Group Exhibition Venice, Italy
The Singapore Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition will present new works by four Singaporean artists - Tang Dawu, Vincent Leow, Jason Lim and Zulkifle Mahmod, in a trans-generational showcase of contemporary art practice in Singapore.
This will be Singapore’s 4th consecutive presentation at the Venice Biennale. The Commissioner for the Singapore Pavilion is Lim Chwee Seng, Director of Visual Arts, National Arts Council (NAC) and the Curator is Lindy Poh. The Singapore showcase is themed Figments, Fictions and Fantasies. It reflects the common thread among the four artists to explore myth, imagination, illusion and altered realities in their works, which arose from their responses to the Pavilion site and the notion of the carnivalesque in Venice – the ultimate City of carnival and
dreams.
Tang is an iconic figure in contemporary Asian art practice and regarded as the ‘father of performance art’ in Singapore. Leow is a pivotal figure in alternative art practices whose works are celebrated for capturing the energy, visual language and attitudes of the vanguard of its time. A leading contemporary ceramics sculptor, Lim combines performance art practices in his presentations. Sonic or sound sculptorartist Zulkifle is a prime figure in the emerging new media field in visual arts.
The artists, whilst individualistic in their expressions and practice, share many areas of intersections or convergence in their artistic ideals and concerns. They have enjoyed a good measure of recognition locally and abroad, contributed extensively to art education and dialogue, and also share the common experience of initiating and managing artist collectives in Singapore. Their presentation in Venice characterises key aspects of their practices at pivotal junctures of their development, and reflect the individuality, yet close interlinks between practitioners in Singapore
today. Together in a single showcase, they present a resonating experiential show at the Pavilion that many will be able to relate to.
“Singapore’s participation in the Venice Biennale is part of the Council’s strategy to nurture and develop visual art practices in Singapore, and showcase the strength and diversity of Singapore artists and artistic practices internationally. This year, the Pavilion builds on the positive reviews and reception from the international art community at the inaugural Singapore Biennale 2006, continuing the international contemporary art dialogue through the impactful line-up and contributions of our artists,” said Lim Chwee Seng, Singapore Commissioner and NAC Director of Visual
Arts.
“Presenting international traveling shows and participation in international biennales has been a key strategy in Singapore Art Museum's (SAM) pursuit to actively promote contemporary art practices from Singapore. To this extent, SAM has spearheaded Singapore's first participation in international biennales, including the Venice Biennale (2001). The 2007 Venice Biennale marks Singapore Art Museum’s 3rd collaboration with NAC as co-presenters. A multi-agency approach ensures better synergy and collaboration among agencies for optimal visual arts international
programming development and engagement with the international art world,” said Kwok Kian Chow, SAM Director.
The Singapore Pavilion is sited in the 15th century Gothic and atmospheric Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, a popular location on the main island of Venice next to the Accademia Bridge. A well-known art and cultural venue and a highly-visited tourist destination, the site was important in shaping of the Pavilion’s theme and the works of the artists.
The Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition is the most established and prestigious international contemporary art event and widely regarded as one of the most significant. The Singapore Pavilion is jointly presented by the National Arts Council and the Singapore Art Museum.
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