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16 Jul 2016

Imaginarium: A Voyage of Big Ideas (14 May - 28 Aug 2016) at Singapore Art Museum


The first interpretation that came to mind when I first came across of the word Imaginarium would be the combination of the words Imagination and Aquarium. The gallery space probably houses creative installations of artists' imagination, constructed and showcased in tangible forms.

It was rather deterring that the first exhibit that greeted me was a locked room of isomalt sugar created by Chef Janice Wong whom is a well known pastry chef in Singapore. Perhaps not the best shot to be taken from outside due to reflections. Just too bad I couldn't get a closer view of her creations.






My friend and I probably spent at least 20 minutes in the above space, re-experiencing the joy of being youthful/kiddy once again. 

White clean space casts by shadows of overhanging sponge-like fishes and jellyfish looking sea monsters. There were even little islands of hand sewn coral reefs and huge cushion whales which I refused to get up once I laid on them. Everything in there was just so soft and cushiony that I wanted to enter my La-la land form there Zzzz....







Maybe due to time constraint and us getting a bit tired since we headed over to Imaginarium from the other building where the other exhibit Odyssey was held. I felt Odyssey was still better in terms of layout as the exhibits were not all over the place and they were nicely spaced out. Was that why my previous blog post on Odyssey was much more detailed? Perhaps I just could not find any useful data online to blog about this exhibit?
Besides the interactivity part in the cushiony room, the plastic garbage room (above) as well as a pitch black room with a huge light ball, I felt that the other works were kind of boring. I shouldn't be complaining since the entrance fee is free anyway.

I wonder what would the theme of the next exhibition be?


6 Jul 2016

Odyssey: Navigating Nameless Seas (4 June - 28 August 2016) at Singapore Art Museum


''The sea, once it cast its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.''
                                                                                                                    - Jacques Cousteau


So much for scanning through the Instagram's explore button which led me to notice a couple of beautifully taken pictures in Singapore Art Museum. Both exhibitions 'Odyssey' and 'Imagiarium' run concurrently in Singapore Art Museum, but in different buildings.

As usual, the highlights were the same usual paintings and art installations that the mainstream social media enthusiast would flood Instagram with. Society is all about attention grabbing and social media worthy I supposed. I know it is a sad thing for those 'others' being neglected, therefore the more I should find a reason to share their beauty as well.

Entang Wiharso (b. 1967 Indonesia)
Breathing Together (2016)
Acrylic, car paint and oil on canvas, resin, aluminium, plastic, thread, fabric, light bulbs and electric cables 

Richard Streitmatter-Tran (b.1972, Vietnam)
A Short History of Man and Animal (2015)
Wood, iron and unfired clay
70 x 700 x 160 

Richard Streitmatter-Tran (b.1972, Vietnam)
The Cerumen Strata (2015)
Woods, beeswax and charcoal

Thankfully the crowd wasn't awfully packed that day at all, since it is a museum after all. People who visited that day as I noticed were mostly families with young children or people like me who do not want to spend too much on entertainment activities on a weekend.  

Ever since Homer's epic poem The Odyssey told the story of warrior Odysseus' ten-year journey home from Troy. Basically Odyssey meant any epic journey and all the art installations simply revolves around journey, travel and water bodies as the mode of travel.

Travelling and going on a journey has always been mysterious to me since I would never know what to expect throughout the journey. The spirit of exploration and discovery could be detected in all these art installations and probably similar abyss of thoughts must be something that intrigue these artists.

Adrift (Time-lapse video) by Wyn Lyn Tan 

Rashid Rana
Offshore Accounts-1 (2006)
C-print, Diasec
300 x 600cm 

Ashley Yeo
Ceramic Whales as Part of Ocean's Room
Mixed Media Installation

Alfredo & Isabel Aquilizen  (b.1962 ; 1965 Philippines)
Passage III: Passage Another Country (2009)
Used transport cargo boxes and wood


Una Lumino Callidus Spiritus (2016)
Metal Machinery, CPU board, motor, LEDs and polycarbonate  


Feedback forms on paper fishes

Shin Lin
HDB Life (2014)
Interactive Installation



Luckily I looked like I had a slight sunburn that day (the redness on my face) since I had undergone Venus Viva Nano Fractional Treatment at Chrysalis Medical Aesthetics about an hour before. At least I could still post photos of myself with these inspirational arts...

Just a little rant from my experience that day. One of the worst type of people to meet would be a bloody shellfish (pun intended). This non local asshole got the gallery ambassador to capture pictures for him and refused to budge aside as he sat there to continue analysing his photo with a dissatisfactory look on his face. No point getting overly pissed over such a jerk. I made my way back to capture the photo below after exploring other sections.

Not wanting to end my post with a rant....

''But more wonderful than the lore of old men and the lore of books is the secret lore of ocean. Blue green, grey, white, or black; smooth, ruffled or mountainous; that ocean is not silent... ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time.''

                                                                                                          - H.P. Lovecraft, The White Ship


P.s/ HDB Life and the picture below it is not part of Odyssey's exhibit.