Talking Heads

Nadya Wang and Ian Tee chat about their recently launched podcast series ‘From A to Zig-Zag’ and ‘Ian’s Research Club’ respectively.

Ian: I have been thinking more about how my artistic practice intersects with what I do with A&M. Personally, I enjoy podcasts and it is a significant part of my daily commute and time in the studio. ‘Ian’s Research Club’ (IRC) is an extension of the long-form interviews I have been conducting and I see it as an opportunity to explore my interests outside of the realm of visual art. This personal angle has also informed the name of the podcast.

You have been recording ‘In the Vitrine’ with Dani since July 2019! Whatmade you decide to go solo and start ‘From A to Zig-Zag’?

Nadya: Yes ‘In the Vitrine’ is a vodcast about the business, culture and pleasures of fashion in Singapore, Asia and beyond. We are at nearly 80 episodes now! It is a way for my friend and colleague, Daniela Monasterios-Tan, and I to document the conversations we would have had anyway about fashion in its many forms, and we started it with our students in the School of Fashion at LASALLE College of the Arts in mind.

‘From A to Zig-Zag’ is a personal project that differs from ‘In the Vitrine’ in significant ways. It is a podcast featuring creative practices in Southeast Asia, where I chat with guests about the pathways of their illustrious careers, and the decisions and happenstance that have shaped them. It allows me to speak with a new individual in each episode about their work, and can span the fields of art and fashion but also beyond into music, film and more.

Like you, I listen to podcasts, usually during my morning exercise, and I gravitate towards career podcasts, mostly situated in the United States of America and the United Kingdom, so I thought to create one based in Southeast Asia to extend the work that I do with both Art & Market and Fashion & Market. One of the things I do not quite enjoy about the podcasts I listen to is the seemingly random selection of guests from episode to episode, and I decided to organise mine around seasons so, for example, the first season of ‘From A to Zig-Zag’ is on fairs and festivals!

How do you structure IRC?

Ian: Unlike ‘From A to Zig-Zag’ which has a theme for each season, IRC is more fluid. Guests on the show tend to be people I have a personal connection with. They are either they are friends from the art world or individuals whose works I admire. For example, I have known Ruben Pang, Jason Wee and Roger Nelson for some time now and the podcast is an opportunity for listeners to be a fly on the wall in our conversations. In contrast, Kash and Taufyk from the Singaporean design collective Youths In Balaclava are new friends I got to know personally through our collaboration for the exhibition ‘We’re Young Once’. This is a “club” I hope to grow.

The first episode of 'From A to Zig-Zag' with Renée Ting.

The first episode of 'Ian's Research Club' with Jason Wee.

Nadya: I think that is a common premise for our podcasts. It allows us to speak with people whose works or careers we admire. It is fascinating to hear what they have to say about the decisions they have made, how far they have come, and what more they would like to do.

Ian: I am curious. What was one unexpected moment from the podcast? For me, it was in episode four when Joyce Toh flipped the script and started asking me questions about my work in S.E.A. Focus Curated 2022. It was a refreshing experience and perhaps I should do that more often!

Nadya: I have only recorded three episodes so far, but already I can see how asking specific questions within the format of a podcast has unearthed information I would otherwise not have known, and allowed me to see threads that were not visible before. For example, I learnt about Renée’s bootstrapping journey to make Singapore Art Book Fair happen, and found out from Trickie that she is not only active in the Philippine art scene with Art Fair Philippines, but its fashion one as well as a mentor for PHx Fashion to take emerging local designers global. And with Tom, it was an aha moment when I realised that his experience with events in the automotive industry has not been removed from his current role as Fair Director of Art Jakarta, but has in fact served him well.

Who will you be speaking to next, Ian?

Ian: The next guest on IRC is our colleague Woong Soak Teng, and we will discuss her latest project ‘rules for photographing a scoliotic patient’. It is a moving body of work that affirms the experiences of patients living with the condition, which includes the artist herself. In the episode, Soak unpacks her research process in the medical archives and how she navigated the sensitivities of telling the stories of other patients.

What about you?

Nadya: I am due to speak to Natalie Hennedige, who is Director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA). I am excited to hear what she has to say about her career and working with such a big and diverse group of talent for SIFA.

Ian: We should check in again next year and see where our podcasts leadus. Watch this space!

Listen to 'From A to Zig-Zag'.

Listen to 'Ian's Research Club'.