27, $30
DATE Till 17 Oct
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.mayadancetheatre.org/tickets
masterclasses; educational talks
and conferences; interactive dance
games and more. A highlight is the
Autism Movement Therapy Workshop
organised for autistic children and
their families.
Listen to Haruki
Murakami — Music
Beyond Words
CultureLink Pte Ltd
While most know Haruki Murakami
as one of Japan’s most-lauded modern
authors, fewer remember him as an
ex-owner of a jazz bar. Yet the titles
of jazz standards, Beatles works and
classical greats fill the pages of his
books, setting the mood for various
VENUE Various venues islandwide
ADMISSION PRICE Free
DATE Till 23 Oct
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.facebook.com/gottomovesg
Got to Move NOW
Dance up a sweat at this one-day
carnival. Enjoy diverse dance
performances ranging from urban
to ballet, a dance-inspired fashion
show, mass dance, taster classes
and a pulsating after-dark dance
party!
chapters in his stories. In this reading/
concert, experience Murakami’s
words from various novels as he
imagined them, to the accompaniment
of Japanese virtuosos the Chihiro
Yamanaka Trio and the 1966 Quartet,
in collaboration with Singaporean
pianist Lim Yan. Directed by Kok
Heng Leun.
VENUE The Promontory @ Marina Bay
VENUE Victoria Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $20, $40, $60
DATE 24 Oct
DATE 28 & 29 Oct
TIME 4pm-10.30pm
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.facebook.com/gottomovesg
WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
National Arts Council
music
Vishal & Shekhar
Live in Concert
Teamwork Productions Pte Ltd
One of India’s most massive musicdirecting duos, Vishal & Shekhar have
gone beyond Bollywood to concoct
tunes for Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and
Marathi films. With this Singapore
concert, expect to hear these multitalented musicians belt out their greatest
hits as well as old film music classics,
accompanied by Neeti Mohan
and Shalmali Kholgade, two of the
generation’s greatest playback singers.
VENUE The Star Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $68, $98, $128, $168,
$208, $268
DATE 17 Oct
TIME 8pm
Dr Kelly Tang and Young Artist
Award recipient Dr Zechariah Goh.
VENUE The Arts House
ADMISSION PRICE $15, $20, $40, $50
DATE 16-18 Oct
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE bytes.sg
Jeremy Monteiro
& Eugene Pao to
Paris With Love — A
Tribute to the Music
of Michel Legrand
Inspired by the romance of Paris,
jazz masters Jeremy Monteiro and
Eugene Pao recorded an album
TIME 7.30pm
Gallery, which houses the priceless Tang
Shipwreck collection. Dine at the recently
-opened Empress restaurant, or grab a
cuppa at Privé Café@ACM.
CELEBRATING ASIA ACM will hold
5th Singapore Lieder
Festival: Songs From
Home
The Arts House
While Germans are leaders in the
lieder, art songs usually created by
setting poetry to music, Singapore is
not exactly lacking in lieders either. Find
out more in this series of three recitals
dedicated to the works of homegrown
composers such as the late Leong Yoon
Pin, Cultural Medallion recipient
Text Daphne Ong PHOTOS Courtesy of Asian Civilisations Museum
VENUE Victoria Concert Hall
Might at the Museum
From madness and murder to Mother
Goose! Find out how great music can
tell the best stories without the need
for words, as conductor Jason Lai
delves into the tales behind some of the
world’s most memorable compositions.
Expect to hear themes from timeless
movies such as Psycho and The
Godfather, as well as excerpts
from Ravel’s Mother Goose,
Haydn’s Creation and Bizet’s Carmen.
TIME 4pm
DATE 16 Oct
The Asian Civilisations Museum buzzes with a series of
sensational events.
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
DATE 18 Oct
Showtime Productions Pte Ltd
Discovering Music! —
Tell Me a Story!
ADMISSION PRICE $20
dedicated to the gorgeous old city,
featuring the works of famous French
composer Michel Legrand. Hear
the evocative tunes from the album
live, featuring guest appearances by
vocalists Alemay Fernandez and Robert
Fernando as well as the Oxley String
Quartet.
There’s plenty going on at the Asian
Civilisations Museum (ACM) this October
and November to commemorate its
reopening. Here are some highlights.
LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Enjoy
the series of free classical and jazz
performances held at 12.30pm every
Friday from now until 13 November.
WATERFRONT SURPRISE Be
there at the museum’s reopening
on 14 November to explore its new
galleries and spaces. Start with a
picturesque stroll along the Singapore
River before proceeding through a new
waterfront-facing entrance lobby. Also
new: the Kwek Hong Png Wing, where
contemporary and Chinese exhibits
hold court, and the Khoo Teck Puat
a gala fundraiser event on 21 November
to launch its two new wings. This
exclusive shindig will feature an evening
of entertainment and culture taking
place throughout the museum. Funds
raised will support future exhibitions and
programmes.
RIVER NIGHTS Feast your senses on
art installations and building projection
at the ACM. This nocturnal event also
features outdoor performances in front
of Victoria Theatre and Victoria Concert
Hall. On 23 & 24 October.
ACM AFTER DARK
2015 Drop by on 31
October for Halloween
fun inspired by objects
from the galleries!
Visit acm.org.sg for more details.
17
+
Coffee, Cocktails and
Chap Chye
Key Elements A Cappella
GURRUMUL Live in
Singapore
LAMC Productions
Born blind, Australian folk musician
Gurrumul grew up as a member of
the Gumatj clan on Elcho Island, off
the Northern Territory coast. While he
couldn’t see his world, he sang of it,
and his unique Western style, coupled
with a voice described as otherworldly,
has won him fans ranging from Elton
John to Sting. Many have described
his performance as life-changing. Don’t
miss his one-night-only performance in
Singapore.
VENUE University Cultural Centre Theatre,
National University of Singapore
ADMISSION PRICE $98, $108, $128, $148
DATE 28 Oct
TIME 8pm
Hear a selection of tunes by a cappella
group Key Elements ranging from
standards to sultry jazz to hip-hop and
pop. You’ll even be treated to different
tunes from Singapore, China and
Brazil.
VENUE University Cultural Centre Theatre,
ADMISSION PRICE $28, $38
DATE 25 Oct
TIME 7.30pm
18
Ding Yi Music Company
Soak in lush Chinese chamber music
by the most outstanding ensembles
both local and international, playing
everything from traditional ethnic tunes
to contemporary compositions. You can
also dive into the Chinese chambermusic universe with workshops, talks
and an exhibition on the evolution of
Chinese traditional music.
ADMISSION PRICE Various prices, includes
free programmes
DATE 23-25 Oct
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.dingyimusic.com
VENUE Esplanade Recital Studio
ADMISSION PRICE $25
DATE 29 Oct
West Winds in
Concert 2015
West Winds, Band of the Bukit Batok Community
West Winds was formed in 1993
at Bukit Batok Community Club with
the aim of gathering lovers of band
music from the community. For this
concert, the musicians will present a
varied repertoire including well-loved
film soundtracks from Jurassic Park and
Howl’s Moving Castle.
Chinese Chamber
Music Festival
terrifyingly adept singers of New Opera
Singapore will celebrate Halloween
with a selection of art songs and arias
relating to the supernatural by Strauss,
Wolf, Offenbach and more.
ADMISSION PRICE $12
TIME 7.30pm
International
A Cappella Festival
2015
The A Cappella Society
Showing that the human voice is still the
most versatile instrument, top a cappella
groups from all over the world gather
to make all manner of music, armed
with nothing but their vocal cords and
superior breath control.
DATE 25 Oct
VENUE Aliwal Arts Centre
TIME 5pm
DATE Till 31 Oct
TIME Various times
John McLaughlin and
the 4th Dimension
WEBSITE www.a-cappella.org.sg
Live Nation Lushington Pte Ltd
Having played with the biggest
bands since the 1960s, the Yorkshireborn John McLaughlin emerged as
a legendary guitarist, once hailed
“the best guitarist alive”. Now a star
in his own right, complete with his
own wonderful band, McLaughlin
visits Singapore as part of a world
tour following the release of his new
album.
VENUE University Cultural Centre Hall,
DATE 29 Oct
TIME 8pm
House of Horror
New Opera Singapore Ltd
Just as upbeat tunes create a happy
atmosphere, there are also melodies
calculated to set you shivering. The
visual
Collaborations
Lisson Gallery, Singapore Tyler Print Institute
At this exhibition, various
accomplished artists take their work to
a whole new level by collaborating
with specialists in a wide range
of media. Look out for surprising
creations by Richard Deacon, Ryan
Gander, Shirazeh Houshiary, Jason
Martin and Jorinde Voigt.
VENUE Singapore Tyler Print Institute,
41 Robertson Quay
DATE Till 17 Oct
TIME Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 9am-6pm.
Closed on Sun & public holidays.
WEBSITE www.stpi.com.sg
Perspectives Film
Festival 2015:
Breakthroughs in
Cinema
National Museum of Singapore
This edition of the film festival is all
about taking a step into the unknown,
whether by attending a talk that will
influence your path towards filmmaking, or a masterclass where the
director of British animation classic
Watership Down teaches you how to
bring 2D characters to life. You can
also sit back and take in films about
people living in very different worlds:
child refugees at the Iraqi-Turkish border
or drag queens traversing the great
Australian Outback, among others.
VENUE National Museum of Singapore
ADMISSION PRICE Various prices, includes free
programmes
DATE Till 18 Oct
TIME Various times
WEBSITE perspectivesfilmfestival.com
The Substation Art
and Science Open Call
Presents Sensing
States: Healing Spaces
The Substation, ArtScience Museum
This three-part exhibition experience —
A Familiar Forest, Seeing a Rainbow
and Contemplating a Plant — explores
the harmony between mankind and
nature as it engages visitors’ sense of
sight, sound, touch and smell. You can
even take home free seeds to grow.
Living Yangtze
by Eric Valli
for Swarovski
Waterschool
ArtScience Museum
Through soul-stirring photographs,
words and multimedia by
distinguished film-maker/
author/photographer Eric
Valli, experience the lives of
communities living around China’s
historic Yangtze River.
VENUE ArtScience Museum
ADMISSION PRICE $5 for entrance to both
exhibitions: Living Yangtze by Eric Valli
for Swarovski Waterschool and Sensing
States: Healing Spaces
DATE Till 27 Oct
TIME 10am–7pm
WEBSITE www.marinabaysands.com/
artsciencemuseum
We Built This City
Artefacts and documents shed light on Singapore’s founding fathers.
19
ADMISSION PRICE $5 for entrance to both
exhibitions: Living Yangtze by Eric Valli
for Swarovski Waterschool and Sensing
States: Healing Spaces.
DATE Till 27 Oct
TIME 10am-7pm
WEBSITE www.marinabaysands.com/
artsciencemuseum
URA Street Art
Urban Redevelopment Authority
See stunning Singapore streetscapes
from distant past to present, with 33
artists contributing 50 works that will
have you viewing street scenes in a
different light.
VENUE The URA Centre, 45 Maxwell Road
DATE Till 30 Nov
TIME All day
WEBSITE www.ura.gov.sg
Where did former Prime Minister
Mr Lee Kuan Yew work? What did
he read? Did cabinet ministers of
yesteryear really own guns? Get
to the truth in We Built a Nation,
an ongoing exhibition showcasing
more than 100 documents and
artefacts from Singapore’s
founding fathers.
More than half of these
items were donated by the estate of the
late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. These include
a writing desk, books used by Mr Lee
to master the various languages of
Singapore, and old-fashioned bathing
containers which highlight the legendary
statesman’s frugal lifestyle.
Another featured exhibit, the
infamous Albatross File, will
delight history buffs. These
recently-declassified papers
are documents pertaining to
Singapore’s 1965 separation
from Malaysia. The file
contains cabinet papers
and notes on negotiations
during that highly-charged
time in Singapore’s history.
Other items, ranging
from golf clubs to a revolver,
typewriter to barrister
wig, offer a peek into the
lives of those who shaped Singapore’s
early years. But more importantly, the
exhibition offers an insight into the ideals
and values of our early leaders.
We Built a Nation is on at the National
Museum of Singapore from now until
further notice.
Text Daphne Ong PHOTOS National Museum of Singapore
VENUE ArtScience Museum
35 whose works break new
ground in contemporary art. View
the creations of the latest batch
of PYTs — Ang Song Ming, Bani
Haykal, Ezzam Rahman, Loo
Zihan and Ong Kian Peng — in this
unique exhibition celebrating their
new-dimension artistic strengths.
VENUE SAM @ 8Q, 8 Queen Street
Blue White
Vermillion
ADMISSION PRICE $5, $10; free for
Singaporeans & Permanent Residents.
DATE Till 27 Mar 2016
Chan Hampe Galleries
Award-winning Singapore painter Tay
Bak Chiang takes the quintessential
colours in Chinese qinghua porcelain
and the zhuyin (engraved seal) to
convey equally traditional motifs of
the lotus pond, leaving his signature
minimalist aesthetic in the wake.
TIME Sat-Thu 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-9pm
VENUE Chan Hampe Galleries, #01-21
Raffles Hotel Arcade
DATE 22 Oct-15 Nov
TIME Tue to Sun 11am-7pm, closed on
Mon & public holidays
WEBSITE chanhampegalleries.com
Singapore Philatelic Museum
The Singapore
Journey: 50 Years
Through Stamps
LASALLE College of the Arts
While serving in the Embassy of
the United States of America in
Singapore from 1965 to 1970,
George Porter spent much of his
leisure time photographing people,
subjects and landscapes from across
Southeast Asia. This exhibition
presents Porter’s images of Singapore
and works, created by students, in
response to them.
VENUE Institute of Contemporary Arts
Singapore, Brother Joseph McNally
Gallery, LASALLE College of the Arts
DATE 17 Oct-8 Nov
TIME Tue-Sun 12pm-7pm, closed on Mon
and public holidays
WEBSITE www.lasalle.edu.sg
Letters tell the stories of people, but
stamps can tell the stories of a nation.
See landmark events of Singapore’s
past five decades immortalised on
specially-designed stamps from various
periods.
VENUE Singapore Philatelic Museum
President’s Young
Talents
20
WEBSITE www.singaporeartmuseum.sg
An American in
Singapore 1965-70
ADMISSION PRICE $4, $6. Free for
Singapore Art Museum
DATE Till Jul 2016
The President’s Young Talents (PYT)
are a select group of artists below
WEBSITE www.spm.org.sg
Fade in Fade Out
National Library Board
See fabulous films beloved by
Singaporeans, dating from the
1950s to present, in this festival of
silver-screen classics. Included in the
lineup are Patah Hati, starring a young
P Ramlee; Lion City; and even last
TIME Mon 1pm-7pm, Tue-Sun 9.30am-7pm
year’s Housing & Development Boardinspired documentary, 03-Flats.
VENUE Public libraries across Singapore
DATE 17 Oct-22 Nov
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.nlb.gov.sg
Navin Thomas:
The Heart Is a
Variant
Institute of Contemporary Art Singapore
Sometimes visual art is not just visual,
as with Navin Thomas’ pieces that
explore the effect of sound on animals
such as insects, or even humans.
This showcase of Thomas’ works
includes ‘Long Live the New Flesh’, an
installation composed of two archery
targets connected by an invisible wave
of sound.
VENUE Gallery 1, Institute of Contemporary
Arts Singapore, LASALLE College of the Arts
DATE Till 2 Dec
TIME Tue-Sun 12pm-7pm, closed on
Mon & public holidays
WEBSITE www.lasalle.edu.sg/institute-ofcontemporary-arts-sg
Photograph courtesy of Lei Yuan Bin
Photograph courtesy of Mr and Mrs Chan Kam Yuen
Photograph courtesy of Shaw Organisation Pte Ltd
+
Tomas Saraceno:
Arachnid Orchestra
Theatre
NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore
Fighting spiders? Not Berlin-based
Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno,
who is deeply fascinated by
arachnids and the intricate webs they
weave. This particular work will turn
the exhibition space into an immersive
sound-and-visual environment where
spiders and humans perform together. VENUE NTU Centre for Contemporary Art
Singapore, Gillman Barracks
DATE 23 Oct-20 Dec
TIME Tue-Sun 12pm-7pm, Fri 12pm-9pm,
closed on Mon WEBSITE ntu.ccasingapore.org
5 Stars
Singapore Art Museum
Five Singapore art luminaries create
works that reflect on the concepts of
Peace, Justice, Equality, Democracy
and Progress, as represented by
the five stars on the Singapore flag.
See how Ho Tzu Nyen, Matthew
Ngui, TK Sabapathy, Suzann Victor
and Zulkifle Mahmod turn those
ideals into pieces both beautiful and
visceral.
VENUE Singapore Art Museum
ADMISSION PRICE $5, $10. Free for
DATE Till 2 May 2016
WEBSITE www.singaporeartmuseum.sg
Fifty Years of
Singapore Design
National Design Centre
Who says we don’t have a Singapore
style? Get a behind-the-scenes
glimpse of some strictly Singapore
designs. Find out how the uniquely
Singapore ‘reserved’ tissue paper
was conceptualised and how the
design of the Esplanade got its ‘durian’
nickname. Find out too, how the
ubiquitous and sturdy plastic stools
are designed specially for use in local
kopitiams.
VENUE National Design Centre,
111 Middle Road
DATE Till 2017
TIME 9am-9pm
WEBSITE www.designsingapore.org
Ebizo Ichikawa XI’s
Japan Theater 2015
Ebizo Ichikawa XI’s Japan Theater
King of kabuki, Ebizo Ichikawa XI,
returns to Singapore to present two
little-known kabuki plays. Fans of
classical Japanese theatre, don’t miss
Uwanari, a torrid tale of jealousy
that has not been performed for 100
Jonathan, David & Me
Our Company
Friends are used to being cast aside
when girlfriends, babies, new jobs, or
even age, enter the picture. This shiny
new play by young lawyer/director
Luke Kwek — this year’s edition of
his company’s annual main-season
production — focuses on three friends
determined not to let their brotherhood
take the backseat. But as the years
pass, can they keep to their pledge?
VENUE Drama Centre Black Box @
The National Library
ADMISSION PRICE $26, $30, $50, $100, $200
DATE Till 18 Oct
TIME Wed-Fri 8pm, Sat & Sun 3pm & 8pm
WEBSITE www.ticketmash.sg
Ma’ma Yong: About
Nothing Much to Do
The Esplanade Co Ltd, Pentas
The Shakespearean comedy Much
Ado About Nothing gets a colourful
revamp. Presented in the style of
classic Malaysian art-form Mak Yong,
this adaptation takes place against
years, and the brand-new Mimasu
Kuruwa No Kasauri, which spotlights a
hidden hero.
VENUE Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands
ADMISSION PRICE $89, $115, $145, $185
DATE 17 & 18 Oct
TIME Sat 3pm & 7.30pm, Sun 3pm
the backdrop of a mental asylum.
Performed by a multi-racial cast in
mostly Malay.
VENUE Esplanade Theatre Studio
ADMISSION PRICE $28
DATE 22-24 Oct
TIME Thu & Fri 3pm & 8pm, Sat 8pm
Chinglish (Advisory:
Some mature content
& coarse language)
Pangdemonium Theatre Company
Multi-award-winning Singapore theatre
company Pangdemonium presents its
first bilingual play about a gormless
American businessman whose entire
life gets lost in translation on a business
trip to China.
VENUE Drama Centre Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $25, $30, $40, $50, $60,
$70
DATE Till 25 Oct
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm, Sun
3pm (extra 8pm show on 25 Oct)
21
+
Seed
THE FINGER PLAYERS LTD
others
Premiering to rave reviews in Tokyo, this
piece is directed by Singapore’s very
own Chong Tze Chien, a Young Artist
Award recipient. Featuring six Japanese
actors and one Vietnamese actor, the play
revolves around the theme of food and
its relationship with love, life and death.
VENUE SOTA Drama Theatre
DATE 29-31 Oct
TIME 8pm
Ghost the Musical
Base Entertainment
One of the highest-grossing films of
all time, 1990s supernatural hit Ghost
gets reincarnated as a multi-awardnominated musical, replete with
mind-blowing effects to represent the
deceased protagonist flitting between
the world of the living and the dead as
he tries to save his lover from danger.
VENUE Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands
ADMISSION PRICE $85, $105, $125, $155, $175
DATE 20 Oct-1 Nov
22
TIME Tue-Fri 7.30pm, Sat 2pm & 7.30pm,
Sun 1pm & 6pm WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Cirque du Soleil —
Totem
Cirque DU Soleil
Tracing the journey of the human
species from its original amphibian
state to its ultimate desire to fly, 46
circus artists, actors, musicians and
singers from 17 countries put on an
epic show that is somewhere between
science and legend. Lavish costume
designs and cutting-edge digital effects
Kings & Queens of
Comedy Asia 6 (R-18
Mature Content)
The Comedy Club Pte Ltd
A.D.I Concept
Presents #BPBM
A.D.I Concept
A.D.I Concept continues its
modernisation of Malay folktales.
The tale that gets the treatment this
time is Bawang Putih Bawang Merah,
about two stepsisters who lead vastly
different lives, at least until an eligible
prince enters the picture. In Malay
and English.
Experience hyperventilating hilarity
with some of the most stellar stand-up
comedians in Asia, including Malaysia’s
Harith Iskander and Singapore’s own
Rishi Budhrani, all hosted by our island’s
reigning queen of comedy, Kumar.
VENUE Esplanade Theatre
ADMISSION PRICE $38, $58, $78, $98
DATE 23 & 24 Oct
TIME 9pm
Great Peranakans:
Fifty Remarkable Lives
add to the scale of production. VENUE Under the Big Top, next to Marina
Bay Sands
ADMISSION PRICE $98, $138, $168, $188,
$308, $328
DATE 29 Oct-6 Dec
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Tue (10 Nov) 4.30pm &
8pm, Sat 4.30pm & 8pm, Sun 1.30pm &
5pm
Singapore River
Festival
Singapore River
Rivers are usually the hub of any
civilisation, and this month especially,
the Singapore River is set to teem
with life during the annual Singapore
River Festival. Programme highlights
include food, markets, imaginative
art installations and performances
by renowned local and international
artists.
VENUE Clarke Quay, Boat Quay,
Robertson Quay
DATE 23-25 Oct
TIME Various times
WEBSITE singaporeriverfestival.sg
Peranakan Museum
Find out about the achievements of
some great Nonyas and Babas in this
exhibition celebrating 50 Peranakan
men and women who have shaped art
and life in Singapore.
VENUE Peranakan Museum
VENUE Drama Centre Black Box
ADMISSION PRICE $1.50, $3, $6. Free for
ADMISSION PRICE $25
DATE 29-31 Oct
DATE Till 3 Apr 2016
TIME Thu & Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm & 8pm
WEBSITE www.peranakanmuseum.org.sg
Have an art affair you’d like
to include in our listings?
Simply send us details of the event at
least 6 weeks before it takes place, at
a-list.sg/submit-an-event. (Listings
are free but not guaranteed.) We’ll
help you get this arty started.
*All information is correct at press time
but may be subject to change.
Coming up!
Mind Map of Love
VENUE The Art Space @ Suntec
DATE 2-8 Nov
Skinned Knee Productions
TIME 11am-8pm
Feast while playing the role of fate
at this adults-only dinner show
by playwriting prodigy Marcia
Vanderstraaten. Choose your own
adventure, each with a deliciously
different ending. Featuring a stellar
cast including Brendon Fernandez
and Liz Lazan.
WEBSITE www.eventbrite.sg
The Affordable
Art Fair
Affordable Art Fair
Treasure Island
Enjoy some prudently-priced art
at The Affordable Art Fair, which
returns yet again, this time with
works all priced between $100$10,000 and originating from more
than 80 galleries and 600 artists
from all over the world.
Singapore Repertory Theatre Little
Company
VENUE F1 Pit Building
Robert Louis Stevenson’s
swashbuckling classic gets a
fabulous family-friendly reinvention
for the stage with a stellar cast
including Tan Shou Chen and
Dwayne Lau.
ADMISSION PRICE $10, $15, $18.
Free for those under 16.
DATE 12-15 Nov
TIME Various times
WEBSITE www.affordableartfair.
com/singapore
ADMISSION PRICE $32, $35, $42,
$45
DATE 30 Oct-29 Nov
97 Amoy Street
ADMISSION PRICE $160 (includes
dinner)
DATE 4-7 & 11-14 Nov
TIME 8pm
WEBSITE www.
skinnedkneeproductions.com
TIME Mon-Fri 10am, Sat & Sun
11am & 2.30pm (extra 11am
show on Tue 10 Nov)
ADMISSION PRICE $48, $68, $88,
$118
DATE 30 Oct-1 Nov
TIME Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm
The Parisian
Chevaliers
The Spirits Play
The Esplanade Co Ltd
VENUE Esplanade Theatre
Marvel at a medley of
contemporary ballet pieces
performed by the Singapore Dance
Theatre, including new creations
by local choreographer Max Chen,
Gigi Gianti and Swiss-Canadian
choreographer Kinsun Chan. Also
look out for company favourite
4Seasons by Australia’s Natalie
Weir.
Tee Khoon Tang Grand Series
Kafka on the Shore
A boy runs away from home
with his imaginary friend; an old
man travels for the first time to
find a magic stone. This modern,
mind-bending, yet occasionally
macabre tale by legendary author
Haruki Murakami, translated for
the stage by theatre icon Yukio
Ninagawa (who brought Singapore
the samurai comedy Musashi last
year), stars Japanese Academy
Award-winner Rie Miyazawa.
Singapore Dance Theatre
VENUE Goodman Arts Centre
Black Box
ADMISSION PRICE $30
DATE 30 Oct-1 Nov
TIME Fri 7.30pm, Sat 3pm &
7.30pm, Sun 3pm
VENUE DBS Arts Centre
VENUE ZOTT’S True Alps,
Passages Contemporary
Season
The Finger Players
Expressions SG50
Lakshmi MOHANBABU
Experience face-time with
Singaporeans past and present at
this exhibition of paintings that
captures the expressions of people
in Singapore over our 50 years of
history, executed in a style inspired
by Chinese opera.
Five Japanese spirits — a
General, Man, Mother, Girl and
Poet — try to make sense of
their lives during the Second
World War in this revival of
Singapore classic The Spirits
Play by playwright and Cultural
Medallion recipient Kuo Pao Kun.
Directed by the multi-awardwinning Oliver Chong.
VENUE Drama Centre Black Box
DATE 5-15 Nov
TIME Tue-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm &
8pm, Sun 3pm WEBSITE www.sistic.com.sg
Award-winning Singaporean solo
violinist Tee Khoon Tang pairs with
acclaimed Belgian pianist Eliane
Reyes in a collection of concerts
celebrating Parisian prodigies of
classical music — Debussy, Ravel
and Franck. The lineup also consists
of tot-targeted interactive concerts.
VENUE Esplanade Recital Studio
DATE 13 & 15 Nov
TIME Various times
23
EPILOGUE
PaRdon the ExpREsSion
because art is long & life is short
“T
he first time I saw Chinese opera, I
was inspired by the varied expressions.
Expressions fascinate me!” says artist
Lakshmi Mohanbabu, revealing the
inspiration behind her first solo exhibition,
Expressions SG50, a collection of 20 acrylic paintings
done in a minimalist modern style. “This series depicts
the emotions of the people of Singapore in the last 50
BY PAMELA
HO
years. We’ve been through highs and lows, gone from
rags to riches. These expressions come in pairs — the
yin-yang of emotion — with joy comes sorrow; with
agony comes ecstasy. Only if you’ve experienced one
would you know the other,” explains the SingaporeanIndian artist who grew up in Afghanistan (her father
worked with the United Nations) and is formally
trained as an architect and fashion designer. a
24
Expressions SG50 will be held at The Art Space @ Suntec City Mall, 2–8 November. Visit www.facebook.com/LakshmiMohanbabuPaintings
for details. To purchase artworks, email [email protected].
Get it
first hand.
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