"Oath of Poretti" is based on a painting by Jacques-Louis David called "The Oath of the Horatii", which depicts three brothers saluting towards three swords held up by their father while a group of women behind him weep. The story is a Roman legend about a conflict between Rome and Alba and the three Horatii brothers have been called on to represent Rome in a fight to settle the dispute. Alba is represented by the Curatii brothers who are connected to the Horatii by marriage - the wives are the women seen grieving in the background. The end of the tale has the sole surviving Horatii brother killing his sister, Camilla, for putting personal desires above duty. Camilla was engaged to one of the Curatii and had condemned the fight.

David's painting is a well-known examplar of French neo-classical history painting, bringing to the tradition a new tension and physicality in the composition and lines of the figures. However what truly interests Tang are the ideals presented in the painting, which discusses the sacrifice of personal interests for a larger goal. For the Horatii, it was for Rome; for the artist David, it was the French revolution. For Tang, I contend it is about Art in its broadest sense.

In "Oath of Poretti", Tang has inserted three saws into a brick precariously perched on a steel table, a direct reference to the three swords of the Horatii. The brick swings with the slightest touch, highlighting the balancing act that is required for a life in service to Art. Tang's over five decades of practice as an artist is inextricably bound up with his personal history and identity and marked by a strong belief in not just the power of art, but its connection to everyday life. He has consistently challenged both the role of the artist as well as the status of the art object, through the introduction of ephemeral materials and new modes of art-making. He has also spoken about the difficult choices he has had to make, particularly about living in between London and Singapore as well as his potentially conflicting desires to be a father and an artist. His personal struggles inform a significant number of Tang's key works, including this one. Yet at the same time, they might speak of wider issues, prompting a reflection on sacrifices and ideals.

"Oath of Poretti" is not the only time Tang has engaged with art historical material in his work. He has reference the work of Vincent van Gogh, Barry Flanagan, Michael Craig-Martin, Peter Paul Rubens and Eugene Delacroix among others.

The exhibition also includes four ink paintings of the same period. While Tang had used ink in his paintings and performance in the 1980s and 90s, it was only after 2000 that he really experimented with the medium using various paper types, inks and application methods. These paintings illustrate his continued engagement with symbolism and form and his increasing comfort with increasingly abstract expressionist gestures. Tang is not formally trained in ink techniques but observed Fan Cheng Tien's classes when he was a teenager. Tang's ink works have received much less critical attention than his installations and performances. Nevertheless, they form a significant part of his practice in the last two decades, including playing a key role in his presentation at the Singapore pavilion in the 2007 Venice Biennale. The abstract works are not only important examples of contemporary ink painting in Singapore, but also how Tang's ideal of play has matured and transitioned into new forms.