Gaza through Virtual Reality: My Mother’s Wing by Vrse.works

I cannot imagine how it would be like living in Gaza. And what brought it home for me was My Mother’s Wing, a short documentary by Vrse.works in collaboration with the United Nations (directed by Gabo Arora and Ari Palitz) that was screened recently at the Tribeca Film Festival 2016.

Eight minutes can make this much of a difference. We see Gaza through the eyes of a family (specifically a mother, Somaia Okal) that lost two sons to the conflict. Gaza is filled with rubble. The landscape is bleak. Shades of grey, jagged edges, dirt paths. It’s filled with misery, with death and destruction. Yet, people still live, and there’s hope in that. There is a support group for mothers who have suffered loss. Families make the best of their situations. They have suffered, but they are so strong. Especially the mother we follow through the 8 minutes. Eight months pregnant in Gaza – I cannot even begin to understand how it must be like.

Part of the reason this hit me so hard was because this is a VR documentary that I watched using Google Cardboard. I was literally in Gaza, with them. But somehow it feels all wrong to be talking about the technology when the documentary itself is reminding me of my position of privilege. There I am, watching them from the comfort of my home using technology they probably can’t even afford. I stub my toe against my bed as I get drawn into the story. Big deal – they don’t even have a bed. I see rubble at my feet, see the destruction around me, hear the stories. But my engagement is only visual and auditory. I don’t experience this day-to-day.

Watching that documentary reminds me of Farah Baker’s tweets. These are not impersonal news reports; these are real people who are speaking directly to us, telling us of their lives and their experiences. Farah Baker, of course, shares sides of Gaza – the beautiful parts of Gaza – that we don’t see in the media, and that is indeed what she also intends to achieve with her tweets.   

I read an interview with director Gabo Arora after watching this, where he said pretty much what I felt: “I’m more concerned that something resonates with its craft than just the message. We want to play to people’s subconscious and the poetry. We’re trying to speak to the unspoken inside you. That’s what really drives me.”

The only thing I can say that feels appropriate is, watch it. Just, watch it and you’ll see what I mean. You can download it through the Vrse app on Android and iPhone or view it in 360 degrees here.    

Art and Social Change

I’ve been hearing about the need for art to create social change quite a bit recently. For instance, there were a couple of articles in The Guardian on this, with a focus on theatre: Theatres must look beyond their regular audiences and to society itself and  Safe house: theatre’s role in helping refugees. I remembered it again when the Migrant Workers’ Poetry Competition took place last Sunday. After all, it’s that one event that has gone some way in addressing the prejudices Singaporeans have against migrant workers by allowing the latter’s voices to be heard.

It’s definitely heartening that art is being used for such purposes, because it can lead to a more open and tolerant society. Bringing social issues to the public’s eye allows for conversation, and that’s essential for change.

There are two ways social issues can be brought to the fore. One, by the marginalised groups themselves, and two, by others who choose to speak out for them. There is, of course, nothing wrong with the latter. But the beauty of the former is that it forces art itself to be more accessible. Because art is, ultimately, is for the privileged. It takes time, finances and freedom to pursue art. The voices that may want to be heard cannot be heard because the opportunities aren’t there and the circumstances aren’t right.

But the problem with the former is that we cannot know if the draw of that piece of art is the art itself, or its creator(s). Going back to the Migrant Workers’ Poetry competition, I can’t help but get the impression based on some comments that there are people who are more interested in the fact that these are migrant workers than by their art itself. It seems a lot like objectification, especially when held on a platform that restricts participation to a group who can be objectified. Then again, that objectification may be necessary evil on the path to social change.

I am conflicted as to whether tailoring arts events to be exclusive to marginalised groups is an overall good or bad. But perhaps it doesn’t matter. These events do make art more inclusive, and inclusiveness is what opens conversations between people from different walks of life, broadening minds at the very least.

Yet in the midst of trying to create art for social change, we can’t neglect art for art’s sake. Because such art does something for the individual, regardless of whether it’s for the artist or audience. It inspires and relaxes, beautifies and affects us; yet it can disturb and destroy. It puts us in touch with ourselves, let’s us understand ourselves.

In any case, art is a reflection of society, and in making people aware of themselves, change will naturally come, whether or not we intend to cause it.

Wear Your Pyjamas To The Museum!

Remember when we last mentioned that ACM would be reopening? Well, the day is finally here, and they’re kicking it off with 24HRS@ACM, starting tomorrow, 14 Nov. That’s right, you’re invited to spend your night at the museum – no guarantees that the Asian artefacts won’t come alive. If they do, you’ll be the first to find out.

This comes right on the heels of another night-long event, What I Like About You Is Your Attitude Problem, which was held at The Arts House as a part of the Singapore Writer’s Festival. Night owls on a budget will rejoice that 24HRS@ACM is free.

Highlights include a Pyjama Party where you can enjoy a barbeque under the stars while being serenaded by live music (Saturday, 7pm to midnight), tours and a DJ party (Sunday, midnight to 7am), mass tai chi and a breakfast picnic (Sunday, 7am to 10am), and guided tours, crafts and films (Sunday, 10am to 7pm).

Pictured above: Changsha bowls from the Tang Shipwreck (photo by John Tsantes and Robert Harrell, Arthur M Sackler Gallery)

But let’s not have 24HRS@ACM distract from the treasures within the museum. The revamp of ACM and NMS cost $35million, so you can expect substantial changes. ACM now boasts two new wings, the three-storey Kwek Hong Png Wing that’s styled like a cube floating on the museum and the Riverfront Wing, which integrates existing spaces into it. The former is home to the Contemporary Project Gallery, which features contemporary artworks specifically designed for that space. The latter is where the Khoo Teck Puat Gallery is, where you can feast your eyes on the Tang Shipwreck treasures. More galleries include The Scholar in Chinese Culture and the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Gallery.

Pictured above: Grains of Thought by Eng Tow at the Contemporary Project Gallery (photo by the Asian Civilisations Museum)

Those into tech would love to try the ACM VR app for the Tang Shipwreck (you read right, it’s VR!). Just download the free app into your smartphone, purchase the viewer at $10 from the front desk, and you’re good to go. There’s also the free ACM app, which provides handy information on the objects and events in the museum, as well as behind-the-scene views. Both will be launched on 14 Nov and are available on iOS and Google Play (sorry, Windows phone users).

Pictured above: The square Kwek Hong Png Wing (photo by the Asian Civilisations Museum)

Believe it or not, this is just phase 1 of what ACM has to offer. Phase 2 will be completed in March 2016 and will bring even more galleries to ACM.

24HRS@ACM
Saturday, 7pm to Sunday, 7pm
Asian Civilisations Museum
Free admission
For more information, visit the ACM website

ACM’s River Nights 2015 Opens Today

The Singapore River is a hotbed for F&B establishments that draw people after night falls. Today and tomorrow, there’s another reason to visit the area, and it goes beyond food and alcohol.

That reason is River Nights 2015, billed as an artistic extravaganza featuring performances, art installations and light shows. An event presented by the Asian Civilisations Museum, it doesn’t just celebrate the importance of the Singapore River to Singapore’s development, but also seeks to generate more interest in the area around Empress Place and Boat Quay.

In the words of Festival Co-Director Dr Lim Chye Hong, as quoted from a press release, “This is a place-making initiative to elevate Empress Place precinct to its rightful role in the fabric of Singapore, as a creative playground for both artists and visitors. Essentially this is about place as poetry, through the intervention of art. River Nights is also part of the pre-events leading up to the grand opening of the new spaces at the Asian Civilisations Museum in November.”

That’s right. ACM is coming back better than ever in November. (I can’t wait to see what’s in store!)

But back to River Nights 2015. What you can expect, in order of urgency, are:

1) Performances by local artists

You need to rush down to see these, as they are only held in the evenings of 23 and 24 October.

Pictured above: T’ang Quartet (photo by Olivia Cruciata)

If it hasn’t fully sunk in that it’s Halloween month, the T’ang Quartet is set to remind you of it. They present Music, Movies & Magic, where they provide music accompaniment to the short silent film classic, The Haunted House (1921) by Buster Keaton. It wouldn’t scare you, but it will provide some laughs. Watch it on YouTube without the music here and see how it transforms in the hands of the T’ang Quartet.

New Opera Singapore will also perform arias, which will please fans of classical music. And if you’re not a fan, you’ll still want to catch the Mandarin rendition of Habanera from Carmen. Yes, Mandarin. Classical opera in Mandarin.

Also being presented is a play, Sailing Past by Jonathan Lim, and an infectious percussion performance by NADI Singapura.

2) Artworks and light shows from international and local artists

Pictured above: Delight by Yves Moreaux (photo by Asian Civilisations Museum)

Judging from the enthusiastic response to the National Museum’s facade light-up at the Singapore Night Festival 2015, you’ll be happy to know that French artist Yves Moreaux has curated a light show, Delight, which will be played out on the facade of ACM. You might want to get there earlier to chope a good vantage point.

Pictured above: Les Voyageurs by Cedric le Borgne (photo by Asian Civilisations Museum)

Les Voyageurs by Cédric Le Borgne is another artwork that piques my interest. Consisting of seven larger-than-life “travellers” suspended at various locations along the river and illuminated with carefully planned lighting, it promises to be an ethereal sight that you can’t forget.

Kids will love 160 by Pierre and Joël Rodière. It invites you to interact with a light and sound installation consisting of 160 light bars spanning over 50 metres. A veritable playground in the making.

Pictured above: Parasol sketch at the Little Room of Wanders (sketch by Phillipe Dumas, courtesy of Hermès)

For those who prefer luxury over proletarian entertainment, ACM has also collaborated with French luxury brand Hermès to present you the Little Room of Wanders (no, it’s not meant to be Wonders). Take a walk through Emile Hermès very own, and very rare collection of albums and paintings, and feast your eyes on the objects that have become a permanent source of inspiration for the house’s designers. Here’s a taster: Check out Phillipe Dumas’ sketch for a parasol (above) – there’s something charmingly Da Vinci-esque about it.

Fortunately, you can view these until 31 October, so there isn’t any need to rush. Little Room of Wanders will be available until 31 December 2015.

All performances and artworks will be located around the Empress Place Precinct. For more information on venues and timings, visit the ACM website.

Young Artists Showcased At President’s Young Talents 2015

I previously wrote about Noise Singapore, which has been nurturing young artists for 10 years now. I didn’t realise until recently that there was another programme going on right now that also provided guidance to promising talents. The only difference is that this programme is for established young artists who show potential to go even further.

Five artists are featured in this exhibition: Ang Song Ming, Bani Haykal, Ezzam Rahman, Loo Zihan and Ong Kian Peng. All were selected by a committee consisting of local artists and a SAM curator. Their works are multidisciplinary, marrying sound with text, performance with installation and art with science, and range from introspective works to pieces that make a commentary on larger socio-political issues.

Pushing boundaries and redefining them to stay relevant in changing times is probably one of the hardest tasks artists (and just about everyone else, including inventors and advertisers) have, and and I’m always eager to see more of such work.

Of the five, Ong Kian Peng’s ‘Too Far, Too Near’ struck me most. A two-part installation consisting of an audio-kinetic sculpture and a video of melting ice sheets and glaciers in Greenland, which you watch from a vibrating platform, it’s immersive, shocking and mesmerising all at once. The audio-kinetic sculpture is basically a see-saw with metal ball bearings. Now imagine watching the expanse of ice and water while having these ball bearings roll in waves behind you. Actually, don’t. Just go experience it for yourselves.

That haunting atmosphere is also present in Bani Haykal’s ‘necropolis for those without sleep’. What’s interesting about this is that visitors themselves become a part of the installation as they experience unequal power hierarchies. Only two visitors are allowed into the room at each time, with the second visitor being allowed to take only 50 steps before being asked to leave. This mirrors the disadvantage of the chess game played by two robots in this installation. A bit of trivia about this artist: He is actually a mentor for Noise Singapore’s The Music Mentorship Programme.

Pictured above: Ezzam Rahman’s ‘Allow me to introduce myself’

Ezzam Rahman is another artist that stands out, although for me, it’s an ick-factor that did it. He presents two works: ‘Allow me to introduce myself’, which was a performative installation, and ‘Here’s who I am, I am what you see’, which consists of pretty flowers made from the artist’s skin and nails. I’ve seen this artist’s sculptures before, and they always put me in awe. Until I venture close enough to see the details of the sculptures and wonder how it is possible someone can have that much dead skin to peel away. Beautifully gross, if there can be such a thing. ‘Allow me to introduce myself’ evokes similar feelings. The pure, white, talcum powder-covered room looked beautiful, until you realise that it’s mixed with the artist’s perspiration as a result of repeated 2-hour performances.

The President’s Young Talents 2015 exhibition will be on until 27 March 2016 at SAM at 8Q. The commissioned pieces will be evaluated by a curatorial committee, which the winner receiving with a $20,000 award. There is also a People’s Choice Award of $5,000.

The exhibition is accompanied by public programmes. Find out more at the SAM website.