The Padang Sessions: Recent Episodes
National Gallery Singapore
Discover the best conversations recorded live at National Gallery Singapore, home to the world’s largest public collection of Southeast Asian modern art. We have handpicked our favourite talks and lectures for you to experience, wherever you are.
This lecture performance by artists Zarina Muhammad and Tini Aliman draws from and unfolds from fragments from each of the auto-ethnographic aspects of Zarina and Tini's respective practice. The performance was presented as part visual conversation, part pragmatic prayer, part eulogy, part temporal installation that traverses the hiding places of love, grief and queer spirits, the soundscapes of trees as conduits, the inventories of intimacies, the necessary spaces of silence and the ways love loves difficult things.
Following this is a conversation between the artists, historian Chris Baker, economist Pasuk Phongpaichit and curator Adele Tan.
This performance lecture took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of October Gathering.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Desire is both powerful and fundamental. In old Siam, the expression of desire in words and pictures was open, celebratory and humorous. Among non-elite women, sexuality was seen as a strength and was something that was not confined to the young. Royals were portrayed as passionate.
However, modernity brought about change. Some sought to deny the power of desire and to limit its expression, and female sexuality was seen as dangerous. Yet, old currents still swirl under the surface and defy this denial of sexuality. Historian Chris Baker and economist Pasuk Phongpaichit explore the power of desire: from temple murals in the 18th century, to poetry in the 15th century, and protest in the 21st century.
This talk took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.
Disclaimer: This talk contains some sexual references. Listener discretion is advised. The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
“To be an artist is ... just like shit in a clogged toilet, stubborn shit that can’t decide whether it wants to be flushed or to stick around…”
Composed as an irreverent dialogue between masculine and feminine narrators, this book of essays by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook is an uncategorisable fusion of art criticism, feminist theory, art pedagogy, gossip and autofiction. This first English translation of her essays was prepared by eminent translator Kong Rithdee and edited with an accompanying essay by Roger Nelson and Chanon Kenji Praepipatmongkol.
This event marked the launch of the new research publications imprint, National Gallery Singapore: Art Writing. This peer-reviewed imprint celebrates the diverse voices and genres of writing that create the discourse of art in Southeast Asia, both historically and in the present. Going beyond conventional art history, books in this imprint include compilations of artist writings, art criticism and experimental approaches to the image.
This live reading and discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.
This is a recording of a live reading of extracts from Araya’s compelling and humorous writings by artist Heman Chong, writer Amanda Lee Koe and Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook herself, and a sharing on the development of the book by Roger Nelson.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Photography has been seen on the walls of the art museum since the 1930s. However, since then, questions have continued to be raised as to what sort of photography and whose photography should be collected and displayed? The role of photography within an art museum is often complicated by its varied, multiple roles in daily life – its non-art functions, which have caused confusion, arguments and schisms. Artists Sean Lee, Mintio, and librarian Janice Loo revisit this medium with respect to a museum’s role in society. This discussion was moderated by Gallery Senior Curator Charmaine Toh.
This panel discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of October Gathering.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
"An Uncommon History of the Common Fence" is a research project that suggests that the common fence—often used as a protective safety urban device or as a boundary marker demarcating permissible and non-permissible movement—has had an uncommon history within the biography of Singapore.
The fence is so commonplace within the urban environment that it recedes from active vision. In fact, the common fence has been a participant in key events in the history of Singapore: as a witness to history, as a site of its making and as its casualty. In these ways, the fence, as an urban design element, has enacted key dimensions of citizenship within this city.
To account for these various dimensions, the research in "An Uncommon History" is manifested as equal parts design and photographic history, sculptural and installation objects, as well as text and speech. Singaporean artist and writer Jason Wee explores the common fence as a participant in key events in the history of Singapore.
“A Prologue” was part of a larger programme titled: “An Uncommon History of the Common Fence: A Prologue + Reading Spiral”.
This talk took place at National Gallery Singapore on 16 Oct 2022, as part of ‘October Gathering’.
To dwell on the questions concerning Islam and Islamic religiosity/spirituality is to acknowledge its position in mainstream art historical narratives and museological practices. Islam is rarely discussed in this largely secular field and the circles of modern and contemporary art. There are only a few scholarships on art in Southeast Asia that address the continuing role of Islam in the region's modern and contemporary artistic practices.
This conversation highlighted this "neglected dimension" by focusing on how Islam and Islamic objects are contextualised within museums. It observed how artists have worked with religious-derived principles, spiritual dimensions and how they are preoccupied with the ritual and performative aspects of their devotional experience, inseparable from a larger cultural system.
Artists, curators, and scholars looked at the absence of Islam and Islamic religiosity/spirituality in modern and contemporary art historical narratives in Southeast Asia, and how its aspects have been packaged and framed within international exhibition spaces.
This panel discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 15 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.
This talk formed part of research for the Gallery's 2023 exhibition The Neglected Dimensioncurated by Anissa Rahadiningtyas.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
In this episode, art historian Jeffrey Say explores one of the most important phases in the development of Singapore’s modern art history—the 1950s to the 1970s. This period saw the emergence of distinctive movements like the Nanyang Style, visual imagery that drew from the lives and struggles of the common people, and the first sculpture show in Singapore.
This session was held in July 2017.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Founder and editor of the Indonesian magazine Tempo, Goenawan Mohamad recalls one of Indonesia’s most cherished poets, Chairil Anwar, and offers perspectives on possible genealogies that have constituted modern Southeast Asian literary production since the 1950s.
This session was held in December 2018 as part of the symposium How Easily Modernism Could be Disturbed in conjunction with the exhibition Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago (1960-1969). This travelling exhibition by National Gallery Singapore was also presented at Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Writer and literary translator Pauline Fan traces the literary frontiers in Latiff Mohidin’s travel writings and poetry from the 1960s in this conversation with Gallery Director of ILHAM Gallery Rahel Joseph.
This session was held in December 2018 as part of the symposium How Easily Modernism Could be Disturbed in conjunction with the exhibition Latiff Mohidin: Pago Pago (1960-1969). This travelling exhibition by National Gallery Singapore was also presented at Centre Pompidou, Paris.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Co-curators of the Nam June Paik exhibition Rudolf Frieling (of SFMOMA) and Sook-Kyung Lee (of Tate Modern) briefly trace Paik’s legacy by focusing on some of his key works. They also address multiple intersecting narratvies of music and performance, collaboration and artistic networks as well as transnational interests and trajectories.
This talk was held online on the Gallery's YouTube and Facebook channels on 17 December 2021 in association with the exhibition Nam June Paik: The Future is Now.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Roger Nelson (Associate Professor at Nanyang Technological University and Curator) and Seng Yu Jin (Deputy Director, Curatorial & Exhibitions, National Gallery Singapore) discuss how we can account for the allure of the exotic in depictions of crowds in Southeast Asian places and people through Louis Rollet’s Market at Memot and U Ba Nyan’s At the Jetty.
This talk was held online on Zoom in June 2021 in association with the In-Gallery Sessions programme series.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Associate Professor of History Dr Timothy P. Barnard (National University of Singapore) explores how animals fit into colonial society in Singapore, an aspect of the period’s history that is often overlooked. While animals no doubt played an important role in everyday life by providing transportation, labour and food, they also symbolically represented the colonisation of nature. They were used as metaphors for imperial control in media like paintings and photographs, and became integral to perceptions of Singapore and how its place in the tropics was understood.
This talk was recorded live in September 2019 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the Art in Singaporeprogramme series.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Architecture historian Dr Lai Chee Kien examines murals and architecture produced during the heady years just before and after independence in Singapore and Malaysia from 1945 to 1969, and also into the 1970s.
This talk was recorded live in March 2020 at National Gallery Singapore as part of the programming for Suddenly Turning Visible: Art and Architecture in Southeast Asia (1969–1989).
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Former Director of the Tate, Sir Nicholas Serota discusses the implications of significant shifts in the way art museums work with artists and how they engage with the public, with special reference to the evolution of Tate.
This talk was recorded live in October 2018 at National Gallery Singapore.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Senior Lecturer of History Dr Donna Brunero (National University of Singapore) explores how the material culture of the port city and representations of an idealised Asian trading emporium, became important ways of considering Asia in the 1880s.
This talk was recorded live in September 2019 at National Gallery Singapore in association with the Art in Singaporeprogramme series.
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
In this episode, award-winning filmmaker Royston Tan shares his perspective on Iskandar Jalil as a master potter and educator, and sheds light on how Iskandar’s art-making philosophy has influenced his filmmaking. This talk was recorded live in September 2017 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore) in association with the exhibition "Iskandar Jalil: Kembara Tanah Liat (Clay Travels)". Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Assistant Curator Jennifer Lam discusses the history and practice of collecting art in Singapore during the early 20th century, with reference to the Xiu Hai Lou Collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy. This talk was recorded live in September 2017 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore) in association with the exhibition "Rediscovering Treasures: Ink Art from the Xiu Hai Lou Collection". Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Contemporary ink artist Zhang Jian-Jun probes into China’s rapidly changing cultural and physical landscapes through his paintings, photography, videos and installations. This talk was recorded live in September 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore) as part of the Gallery's annual programme series https://www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/programme-detail/84392584/ink-masters-series-2019 (Ink Masters). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Artist Cheo Chai Hiang shares his personal connections to the social and cultural narratives of the Singapore River, and how this deep bond with his homeland has influenced his art practice. This talk was recorded live in August 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/exhibitions/lim-cheng-hoe-painting-singapore (Lim Cheng Hoe: Painting Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Accounts of pictorial photography have typically traced its beginnings from Europe in the 1890s to its supposed end in North America in the 1930s. This talk by Gallery curator Charmaine Toh considers the transfer of pictorial photography to Singapore and how values associated with Pictorialism were re-coded within the local context. Particular attention will be paid to the way photography was incorporated into national narratives in the 1950s and 1960s. This talk was recorded live in August 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition (Re)Collect: The Making of our Art Collection. This talk features works by photographer Lee Lim, who is also featured in our virtual exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/programme-detail/432000966/stories-in-light-four-modern-photographers-in-singapore (Stories in Light: Four Modern Photographers in Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Learn more about London’s art scene in the 1960s and what it takes for a Singaporean artist to suceed in a foreign metropolis, in this dialogue between artist Mak Kum Siew and Jennifer K. Y. Lam (Assistant Curator, National Gallery Singapore). This conversation was recorded live in May 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/exhibitions/recollect-the-making-of-our-art-collection ((Re)Collect: The Making of our Art Collection). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Learn about the different sides of Filipino painter Juan Luna’s artistic practice in this talk by Clarissa Chikiamco (Curator, National Gallery Singapore). By comparing two of the artist’s masterpieces– Cleopatra and Les Ignorés (The Unknown Ones) –this talk examines Luna’s stylistic shift from history painting to realism during his time in Paris. This lecture was recorded live in January 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/highlights/century-of-light (Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna). *Note: Due to the tour format of the talk, the sound quality is affected during certain portions of the episode. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
This lecture by art historian and Professor Emeritus John Clark compares the different ways that Raden Saleh and Juan Luna approached creating art in a colonial context. It refers to two of their Salon paintings - The Arrest of Diponegoro and Spoliarium - and examines how each made nationalistic statements about colonial rule while adhering to European norms. It also touches on how their lives diverged, with Saleh becoming an aristocratic ironist and Luna becoming a nationalist insurrectionist. This lecture was recorded live in January 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/highlights/century-of-light (Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Listen to Gallery curators Goh Sze Ying and Joleen Loh as they examine approaches to seriality and form in the practice of artists Kim Lim, Midori Takada, Anne Truitt and Charlotte Posenenske. They will also discuss the contribution of women artists to the development of Minimal Art. This lecture was made possible with the support of the U.S. Embassy of Singapore and recorded live in December 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/exhibitions/minimalism-space-light-object (Minimalism: Space. Light. Object). *Note: Click these links to listen to Steve Reich's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmlbuRGubrI (Drumming) (1970-191) from the debut album of Colin Currie Records (released 9 March 2018), and the reissue of Midori Takada's https://soundcloud.com/mentalgroove/2-midori-takada-crossing (Crossing )(1983) by Palto Flats & WRWTFWW Records (released 3 March 2017) which were played live during the lecture at 18:27 minutes and 19:33 minutes respectively. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Despite the significant role that Asian artists and Asia played in contemporary art, nearly every discussion of Minimalism fails to account for this. This lecture by art historian Joan Kee offers a maverick view of Minimalism, addressing how and why Asia and Asian artists mattered in relation to one of the most important art movements in the 20th century, as well as how contemporary art can be a fluid geography of imagination. This lecture was possible with the support of the U.S. Embassy of Singapore recorded live in November 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition https://www.nationalgallery.sg/exhibitions/minimalism-space-light-object (Minimalism: Space. Light. Object). *Note: Due to technical issues during recording, the audio was affected. The sound quality improves greatly after 7 minutes 51 seconds. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
The future of our museums and the search for new concepts in rapidly changing societies is an important issue in present museum debates. Social transformation processes, changes in communication and the transfer of knowledge, which have been extremely accelerated by the digital revolution and globalisation, are also visible in everyday museum life. Prof. Dr. Marion Ackermann, Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections (https://www.skd.museum/ (Staatliche Kunstsammlung Dresden), or SKD), discusses the current situation of museums from a local and global perspective, and point out possible development trends for the future. This Gallery Keynote lecture was recorded live in July 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore). About the Gallery Keynote series The series invites the world’s visionaries, thinkers and industry and opinion leaders to consider issues fundamentally relating to the future of museums and their role in culture and society. Speakers in this series lead us to confront the challenges faced by art museums and the ecology they belong to—both locally and globally—and consider solutions for the way forward, and the principles that should guide them. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
How do artists bear witness to changes and shifts in their homeland, and why do they leave? Join Senior Curator Shabbir Hussain Mustafa in tracing the journey of multimedia artist Jose Tence Ruiz from Manila, where he was involved in the Kaisahan Social Realist movement, to his life in Singapore as a political cartoonist. This conversation was recorded live in October 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore), as part of https://www.nationalgallery.sg/see-do/programme-detail/899/art-in-southeast-asia-in-transition (Art in Southeast Asia: In Transition), a day of programmes dedicated to mapping the complexities of crossing boundaries, political and spiritual, within Southeast Asia. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Join art historian Dr Pamela Corey as she 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. This talk offers new interpretations of their artworks, such as through the lens of craft, mass media and urban form, thus illuminating other art historical connections and engagements with time, place and materiality. This talk was recorded live in August 2017 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore) in line with https://www.nationalgallery.sg/discover-learn/publications/exhibition-catalogues/danh-vo (Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission: Danh Vo). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Assistant Curator Zulfadhli Hilmi discusses the themes of spiritualism and nationalism in AD Pirous’ artwork Epitaph IV. The conversation explores the turn towards creating new languages and dialogues in art in the 1960s in Bandung and the rest of Southeast Asia. This talk was recorded live in September 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Join academic and ceramic artist Dr Suriani Suratman, who trained under Iskandar Jalil, in a conversation with Syed Muhammad Hafiz (Assistant Curator, National Gallery Singapore). Dr Suriani shares her personal insights on Iskandar’s teaching philosophies and how his teaching legacy continues to have an impact on the local art scene. This conversation was recorded live in January 2017 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore), as part of the exhibition "Iskandar Jalil: Kembara Tanah Liat (Clay Travels)". Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
In this lecture, Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin examines different types of artists' collectives and how collectivism influences the ways artists think about and make art. Listen as he traces the shifts in the Singapore art scene from "organisational collectivism" that sought to professionalise art, to "exhibition collectivism" that championed group exhibitions, and "collaborative collectivism" that created opportunities for artists to collaborate. This lecture was recorded live in August 2017 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Researcher Koh Nguang How joins Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin as they discuss on the late artist and cultural medallion recipient Chng Seok Tin- looking at her multi-hyphenated practices as artist, writer, and musician. This session was recorded live in May 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore).
Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
What can conservation and art history learn from each other? Gallery curators Clarissa Chikiamco and Roger Nelson are joined by conservator Mar Cusso in an exchange of perspectives on two paintings: a detailed 1930s portrait of a formally attired Burmese gentleman by Saya Myit and a 1940s dream-like depiction of a hunter by Emiria Sunassa. Both paintings, outstanding examples of the artists’ styles, required extensive conservation and restoration before they could be displayed. And the artists of these works- Saya Myit from Myanmar and Emiria Sunassa from Indonesia, are today recognised for their contributions to the development of modern art in Southeast Asia. This session was recorded live in November 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore.) Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
The UOB Southeast Asia Gallery, along with the DBS Singapore Gallery, house National Gallery Singapore's long-term exhibitions. However, the displays in these two "permanent” galleries are anything but permanent: artworks are regularly removed so that they can be returned to the lender or sent for conservation, making space for new loans and acquisitions. Led by Gallery curator Cheng Jia Yun, this session from 2019 highlighted additions to UOB Southeast Asia galleries 11 to 15, including works by contemporary artists such as Sulaiman Esa, Pinaree Sanitpitak, Svay Ken and Semsar Siaahan. This session was recorded live in October 2019 at https://my.captivate.fm/nationalgallery.sg (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
In this session, Gallery curator Clarissa Chikiamco discusses artist Constancio Bernardo's pursuit of abstraction in post-war Philippines, through his painting Bernardian Synthesis No. 1. This session was recorded live in May 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.
Join Gallery curator Lim Shujuan in conversation with Richard and Arthur Low, the grandsons of Singapore artist Low Kway Song (1889–1982). Low was not only a forerunner who popularised oil painting and a prominent portrait artist commissioned by many famous personalities, but also a publisher and owner of a photographic studio. Learn little-known facts and anecdotes about him through his grandsons as they share their memories and years of research. This conversation was recorded live in March 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
Gain insights into the contexts surrounding poet-painter Latiff Mohidin’s seminal Pago Pago series. This talk by Senior Curator Shabbir Hussain Mustafa places the artist within the Berlin art circles of the 1960s, as well as the cultural, political and art historical milieus of Southeast Asia. This conversation was recorded live in July 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
In conversation with curator Charmaine Toh, award-winning multi-disciplinary artist Amanda Heng introduces her performance S/he, as well as her broader art practice through the decades. Recounting her experiences with The Artists Village and Women in the Arts, the discussion provides a personal viewpoint on the history of socially-engaged art in Singapore. This conversation was recorded live in June 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore), as part of programmes for the exhibition Awakenings: Art in Society in Asia 1960s–1990s. Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
Filipino artist Alwin Reamillo investigates the idea of nationhood and its surrounding narratives, through looking at artworks by Juan Luna, Felix Hidalgo, and Victor Edades in the UOB Southeast Asia Galleries. Together with Senior Curator Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, Reamillo also discusses figures in Philippine art history that have influenced his own artistic practice. This conversation was recorded live in January 2020 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
In this session, Singaporean artist and Cultural Medallion recipient - Goh Beng Kwan and Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin discuss how collage offered a way for Goh to explore new ways of art-making, through using an expanded range of materials and cultural sources. This conversation was recorded live in November 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
Trần Lương is one of Vietnam’s most celebrated contemporary artists. In this conversation with Gallery curator Roger Nelson, he discusses his artistic practice and how the emphasis on creative collaboration heralded a new era of artmaking in contemporary Vietnam after the demise of the Cold War. This conversation was recorded live in August 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
One of the most innovative practitioners working in the medium of ink today, Tan Oe Pang joins Assistant Curator Teo Hui Min to discuss the artistic concepts expressed through his work, the essential qualities of art and the dialogue between Western and Eastern aesthetics. This conversation contains segments in Mandarin with accompanying translations by the curator. It was recorded live in October 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
How did artists with different practices begin collaborating? Is there a relationship between performance art, theatre and new media? Join artist Khairul Anwar Salleh and Assistant Curator Jennifer K.Y. Lam in exploring the development of interdisciplinary approaches to art in Singapore. This conversation was recorded live in August 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
Initially a painter of abstract art, artist Edgar Talusan Fernandez turned to overt political subjects after Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in 1972. Join Fernandez and Gallery curator Clarissa Chikiamco as they explore the multiple facets that make up Fernandez’s artistic practice since the 1970s. This conversation was recorded live in April 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
Artist Ahmad Fuad Osman discusses the evolving contexts of his art since the early 1990s, in relation to the artistic self and how one may trace historical moments in contemporary art. This conversation was recorded live in January 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.
In collaboration with the artist Tchang Ju Chi's family, Senior Curators Seng Yu Jin and Horikawa Lisa present their ongoing research. They speak about Tchang as an artist who bridged the worlds of art and literature through the concept of 'Nanyang Colour' that called for art, literature and theatre practitioners in Singapore to depict local concerns, conditions, and contexts here by drawing from their immediate tropical surroundings as sources for their works. This conversation was recorded live in September 2019 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore).
Join artist Teo Eng Seng and curator Joleen Loh, as they discuss the contexts and significance of one of the earliest sites in Singapore for the display of contemporary art from the region, as well as Europe and the United States. This conversation was recorded live on April 2018 at https://www.nationalgallery.sg/ (National Gallery Singapore). Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.