Trimurti art by Goh Ee Choo

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S. Chandrasekaran, Goh Ee Choo and Salleh Japar

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a 1972

discussion in the locol Chinese newspoper, Singoporeon

ortist Cheo Choi Hiong envisioned on eventuol direction of

contemporory orl in Singopore. He chorocterised the new expression os o deporiure from formolism towords lhe personol ond emotlve.

Obiects not previousiy considered os ort would be incorporoted in the motericl expression whilst the ortistic process look precedence over the finished work. Art works would olso be more multimedio ond inleroctive; oudience response would not be limited 1o visuol experience. Although Cheo's orficle wos meont os o form of criticol cotolyst to encouroge new ort proctices in the l9ZOs, the discussion provides on occurote descripiion of ortistic tendencies ond proctices of the lote l9B0s ond l99Os. Conceived by Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts groduotes S. Chondrosekorcn, Goh Ee Choo ond SollehJopor, Trimurti feotured pointings, sculptures, instollctions ond performonces; wifh conceptuol boses rooted in Eoslern koditions ond philosophies,

its

Trimurii wos preceded by o number of significont events in the ort history of Singopore. ln 1979, Ton Teng Kee in hls Picnic event cut o one-hundred-metre long pointing into pieces os requested by his oudience before torching one of his sculpturol pieces. ln the some yeor, Tong Do Wu in his Gullies proiect incorporoled processuol works deoling with the physicol chonges of the environmeni. The ]wo events, olthough seporote, ottempted to dislodge the prevoiling conventions of proctices ond introduce fresh formol ond conceptuol opprooches. To further focilltote this quest, Do Wu subsequently formed the Artists Villoge, which initioted its first proiect in l9BB. Despite the lock of inlense ond sustoined contemporory oesthetic discourses within the lorger period of the l9BOs, Trimurti oppeors to

hove oddressed most comprehensively the multiple scopes outlined by

Cheo. Trimurti wos olso responding to contemporory concerns over identlly, volues ond troditions, concomitont io the wider discourses of multiculturolism ond notionol identity. Trimurti ond Ten Yeors After offers o retrospectives of the lgBB Trimurti exhibition os well os o survey of works subsequently produced by Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh. This exhibition is onother proiect in the Museum's effort to enlorge the occounts on ortistic proclices so os 1o provide documentoiion ond resources on Singopore ort history. Kwok Kion Chow Direclor

firuHffiffiil}ilJffiT#ffifl\d T.K Sabapathy ln his "seorch" for identily in ihe visuol orts in Singcpore since the Second World Wor, Mok Wei Wei concludes his lourney by settling on the subiect ond ortists feotured in this exhibition. For him S. Chondrosekoron, Goh Ee Choo ond SollehJopor ore differentioted by their ombition to develop extroteniioriol methodologies, culiivote grounds thot ore culturolly specific while mointoining personcl profiles. These oltributes ore vividly disployed in one production which is olso the outcome of "interest in ond thorough seorch for culturol roots"; for oll these reosons ii is occorded o hollmork stotus. Thls is how Mok singles out the producflon ond dlstinguishes its producers.

ln froming identily in terms of o seemingly disinterested seorch rother thon os o constructive process circumscribed by competing, if not coercive, ideologicol gools, Mok generotes grounds for dispute ond disogreemenl. Leoving oside deoling with such prospects directly ond turning to other ospecls, the observoiion oppeors oppeoling os it covers o wide orroy of interests, mony of which ore well worih considering. Among these ore: (o) lntellectuol ond biogrophicol sources of the o*ists; {b) utilisotion of different medio, ortistlc processes ond the endeovours to synthesise ihem; (c) sociopoliticol ideologies thot shoped them os well os their responses to these forces; (d) regord for their own position in hisiory ond the strotegies employed to odvonce such positions; (e) reception of the production. A number of these ore developed in vorying degrees of detoil in this publicotion.

Ahmod Moshodi tokes on the complex topic of multiculturolism, prompted by the collective declorotion mode by the three ortisb which wos oimed ot forging o unlty bridging culturol,/personol differences. The unily points to o sense of hormony ond is odvonced os hoving universol oppeol ond volidity. Moshodl ocknowledges thot such ombitions could very well spring from genuine intentions to weove, fobricote o new synihesis; reoding the siluotion ot deeper levels, he demonskotes thot Trimurti con be inierpreted os corresponding io the longuoge ond vocobulory used in notionol discourses on culture, which ore directed towords promoting hormony omongst different ethnic groups, even os seporoteness is cherished. Moshodi's onolysis is o sobering reminder of the force of notionol ldeology in shoping the fioughts ond oclions of individuols ond in pressing them towords conformily. ln following his prognosis ond conclusion, one hos to osk the following cluster of queslions: in whot woys con ortists deol with impinging orthodoxies? in whot woys con ortists cloim oT secure grounds thot enoble the production of fresh deflnitions ond new undersionding? ond in whot woys con ortists retoin operotionol presence cnd relevonce? Questions such os these {ond lhere ore others osked directly ond indirectly in the following discussion of ihis exposition) testify to the complexi! of Trimurti ond other productions which hove ensued over the posl ten yeors. lndeed, these questions hove guided the seleclion of the works on disploy ond their orrongement in the golleries.

Of the three ortisis Chondro is the only one who develops interest in performonce ort ofter the Trimurti proiect; indeed, it ossumes o moior preoccupolion in his proctice. All too often

Tong Do Wu is cited os the originotor of performonce ort here, or os the sole formoiive influence in the developmeni of this od medium; in this connection, one writer instolls Do Wu os the "guru" of Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh. This is misleoding ond historicolly inoccurote. While there wos contoct between the three ortists ond Do Wu, their poths diverged more ofien thon they converged; while Chondro hos disclosed thot Do Wu helped to initiolly define, clorify, foundotionol notions of performonce ort for him, the bosis for odvoncing their proclices ore very different. lt must be remembered thoi Trimurti wos one of o number of iniiiotives in l9BB in which new ond olternotive modes of ortistic production were publicised ond tested; the Ariists Vllloge, which wos operoting in thot yeor os well, wos o vitol source ond site of such explorotions. However there ore no grounds lo conclude thot connections beiween the Villoge (ond especiolly Do Wu) ond the Trimurti proiect ond iis ortists prevoil implicitly. This must be borne in mind becouse oll too often eoch ond every endeovour ot developing new or olternotive methods of moking ort, especiolly entoiling instollotion ond performonce, is invoriobly ond unthinkingly ottribuied io the influence of the Villoge ond/or Do Wu. lf influences ore conduits bywhlch connections between ortisis ore to be consolidoted, then they hove to be oligned with core ond secured sensitively, for such relotionships to be vitol or illuminoting. Toy Swee Lin outlines contours of some of these complex grounds; she ottempts to skeich o londscope with;n which Chondros involvemeni in ond development of performonce orl con be opprecioied. She suggests thot the beginnings of performonce ort ccn be troced to Ton Teng Kee's Picnic, stoged in 1979; she then widens her interest by referring to performonce ort by other ortists ond to criticol discussions seeking to conte*uolise such presenlotions. Toy then focuses on Chondro, highlighting the sociol ond rituolistic dimensions os well os the intensely dromolic employment of ihe body in his proctice. She olso points to the culturol sources of Chondro! thinking ond the symbolic implicotions of his performonces. This is on useful occount in thot it mops grounds ihot con be prospected for ihe criticol opproisol of performonce od here, o sphere thot is insufficiently

developed. Trimurti hos received continuous criticol otteniion; it is invoked os hoving o force ond volidity thot continues to illuminote the purpose ond meoning of the lndividuol proctices of ihe three ortists, subsequently. Mok's estimotion with which this introduction commenced is symptomotic of the sioiure it hos been qccorded in the criticol londscope in Singopore, ond its persistent foscinotion ond significonce. My contribution is devoted to exomining the criticol reception of Trimurti; it is selective ond oimed ot teosing oul some of the implicotions in ihese receptions. Who considered it, ond in whoi circumstonces? How wos Trimurli sited in the ortislic londscope ond how were ihe ortisls regorded? I hove used quotolions extensively in the belief thot histories ond criticisms ore most fruitfully written within eorshot of diverse voices ond by medioting such voices, most especiolly voices emerging from endeovours to determine volue of new things on the very sites on which these new things were mode ond initiolly publicised. The essoys in this publicotion do not exhoust the study of Trimurti qnd Ten Yeors After. They ore oimed ot initioting criiicol opproisols of the proiect inouguroted in l98B ond subsequenl productions; ihe emphosis is, undeniobly, on the former. They ore olso oimed ot stimuloting thinking on opprooches thot need to be developed in deoling with contemporory orl proctices in Singopore, both by whot hos been orticuloied ond by whot hos been omitted. 'voie ItAok,

Wei W*i,

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Contemporary Vclues, edited

Vtsuc:l

L>y Arun

ldenfty: Local Arl lxp,.essio,rs and Their Volue Sysiems' , in Heritage and Mahizan, fimes Academic Press, Si;rg,rpore, 1Q93, p. 50.

Solleh

Thought Out

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Mixed medio 170

163 cm

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S. Chandrasekaran, Goh Ee Choo and Salleh Japar Tr!=u;'ii Trimurti is o Sonskrii word describing three forms usuolly ossocioled with the Hindu Godheod of Brohmo, Vishnu ond Shivo. Here, we use it io define o monifestotion of three forces, similor to noture - Creoiion, Preservotion ond Destruction.

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The three forces thot ore monifested in noture; creotion, preservotion ond destruction ore port of

the cosmic cycle. Eoch force co-exists side by side, creoting o totol hoppening in this process, thus moking it o dynomic whole.

We hope lo ochieve this totol hoppening, not lust with pointings or on instollotion but o tolol noppening, of pointings, sculptures, instollotion ond performonce os o whole.

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Cne of the moin oims is to further the challenge ond explore the usuol norms of o gollery space. llere we try to converl the gollery spcsce, nol only info on arl space but rnfo on energy space showing Ihe moni{eslofion of noture or universe ... transforming its role from a passive lo on acfive environmenl. ... [T]he gallery becomes a slage for the cosmic hoppening ... of creofion, destruclion ond preservolion occurring in conlinuihT ond extsting side by side using multi:xpresslons of painting, sculpfure, instollotion ond performonce. All three monifestations ond expressions are merged info one single hoppentng, reloling one fo fhe other, expressing fhe totol -.t

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: -: ; j .: I../'. .-t!* "" F nl'.rn- ".,1r -ne longuoge of ort is o universol longuoge of monkind. lt is o longuoge expressed by the heort ond soul of humonily, being o longue for truth ond light. lt is olso on expression of roce, o culture, c notion, thus eloboroted into mony dlfferent forms ond mediums, eoch is unique occording to its sensibilities. -.rr

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-here is o need io show thot different things con exist together hormoniously ond in perfect equilibrium. h is true fhoteoch ortist hos his own culture ond religious bockground. Eoch is in ltself ;nique, but ort os o longuoge of the heort, mind ond soul ond os on expression of humonily, is :niversol. These ore but very smoll ports monifested in lhe universe, eoch interreloted to the whole skuciure. Expressing this unily, eoch ortist shows one ospect of this universol monifestotion. -i=slri:e

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Chondrot work is o monifestotion of the element of destruction, toking oport his pre-mode 'nsiollction during the exhibition opening.

i"r"*':t!l:ru Life merges

ogoin in spoce. Solleh will creoie on instollotion from Chondroi frogmented

insiollotlon

fl:tr***l vr:i;iln Born out of Sollehs instollotion, Ee Choo, toking the role of the preserver, will susioin his instollotion for o definite period of time, ofter which ;t will be token oport bringing obout complete continuity. These ore not three seporote performonces, but insteod one linked to the other, like

o running

river.

Slowly within time, things hoppen, dissolve ond ore creoted ogoin. Arf, even when expressed on differing planes with differentioted monifestalions or sensibilities uniqueloporticulortimesondspoces, ildrowsilsinspirolionsfronthesomesource -noture-lhol beconnes

expression

of life itself

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Creot'ion Instollotion, I 988

S. Chandrasekaran A.fst's Sfofen'enf c*smi* cmolivii,,' we prcxlt-t*t n*t* !<srnts hrsrh ir,iernrilly and exislence- In lrte prnce-ss a{ *:xp*r:ding orle$ G!,r,'crdne$$, one L,nfu:ids crr,"s inner soitl, r','herebv ecch e.u.ger;eri:es /A* ft:t'*t'ity o{ itetng c;nd b*:ccmi;rg. liftewis*, a sor;l is * nir--.ci's r:I heing rrnd a is*ri.i o morJn cf uecoi:lng;; {:'"tf rteifher exdusi'*!i,, lfr* crnil nr:r-lile /n r*clisir;g

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*cnscio{,rs,ress. R*m*intn;; oi fh;s hrgJresl corscjr:usnr.rss lesds *u!..Jic'$ spiriii.ral /owsr-*t s sisle ir; ,uh;th ,,+'e {ap ccht*rr* onenes-s vtith fhe i-+:ll,*rse.

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Deltrurlicn instsl{siion Tronsformotion of Originol Unily: The Union of the upword fiongle (mole principle) ond downword triongle {femole principle) ore fused when Sokti is going towords the centre of Shivo, point of the origin of the supreme consciousness Undertoking the Process: ln the metophor of the spider's web, energy from Shivo, the point of origin, is rodioied to the individuol points of Sokti, toking the infiniie number of 9 (whlch mops the nine stcges of o spirituol oscension towords the cenlre) drowings from exhlbilion

cotologue, 1988

Destruction Performonce

Morch Z, l98B ot 6.00 p.m Process of Dissolution (Destruction): The dissolution ceremony Teverses the existentiol stotus of creotion. At the end of creotion, dissolution tokes ploce ond this indicotes the ultimote ground of

being - orchelpol spoce.

performer enlers into lhe installotion oreo filled with the reverberoting sounds of o heort Firsl he circumombulotes , absorbing fhe energy oround the spoce. ln an increasingly charged otmosphere, suggested by flickering coloured lights and the crockling sounds in oddition to the intense sound of heort beol, the performer leors down the ropes, bringing the inilial phase of possive equilibrium slole lo the ocfive stote of dissolution. This is followed by the smashing of pols, dispersing the red powder ploced earlier in them, symbolising the releose of energy oround fhe The

beating.

spoce. view of insfollotion

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-:ndrosekoron

',oyoni (Shivo Sokti in oneness), I 9BB

'- '='n Visvayoni means 'thousond' as tn fhe lofus of the thousand petctls. h is the meeting pornl :- .a c:nd Sokii. A ctrcle represenl unified muhiplicity, the ulttmafe sfole of tronscendenfal void. ": (lotuses) surroundtng fhe mcttn circle (Mahabindu) symbolise the showertng of =' ctrcles :- , 'cdrafton around the subtle nind. ln Tonfric symbols, this is called Sc:madhi (the union of : :'d Sokti); fhts union knows no end meaning thal the osprronl have ochtved a sfole of livon: cerofed yet living). Thts union emtts lights of colours; with red symbolistng source o{ :'-r ':iioting oufivards tn pilnol vibralion, ond yellow fhe sptritual energy lhot invokes o . -: :xpertence. The series of lines suggesfs lhe movemenfs of tnftnite woves of wafers in the - -:?On. :

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:exual energy of humani\ is idenlified os Cosmic energy. Sex is not fo be regcsrded as chysicol emofron) bul cts a feeling (inner emofton), ollrcsction ts not on oppelite bul lhe -t'-= eyes, love is nof a reoctton but a carefuly nurtured creotion. lt is the princtple form -=-' .'rhtch Tantro hc,trnesses lo i/s sptritual ends, A divine Ecslosy ts fhe franscendenlal . ' cn energeltc love play of l,"uo sexed drvrnilres into o ioy of one spirtt. As on outer -=:-. 'c owoken lhe inner energy which leods to a permonent rnner blissful spirit.

Visvoyoni

fShlvo Sokii inoneness), l9BB Mixed medio on soree 395 x 99 cm Singopore

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ilnusen:""*lii*n ! n*k:ilrrtit:n Aims ond ldeos: Seeks to depicl the chongelessness with the chonges ln the working of the universe, hoping to evoke within us this chongeless quolity, this spork of eternol Iight thot persisls even ofter disintegrotion. Underlying Concept: The working is bosed on the symbolic concept of l-Ching. The imoge of PoKuo is tronsformed into symbolic cocoon ot the eight cordinol points.

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Undertoking ihe Process of Preservolion: Powdered colours will be sprinkled on top of the tnstollofionLnd the siones itself to show the slow dissolution. The stones will be ploced into 8 piles similor to Chondrosekoro n! destruction instollotion.

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lnttolll+ion drowings from exhibifion colologue, 1988

The suspended cocoons move when they come in contocl with externol elements, thus depicting the chonge quolity. The cocoons ore used to show life, complete but in the process of becoming. The stones ore used to depict primordiol energy of the eorth.

Preservotion Performonce

Morch 1998, 6.00 pm

Performer, droped in white robe os on

old mon with o bowl of woter hung from his neck, moves

slowly oround the instollotion. Seeds ore scottered for the chickens before pouring woter into the eight cups. He then proskotes in the cenke of the circle while smoke is releosed from the bowl ,sing dry ice. A recording of Chondrosekoront Destruction performonce is proiected on on od1*"ni woll. This is to suggest the end of growth ond beginning of destruclion. At the end of the video, he stood ond wolked round the stone circle for the lost time before moking his exii.

Preservofion lnstollotion, I 98 B

Heovenly Flo't I Acrylic on convas I t,8 x 168 cm Sinaapore Arl Museum

Heavenly Flow

Acrylic on convos

168 Anist'',s

168 cm Collectian

.-- -e Choo -:cvenly Flow I & ll, 198B --relying cancepl is bosed on lhe

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conon o{ Hsieh Ho, Tang Dynost,, Chtno. ln the sixlh

' Cht Yun is lhe first and foremost. The slructure is taken from eightTrtgram, lhe Pa Kuo. The ,'.: ls lo lronsform fhe cc,tnvas inlo Pcs Kucs showing the workings of fhe universe. The etghth , \ the Trigrom hold the eight cordtnc:l painfs in the poinfing; four ot fhe corner, four al fhe

'= -he cenlre of lhe canvos, the white squore becomes the mtrrar, rhe greot void Tao. This , C is seem as movtng, everchangtng, elusrve ond evostve; lhe viewer looks ol il but could ' :nywhere tn

the

while square. The novrng ltne in lhe border represenfs the movement of

' i-': os exploined in fhe law of chonges. The pc:tnftng is a montfestafion of the nalure af ' : .cnvos fransforms into o mtnute mantfestolion o{ nafure where lhe viewer becomes - 'rolved in the creolton of mrnute nolure in the convas, nerging fhe viewer with the -' =',closrng him and becoming ane with it. : -lOO -'l : dtj

: :itdy begrns wifh lhe Earlh element. I based -: :voke

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thts withtn lhe ptcture, the feeltng to refurn

elenent on lhe five elemenls of Pa Kua to lhe source and subsronce. Deoling

cify of feeling and emation. Red narktngs represenl the tntenstfted feeltng,/energy '.'thtfe bctckground. The earfh elements deals wilh /he bosis or the refurn to the source. h ,'''e everylhtng and unrttng everylhtng tnto one.

,ideo

Origin,

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Acryhc ond modelling post'e an poper

56x56cm Singopore Art Museun Collection

slill of petformonce

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Salleh Japar

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'1:.tsf r; drc*to ,:.r{ individut:l ev*n /*jis crecfians- Bosed'on t'nts !de*:, fher+ is nrore lhufi lhe soul r,vliich reverberc+l*s nr/i.sfic cieoilon bui rctlh*r ort encat)nter behn/ee:i fh* malsrial cnd (lieolor. Ihus ifie r:rlisl ih* d;* .lupieme i**ensip ol thrc,ugSh the concept af tlniry lTawhidlcrnri lhe r*suiis Jie nr:i a{ twtttre. *nd in fo/oi *ccorcl th* unrverse wi:h undicrfafoes iris creofirrsproces$ lc:'ilr $e bringinp ol obiects, fc iite nalttre buf cl;to occordrnc imogin*iicn nrr/y crcc*rdirg l* or,.eb the lhem.:*/ves. thratrqh objecls gl,r:iilies rnr:nif*.rl ,:r;d w,tiic/r irws

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Cre*tiorr lnsloliotion Art, Act ond Noture: A mysticol construction, hoping to lend to spirituol owokening. A medioiion between mon ond noture, mon ond mon. Also to provide the viewer with o heod-on collision with some ospect of octuoliry. A complete oct of questions ond onswers, o point of exchonge of heort

ond mind.

drowings from exhibilion

Undertoking the process: The universe is viewed os being recreoted every moment, o continuous, instontoneous exponsion ond controction. The monifestotion of octuolised individuol thing occuring coniinuolly, os in successive woves. At every moment the creoted is onnihiloted ond re creoted. Al every heortbeol we will die ond then reborn. The motion is intense, oscending towords the verticol oxis with oll things lo meet thd descent of the obsolute in monifested forms. The flow occurs in on orderly, successive monner, occording to definite potterns, even though we moy be unowore of it ond the world oppeors to us unchonged. This ever-new creotion is o process which only lhe humon form, endowed with consciousness of self, con come to know.

cotologue, l9B8

Creotion Performonce Morch Z, lgBB ot 6.15 pm The performer enters the room is filled by increosing sounds of the pulse beot. He moves round the destroyed instollotion (of Chondrosekoron) ond conlemploting ond seeking frogments to be recreoted. Creotion begins with the oct of unfolding ond loying fie burlop, then followed by the plocement of stones ond llghting of the condles ot eoch (cordinol) point. The performer goes in o circle imitoting the movement of lhe heovens. Frogments ore token from the iestroyed instollotion ond then sowed like seeds over the instollotion site inilioling rebi*h ond o new phose of existence. The symbolic ond oesthetic od of sprinkling powder, morking the initiol stoges of creolion, serve olso in creoting lines of construction os well os morking o point of de[orture. Red powder sprinkled onto slones shows ihe nourishment of the eorth element. The lost oct of roising the rope which suspends in mid-oir signify the perpetuol process of oscending (time), o durotion in which the instollotion proceeds lo onew stoge growth or preservotion tokes over morked by Ee Choos performonce.

Becoming Series No.l - l\ l9BB Oil post'els on poper

lJ \ lJ

cm eocn

Singapore Art Museum Collecfion

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3ecoming Series No. I - lV, l9BB

'^e Sptral molif , lhot complefes lhe sinusoid o slruclural basts for foliage decorotion, insptres = =-. pctst ctvtlizotton which srylised fhe form ctccordrng lo tts soctoteltgtous sensibilifies. .=.=4he/ess, lhe conceplual bosts moy be found in the Pythagorean-Plofonic frodition. Through -'-'clly-specifrc crealive int'ervenlion, lhe motif become complelely new, going through the :-,::ss of rediscovery. --

:'toh

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(Humon Noture), 198B

: :hort' of a spirifuol iourney. The cenlral tmoge ts derived from o poll cover (cloth cover'ing fhe : n coffin) For me il has an oura of deep hidden mystery and af fhe same time olso alludes to self . Life is on oct a{ ascension, moving upwords lhrough the sfalrons lchakras, moqomots) c:s one alloins o htgher level of consciousness/ '*:'ion. Duing the oscension through ttme ond spoce, man facesthe process of chonge , - 'g in ct perpefuol drctma of confltct bettween the inner ond outer forces.

:'=chtcol represenlotron a microcosmtc

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F itroh (Huma n Not'ure), Mixed media

I9 B

2l9xl75cm

Singopore Art Museum Collecfion

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Two observolions, selected ot rondom olthough hoving pertinence, provoke thoughts oimed ot sketching contexts for cpprecioting the ortists ond their works feotured in this exhibition. The observotions hlghllght ihe emergence of o hondful of young ortists with morkedly different thlnking ond point to new grounds incuguroled by their proctices, grounds thot ore seen os enhoncing ihe development of ort in Slngopore ond olso in the region. Let us brief y exomine these observotions.

o poper presented ot the 2nd ASEAN (Associotion of South Eost Asion Notions) Workshop ond Monilo 1994), Teo Eng Seng declores thot here is in Singopore "currenlly o pool of tolented young oriists, ond they include Henri Chen, Chondrosekoron, Goh Ee Choo, Sollehlopor, BoetYeok Kuon cnd LeeWen'. The nomed ortlsts ore immediotely hoisted ln

Symposium on the Vlsuol Arts in

onto heighfened levels of significonce or prominence os Teo shifts geors, intensifying the poce ond widening the sccle of his presentotion; he does so by osking ond onswering o question. l.-..1r

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Severol remor[s con be mode in response to this observotion; for the present I mention three. Firstly, meosured ogoinst the terms he sets for himself o curious mismotch surfoces; Teo wishes to determine woys by which the nomed ortists {including himself ! - pointing to o recurrtng , emborrossing tendency perpetuoted by o number of proctitioners who double up os commentolors on contemporory proctices in which they ore octively involved ond from whlch they ore unoble to distcnce themselvesJ hove momentously odvonced ort in Singopore ond olso crystolllsed on ASEAN visuol identily; these ore specific oims ond destinotions. He sets out to fulfill them by oscribing o number of ollributes lo these ortists, ottributes such os being receptive io new ideos, hoving cleor purposes ond firm conviciions. He does not, however, connect the oims with the oitributes; in other words, how ore lhe nominoted ottributes to be comprehended os Singoporeon ond olso opprehended os symbolising o regionol identily? Clues ore not offered linking one with the other; consequenlly, the otfributes con only be reod os generol chorocleristics opplicoble to ony number of persons ond circumstonces, while the destinotions remoin unreolised. Secondly, the observolion conveys lhe impression thot the nomed ortists conslitule o homogenous group. Yet, Do Wu ond Eng Seng ore generotlonolly removed from the others; their thoughts ond proctlces hove been shoped by circumstonces thct emerged ond developed in oppreciobly different siiuotions. lndicotions whereby this gop con be bridged or occommodoied ore nol offered. This is significont becouse while there ore links enobling these ortists to be viewed os shoring some inlerests, there ore olso deepy rooted differences; considerotion of these motters leods to the finol ond third remork.

Leoving oside the somewhoi disconnected, lncomplete tenor of this observoiion, il con be reod odvontogeously in order to odvonce understonding of this exposition. Teo's recognition of Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh os omong youthful ortists with distinct tolent is not singulor; it corresponds with o number of opproisols by other commentotors. Teos invocotion of identily is pertlnent lo ihe thoughts, procedures ond strotegies developed by these ortists. From ihe onset they odvonced their orlistic conceptions ond procedures with the conviclion thot fiese must spring from grounds thol ore culturolly specific ond polpoble; it is o conviction thot hos endured ond goined dep$. Whot is more, the conviction hos been fueled by concerns ond engogements reloied to the construction of identities. Let us move on to the second

observotion. ln the very some symposium ond workshop, Choy

Weng Yong concludes his presenlotion by unveiling o new phenomenon in Singopore, consisting of young ortists who presenl "o formidoble force lo be reckoned with." Further chorocierising them os "the creom of on emerging generotion"2 Choy identifies o cluster of otiributes shored by them, proceeds to nome the ortisls ond then envisoges o resplendent future for them which he sketches in effusive ierms. I quote lhe observotion ot some length.

Choy proposes thot the emerging ortists hove been nourished by o wide orroy of sources which, collectively, moke up the conon of the new or olternotive ort; he olso ottributes them on equolly wide ronge of engogemenls or.commllments, some deoling with the personol ond psychologicol while others infringe upon communitorion ond public reolms. How the iwo domoins of inierest interoct with one onolher is o query thoi is left unonswered. At best this section of lhe observotion con be received os pointing io generol symploms or brood tendencies rother lhon os diognosing specific circumstonces leoding to some underslonding of couses ond consequences. Towords the end, Choy distingulshes these ortisis on the grounds thot they ore propelled by o stellor destiny; he invites his reoders to soor with him to exolted reolms on the wings of o promise of reoching this destiny. While the prospects ore tontolising, even seductive, the promise is not delivered. Why? Becouse the destiny is not specified, is not disclosed; however, while the destinotion is not known ond iherefore connot be ottoined, one con still be, presumobly, enthrolled by the octivily ond exhilcrotion entoiled in the momentum. The most intriguing ospects of this observotion surfoce from the ortists nomed, lhe prominence ossigned to them ond the connections binding them. ln forwording Ee Choo, Chondro ond Solleh

from omong young ortists onto the threshold of the ort world for disploying toleni ond potentiol, Choy concurs with Teos opproisol of them. Whot is more, these ortists ore now invested with prominence os they obondon prevoiling grounds sustoining ortistic proctices ond prospect new ierroin; in doing so they widen the premises for creotivily in woys unonticipoted eorlier; in doing so their productions ore received os provoking "multiple connololions". The observotion underlines the close bonds linking these ortists to historicol processes. ln these

regords Choy herolds Do Wu os their "eorly guru", thereby instolling him os o progenitor of {o) "wide-ronging new ort forms often with multiple connototions" ond (b) Ee Choo, Chondro ond Solleh. This is o determined cloim, pointing lo direct, cousol conneclions between ortists ond between one oriist ond the odveni of new direciions in ort in o community; such o cloim brims with ort historicol resononces. lndeed, Choy's observotion con be reod os on ottempt ot providing o historicol lens with which to view the emergence of the new. The usefulness of thot lens in bringing into relief the properties of the "widetonging" new ort forms, its copocity to unrovel some of the "multiple connototions" ensuing from lhese forms, ond its focility to illuminote relotionships between ortisls os well os between their produciions ond the public in communicoble, intelligible polterns or configurotions oTe motiers thot hove to be exomined ond volidoted. By doing so the boses for criticol ond ort hisioricol explicotion of creotive works ore oppreciobly consolidoted ond enriched; from such boses fresh methods or opprooches con be formuloted ond tested. Needless to soy, such enterprises do nottoke ploce in o vocuum; theytoke ploce on sites inhobited by clusters of voices, professing diverse interests ond ombitions. The writing of histories is odvonced on grounds mode up of extoni ond prevoiling commentories. hove cited Teo Eng Seng ond Choy Weng Yong in order to illustrote thol opproisols of Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh ore recunenl feoiures in the criticol londscope in Singopore; I cite fiem to demonstrote thoi such opproisols point to convergences even os they ore different in emphosis. I

ln Morch lgBB Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh inouguroted on exposition iitled Trimurti in the Goethe lnslitut. They disployed pictures ond sculptures, orronged instollotions ond stoged performonces, effectively tronsforming o feotureless spoce into o resonoting, symbolicolly chorged hobitot. The presentotion wos inspired, shoped ond integroted by their understonding of the Hindu concepfion of Trimurti. A posi-exhibition documenl wos issued; it consisted of o number of texts in which intentions, concepts ond procedures were exploined in consideroble detoil, olthough not olwoys cleorly or congruently.

ln mony respects Trimurti morks one of the most encompossing, considered ond iniensively colloborotive events mounted by ortisis in Singopore. lts reception wos lorgely fcvouroble ond enthusiostic; there wos discriminoting recognition thot this presentotion breoched the reigning decorum or protocol in fie ort world in Singcpore considerobly. Chng Seok Tin conveys some of these responses, even os she mointoins o degree of reservotion; in reviewing its scope she concludes thot it is overly ombitious ond therefore "not so convincing or oppeoling" in oll porliculors. She wos unreserved in forecosling the for-reoching consequences of this evenf; in this connection she concludes her opprolsol by observing thot "l reolly like the vivid, plurol oppeoronce of this exhibition ond hope to see more exhibitions which could monifest the b;rth of o

multiple, open ond creotive sociely".4 The envisioning of o sociely thot is open ond creotive rorely surfoces in discourses on formotion of the stote or ihe notion; lhot ortists ond ori ore odvocoted os the primory ogents for reolising such o sociely is truly exceptionol.

A Sonskrlt word, Trimurti meons three imoges; il is o composile proiection of divinlty expressed by integroting Brohmo, Vishnu ond Shivo - the three principol deities who respectively embody creoiion, preservction ond destruciion - inio o single, indivisible entily. lt is o syncrelic formulolion designed to tronscend sectorionism ond to creote on cll-embrocing, cll-powerful, universol force. Herein Lies one of o number of oppeols this conception hod for Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh; prior to deoling with ony of them, it will be useful lo step bock o little ond consider the emergence of the Trimurti os on crt evenf.s The Trimurti exposition odvonced conceptions

l9B7', on lhol occoslon Chondro,

ond procedures initioted in the Quintet exhibition

Ee Choo ond Solleh, logether wifh

tuo other fellow-students

from NAFA, sought to utilise the enlire spoce of o commerciol gollery. They filled it with works executed in o number of moteriols ond medio. Pictures were hung on wolls ond the cei ing; instollofions were distributed on the floor ond impinged upon the works on the wolls ond ceiling; sculpiures were interspersed beMeen every other producfion. Moteriols ond imogery on disploy corried the imprint of distinct Hindu, Dooist ond lsomic cuhurol offilictions ond heritoge. In his review of Quintei Chuo Beng Huot, while scrulinising individuol works criticolly ond

highlighting their conceptuol ond formcl deficiencies, ocknowledges the significonce of the exposition in terms of o colloborotive effort directed towords investing ort wi$ fresh purposes, methods ond meoning. Regorded in this light the show morks o

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There now oppeors on impressive orroy of opproisols, whereby the notion of difference registered by these lhree ortists is meosured. Those by Teo ond Choy hove olreody been discussed; Chng ottribuies difference to interesi in the "pluro oppeoronce// of the productions. This con be seen to dovetoi with Chuos precise designoiion of the moteriols ond processes entoiled, nomely: "polymorphous". He olso hos importont ihings to soy obout their orl ond its sources; he designotes their ort os "symbolic" ond locotes its wellsprings in "the ortists' ethnic cuLturol heritoge". ln singling these out Chuo colls ottention to two foundoiioncl notions thot underpin their thoughts cnd which

shope their proctice, from the beginning until the present.

While endorsing the link belween Trimurti ond Quintet, the three ortisfs emphosize the shifts interest. ln the section outlining concepts ond obiectives of the

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How ore we to understond this chonge? Whot is implied when cn "ort spoce" is converled inio cn "energy spoce"? From the onset of their studentship Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh were dissotisfied with the crevoiling methods of studying crt of NAFA; these were delermined by stereolyped cotegories,

in{lexible speciolisotions ond indifference towords historicol or contextuol porometers of ort educction ond creotive octivities. Still, they fulfilled the requirements of the study progromme while rurning their oltention, portly, to other gools; whereos the conon of the ocodemy sofeguorded the puri! of the brush ond the supremocy of picture cotegories (i.e. figure, stll life ond londscopeJ, the ihree ceoselessly crossed ihese socrosonct borders ond ot times completely bypossed them. They emborked upon independeni studies enobling them lo cultivole morked degrees of flexibility in the .rtilisolion of moteriols ond medio; they olso lurned to the equoly complex, difficult tosk of crospecting contextuol grounds, fertilised by experiences cnd volues of their own culturol heritoge. Their endeovours were colloborotive, with frequent exchonge of views, opinions ond questions; increosingly ihere surfoced o synthesis of concepls derived from distinct cuhurol sources ond crocedures emerging from individuol dispositions. Such on outcome wos consequentiol for their Cebut into the ort world ond in defining their methods of operotion. By crossihg lhese boundories ihe three were breoching norms in the

ocodem!; hence they were

:egorded os difficult ond prickly Their octions did not only counter systems prevoi ing in the ccodemy, they con olso be seen to infringe upon educotionol, linguistic ond culturol systems in Singopore, inslitutionolised 1n the lole lgZOs ond throughoul the l9BOs. The systems conform to o streoms' structure, whereby distinctions ond differences ore mointoined ond monoged in order to solisfy politicol cims or ends; the streoms, eoch sofeguording distinct ethnic identities, ore cromoted os seporote but equol; they spring from on officlol ldeology of o multi-rociol, multi-linguol slote. The Trimurti exposition con be inierpreted, ot one level, os chollenging ihe streoms structure ond os forging rcpprochement betr,veen streoms. Delving inlo lheir respective heritoge resources

Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh olso ogree to secure common or shored grounds enobllng ihem to infuse their proiect with o semblonce of integrotion while moinioining distinctiveness in porliculors. Hence, withoul being unduly troubled fiey seitle upon ond odopt Trimurti os on operotionol notion, lrcnsloting it 1o suit their speciflc purposes which ore reolised olong multl-medio, multi disciplinory trojectories. For instonce, they ore owore of the mythicol dimensions offered by Trimurti os o conception ond seize upon it ovidly; during the incugurotion of the exposition the three of them lronsformed themselves into shomons, ond in doing so corrolled the functlon of orlists ond ort into overtly rituo istic, communitorion contexfs.

ln mounting o chollenge to the streoms structure ond in forging ropprochement between streoms, the Trimurti prolect is not on isoloted event. The most compelling porollel endeovour is to be found in theotricol proctice; in this respecl Kuo Poo Koon's Momo Looking for Her Cot which wos stoged

in 1988, the very yeor of Trimurti, is o groundbreoking, innovotive creotion. Krishen.Jit opproises il os "multi-culturol" ond os the {irst thot "successfully obfuscoted the erstwhile lucid boundories of the streoms by devising diologue in oll the functionol longuoges ond o few sub-longuoges of Singopore"B. (The dlologue is in Hokkien, Engllsh, Moloy, Tomil ond Mondorin). ln his encounter with the ploy Mox Le Blond, while occloiming the potency of the production, iniects o note of indetermlnocy which ottends oll reolly new creotions; in his view, the meeting of Momo ond the Old Mon (the diologue is in Hokkien ond Tomil) "sums up, in the risks it tokes with longuoge, in its ottempt to gropple wi$ ond encomposs the multi-culturol reolity thot is Singopore, the restless seorch for new vocobulories of theotricol expression which morks the dromoturgy of Kuo Poo Kun."o Jit ond Le Blond ore unonimous in emphosising the muhiculturol underpinnings of the ploy; os muliiculturolism, os reloted to this exposition, is deolt with ot some length in the following essoy, hove no wish to consider it for this occosion. My interest is in the ottention Le Blond drows to "risks" I

orising from lhe "restless seorch for new vocobulories", underloken in order to odvonce the tenoin or boundories of creotive proctices. Cf course the point is nol novel os both creotivily ond iis opproisol ore driven or hounted by the quest for the new; even so, Le Blonds remork continues to

be pertinent. But why ore such enterprlses regorded os "risks"? ln oll probobllif becouse of uncerioiniies orising from moking sense of such "new" productions when meosured ogoinst prevoiling or received noTms, norms cherished within ond withoui the ort world. Mok Wei Wei intimoies os much when reviewing events in ihe visuol ort world ot obout the time when Trimurti wos inouguroted.

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Two issues orise from this occount. Firstly, ihe new melhods ond works hove severely tested prevoiling criticol opprooches ond rendered them ineffectuol or irrelevont, the implicotion is thot the resulting mismotch con give rise to onxielies ond generote deep suspicion if not feor. This is one monifestotion of risk. Secondly, the breoching or tesling of estoblished boundories of permissibility entoils more thon the sonction of the ort world; ii octively involves the toleront occommodotion or receplion by sociely, of ort works whose contexts deol with sociol volues ostensively ond criticolly. This is yet onother monifestotion of risk. Designoting these ouicomes os risks is not to prohibit the moking of such works. lt is to highlight the complexities or difficulties encountered in knowing which new productions ore voluoble ond fruitful or which ones ore to be commended ond for whot

'eosons. Difficulties con be mltigoted by ihe provision of open, inc usive criterio of interprelotion; :riterio which enoble multivoco reodings of competing interests or ideols which do not sette into Ciscrele reloiionships but remoin relotivey unresolved.

i is by regording lhe issue of risk in creotive prociices ln these exponded terms lhol I wish lo return -c the quesllon posed eorlier when encouniering one of the olms disclosed by the crtists in cresenting Trimurti. I osked how con the inlention to convert on ort spoce inio "on energy spoce" ce understood. lt con be, olong o number of levels. Firstly, ond beoring in mind the multi-medio, nulti-discipiinory methods empoyed, the works ore to be viewed os interconnected, ond os crojecting fluid reotionships, rother thon os dlscrete clusters or os seporote cotegories. This is cecouse pointed imoges, three-dimensionol objects, insto lotions ond performonces ore rieTwoven, constiluting c netrrrork in which one component reinforces onofher. ln order 10 enler such on environment one hos to develop new woys of seeing ond set oside or even discord :ustomcry ones. The prospects ore not fomilior ond for this reoson the outcome connot be ossured. Secondly the ortifocts ore integroted by invoking o seleclive ospect of o complex iconic 'epresentofion which is porlicuor 1o o cuturol system. The notion of creotion, destruction ond creservotion ore now tronsferred lo o seculor domcln, ihey ore then tronsloted into o formulotion -rot serves os on overorching brief for the entire proiect os we I os enobling ihe odvoncing of ndividuoJ interests. The tronsoction oppeors to hcve been negotioted in on untroubled monner; it r so oppeors to be concluded decisively. Yet the shift from one ground to onother does not result in 'rrevocobly severing conneclions between the lwo; il does not signo the commenceTnent of o fresh enlerprise in on obsolute sense. The wor[s beor the imprlnts of the iconlc resononces of the :riginoling conception {i.e. Trimurti ). At times these registrotions ore explicit, os in Chondro's Visvoyoni; the imogery symbolises processes of regenerotion; the centre unfods disploying its cotency ond rodionce respendently. ln oppeoronce ond oppeol, it is okln to the condensed 'niensily experienced when encountering on orthodox icon (i.e. Trimurti). lndeed, of the three :rtists, Chondro hos inslo led the icon os on inlegrol conception ond enduring symbolic force in ris ortistic proctice ond sfrotegy, especiolly os it relotes lo lndion (lindu) conventions. The sector jevoted to his works in this exhibition omply demonstrotes the vitc ity of this engogement.

S. Chondrosekoron Visvoyoni /Shivo - Solti in oneness), Mixed medio on soree

395 x 99

Singapore

At Museum Collecfion

988

:e Choot Heovenly Flow emerges from o confluence of such diverse sources os ihe colour sonorities of Mork Rothko, the Lineor dynomics of lbrohim Hussein ond the notion of vitoli!

Heovenly Flow I Acrylic on convos l68 x 168 cm Singapore Art' Museum

Heavenly Flow II Acrylic on convos 168 x 168 cm ArllSl

ali-^cltan

Collection

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Goh Ee Choo

On Mani

Padme Hun Enlighfennent' Series, I 996

Mixed media Arlisl's Colleclion

orticuoled os on oesthetic prlnclpe by llsieh Ho. Added to these is o binding interesi in spoce os o polpob e ond ircnscendent entily; in the former copccily il is hospitoble to the minutioe of experience which ore registered cnd perceplible; in lhe cose of the lotter, o Jtcngibe phenomeno ore lronsformed lnto immotericl conditions, thereby surrendering definition ond form. Ee Choo describes lhe duc ily os o device lo induce the vlewer lo octlvely portlcipcrte in the process of creotivity; the cim is lo forge o uniry binding the viewer, the ortlst ond the work, thereby envisioning on iniegroted sense of being. lt is on ideol thct he hos cherished throughout his proclice; in pursulng it ihe oriist hos tended to recede inlo the bockground ond, even becoming seemincly invisible. There remcins fhe wor[ ond the viewer; such ccrn be lhe cose when encounlering Om Moni Podme Hum {l 996)

Solleh wishes io position the ortisl within the sphere of Muslim volues; consequenfly, oll cloims to crtists being creotors ore firmly disovowed. The focus is not the heroic stotus of the ortisi; it is not exc usiveiy on individuoted imoglnotion os the single originoting force of ortisfic octivily. Solleh cssumes o moderoting stond; he conceives crrtistic processes os deoling with motericls ond lronsforming ihem occording 1o their noture ond the principles of order. Such o conception is responsive to specific cuhurol ond historicol circumstonces, os well os being hospitoble to processes rooted in different volue systems. Fitroh/Humon Noture consists of the imprint of o figure os the centrol motif; the surfoce is enlivened moteriolly, grophicolly ond dromoticclly. Processes enfoiled in tronsforming moteriols ond the medium cre polpoble. In Becoming Series l, ll, lll & lV, the imoges oppeor os mops; vorious grounds ore boundoried ond defined by lineor morks. n the some instonces these settle into composite geometric potlerns, while in oihers they Ieove wovering lroces fointly pointing to demcrcotions; the ineor formotions impose order ond sequence onto the moterio grounds. Solleh ottribules the sources of lhese formolions to his reodings of Pythogoreon geomelry ond the geomelric-pottern longuoge in lslomic ort. Solleh cdopts o discrele cpprovol io moteriols, io their lronsformotions os perceptuol, experieniiol entities cs well os to their copocilies os corriers significoiion or meoning.

Salleh Jopor

(Humon Noture), l 9 8 B Mixed medio 219 x 175 cn Singopore At Museum Collecfion F ifroh

Solleh Jopor

Becoming Series No. / - lV, 1 988 Oil pctstels an poper 23 x 23 cn eoch Singopore Arf Museum Collecfion

I hove emborked on these recdings of Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh to suggest woys by which their collective oim of converting on ort spoce inio on "energy spoce" con be counlenonced. The responses to the ronge of wor[s ore by no meons seilled or given; they require o porticipotory, intervening relotionship wiih the public. They oim to conlinuolly provoke ihe viewer into ossuming fluid positions within the proposed environment; ihey wish to induce the viewer into odopling monifold yel commified opprooches in interpreting the preseniotions. ln these woys outhorship of the productions ore shored ond negolioted onew; in these woys too, viewers discord ottitudes of disinierest ond embroce opprooches thot ore deeply engoged in the construction of meoning ond in determining volue of the Trimurti proiect os well os subsequent productions by these ihree crtists

Of course Trimurti is not on isoloted event in mopping exponded grounds for moking ond publicising concepts ond productions. The yeor 1988 wos morked with o number of such enterprises. lnJune thctyeor, the former Sl.Josephs lnstiiuiion building ipresently the Singopore Art Museum) wos converted into on ort spoce by Tong Mun Kit, Chng Chln Kong, Lim Poh Teck ond Boet Yoke Kuon. Their instollotion wos iitled More Thon 4 ond consolidoted lwo preoccupotions: (o) responses to the eorlier ond originol uses of the building, ib) stotements disclosing contemporory humon conditions. ln moteriol terms the presentction consisted of found objects humon-mode ond noturol; these were orronged in woys lhot referred to collective os well os individuol memories ond experiences. The public wos encouroged to re-orronge them ond -^ven toke obiecls cwoy if they wished. Trimurti engenders ociive porticipoiion by diverse constituencies of interesf; lhis interoclive relotionship is developed by the $ree ortists ond incorporoted into iheir respective ort

Solleh

lopor

Crossroads ll, I99a view of inslallofion

^rethodo\ogres oiter the conc\usion of Trimurti. Chondro, Ee Choo ond So\\eh hove not co\\oboroied os o trio since \hol occosion; ihe co-operoiion wos prompied by po*icu\or circumstonces which served to torge c\ose socio\ ond oriislic bonds be\nveen lhem. As circumstonces oltered so did the impetus ond directions of their ortistic development.

Occosionolly they hove feotured works ond proiects in poired expositions, thereby consolidoiing sporodic colloborotions; os in 1988, these occoslons morked porticulor siiuotions. For instonce, on completing their siudies ot Curtin Universily of Technology in Perth iAustrolio), Chondro ond Solleh presented Crossroods ll in 1990, to flog their return ond to demonstrcte their cdvoncements. On fulfilling the residentiol requirements of his mostercl studies in ort educolion ot the Universily of London, Solleh returned ond in colloborotion with Ee Choo presented Beyond Boundories in 1996. These expositions set out lo mop the significonce of thelr possoges through voried yet specific spotiol ond temporol dimensions, ond the consequences of such possoges on iheir thoughts ond proctices. 3y ond lorge Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh hove developed their proctices independently of one cnother. The outcome of these odvoncements ore disployed in o selection of productions in lhe spoces thot proceed Trimurti. And os one iroves through these spoces, the reverberotions of the l9BB proieci ore fell; in this sense Chondro, Ee Choo ond Solleh hove exponded, consolidoted concepts ond procedures initioted in lgBB in woys thol ore porliculor lo their respective intentions. lndeed, since Trimurti they hove novigoied seporote streoms.

T.K. Sobopothy has published extensively on the orf of Soufheosf Asio. Among his publicot'ions ore: Tronsformotion Image: Conlemporory Ceromics in Singopore; Sculpture in Singopore; Pogo-Pogo lo Gelombong, 40 Yeors of Latifl Mohidin lEditor tnd Confributo); Modernily ond Beyond: Themes in Soukeost Asion A,rt (Edttor ond Contribuforl; and Thomas Yeo: A Relrospective. He is curenfly o senior fellow in the School of Archifect'ure, Notiono/ Universi4t of Singopore, where he :oches rhe hiaory of ort' and orchitecture.

';alels

/l/t

' I '

/ei: inq S'er:,o, 'IOt1tllffs SF/A'/,\G C)5,455411 t'lSt.iAl riFI Pe:rspexlir'e.s or i\tlii.r,rcl !c:!ir:y und l:'aiiicol vtil! tn Stngapcre' lri Ifitl Ae,sf&stucs olnsf,q$ Sxpressions, .S*candASf,Al{ tt*:rkshop, Exhibitir'n cno Syrn;rosit,rnr *nAesi&*fies, ilv1unilc, Phtlipr:tlre,s, 52! (lcbber l?f3J, ASEti,h.J f-'lnr,"rrille.-. cr dlilrrre cijll l;ifat sctfion, /v4onlb, I Qt?A, p.23Q. Ciu:t.\t rNert7 /an;;. '51c3:lrg lre A+:s$efics r;f ibltenrpcrery lrple.-"-.io:r: i,qF S/NGAPCRF FlP5illl,rlC:f iir Ih* Aesifictics nf A55Al.1 Fxpressian, p.I 84. Chc;1, Ia'/eng {cnE1, !!:iri., p.: 85. Ch:rg ,Se,:k li.i. ',Q*l,ier.v, Carnnteq;s/'.5lafem+tts or.l t'tnrks' ;r., Irimurti. 6-xiibirr*n 7-12 M,*rch I 9SS, G**ti*

lnslitul Sincc,oore- i?88, p.8C. Forc:t jnifict! r.lefrsik.:ddiscu;rsionsec:icbr:pcrihy, Pocifjc, 7?q3,

Ch,n

;t::.52'57 / irye

1,K..'liirrLtrfl, CbriemporcrvArt'i\Siraarore-

,Arf sno'Asi*

rc:us+iJ rr:lerirsi ftc:r:: this prbl:catiort.

')'currg;'\r;is:s l,4c{:e t: Brer.tk. /nsi'rii+lion *t Atbaur' ir l-Jpi*wn rV*gcrzin*, llr:,rch iQ8 , p>. i E" Benp .l-l.uai, mu rri. Exh itlitian T - l 2 fy'.an:h l 9SE, 6o*f,le lnsiiir-ri Sinc.r:;rore, i a B 8, p. 8. l,:islsen-iii, 'tuo Pac Kt,tr ll:e /"lt;t', ai l"ne i:uh:Le rn 5rnr.tc.,'po;l: Iheolrei'ir Kl,* F*e: Kun, Iirs f*ffrn is ioo fifg ior Tri

The Hole ond

ciherploys. iimcs Bccls lrt'*mctiioncl, Srncopnre,

I QQA

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.''lcrle Siand,'N'trsmr:Lr:t:k:ngft:rllerCnr' l,rlrr-'crges*,fth*Mcrgiris,C*l',reriisnafFlaysbyK*sgils{un,il9E.3 iQQI), *ditr:d by (rtah Syien linir:s 8oc'k hiernctiL:n<tl,.5i,rgcprre,

iort'Lc:orcinq,

p.i4B.

k:cal hi hrrressior.s cn:j i Lt+:;r \/clLi* S'/sien''s' ln F/eritcge <:nd Confeinp*r*ry Vslues, eC;lcd 't:.,,Atun irl,c:hizl:ar, Inres rlccderlc lrr*:ss. Sr:rr;*pore, !Q9:J. p.50.

,Vci V!i:i irVe i, 'l r S*trrcl

,:ri

y'rsLrc/ klenfiiy,:

Goh Ee Choo & Solleh Jopor Beyond Boundories, 1 996 view of inslolloiion

'illlt"f,r+,r+'*+t'fl T-Ftil-:r:iil!':

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il'''d',rlliqrt.ltfi-,r"+'qil ,,,*Iq#fl;q,rtir{:ii.itjj

Ahmad Mashadi of multiculturolism in contemporory ort is frequently cost within o context of on oppositionol bincrism be\,veen the privl eged group ond those iying on the peripheries; the unfolding of the engogement beMeen the empowered ond disempowered. Generolly, it is lhrough the study of mu iiculturolism thot one oliempts to elucidole the politics of ethnicity ond identily in ort, coinciding with the demise of the norrotive - deoth of sublect - ond the critique on hegemonic systems in fhe ocknowledgment of the osymmetrico privileges omongst groups, regord for histories ond power relotions. lt is olso on ocknowedgment of guilt, opoogetic gesture for oncestro lronsgressions ond on oitempt to provide those, formerly the disempowered, wiih o voice lo recount their own norrotives ond histories. lt ollows them to corve ond defend lheir own spoces, lo dec cre lheir positions ond identities, to recuperote ost spirit or pride os coherenl groups, This model of muhiculturoLism is mode possibe by centred constructions which hod, by the need to sustoin ond nurture the stote of power-relotions, cloimed knowledge ond thus contro ond subjugotion over ofhers. Usurping ond breoking down the given constructions ollows the emergence of o multiculiuro form (whelher of the eihnocenlric voriont which dec ores identily os on 'otemporol essence' or the polycentric voriont which recognises the reciprocol vo ue of exchonges)

The study

F-lowever, where o nolion's founding myths ore highlighted by o clecr ond conscious need to occord ond delineote spoces for the respeclive groups in order to secure ethnic loyo ties ond deter conflicts, susioined by the stotei obility to ossert its interests ocross most if not oll opporotuses thot offect group relctions including those thot host ond conduct culturol discourses, the form of multiculturolism espoused ond procticed differs from this model of oppositionol binorism. lnsteod, multiculturolism con be described by o cluster of groups thot while existing in close proximify, ore seen os congruous ond compementory to eoch other. The differences beivreen these groups ore corefully monoged ond only surfoce if they, in o positive rother lhon contentious woy, odvonce the need for those groups to clorify ond enhonce their respective identities. With o need to cleory distinguish groups, 'imogined' sels of troditionol rituols ond cusloms ore omplified; the oncestrol gcrbs worn fo ol ow eoch porticipont o cloim to o glorious post, thus ihe reolms of cu ture ond heritoge, norrowed ond delimited, ore restroined from oddressing contemporory discords. The l9BB exhibition, Trimurti, by S. Chondrosekoron, Goh Ee Choo ond So lehJopor moy be expoined within these terms. While the ortists cost themselves to ploy the conditioned roles of Indlon-Hindu, Chinese-Buddhist cnd Moloy-Muslim respectively, the exhibition offers through its compllcity the monner by which inter-courses moy to[e ploce wiihin the Singoporeon londscope. Such interociion is referenl to defined terms of engogement os welL os meosured in its woy of problemctising given ideniities.

,il

1ll

This essoy oims to exploin Trimurti within the context

of multicu iurol Singopore ond ottempts lo show its complicity in the lorger ideologicol fromework of multiculturoLlsm. As o term whose meonings ore ollowed to shift periodicolly, multicuhurolism - understood to be o socicl situolion where'ecch group mointoins its distinctiveness even though some exchonge tokes pLoce'r -when opplied to the orts ond culture mointoins reference to its ideoogicol CMIC (Chinese, Moloy, lndion ond Cthers) form; it is overloid by the politics of economic survivol ond meritocrocy, circumscribed by the noiure of Singopores migront sociely ond the history of Slno-Moloy reotions. Trimurti ihus moy be situoted in o continuum thot drows its geneology from continuol engogements between ort ond the dynomics of ethnic exchonges ond stote response ond ottempts lo monoge

/ffi

fll

iiil

leh to right:

these exchonges. The noscent form

of multiculturolism in ort forged by the migront Chinese ortists of the l95Os ond before {referent to Chinese notlonolism) gove woy by the 1960s to o discourse observont of the prevoiling notions of notionhood. The essoy will olso briefly survey multicullurolism! vorious meonings ot specific points of Singopore ort hislory including the eorlier Ncnyong {Southseos) proctitioners ond the formolist-obstrociionist of the l9ZOs before givlng ottention to the event of 1988.

forms os proposed by the

ln their stotement JJ:+re

itst.:i!

i: ri

io inougurole Trimurti in l9BB, Chondrc, Ee Choo ond Solleh procloimed;

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wiih tremendous densily, bringing together on onoy of notions drown both from formol ortistic ond sociol ond politicol spheres of the Singoporeon discourse. By the ierm 'different things' the ortisis hove cosuolly implicoted o ronge of cotegories.

The stolement is unspecific yet contrived

Art throughout the lgZOs ond eorly lgBOs hod been dominoted by o brond of infernoiionolism' morked by the preponderonce towords modes of obstroction. Such o strotegy wos driven portly by ihe need to secure porticipotion within the internotionol front os well os ihe need to come to lerms with the reolities of the morket. Abskoct Expressionism wos olso seen to provide o longuoge thot not only procloimed the internol necessily of ort, bui olso one thot wos considered culturclly neutrol, plioble enough to support o wide ronge of ideols. ln ottempts to invoke fresh meonlngs differentioted from those produced in the Wesl, ortisis drew from iheir own reservoir of culturolly specific forms ond imogeries. This involved the recuperotion of moiifs, culturolly speciflc mediums ond other trcditionol 'irinkets' held to be signifiers of identities ond culturol volues, ond in these

woys correct the incessonl 'emplying' or de-subiectificofion of the convos while concurring with the dominont gorb of the modern. Abstroci ortists Goh Beng Kwon ond Tzee Sorkosi ore iwo of the mony ortists emerging in the l9Z0s who regord troditionol or culturolly specific motifs, forms ond colour codes os voluoble formol systems to be obsorbed inlo contemporory proclice, os well os cogent indicotors of self ond communol identities. For Sorkosi, the use of the botik medium is centrol ln his quest io portroy o form of obstroction inlimqte io the troditionol proctice of textiie ornomentoiion ond olso o device

io cloim culturol outhenticily ond ideniily. According to the ortist, "(t)he function of botik in culfure is port of the life of the Singopore Moloys ": Goh Beng Kwon spent o number of yeors in New York in ihe eorly l96Os when Absiroct Expressionism wos ot its height of influence. lt wos there thot his interesls for forms thot convey o sense of rootedness took shope. He recolled the odvice of his Americon mentor, "(t)here is o greol ort treosure where you come from; you should reflect upon your own heritoge ond toke odvontoge of it."a

l2oh Le Lhoo, S. Chondrosekaran

ond

Salleh Jopor. Reproduced from himufi exhibifion

cofologue, 1988

ln generol terms, 'multiculturolism' occupies the obverse of o coin, emerging concunently with 'lnternotionolism', unfolding within o precorious blend of modernism offected by Euroomerico on the one hond, ond notionolism ond the seorch for notionol ldentily, on the other. For Singopore, perhops o reluctonl notion formed ofter its foilure to secure o meoningful portnership within the Federotion of Moloysio, notionolism look on o peculior meoning. As suggested by Kwok Kion Chow; Failoivtnp Liiricupoiels inc'+penCence in I f$5, 5Jcnt'6p6 recianai;,.rrt c,l llLe +ari;a.," vc-,rru \A,cs :;Llrceei/ed hr'1r 11p ;,',--^*r-r,Jl.i :tcstt+rtc!t:;il,: or:ilcp[ ,,vhith, h+tnlev":r, tisa'r, l,L:e ftsr'.l, a{ rr:'";li!rltiit:altsn; cld ir,.J*in*fr'cnolisnr - tht: [tLrm*r b$cuirs* t.tf ihe x:tsli:iles ai .9!ngn:::ar+'s truili' t:fhr:ic scci+r.y cttrJ !t'e:ieeo irrr saciu"i L:*,h+srr.'+:te:;s in the ccr,s+ of nnfi'-.n-bLttlair,c; ll:e [ntier 5*i:ct.,se rsi lirc rc*!ittes cI* v'"u/r''-tle:ru-c,$r;lrcd i;rieirifior*l arl ${:Fii)e d}ff ihe *r-Lirrli.siic ,,,;i::vt, i!:al l:r: r :t d t:l *brfr c*rici rs rcr l,l ir*rd rr n t,; e r s ct i idsr:ls,' :

The notions of muiticulturolism ond internotionolism, clorified by Kwok, oppeor to be linked to formolism. He suggests thot formolistic ossertions in monifesting multiculturolism hove been oriiculoted towords on essentiolising end, where expressions toke port in the wider sociol produclion of troditions. His survey of proctices oround the lgZOs suggests o tendency towords o cleor morking of culturol boundories. Proctitioners, like Sorkosi or Goh, foced with the need to differeniiote conceptuol opprooches while seeking membership into the froternily of obstroct ort ond ot the some time porticipoting ond contributing os members of o sociol group wifiin o fromework of notionol progressiveness, chose to overtly opply their construciions of identily or culture. A possoge from on oriicle by Robert Yeo in 1975 is somewhot indicotive of this situotion; "whol motters most, in the end, ore only those orts which ore relotively developed or hove potentiol for developing locolly." Here, Yeo is referring to the well defined colegories of ort, specificolly pointing, whlch being 'relotively developed', Iend well to the Singoporeon multi-rociol sensibilities. Poiniing "cuts through introctoble linguistic borriers ond is genuinely multi-rociol in proctice ond oppeol."6 Thot sense of neuiroliry proposed through (obstroct) pointing occommodoles ond corresponds to the noture of multiculturolism orticuloted consistently throughoui ihe culturol discourse of the time. According lo Brown, tl'/'rier+*s ur> lo th= ini<j-tt Q(s!)s:/ re/enert'

fu::

lnc: chcrucfer

i.:ill:r.

srrsfe

tnipl'y.n11

'*ihrttt: nt*sr.sic' r::sfir.;r*l Csc,/+,$y il Segr:r: lt,- i:r: ',:ccrr,rit=-.:C*i:nt."islp,:],f:lic.s t:nrt +:n i QVJs tc c.Jescribe llis racial ccir;i.lc:iti()r; r..ri{ i,"ii: -cr-',c:e ii/, r:r:d i,s r:tieLrreâ&#x201A;Ź ihe .,riril.;e

*fhrtir r*lercnce in *r

lserl

rr; fl:e

tnfix *chler,r*rne;r:l-nrl*:rierJ s*ciei:t con'/ff*d lc ecr:n{:inic crer.+lnt:rner;f lJre

*t':n3,r:r,dlhencriinr;c/ Cecrl*,lif ise:q,-i;rt,-b'-p;1'rs)7eii'1 r**rL/tfy, rnsd+d cI *llhnic bairtr:te ir,,'rin$ ss prul'ir.:i-rsirt''

<.:ta:trqa:ierr{ ihesiate.,fhei:alt:tc;c! icrr-.s of L=tfir;.

Assertions on multiculiurolism ore not new in Singopore. As eorly

,1955,

the founder of the Nonyong Acodemy of Fine A*s Lim Hok Toi hod tdentified the role of the Nonyong oriists to be "the fusion of lhe culiure of the different roces"B. Such multiculturol 'fuslon' or 'mixlure' wos conceived nominolly, through firstly the identificotion of ihe Southseos, its londscope ond people, os o significont subiective inferest, differentioted from, olthough porollel to ihe themotic refroins of Western lmpressionism, Fouvism ond Post-lmpressionism. Secondly, culturol collusion wos

ccsfuloted os o form of o formol synihesis. These Nonyong ortisls hove sought io synlhesise the -odes of seeing ond composilion found in Chinese trcditionol pointing with Western eosel :clnting.e Here multlculturolism of the Nonyong slle is monifested by concurrent interesis of the Sculhseos Chinese communily io identify lhemselves with the region (thus securing o tenoble :enti! for the overseos Chinese while mointoining emolionol ond intellectuol links to ihe Chinese -cinlond) os well os to secure o sense of modernily ihrough confinued oppropriolion ond :ioptolions of Western forms This iook ploce within c period of time ofter World Wor ll in which -:tionolism omong the SoutheoslAsion communities wos ot its peok, foreshodowing ihe formotion :: notion-stoies in the lote I 94Os ond I950s. ln the lote nineteenth century fie Chinese Qing ::vernment cctegorised Chinese migronts as huoqtcto where they were regorded os lemporory lrinese 'soiourners', thus implicoting them os extended citizens of Chino holdlng poiiticol interesls - Chinese offoirs. By the period of the l94Os ond I 950s, this politiccl cotegory wos becoming =ss volid os ldentificotions with the vorious conlendlng politicol groups were generoting procticol :-cblems of loyolty ond citizenship wilhin their respective ploces of residence, ond therefore of the l-rneses constilutionol ploce in their emerging stoles.r0 Where politiccl linkoges become less -=^oble, the mcintenonce of o Chinese identily distinct from other culiures of the region hos been c ,:7 determinont to describe the Nonyong form of multiculturolism.

--e

noture of mulilculturolism proposed through on identificotion with the region is, orguobly, -:minolly syncretic. The 1952 soiournrr to ihe'Nudist Empire'of Boli by Liu Kong, lren Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi ond Cheong Soo Pieng, oithough momentous in its unfolding :i -he orlistic syntox commonly ottributed to fie Nonyong ortisfs, could do no moTe thon to suggest : -eed to negoliote ond clorify the very identily of the Nonyong ortists by woy of objectivising ihe

':j.n.tz

ln his own wrilings Chen Chong Swee reveoJed fhof the frip wos token in the footsieps of e Moyeur whose works, when shown in Singopore sometime in the lote l93Os, impressed =:. ''l'cyon ortists profoundly.r3 ln such inslonces ihe ortists occupy the posilion of the occidentol -.server, opproprioiing the imoges of 'groceful doncers'ond'weoving women'ond mointoining --em os o body of 'ob]ective' knowledge. For ihe Nonyong ortisis, multjculiurolism wos on 3xercise of stoting the ownership of knowledge, thus intellectuol outhorily over the Nonyong srbject. Chen Chong Swee's tocit ond symbolic cloim of outhorily is evident in his study of o coinfing with o Bolinese subiect, "it is o foirly occurote description of Boli; Boli is indeed o ,vomen! empire; the robust beou! of Bolinese women ond postorol scenery form on excellent cointing."r4 Although the historicoi relolions belween the Chinese culture ond the regions cultures rod not been unilolerol, we moy drow o semblcnce to the model outlined by Soid, where thot cssertron of knowledge os highlighted by Chen Chong Swee! stotement forms port of o distribution of geopoliticol oworeness into oeslhetic, scholorly ... texts', eloboroting disiinctions ceiween the two sets of cultures cs well os o willful oct in understonding ond, to on exlent, the subjugotion of o different world os port of o discourse existing in on uneven exchonge.r5 Bosed on the obove, Nonyong regionolism con be orgued to be on octive oltempt to concepluolise the region os the periphercl 'other', relotive to ihe cenfroli! of the Chinese'self'. Yet, this multiculturol interest wos oiso o response to the sociol reoliry of the region, in which the Chinese os o migront communily within o vost orchipelogo of indigenous populotions distonced iom their lond of origin, were mode wory of the risks of deculturolisotion.r6 The declorotion of Liu

tff--*i

Kong ot the oge ol 87 is reveoling, "Legolly, I om o Singopore citlzen, but I om Chinese by birth. Chinese hove o long history of severol thousond yeors with deep ond firm culturol roois ond o distincllve oriistic ochievement. Besides, she hos o vost terrilory with o mognificent londscope. Thot is why I hove tried to reveol the robust spirii, profound conlents ond refined tosie of her culiure in my pointings."rz This corresponds to the ethnic imperolive outlined by Clommer; 'One is Chinese by origin, i.e. birth, porentoge, geogrophicol origin, ond no one not so born con become o Chinese, ond no Chinese, even one who obondons culturol morkers such os longuoge, ccn ceose to be Chinese.'rB Multlculturolism orgues ond lustifies the creotion of culturoliy defined spoces, where groups moy exercise ogency over iheir own declored territories ond meonings, ond ottempt to define lheir relotions with others. The Nonyong slle provides on eorly perspective on ort ond multicuhurolism, one morked by rigorous formoi oppropriolions of techniques, motifs ond themes, ond yet ot the some time emphosised polorities ond boundories - ollowing through division nominol culturol inler-courses circumventing potentiol dilution of held notions of culture of the dominont group. The proclomotions ond stotements by Goh Beng Kwon, Liu Kong ond others in the cbove possoges moy be compored to lhose mode by Trimurti ortists. lndividuols within bolh groups see lhemselves os 'insiders' with personol ond exclusive occess to defined culturol cotegories. The

foilowing quototion from Chondro reveols the persisient use of ethnicily ond ethnic origin os o purveyors of meonings in coniemporory or1;

i,-ri

/il;r',iTirtitir-r::r ..i,;'

we moy return io Trimurti's'differeni things'. At its very core is lhe moxim thot governs the Singoporeon concept of stotehood; multiculturolism. According to Michoel Hill, 'fie multirociol idec-complex is the cleorest expression ond cognitlon of Singoporeon culiure. As one of lhe founding myths of Singopore it is o 'chorter'for sociol oction."20 The meonings of the term 'multiculturolism' then musf be llnked ond locoted omong those used within the wider culturol discourse in Slngopore. As suggested by Kwok Kion Chow in the eorlier quote, ort since independence hod been portly referentiol to'... the need for socioJ cohesiveness in the course of notion-building' in o situotion where there wos o need io persuode citizens to become 'more' Singoporeon ond direct their loyolty ond identily lowords the new notion rolher thon to Chino, lndio ond the Moloy world, respectively. We moy now turn our otiention to lhe contexts in which It is here thol

the I9BB exhibltion emerged. The lgBB exhibition Trimurti wos pul together ot o point of Singoporeon hisiory when discussion on Toce, religion ond longuoge wos encouroged by the stote.2r Brown remorked thot this wos in controsl to the siluotion before the mid l9BOs where those issues were considered too sensitive to be discussed openly.22 After tvro decodes of independence ond developmenl guided by o system of 'meritocrocy'ond economic progmctism, the reloiive success of thel9BOs hod broughtwith ito sense of culturol void. The siote, utilising whot Brown ierms os'inclusionory corporolist slrotegy'

emborked on o series of discussions, policies ond progrommes designed to provide chonnels of expressions ond monoge os well os mediole these some expressions. These ore undertoken to eveniuolly recover if not outline o set of volues cloimed to be desiroble for the multi-ethnic Singoporeons, both os o bollost ogoinst fie forces of deculturolisotion ond 'Westernisotion' os well os o bosis for further economic development. Direct stote ond stote sponsored initiotives were undertoken besides the estoblishment of ethnic interest or self-help groups. Vorious compoigns were undertoken to ensure the continued relevonce of the vorious ethnic longuoges, notobly the speok Mondorin compoign, where longuoge wos seen to be on importoni purveyor of culturolly specific volues, ihose very volues lhot were ottributed to fhe success ond development of Singopore ond oiher Asion stoles. The slote olso introduced religious knowledge in schools concurrenl to their interests in promoting Confucionist volues in ihe eorly l9BOs; loter, when confronted with the oroblems of proselytism orising from religious teochings, the lock of interest in Confucionism omong students ond compounded by perceived fireots of overt religious-politicol octivism, the croiect wos obondoned. ln ils steod efforts were mode to cost ond promote o neutrol cotegory of 'Asion volues' bosed on lhe 'commonolities' found omongst the vorious cultures. By 1990, ihe Arlointenonce of Religious Hormony Act wos introduced to set out the porometers of religious octivities. Culiure ond religion ore now culled to serve o prescribed vision through stote sponsored discourses, where meonings ond forms of these elements of multiculturolism con be iuned ond subiected to o given ideology, homogenised to present o collective front thot is stoble ond consisienl with the myth ond projection of notion-building. ,ihe chonges in the economic ond sociol londscopes in Singopore hod olso brought solient -mplicotions to the Singoporeon cullurol life. According to Kuo, with the bosic needs of ihe copulotions considered fulfilled, the l9B0s wos to be o time for soul-seorching ond reflection, giving emphosis to non-moferiol dimensions of notion-building.23 ln the lote l9BOs, interests in enhoncing ortistic ond culfurol octlvities were progrommed into o wider politicol vision, nomely: lhe Nexi Lop. lt wos to be the next stoge of notion-building thot sought 'sociol moiurotion ofter the substontiol economic ochievements of the initiol phose of notion-building.'This is significontly monifested by the reporl by the Advisory Council on Culture ond the Arts in l98B which mopped ool o progromme 'to develop Singopore inlo o grocious, cultured ond well informed sociely, oppreciotive of its multiculturol heritoge.'The visuol orts in porticulor were seen to be o relevont ;;eld where explorotions into culturol troditions ond conlemporory experiences could toke ploce, ond contribute to o sensiiive response to society ond the environment. The orts weTe seen os oble ro encouroge opprecioiion ond respect for the culturol ond sociol volues of the different roces ond, occording to the report submitted by the Committee of the Visuol Arts, 'provide ihe gel for sociol integrolion of our notion ond form he bosis to build the spirit of o notion.'24 To coordinote ond guide this culturol inlerests in occordonce to the prescribed vision, o new ministry wos formed in ,l99,l, 1990, the Ministry of lnformotion ond the Arts. ln the Notionol Aris Council wos estobllshed with the oim to 'develop Singopore into o globol ci! for the orts.' S. Chondrosekoron {b. 1959), Goh Ee Choo lb. 1962) ond SollehJopor (b. 1962)grew up during fie iumultuous period of merger with Moloysio ond the eorly periods of Singopore's independence, ot which time the discourses of notion-building would hove influenced ond dominoted their culturol perspeclives. Rociol violence in l95O instigoted by the controversy of the

religious ond legol stotus of the young Dutch Morio Hertogh, who wcs plcced in the core of o Muslim womon during the Wor25, ond riols in I 964 morking the culminotion of rociol lensions orising from merger with Moloysio - key moments of Singopore's pre-independence ond merger experiences - pointed to the need to mointoin the frogile rociol relotions omongsl its populotion. By the lote I 9ZOs ond eorly 1980s, concepts of inter-rociol hormony' ond 'meritocrocy' were reified within the notionoJ discourses ond embedded into the collective imoginotion of Singoporeons os founding myths of the Singoporecn notion.26 These notions ore constonlly reoffirmed through oil oreos of notioncl life including culture; they coolesce prominently in the culturol discourses in Singopore. These concepis ore continuolly enocted, relreorsed ond broodcost through the vcrious 'rituols' of noiion-building, by woy of compoigns ond notionol events including fesiivols ond Notionol Doy porodes. Celebrotory events feoture choreogrophed ossemblies of well-defined culturol symbols, eoch emblemolic of the identily of the respective roces they represent. Culturol expressions such os donces ond costumes ore prolected within given ond well-defined spoces. The convergence is unproblemotic ond boundories ore observed. This ls corried through in the numerous grophic depictions where represeniotives of the vorious roces converge, clothed in their respective ethnic costumes ond posed to convey o sense of hormonlous coexistence. The frought lensions thot underlie roce-relotions ore circumvenied ond summorily oveTcome. It is these undercurreni tensions too thot the Trimurti ortists hove ottempted to reconcile or circumvenl in the exhibition where 'different things' moy coexist in hormonious bolonce. By referring lo $eir indubitoble origins, rellgious offiliotions ond thus culture, the ortists ollow themselves lo be seen os ogents of their respeclive principols - Chinese, Moloy ond lndion - eoch decloring his unique stotus ond position. While these culturol positions, tempered by on observotion of customory forms of exchonges ond engogements reheorsed ond demonstroted in public 'culiurol shows', ore non-conteniious, thelr vclues were enhonced by the embrocing of on overorching principle proposed to pervode in oll construciions of beliefs. The universol forces of creotion, preservotion ond destruction 'found in noture' were odopted to propose o common threod thot posses firough ond ocross o11 dlffering cotegories. While such universol 'truths' do not neulrolise eoch given colegory, they signol compotibility ond unity omong cotegories in the spirit o{ cooperotive confluence rother thcn competilion.

ond performonce, employed by the ortists olso polnt towords onother form of confluence of 'different things'. Contemporory proctice in Singopore in the period of the lote 1 9BOs mcy olso be highlighted by the proctices of Tong Do Wu ond lhose offilioted io him, collectively forming the group Artists Villoge. Led by Do Wu, the Art;sts Villoge sought to encouroge the 'experimentol ond olternotive' in Singopore, 'creoting on open spoce for ortists to moture ot their own poce, ond to provide o conducive environment which ollows them to experiment, experience ond exchonge ideos'.28 These otlempts ot forging the new or olternotive, lhus criliques, on the conventioncl ond orthodox forms of proctice, do not preclude oggressive forms of orlistic trcnsgression ond octivism. The strotegy of the 'olternotive' involved risk-toking ond ot times ossuming on overt provocotive ond confrontotionol stonce, informed by the need to extend ihe boundories of proctice through boih formol ond conceptuol meons. Ee Choo sees the combotive strotegies deployed os one thct is problemotic within the Singoporeon-Asion context, on

The formol devices, including instollotion

opinion formed through his oppreciotion of Artists Villoges moin proponent, Do Wu. Although referring to the eorly 1990s, Ee Choot observotion is relevoni; ll r,vci crirr: ct lintr- t+rl:*n Dgt:pl* sl*;lecj 1o p:acilc= p*rfntniciti:e c;rl, the.Ailrsi:; y'illr:nc- li:ii* Da \Nl r:y,d lis rrli'.:ie i.';ci,p *l ciiisis i,"+:e cornirrl :rp lrtgelite:. Arlisis i,ver+ ,:isi; rii,"<ing ueiy' :lic:rg ror:ln/ skslen-ten's. ,4! oiri'it;r i. /rl*ifu.;/ r-lJssf;LrrlFq lhe rale r:f iie rr/isi-

iCir] nts! ir:-crEi'-Jia,rgDc\l1i's; '.,piitntuch: !re$grrf hlrncscrn r..:rtisfhu: i;cfs.;.;r:i.,cJ;o-.c :,erson bccsuse i ib/i ilicri le vyas b;iitgtr:g s<:rn*lhtrig i:sn lhe'v'\"es!, ::S:p!Vi:r() ti ryslerit ihal .,vas f*lt:il.y ci:er lo $rngrinoru-. iiyhsr*-i?s:;r lle 14/*:st',4/e (:{1n n''uk.e: a si,'r:rro slcL.mcnt Jid ./.: cei a\\/(i'/ t^,,tiit it, is tl:+ Fcsi everl,flilpg you s{}'i i:tss cs cerl,;i:t respansibilify I ru*s gLiiie vycrrittd ubnur tiw iriincs i'f r:rl .,r* wr-rs frying ic fuif l'te \/,ciLligfri crlisls. i!)

Chondro! criticism of Do Wu, olthough not directed ot the seeming lock of 'responsibility', is olso lounded on Do

Wu! 'Western'troining ond orientotion;

?fiqDu\,ttir-t't{teriunt+t/i{le!.yfisi:cr,r+,.ci+n v'!/+slernJt;srttet]cotcepls .. Hisp,:ri:rni*lces n,s! icrofi;d i,.r c-1lstrt+:flrs i:itst:t lnis ieiTion . ." lhe bt>d'r, $*esiurs.., maferir:ls, s;titr.:e =:e y;,Eis l4/esrernr:rienferi l>Mi, bsngungse =rc/erxfaedinc, dtcirt't c,*r:e fn::r- lhis iegicn. Tl.e1t *'nicn I ih*ught dui :t*: ',v{irii. iii

Ee Choot ond Chondro! disogreement with the implied thinking of Do Wu ond those ossocioted to him moy noi be held ocross oll fronts. Both seis of Artists Villoge ond Trimurti ortists offered criticism ogoinst the doted ond non-reflexive proctices of the 'morket-prone' esloblished oriists. Bo$ groups recognised the need to extend lhe limited scope of formol cotegories where installotion ond performonce were seen os key extensions to be undertoken. To dissociote themselves from the proctices of Do Wu ond those ossocioted to him, fie Trimurti ortists hod token o third position, recognising the need to iolt the seemingly complocent stole of conlemporory proclice ond ot the some time unwilling lo cost themselves into the 'olternotive' scheme of the Artists Villoge.

'Different things' con then olso refer io o form of inclusionory strotegy where the formol of instollotion ond performonce ore coupled with the ospirotion to odvonce ond orticulote positions on culture ond identily olreody oddressed by eorlier ortisis. Trimurti occepis the eorlier orgument of the Nonyong regionolisls ond iormolist-obstroctionists on the essenliol volue of originoting culture os on jnnote port of contemporory ethnicily ond the need to nurture its sovereignly ond guord the necessory spoce thot ollows for ils monifeslotions of expressions. Trimurti olso occepis the need to tesl ond extend the formol boundories of proctice os well os reflexivily towords curreni situotions; these ore to be proposed, however, not ihrough confrontotion, but through consullotive meosures. The following two quototions ore relevont to illustrote this point. First from Chondro; tronsgressions

fic*,r;ri f#.rAri 1-4. (]irl:'r *ld nrysr:/i i',..:ie !,satlr:d tuilh culfur,sl br-tggrrp,re ifici .Jetsinilnei r:ur td."::iltry. S*, huv; Cr: a,e r::antltrt:t;* *ur id*nfi!.,t? ,4s fotri'n.g*l*mlioir orlisLs. i".,e sicrfeo'ic

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i j'.t i/ii:, :;..', ;,; r't .:,lt ;i i:l rit,..,, :r Jr,l ,r,..:;r.r;';:-;:i

And from Ee Choo;

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ln 1987, Sobopothy remorked thot the 'development of contemporory ort in this fSoutheost Asion] region is linked to historicol processes concernlng the ottolnment of politicol independence, selfdeterminction in structuring new stotes, securing o semblonce of hormony beti,veen old ond new, ond sofeguording o sense of identilywithin o perceived culturol motrix.'33 lndeed, Trimurti os o conlemporory deveopment moy be situoted within this formulotion, informed by multiloyered ond inter-connected series of events ond foctors. Singopores historicol processes; the coloniol experience; the precorious merger with Moloysio; the exigencies of independence ond needs of notion building; the need to form cn efficient ond forword looking populoce; the need to molntoin loyolty to notion while providing credence to ethnicily; the momenlous move lowords industro isotion ond offluence ond the need to restore the bcses cnd myth of 'Asion volues'; the sense of culturol void omidsi the successful creotion of on efficient yet 'decultured' working force; the osciliotion between the need for open discourse ond the need to overl tensions reloting to ethniclly; - olL these converged lo provide o Tesource for Trimurti.

Given the history, thot norrotive of the notion referentio to the contemporory need to mointoin sociol ond politico dynomics considered necessory for continued econornic survivol ond progress, it con be orgued thot Trimurti wos cn inevitcble outcome. Trimurti speoks withln ihe prescribed longuoge ond vocobulory thot hove pervoded notionol discourses on culture, ond in ifs oblective cloims for'hormony'ond 'equilibrium'omongst'different things'. Being inclusioncry in orientotion, it simuLtoneously cffirms the identities of the porticipcnts os well os proposes the complementory roe they eoch con ploy in providing o bosis of mutuol coexisience lhrough universclly heJd volues. Ecch entily, monoged cnd orticuloted within o given delineoted spoce is proposed, not unii[e the notionol 'culturo-show' model, to be oble to mointcin its necessory sovereignly, while ot the some time productive in ils contribution to the orger notlon of the collecfive - nolion. lt is o demonstrolion of multicuhuro ism os o force in lhe construction of notionol identily; fundomentol differences ore

.,_

"ffi)

colluded, medioted ond reconciled. Trimurti replicotes the very ideology of multiculturolism ond reenocts ihe rituols of notionhood - o hormonious ossembloge of 'different things'. Ahnod Moshodi

is o curofor wifh fhe Singopore Arf Museum. His Sout'heasf Asion reseorch int'eresfs include modern ond conlemporory proclices in Moloysio ond the Philippines. He wos o cxurolar for Modernity and Beyond: Themes in Southeast Asion Art (l996). Recent exhibit'ions curoted/cocuroted include lmoging Selves (l9QB) ond From There to Now: Moloysion Art from the Permonent Collection (1998).

Lc: /',h

lntl, A4dniflgs of .Mu/tref/:nicrty; ,4 Cose'study of Ethnidty and fthnt

Re/otions irr $mgopore,

Trimurli Exhibilian, urpubiisl:ed arisis doctnentc:itn 111â&#x201A;Ź8 p /c. Lyrics in Wax: Art af S:srkqsi,5ai.l lzee, Tzle Ciedi;rn,!e hc!, '447. p. 34. Singopore Arfisb speok, CH Y3o, Srnccpore. I QQi). o. !ic. KLrcl (ior Chcvt, !4is:cry o{ .Arl i. ,qirigGpo,e - in ltloclu!;inj ir Wndow on Sinccpore

&ca:C, lQa4,

\ko,

Arf

Jxio;:

l-t:ivercif/ )rcs.;. Kuaic Luntu.

Nr:irono/ /r,:t: Cctncl! end lrcircnd Hitrtoge

Arl Fc:ns wi$ J.acal Flanur . New Noilon- 3A Atpust, i Q,75. {;lr;cted by (rvcL {jot C:o,r CAolnsls srd Confluences, Sitgc:puie Ait t\,,\usr::tn, l.,lafionql rlerito!:le Bocra. lCQ6,;,c. ? :.5-i ld Brcwt, ilqvld, the .5lsie and frhaic PpliiiEs in .5oui*eosi,4src, ii,.r,edgo, Londo. 1QQ4, V. 8A .t l"yr"r': tr'4. L:n :1ak t;.. 'tsisla:i:ai I l)e ,,r.,lonnrctt aft Lirnr:-r'r+ t,:n "7\. '\n ,.1 \LLt.a iu'ralavoas', Aldld\nar lQ55', ir lmprints on SingoporeArt: Works t. t-i :-, 1 of \1:ttg li.obe:f

lr.

c: llte fctt rcces'. .See Xc Sfiirog;, 'Ari of the Nalyaca' ir Wndow o* Silgopotl Arl, c.> cit., F. 3)' A sludv ai ihe pi.tl:iel aft,atlclion c{ l\. i'.;2n,yotg Sryie ncLy be ioutd ir Piva:issa, flecizt:. The Tr"wfmeni o{ d:e Lac*/ trondscope in Madern lr''alaysiw Art I 930' ! 98 1,,{ir:iur Sert Nego,o K.ralct nt:nptr, I 9E 1, o. 3?

iie Ciire se, Ali+n urJ lh,tin, Alrsialia, i QQi. pp. I : 4 e lQ-\:Foii/1n- eeSalso::aftty, IK., Edl; i4ln.t3iir'rsir-J'. rrP.erniar'ssenceofsiagapore!PioneerAdMcsiers; 5oo Pieng Chen Chong Swee, Cfreo lVen ffsi 4s -5;1i;5pore Atlint, ;QQA ur,pagieclJ

ond Se#lers. Hriories of Souiheosi Asis snd

:orat a;.ot-iof

Liu

Korrg, Clreong

werc sirtalv reoc;ine :o lA.: excf. nttc and c.alotLrftl oml-rr,.rc: oi ihe Bo/i;:cse cu/lere cncj ;cndscore ". :ee Clrio \4i; Hot, 'lntoJuctiq', irl LiuK*ngat87, l'!a::anoi Ars Corrci/orrdlrcilonctllerita,;elcatr1, 1qq7. p 20. See Kwo{ K:or Chov. Chet Chorg -9r,e: l-|is fhotjgnls' jn Chen f/rong ,$wee: His "fhoughts, Hfu Art, N:liotal \4t:eun, iQg3, pp. I 4-l 5.

L u t-

Sord :-i:r,"crd, OrienisJsm- lo:ttiedge and liegar Psul, L:*c!on,

1Q,78.

]reiijy wilhi\

t/re pldol ,trcieiiss ol Saulheas: Asia " See #crcl,e, lcnr--, ';nacdttcfrrn' , h R--ii:i. .Anfl"tonv oF .:i., p. /d:. {,acq, '! 3s Siglt;i seven', in Liw Kang of 87, o1: ci:.. p. 27. 'Eil+ciiy Clatttr+; i. , cntl :he Classr jicouon oi Sccio/ D tlereaces in Plu o: Scci-a=,. r\ -crpe-ir",' li6p 5 r,lLrirure , jqumql of Asian and AfticonSfudles,2CiS'A|,p. 143.Qua:edb,iHjI,tulichqtl,orciFee, Iiani{.-:t lhePahhcsolNoiionBur1dmgondC#rensfiipin Singcpore,&ortiedge, Lonr!;r, 1Q?5, p. iA5. L:u

P 5t' -1i!1,

ard Fee, op ti!., po. Qil'i{.

'n ih+ /:o,res wcs llni:ed. Coniqled by or i:nem1, Lre/o;rgl: q ia c 1,1$lr1: slate, #te Singortreor.. ,41oLI, r,cs roi r.rpecled t'o bt: tble io delitea:e bet*cen liis eno.icns for cotrir,.occ reha)icn Seaqurklucr lrcn ace driier Licng ir, l:ili, cnd i--e, cp cti , p 2L\) 3roitr. cp ctt , p. Q7. Ku,:. E C-'t'., Confucisnism ss floJiiico/ Dmcourse in.Singcpore: A {ose ofsingcpare, )eyta,rr,ert cisociclogr !,''h;(i:rg lcpe' Nr. i 1.3, p. f,.tinfet! h't, E;ll und |ee. oi: di., p. 1Q,5. ,b:d . p. 2,3.;. lcr o bile{ t:couni of tl:e l',1griu Hertrch.incrdenl. see /crc A,irr Cy'relno, 'iane fhougnts on M:;de;n,sclior crd loce lelotians , in la:g Checag it:t.i, Asisn liaditions srd i/odernisoiion: Perspeclives from .Singopore , Tines Ar+:l--lrrc Press- S,n.qopore, pp b.7.ai1.

sss:ictedw/hlnencL:ionofhsisiliorr',-ufr'Ste largLiturChecnq,'SonefhcuqhfsonA4o.i--!n)soiioncncJtcle,?e/..ticr inYorq bd ).57. 'or or o;c-ur' of 4 tid l1i toqc. end Lrql tJt:: Vtu, see Scbopotiy, f.tl.., 'Iri:ntrt: Ca|bnp,t1r,- Ad it Sfgo;:o.-- - t; Ari snd,Asifl Pocifc, Sonrp/e /ssre I Q?3, pa. 52'5.t. See,Scbcpotlilr f.K.. Il:e Scqce: /\) lnlrait{ior'. in lhe,Spoce, |ngtptcte. I Q9'2. tytagitotei 'Th,ee Dialogues: C+lsior-.ce Sirer:res i[ coJrers.:tict h',]h abh Ee {ho. . p. .;74 'iiree Dio/ogres: ibnsionce ji/.ocles ;n .:ar./ercatiort .riil. S Llonarusetcrcn ', D.5"4. Chqrlrrssekarcil,5.- op c:t., p 23. Ee Choo, crl;j: ildL.rerl ij erhl::it;on Tft F;E of Silence, held a; I'lalior:l N',tseun

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history of performonce orl in Singopore is short. However, like performonce ort elsewhere, the croctice in Singopore connects with the public so directly thot one could see it os 'theotre in the sreet'. lndeed this occessibili! is of poromount concern. Performonces ore enocled in everydoy :nvironments, in public spoces ond owoy from the sonitised spoces of museums ond golleries. ln .-is sense performonce ori con be seen os onologous with the 'lhectre in the sfreet'; for lhis reoson - is not inexpedient to construci o relotionship belween theotre ond performonce ort. For thls it ,."'ould be useful to briefly look outside the domoin of ort per se to goin some giimpses into the --dimentory genesis of performonce ort in Singopore.

::riodicolly theotre becomes closely oilied with ideologies ond movements thot ore often derived

*:m

ihe politicol domoin ond directed fowords giving ort on immediotely recognisoble ond is common, with groups like the '\ecessory Stoge developing slrotegies derived from Morxist ideologies in order lo goin enhonced r:ciol octivism ond perlinence; this in the lote I 9BOs is the most recent incidenl, for which there is -.srcry before. The more moinstreom Theotreworks hos presented workshops, such cs The Art of Violence involving oudience porticipotion which wos often misinterpreted by the reviewing medio :: roving overt sociol ond politicol gools. Colloborolion between theotre ond performonce ort be seen very recenfly; in the I992 production of The Yong Fomily, which wos port of 'Sltting edge Performonce Series" orgonised by Theokeworks, performonce ortist Motthew Ngui :-eoted o site-specific multimedio piece thot blurred the lines seporoting theoire ond performonce :-. Audiences were left lo wonder throughout the three floors of o 2Oih century Chinotown shop -:rse, experiencing the chorocters from different episodes of the ploy. For Ngui, the generotion of -ecning ond the "exchonges thot hoppen" in his work ore whot ore mosl interestinc, in oddition r: row the oudiences interpret ond "toke conceptuol possession of the work".r The role of the :-Cience in the performonce becomes o moTe involved one; the interoction ond reoclion from the :,Cience become port of the performonce itself.

:cipoble sociol context ond relevonce. ln theotre, experimentotion

::r

-3wever, writers like Pontbriond ond Ferol belleve thot "performonce" exists in on ontogonistic -:ctionship with theoke; "thot performonce rejects oll illusion",2 ond thot "it presents: it does not -:cresenl".3 Both writers go on to cloim thot performonce is chorocterised by the frogmenlotion :-C disconlinul! of norrotive, in the use of the body within the performonce spoce ond ihe reiclionship.a Thus, this genre of ort deconstructs ond demysiifies theotres. =e4ormance/oudience : crognosis such os this might not be opplicoble in Singopore in oll inslonces. Confroniolion is -;ed os o strctegic device in specific instonce; by no meons is it invoked os o mondotory

:-'lcrple.

lne

of the most vivid moni{eslotions of performonce ort in Singopore wos presenled by Ton Teng

t':e, who con be col ed the originol 'performonce'ortist in Singopore for his Fire Sculpture ?79l.Ihal yeor, Ton held o'picnic'to exhibitond offer his pointings ond three-dimensionol n.crks for sole. T.K. Sobopcthy recounis os follows:

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o significont slep into the reolm of olternotive ort forms within ihe prevoiling milieu of ort moking in Singopore oi the time. When Ton returned from Germony in lgZO ofter three yeors of studying sculpture, he opined thot mony in Singopore were not even owore whot sculpture wcs. Whether the ortist Ton Teng Kee wos owore of the 'Hoppenings', the 'Fluxus' group in New York ond Europe of the 60s or not, one could see the eveni os on importonl breok from the conventions of pointing ond sculpture in Singopore, ond os one thot resembles performonce crt. The oct of burning tongible ortworks wos the crux of the piece; the concept triumphed over physicolity ond commerciolisotion of crt. One is reminded of o similor model in Yves Klein s I 962 performonce, lmmoteriol Pictoriol Sensitivity Zone 5. In this performonce ol the river Seine, the crtists quest for o woy to evoluote his 'immoteriol picioriol sensitivily'through the exchonge of pure gold for the poymenl for the intongible commodiry culminoted in the burning of ihe purchoser's receipt ond the gold leof being ihrown into ihe river. Ai o time when concepluol ort meont on ort of ideos over o produci which could not be bought or sold, performonce is often o demonstrotion or on execution of those ideos. Performonce is considered os o mecns of bringing to life the mony formoL ond concepluol focets on which the moking of ort is bosed. The ort oblect per se hos become dispensible. However, the importonce of o performonce is often remembered through the documentction very offen in the form of o photogroph or video which, ironicolly, becomes the 'oblect' in on 'objectless' ort form.

This work morked

Another exomple in the development of performonce ort in Singopore con be seen in Tong Do Wus proctices. Tong returned to Singopore in 1979 fol owing c stoy in Englond of 9 yeors. At this lime he wos cppolled ot the disoppeoronce of villoges, which were being cleored for developmeni. So disturbed ond inspired wos he thot he produced o piece of ort which documented the groduol erosion of the lond due to the slow erodicotion of vegetolion. Do Wus work roised questions os to ihe purpose of ort, the porl orlists ployed ond the role of the oudience ot o time when such discourses in ort were evolving in Singopore. ln the internotionol oreno since $e I 960s, ortists hod tcken lo lhe streets ond stoged Fluxus lype evenis in moior cities like Amsterdom, Cologne, Dusseldorf cnd Poris os well os in New York. Tong Do Wu wos exposed io these events during his yeors in Englond: furthermore ortists likeJoseph Beuys, Yves Klein ond Piero Monzoni would hove been weli known to him.

ln l98B Do Wu estcblished on orfist commune ot Sembowong, loter formolised in I 989 os Artists Villoge, o spoce which wos dedicoted to lhe needs of burgeoning ortistic octivily ond the cultivotion of olternotive slyes of ortislic expression. In the eorly 1990s when the government ocquired the lond in Sembowcng, the members from the Vi loge hod to move out of their premises ond then subsequently mode use of fie spoce ot the Hong Bee Worehouse for their instcllotions '1992 ond performonces especiolly in coniunction with the Arts Festivol fringe progrcmme.

of l99Os, hod o cotolytic effect on ortists who gothered there, like Wong Shih Yow, Joiloni Kuning, Vincent Leow, Amondo Heng, Tong Mun Kit, Lim Poh Teck ond Folzoi Fodil. Do Wu described the Villcae os on Tong's work of the Artists Villoge especioly in the lote lgBOs ond eorly yeors

'dbrnotive venue dedicoted to the promotion ond encourogement of experimeniol ond olternotive in Singopore."6 His ideols influenced ihe process of ort moking, undertoken by ortisis lnvolved n"$e Villoge who produced ort thot morked rodicol chonges from pointing ond sculpture to much rrnnmre oliernotive meons like instollotions culminoting in full fledged performonce work. Performonce ,l991, ontwossilil noto cleorly recognised medium of visuol orl in Singopore until when Tong Do lrx,fu brought it to limelight. Tiger's Whip consisted of Mo performonces focusing on the consumpiion of the rhinoceros horn ond tigers' penis os ophrodisiocs. The performonce confronied wg held sociol beliefs in Chinese culture ond roised questions oboul hitherto unchollenged issues. l'lre troditionol Chinese belief wos eroding the texture of ecoiogy, cousing species of onimol to beaome endongered, posing further queries on issues of conservotion ond preservotion of noturol flBqrrces. The performonces shified the role of the oriist to thot of on octivist. The burning issues of noclol ond politicol iniustice were brought to the reolm of the mosses, the oudience. During the period of the Tionomen Squore mossocre, ortists like Amondo Heng used the direct medium of perfcxmonce to protest ogoinst the violotion of humon righis ond lives. Performonce ori wos used ib confront ihese exomples of iniustice not only in the locol but olso in the internotionol contexl. on'ts

furtrnoved into the unonlicipoted terroin of streets, worehouses, porks, public spoces etc.; owoy the iroditionol sonctum of the museum ond golleries. ln these milieux performonce ort would toike credence ln Singopore. The visuol conceptuolisotion of the ortwork moved from the Mo dnnensionol to $e $ree dlmensionol ond begon to incorporote the fourth dimension of time ond .frnorn

@rond. ffioy longenboch summorised in The Substotion Conference

,1995

thot performonce ort in Sodheost Asio wos orising from the end of Coloniollsm, with ortists topping pre-coloniol rituols, rlrrh os Shomonism, Dooist riiuols elc.; ond thot performonce ort in Soulheost Asio seems to ffourish in iimes of sociol disruption, instobility ond ropid sociol chonge" with performonce being c cornmentory upon the chonges in sociefy.z Speciflcolly in the Southeost Asion context, this seems b point to o return to pre - coloniol volues ond sociol systems. !n'

.l993,

o notoble performonce orl incldeni occurred when josef Ng presented Brother Cqne.

fS h"d mixed ort with stote ideologies which resulted in sociol reoction ond civil disciplinory ffifron. As o protest ogoinst onti-goy octivities, the ortist hod proceeded io publicly trim his pubic ilrmilrofter iurning his bock to the oudience.. This shocked the estoblishmeni ond resulted in Ngs crnninol prosecution for vulgor ocrc. @uffi,lThe medium of performonce ort wos subjected to go,remmentol regulotions ofter the 1993 incideni, orlists like Lee Wen, Joiloni Kuning, Amondo F{eng. Chondrosekoron ond Motthew Ngui conlinue lo proctise it in Singopore ond olso in }he rernotionol ort orero. pointing ond sculpture in Southeost Asio hove been defined through the ideols of Western ori; performonce ort ioo would olso hove hod the some influence. However, for counkies in $odheost Asic, given strong indigenous troditions ond rituol proctices, performonce con olso be rerr to be on integrol port of the cultures; occording to some wrilers il would seem to be o more rgeniol form of ort thon pointing or sculpture. Julie Ewington stotes thot performonce in its diffierent represeniotlons "is sel ot the heorl of the ort in the region". To her, performonce is more o l$irilcdern

sociol force ihon o culturol form, providing o reference ond o medium for commenl in the sociopoliticoi oreno.8 So it moy be seen thot performonce ortists ore extending troditionol rites with o contemporory form, using culturol imcaery lo mcnifesl socio messoges. ln Singopore, Amondo Heng's work comes to mind; in this sense S/HE (1993) ond S/HE2 (1995) the orrisr exrends the relotionship belween herself, the socie! thot she lives ond works in, ond the socie! thot she wcs brought up in. She drows upon hisloric, soclol ortifocis ond moulds them into o contemporory seiting, often in o gender specific context, commeniing upon the sociol institutlons of the doy, ond the culturol heritoge thot stonds behind modern Southeost Asio. Artists like Robertcl Villonuevo incorporoled troditlonol rituols

ond beliefs bosed on the highlond cullure of the Philippines into instollotions ond performonces ofien resembLing shomonistic ceremonies. The performonces ployed o heoling role in fhe communily with the ortist os the heoler,/shomon, cssucging the onslought of the corruptive influences of urbonisotion. This notion of offirming onei identily through the octing out of shored communily bellefs is o strong source of inspirotion fororiists in the region. The Indonesion ortisi Heri Dono uses trodilionol crtwiih symbols from populor culture in his performonces like the woyong kulit (shodow puppei theotre). ln his performcnce tilled Kudo Binol in the 1994 Adeloide Festivol, he used the fromework of troditionol tronce donce os o vehicle to express ideos io his immediote oudience. Novin Rowonchoikul, whose concern over how ropid modernisotion cnd economic prosperily erode lhe environment os well os troditionol cultures of Thoilond, hos used performonce os o tool to bring lo llght the burdens of modernisotion. ln Wong Hoy Cheongt Lolong, the ortist used performonce to presenl discourses on sociely ond on one's own identily; the messoge is rooted in the sense of iniustice felt by ihe minorily Chinese communily with the proctice of lhe bumiputro policy in Molcysio. Singopore ortisf Lee Wen centred severol of his performonces on the persono of the "Yellow Mon", drowing oltenlion to questions of stereolyping ond clossifying ideniities through the colour of ones skin ond occording to rociol, ethnic lines. These ortists in the region shore o similor burden of the explorotions of self through the use of performonce. One of the more concrete ond enduring lines of development in performonce in Singopore took ploce in 1 9BB. Though fie ortists S. Chondrosekoron, Goh Ee Choo ond SollehJopor were not port of the Ariists Villoge, Trimurti wos presented during the period so close to ihe time of octivily of the Artlsts Villoge thot it would not be on exoggerotion 1o drow discreet correspondences ond connections of one to the other. In lheir severol conversotions both Chondro ond Ee Choo disclose owcreness of Do Wu ond his work. ln foct, Chondro hod discussed performonce ort with Do Wu but disovows ony influence from him.

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of producing ohernotive ort while pursuing their studies ot the ort ocodemy impressed iiself upon them. These three ortists groduoted from the Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts in 1987. As o follow up to their groduoie exhibition Quintet, they orgonised on exhibition colled Trimurti to further develop the concepiuol ond formol notions put forword in their eorlier show. They published on exhibiiion monifesto postuloilng lheir intentlons, with c set of noles documenting their cciions ofter the exhibition hod token ploce. The ideo

-he monifesto for Trimurti opens with ihe following:

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rese three forces con be considered os port of the cosmic cycle. Setting oui to esioblish o new :efinition for ortistic expression, Trimurti exploited the Asicn clossicol symbol of the some nome, :":cusing on the cycle of life ond deoth, through Dooism, Hlndulsm ond Sufism. These three were :rnnected in o 'totol ort' concept employing representotionol ort, instollotion ort ond performonce :- proctices. The ortists of the Trimurti hod ottempted to boldly moke o performonce stotement lhol : culturolly specific, involving spirituol ond rituol repertory drown from iheir own Asion heritoge.

o medium of expression os he performonces os port of his culture. For him the body is the most direct meons by whlch he ::nmunicotes his ort creotively, moking it occessible in terms of imogery ond movemeni. Both >: leh ond Ee Choo continue drowing ond polnting os well os producing instollotion work. Solleh ='cloins thot performonce wos exhousting ond lhot the need for documentotion is problemotic to -: sense of ort moking. Ee Choo feels thot there is no need for performonce in his ortisiic :e,'elopment whlch is directed to goining deeper understonding of (Tibeton) Buddhism; in this ::'rnection performonce ort is too ephemerol ond imprecise. these ihree orlists only Chondro continues to use performonce os

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explores the performonce medium olong the intenlions sel out in Trimurti. A stotemeni

the ortist exponds this siluotion.

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- -:e Trimurti, Chondro

hos emborked upon o number of solo proiects in Singopore ond obrood. '1995, execuled some key performonces between 1990 prior to his iourney to lndio. These

-Ce Kolo Chokro {1991 ), Atmon (1992), Duolity (1993) The Journey (1993) ond Womb On his return, he performed Yoni (1995), Bug (1996), Porosite {1996), Porosite ll ond Red Porosife {1 9981. =')71

":'?4).

lrondro-os o Singoporeon lndion hos proceeded to reconsiruct his culturol heritoge in lndio from the wide lndion religious ond philosophicol perspectives of life ond ih" physicol .'.crld. Exploring elements in Tontric ort ond yogo, he embodies diverse imogery drcwn from : lerent viewpoints ond from direct experiences of Indion cuhure ond yogic Lncounters. He .:netimes involves himself in the presentotion of his inword mediiotive works, losing himself in o -elonge of symbolism ond rituol, to poriroy ospecis of the Universe os seen from Jdeepening -Jion experience.

:':wing

'1993,

Chondro enccted on B hour performonce for the FirstAsio Pocific Triennole in Brisbone

=^titled Duolity.

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^ the performonce Chondro positioned himself on the woll of the gol/ery for eight hours; fhe room .'.cs dimly 1it except for lhe imoges of the goloxy prolected on the woll. The peiformonce creoted : siork ond yet shrine-like ctmosphere in which Chondro become o diety-like figure, one with the :csmos. ,Vhen in lndio, Chondrot focus shifted to whoi would become o common threod in his work: the cody. lnwordly, the body become o continuous threod, shiftlng into different soclol contexfs, os in .vorks such os the Womb, Yoni, Bug, Porosite ond Pregnont porosife.

in 1994 ond occording to Chondro, bosed on "the ideo of cloce or spoce, ond whot hoppens when life begins in o womb. And the iension ond everything 'hot builds within the womb." For Chondro, using the becch siie wos very importont, becouse the .vork "hod everything to do wiih ecrih ond woter." Reflecting llindu phiosophy ond the primevo crigins ond destiny of llfe, Chcndro is convinced thot he "wos coming out from ihe seo ond going 'rlo this pil." Doncers moved oround the pit ln on exlremely expressive monner, representing the ^otion of birth. After tivenly minutes, the donce wos finished; everything stopped ond Chcndro :cme oui from the pit ond went bock into the seo. The performonce depicted the creoiion process, i'om conception to lhe journey to the outside world.r3 The Womb wos performed in lndio

lhondro

hos continued this threod of explorotion, with his body entering different sociol situotions.

-pplying his body in c rituolislic nnonner os in lhe lcons exhibition in Fort Conning Gollery, he :-rlher odvonces ihe ideo of his body os oblect in o performonce. Most recenfly, Chondro hos :een invesiigoting the duo ity of sexuoliry with on introduction of pornogrophic moteriol ond :rposed flesh, doubly ploylng with the idec of duo tty, cnd how ii con olso be opplied to :cncepts in ort.

recenl yeors, performonce ortists hove porlicipoled in mony lnternotionol exhibitions, like in Poulo ond Kossel. The ortists involved hove increosingly goined

-cvono, Tokyo, Sydney, Soo

-iernotionol recognition. The inc usion of Moithew Ngui in lhe 1997 documento X ot Kossel, --ermony is notoble. lncreosingy, performonce ortists like Chondro oppeor to need on ^-ernolionol plotlorm in order to porticipote ond engoge wiih other ortists ond oudiences, in order ': brooden lhe conlext of their experiences.

Swee

Lin

is curotorspeciolisl for art' from the lndoChina region lspecificolly Myonnar, Vietnon,

Loos

& Canbodio) ond

- -sirclio ot' the Singopore Art Museum. Her scope af reseorch exfends lo mult'i-medio ort' procfices os we// cs canfemparory :::ign & craft'. Her porlfolio of responsibilifies tnclude speorheading the multrmedn companent ot' lhe museum, notobly lhe :'-age Gallery ond CD'ROM prolecls. She hos overseen t'he first' inlernot'ianol blockbusfer exhibitions introduced by ttte -,seum inta Singapore, including Mosterpieces from the Guggenheim Museum, Leonordo do Vinci: Scientist, Inventor, Artist, hos co curofed the travelling exhibtion, Ropport: Eight A,rlisls From S'tngopore ond Ausholio, and Imaging Se/ves. She :s edifor ond cont'ribufor for lhe Myonmor secfion in the publicofion Southeast Asion Arl: A New Spirif.

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Fr:i

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For the purpose of this publicotion, the diologues oTe extrocts from lengthy interviews thot cover lhe orlists'

proclices ond thoughts. Audio recordings of the complete interviews ore ovoiloble for reference ot the Nolionol Archives, Singopore.

-rctng poge: S. Chandrosekoron 3indu (Third eye), lgBq

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Actuolly it wos very interesting. The three of us sot down to decide on ihe theme ond the title of the show. We storted to lhrow words ond tolI obout issues. I told them "How oboul Trimurti?". And they soid, "Whot does Trimurti meon?" I soid "Three forces, ihree different forces". The concept should be eoch of us should opprooch it differently. We slorted to throw suggestions. Ee Choo soid, "Yes, I think I wiLl oprooch it from Dooism." Sclleh from Sufism. ond I scid 'OK, I from Hinduism". But how ore we going to tolk oboui this which is very obstroct. Which oreo con we now stort with? Whot is the spoce we ore tolking obout? So oll these issues siorl to orise loter. Trimurti wos oso recognising eoch others differences, giving o focus, emphosising the ideo of togetherness or working os o group, concepiuolly ond psychologicolly. We were olso thinklng oboui philosophicol engogement. :Jti:ir

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Ch yes, it wos very well received, not only by critics or professionol ortists but by students - when we went bock to college oll of them come oul to give us o huge oppouse. The students storted to recognise thot o new form of ort could be evolved. lt mode o chonge for them. Friends who were still ot the Nonyong Acodemy siorted io chonge; Wong Shih Yow, lon Woo,.John Loh, Lowrence Cheng, oll storted to chonge.

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Iong Do Wu's performonces were bosed on Western concepls. I hod heord of his performonces before but never seen fiem before this show. When I wos doing my first performonce ot the Notioncl Museum, {Rituol l), Do Wu wos there ond he tolked to me obout whot performonce is. hod done o performonce without knowing whot performonce is oll oboutl Then Do Wu come ond I

Aimon Serles Toblet' 5,1442

oecome involved. Thoi wos how I met Do Wu. His performonces ore not rooted in elements from this region even though the issues ore. The body geslures, moteriols, spoce understondlng, didn't come from this region. They were Western-oriented body longuoge which I thought did not work. Therefore he didn'l inspire me; bul I got to [now better whot performonce wos ol obout. So we shifted this method of moking performonces. rYl

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The difference is thoi, for me, I wos oble to introduce culture ond my own philosophy into it. The moteriol morked o big shift, especiolLy the use of moteriols from our own cultures, like kumkum Ired powder for dotiing the foreheod], turmeric, twine, bonyon tree, circuLor shopes or bindus, oll these moke differences. lcon cloim thot lom different becouse I moke the differenliotion. lsow performcnce os port of our cuhure.

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wouldn't coll it on ortistic environment ot oll becouse they were very concerned obout the finished croduct ond not the process. Their ideo of ort ltself didn't creote thoi environment. lt wos so slolic, .ery boring, very quiet, everybody wos ofroid of tolking cbout ony4hing, it wos olwoys o leturer-to-iudent concepl of teoching, lhere wos no reosoning.

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-re Trimurti show wos one of the most importont shows in my life; we wonfed to identify our notion

whot wos ort-moking. At this time, Sobopcthy wos o mojor influence in our thinking process. He ond osks, "Whot is thot you wont to do? Why?". The question of "why" wos olwoys thrown :, us. Also ottending his closses in ort hisfory ot Notionol Universily of Singopore wos importonl ond riluenced our thlnking process. This moved us to deiermine our working methodology, :ccumentotion. Everylhing wcs o moior component here. We wonted to moke it on exhibition which .'.'os well ond thoroughly reseorched in oll oreos - mcteriol, concepl, spoce, gollery, documentotion, rdividuol ortisti oreo for discussion.All these were the moin intentions for the show. All these were .'.'olks in

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,Ve storted to look ot universities. Poris wos one of our dreoms, then london, then the Stotes. iustrolio wos neveT in our mind. Afier groduoting from Nonyong Acodemy we decided thot we :rouldn'f be going to oll these couniries becouse it wos not reolly whot we wonted to do becouse -e lmportont ospect is whot is hoppening regionolly. Who could recognise our culture, who could -ecognise whot we were tolking obout? i recognlsed Poris wos not going to do ihot for me. ll wos -'diculous becouse Poris hos its own slle which I hod leornt ot the Nonyong Accdemy of Fine Arts. -he UK is extremeiy expensive ond it hos o coloniol woy of thinking. The Stotes wos out of the lJestion becouse of finonces. So I storted io convos oround. Then we come ocross o seminor on

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Wholever wos wonting ot Nonycng Acodemy wos happening there. We wonled to bend the system, be criticoL, be open, to discuss; to deboie, we wonted to orgue. The leochers were good ond responsive. They were shocked becouse we come wilh o different slle of work ond moterio s; our performonces were differenl. I wcs doing performcnces there; the moleriols were extremely different. They iust couldn't recognise the moteriol oppLicotion. We were doing something ihot everybody wonted to wolk in to see. We were so excited becouse spoce wos given io us.

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We were sponsered by the Perth lnstitute of Contemporory Art. The public reponded wel . We got o lot of good comments ond o lot of criticol comments olso. lt wos such on importont breck-through for me to go publlc; in Austrollo the public is on orl-oriented group of people. lt wos o big shift for me olso lo give ond tcke ond to negotiofe ond orticulote ideos with the public. Yes it wos our groduction show.

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It wos different. Some works were lhe some; but the instollotion ond the spoce were completely different.

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After the degree progromme ot Curtin I gove myself five yeors to build up my portfolio. I found hod to work on the issue of identily, ihe issue of culture. Before going to lndio, I wos decling with lndion elements in moleriols, motifs, concepts. They were oll coming from lndion philosophy +he Uponishods, the Komo Sutro. Whct I wonted to do wos to become more focused in my working methodology. I reolised thot I hcd fo go io lndio to understond the shift which I mode. I

Chokro, Atmon, I Am the Obieci, The Journey, New Journey to the West., Yes, I '=,",,

did o lot before going to lndio.

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ond Kolo Chokro ond Atmon ond the one I did in Fronce. The Yogi is the

When wos wolking oround in the Portlond (Englond) quorry, for the first two weeks I wos iust wolking ond wolking. I didn't know where I wos going io put up my work or io stort my work. Evenluolly I found o spol, o very interesting spot, o volley. Then I reolised thot during the two weeks I wos iust seorching; it wos like o yogi looking for somelhing. ll wos not even enlightenment, it wos just o moment of knowing the truth. I recognised the whole iourney os the yogi, not the finished work. ln thot sense, ihe work, even Kolo Chokro, wos o journey. I hod to stcrt ot one end ond finish ot the olher. Some with Atmon where lime wos the process, os in Scnskrit term for Seeker.

Journey fo the West. lt become a iourney I hod to to[e. Thot triggered me to think of mcrks. oLwoys recognise mcrks which ore very close lo me os port of my work. But I didn't reolise they hod olwoys been lhere becouse they were port of my life. I hod fo get owoy lo recognise new morks, new imoges. I

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wos ln Modros for o yeor, working with two well-known sculptors. One speciolises in orchilecturoL bullding, the other is o wood corver Polmo wos the orchitect ond the wood ccrver wos Chondrosegoron. lworked with them for six months, leorning orchitecture, drowing, designing. in the ofternoon I lecrned from the wood corver to corve troditionol iconic imoges. I lhen ioined the Lolitko o Acodemy in Modros; it wos o contemporory insiitute where they ollow ortists to corne lo do their own proiects ond proctise, glving studio spoce lo ortists. There I worked in bronze-ccsting ond in the ceromic deportments for o while. Whotever I leorned in the first six monfhs, I cpplied in imoges creoted in the Lolitkc o Acodemy. During the process of moking my work, mosi of lhe lndions wouldn'f wont to tolk to me o loi becouse they thought I wcs o foreigner. Cne doy, os I wos working with my motericl, one of the lndions, his nome wcs Swominothon, who is o good friend now, turned round ond soid "Whot oreyou doing?'lsoid, "l'm working on o piece of sculpture." He soid, "very inleresting, becouse hove never seen such forms before. Whot is thot smol thing running oround?" I soid, "A lizard." He sold, "Lizard? And whot is thoi imogery coming from?" "lt is from the iconic imoges I studied." Thot shocked him ond he soid, "l never knew there wos so much difference thol you hod creoted in your imoges, you know?" From then onwords, he become my good friend. He wos working very much with the Western concepl of moking forms, spcce - very conslructive slle - whilst I wos creoting these imoges thct were very different. He soid, "l know this looks like o god ond yet ii doesn't look like o god. Whot is thot?" I told him ihe woy I wos studying ond whot I wos reseorching on. Then he reolised thot, there wcs so much in our cullure thot he hodn't even look ot.

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When I wos ot the Lolitko o Acodemy, wonled to do o workshop with the siudents ln the Modros College of Art. I opprocched the principcl ond he ogreed. ldid o presentotion of mywork. When ldid so, lwos osked, "Whotoreyou dolng? Why do you need lo do such things to convince people? Whot is thot you wont to tolk obout? The work connot communicote," they soid. "The works ore supposed to be simple ond cleor." So recognised thot, yes, l'm soying thot communicotion ond melhodology go in porollel, they don't iust work together This triggered mony other things.

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Communicotion hoppens on mony levels, not just on one level. ln the Philippines, I monoged lo communicote. ln Austrolio, I monoged to communicote. So the level of communicotion differs, depending on how you wont to put your work ocross. I told them thot lhese rituols ond performonces were not from the Western world, "They ore from our port of the culture ond ore so deeply ingroined in our society. There ore so mony things to

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discover ond develop, why ore you still working on Western methodology?" Most of them were shocked; some disogreed, cnd some were confused ond they left. I told them I wos conducling o two-week workshop; it wos not compulsory. I got obout ten sludents; onother ten were fighting

ogoinsl lt becouse ihey were ofroid thct I wos going io chcnge these people. Anywoy, I did my workshop ond lhey did fontcstic wor[. One guy did o sori insiollotlon, onother guy did o performonce. There were so mony things hoppening. Porolel to it wos onother group of siudents who were orgonised by cnother lecturer to beot these siudents up cnd destroy iheir work. It wos ol hoppening ot one time. Now I heor ihot they ore oll doing performonce ond insiollction in Modros.

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Oh, yes. Another thing obout performonce wos thol they thought performonce hod to do wilh iheolre. When I wos in lndio I wonted io do performcnce; I opprooched lndion doncers. But ihey were ofroid becouse they soid lhot to do o performonce it hod to be choreogrophed, they needed to know whot I wos doing. I soid, "No, l'm not going to choreogroph your movements. will give you my concept. You choreogroph you work, you work with me. Whotever movements you toke is fine wlth me. don'f wont it io be o choreogrophed piece of work.. You see my movement, I see your movement, we work together in thol creo." Most of the lndion doncers I

refused to work with me in thot monner. Then f,vo lodies come forword. One wos from Spoin ond the other from Germony. They both decided to colloborote with me. I dld the performonce ot the secside, neor Cholomondal Beoch. I storted lhe performonce. lt wcrs very simple, very crude, very row. The dcncers colloboroted with me. We hod o very short reheorsol - where to stond, where noi to sfond - logisticolly to moke ourselves very cleor. There wos one drummer from lndio, o sludent who worked with me. After the performonce everybody wos shocked.

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The performonce I did in lndio wos colled Womb. lt wos bosed on the ideo of ploce or spoce, ond whot hoppens when life begins in o womb. And the tension ond everythlng thot builds within ihe womb. I dug o pit, collected seven sticks ond orronged them oround it; I used o rope cs one of the elements. Using the beoch os o site wos importont becouse it hod to do with ecrth ond woter. I wos coming out from the seo ond going into this pit. About live minutes loter, o drummer begon to ploy ond the doncers storted to move oround the pit, using their bodies lo express.the notion of birth. Cne mode o clockwise direction ond the other stopped. lwos sitting in lhe centre holding onto the rope ond the doncers were pulling the ropes, pul lng me ond trying to mo[e connection wiih me. About lwenly minutes loter when the donce wcs finished, everything stopped, ihe music stopped. I come out from the pit ond went bock to ihe seo. So I wos tolking obout whot 'roppens in the womb when creotion storts. I wos tolking obout the tension, the involvement celween oulside ond inside spoce, the mother ond the child reloiionship.

1994

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When I wos resecrching lnto icons I reolised fhot bronze wos on importont element in moking obove ond focing poge: Kala Chakra (Wheel af Tine), 1 991

42 mins performance Choreogro phy i n colloborof i o n wi t'h Shant'a Bhosker ond Nril,yoloya Aeslhelics Socletu

iconic imcges - devos or gods. Bronze wos something thot I olwcys wonted to explore. I didn'f hove o chonce io do #ot in Singopore. Second ihing wos thot il wos o moterioL thot con define forms cleorly for me. I find thot bronze gives strength 1o form; it glves definition, it identifies the movemenl of the iconic imoges. Even though I use cloy, I find thot bronze con consolldote oll of -hese togelher

ol ore l 'le.

Yes, it wos intentionol. Thct wcs the reoson I studied the troditionol discourse of icons. Thot mode

me recognise lhe sociol implicotion built through time. The power is importont becouse whenever show the symbols the power gets shifted. When I shift the power lhe ossociotions with the power olso gel shifted. So I wos thinking of the shlfting rother thon the symbol iiself. I wos onolysing where ond how lcon shiftthese symbols, where ond how the meonlng con be shifted. To know the fundomentols of moking on icon in order to moke the shift or understond the shift.

To me, these medio ore toos to express on ideo. There ore so mony choices. I believe it comes lo me noiuroly becouse it comes through my culiuro opplicotion.

ln Boli I sow thls guy who wos o cook in the morning ond o doncer in the ofternoon. His body gets tronsformed immedictely becouse of the woy he wos oble to express his ideo. think this is not olwoys possible in the Western world. ln the Western world o sculplor remoins o sculptor; ortists in the performonce medium will olwoys stoy with performonce od. I don't lhink thot Do Wu con moke thoi klnd of shifl in thot kind of reference. Oh yes, he does pointing ond oll thot, but for me the shift is continuol, When ldo instoLlotions lsee references to my poinlings, ond when lsee pointings I con moke references to my sculpture. The sense of contlnuily is importont for me.

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Drowings ore the bockbone for me; drcwing gives me c stepping stone to whotever I wont to do. So when I drow, it's not mecnt for pointing or scupllure or insiollolions. When I wcnt to do on insiollotion I iust pick up my sketches ond look through them ond find something interesting lo work from the sketch. So drowing is o nnusl for me. lt functions like o mind.

left ond focing poge:

Bug, 1996

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A body hos its sociol order. The Womb, going on io Yoni, then the birth of the Bug, the Bug becoming o. Porosite, the Porosite becoming pregnonl. lt oll hos to do with the body getting lronsformed. Thot is why L soy the Bug is o lronsition between the Womb ond the Pregnont Porosite becouse it wos the birth of o new ideo. The body is the common threod connecting everything, but it hos shifted from o very condensed, rituoListlc opprooch towords o very contemporory sociol order now. Womb wos very much o rituol, the imoges ore conirolled. ln Pregnont Porosite, fhe body is conceoled. Sound, iime, ore more emphosised. lmcges stort to bombord, you know. Pornogrophic imoges were iniroduced ond my body become monlpuloted with the insertion of needles into the body, becoming much more oggressive. The body hos become different now. The sociol order is shifting, olwoys shifting. Fron|y, this is the first time l'm seeing oll this. I sow the connection when Sobopothy wos tolking oboul ii, from the Womb to becoming pregnonf. The sense of continuily, without knowing it hoppens. Thot is why the reseorch wos on importont component. So the body is the common threod; body becomes tronsformed with the sociol implicotlon; or the concepi is ironsformed with the sociol implicotion. They ore oll concrened with ihe body. The body is coming through, the body itself.

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The notion of sexuolity hos nothing to do with the notion of sex itself. The notion of sexuolity is to redefine fhe meoning of gender or to redefine the meoning of body. From the perspeclive of Indion cuhure, the body is on importont component of sociely. Ardhonorishvoro is o God holf-mole ond hof-femole. The emphosis is on "l'm o womon, l'm o mole."; here is the existence of lhe duolity, ond tho tis whot l'm tolking obout: the existence of sexuoliry is the existence of the duolity of lhe mcsculine ond feminine noture of ourselves. Do these ideos oppose, compromise or complement one onoiher or ore they lust stotic?

of pregnoncy is not becouse I wont lo shock, lo lronsforming myself into o womon. l'm toking the role to recognise ihis porticulor thing thotexists in the body. The ideo of body, when il gets pregnont, it is olwoys connected with the womon; I wos just moving the symbol, tolking obout ihe symbol, moving oll the meonings outside. Knowing the duolity of existence, I om oble to ironsform my body cnd become one port of it. Yes, I think so. The ideo

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think the most successful performonce for me is one in which you ore oble to negoliate yourself, negoiiote the porcdigm. Thot's how my ego gets shottered. lts very importont for me to do thot - to get myself shottered here ond there. I

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Performonces ond instollotions logether. When I went there I tolked to o lot to people obout the ideo $ot I wonied to work on. For exomple in God of Rubbish I wonted lo use mosks, so I did o lot of reseorch ond I osked my friends, "Whot klnd of mosks con I use? Why is this mosk this woy?" So I select mosks ond moteriols occording to the concept of whotever I wonl to work in o

porriculor counlry. ln Hovono ond Koreo I wos oble to chonge moteriols very fost. God of Rubbish wos one of the best pieces of work for me. I think thot o successful performonce ls when you ore oble to moke chonges ond occept the chonges immediotely So I put my proposol oside ond decided to choose motericls thot I om oble to recognise from thot porticulor culture. I like working in thot woy becouse it mokes me chonge, mokes me see thlngs differently. ln Hovono I wonted to do o conventionol performonce but when I orrived, everything chonged becouse of the orgonising struciure. Woiting wos one of the key components. Everybody got to woit for things to be done. And thot become very importont for me. So I soid, "You don't hove to put up the work for me becouse l'm going to creote o performonce colled Woiting.' f,r.1

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And thot is very importont becouse thol is where ortists must be oble io moke their porodigm shifts. ln Tokyo, you got no choice becouse the environment is stiff. They ore worried oboui fire, obout poper, everything. ln Hovono ond Koreo, everything wos very flexible, everything con be done. So the environment does offect the ortist. It does.

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do performonce ori in Singopore. Here there ore other logisiics I hove to consider ot the momeni. The logisiics of performonce is not very cleor.

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will be bosed on the exponsion of the ideo of body in relotionship to orchitecturol spoce ond technology. I would like to work on the ideo of cyberspoce, getting into very high-tech ond olso the trodilionol opprooch within the iroditionol ond high+ech relotionship. I would still like to moke thoi contoct. The future work

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The importont thing for me is thoi ort triggers new woys of thinking. Secondly, I wont my ort to be recognised os Asion. We don't need to rely on ony other methodology. We need to know obout other methodology, we should not be noive oboul ii, but there ore cerioin elements thot we should keep os ourselves. I meon, it iokes iime to be recognised but we should be oble lo recognise ourselves first. Do it. Thots why in mosl of my works there ore lots of chonges hcppening which l'm not ofroid of. Thots why we should be oble to see thot ort is not iust o finished product, itt o product thot keeps moving, o product with o beginning, on end ond o beginning ogoin And wont my ort to provoke, even disturb the oudience. I wont them to go out thinking. Thott whot wont ort to do. I

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we grcduoted, but didn't toke port in the grcduotion show since our work wos nof ih line with NAFAs policy, we didn'l wont to toke port becouse we hod to poy obout $400, ond none of us hod ihot kind of money then. So we decided to go out on our own ond continue pointing. Cnce in owhile, we would get together to discuss ond help eoch olher out. ln

ln 1986, I hod my exhibition ot

the Allionce Froncciise. By ihot iime, I wos slightly more but my moin intention wos io 1ry cnd help os mony of my friends cs thon the other fwo, estoblished possible. After hoving on exhibition in 'Not the Singopore River' in the Arbour Flne Art Gcllery in 1987 LinJen Hoo of Arbour Fine Art gcve us o spoce to use. I thlnk his gollery wos o iest ond he wos totolly in support of the younger oriists.

l9BZ, I got in touch with o few of the old studenls, like Koh Kim Seng, Desmond Ton, Chondro ond Solleh, ond we cll decided to do on exhibition. I wos quite owore then thot fhe ortists thot hcd been pooled together were not very much exposed. So, using myself os o pulling point, I thought I could hove done something differenl. I didn't wont lo toke up loo much woll spoce olso. So most of the woll spoce wos given to Chondro, Solleh, Desmond Ton ond Koh Kim Seng, ond I too[ one woll ond the ceiling. Thot wos the first time I tried to explore the whole ideo obout spcce becouse I felt thot the ceiling could olso be converted into o work of od. And we tried to link up oll our works together by clustering our works, like port of o whole movement circulcting oround the ort gollery. So in

The Theatres of Power,

view of insfollot'ion

The Theotres of Power, I

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The Theotres of Power

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-:-public instoilofion. Ever since my doys in NAFA, I wos exploring with ori ond spoce, =:- ei Dooist influence ond the concept of feng shui. I thought thor if you con chonge the -:-cligning certoin things, by putting certoin things on the ceiling, the floor, the wclls ly o igning them, you con creote hormony.

,:-::-

oeo wos pushed in l9B7 when Michoel O',Forrel come to Singopore ond selected Artisls' Regionol Exchonge [ARX] in Perih where cgoin I used the some ideo obout --.e:nenl in o gollery spoce, using the movemenl ilself to creote interoctions beil,veen the

'-=:

-st

lnstitut hcs been one of fie mosi cclive spoces, besides golleries like Arbour ond ery. The whole show wos formuloied not in o struciured monneT but more in the form of - - ,'---ing where everyone storted tolking ond picking up things here ond there. And slowly , -: A I of us ore working in relotion to noture, especiolly os we ore oll quite religiously :nd on the spirituol side." From ihere, we tolked oboutspirituo ospects ond whether ii =: . :-,. cle for us lo tronsform Goethe Gollery inlo o universe, ond the whole ideo of the goilery =:-:- to noture, ond the universe in relotion to noture.

---e'-e

- :-:

The Theotres of Power lll, I 99 l

= - .':c who would loke whot role in nolure deskuction, creotion ond preservotion lhot .::=-. everydoy in nolure. We looked ot eoch other ond soid, "Chondrc, I think you ore for

:. -r- l'.r becouse wherever you go, you ore olwoys destroying .

everythingl"

given the role os Creolor becouse we see him os on inte lectuol person, down to eorth ',4icol He likes to come out with new ideos, creoting things in o very subtle monner. I iust =,=-,: everything; so ot the end of crection ond preservotion, lwould poss everything to , ' --:'c to destroy ogoin. .'

: :':

.:- down to discuss

moleriols. Chondro wos in chorge of getting powders, pigments, moking At

,. - pots, for his instoliotion ocluolly. Solleh would look for cloth, wire; l will look for stones. '- :r-e iime I will scout oround for mongrove roots thot grew beside the Singcpore river. We ,

r Eo there

ond cui the roots. Things developed slowly.

,ve hod the show, when we decided on the ideo, we went to see Sobopcthy, ond he i over with us. After two hours of bombordment by him, testing whether we were reolly truthful, he felt we were quite serious.

' -:lking to him, ofler we come out from his house, from

this bombordment,

we soi down over

: of soyo beon ond soid, "He is reolly fierce, he gove us no woy out, mon!" Finolly, we were = slrong in our belief thot this is whoi we wonled.

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The monifesto corne ofter the whole exhibition, becouse, loter, in the process of presenting the exhibiiion, we hod gothered o lot of informotion. So we storted to record the things individuolly, of our progress; by the time we got everyihing together we hod compiled quite o lot of informotion ond then o photogrophic ortistJohn Loi fwho loLr emigrored to Conodo], decided to shoot for us. We looked oround for people to moke o video. Everyone got togeiher. Soileh produced on edition of ten copies which were hond-mode by hrm.

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quite bodly the flrst two, lhree weeks. I neorly gove up my studies, neorLy requested o tronsfer to onother deportment. The post-groduote siudents were helpful ond they osked me lo continue. I mixed o lot with the older students there, osking them how to do this, how to do thot, ond helping them. Knowing veryweli thot the heod of deportment, Bortolomeu Dos Sonlos, wos not going lo teoch me onything, I decided thot the only woy I wos going to leorn wos to leorn t

from the sludenis themselves.

And lwos plonning my trip to Europe, becouse lwos in Englond. One thing I reolised obout my heod of deportment wos thot he wos o very observont person. Although he wos not willing to teoch me onylhing, he wos observing how I wos solving problems. At the end of the lerm, cboui two weeks before the opening of the groduotiorr exhibition, he csked me wheiher I wonted to do rny t\ A. I wos qulte surprised becouse I thoughl he dldn't like me. And oll the while I wcs plonning to go on my holidoy in Europe. t',::i: :"r,*t 1.-i.ir:# i ;:-i i!ri-" ri:r:ei;

I met Ching I oround '89 in April, when os students we hod no money ond I wos given fhis ploce free by my friend who osked me whelher I wonted to stoy in Poris in o room. I soid I don't mind. wos ollowed to be there for obout one month ond I met her.

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She wos studying ot fhe Ecole des Beoux Arts. So we dlscussed ort ond thot is how we got to know eoch other quite well. She wos very serious. She wos oJso o rebeLlious sludent when she wos studying ot ihe Toiwon Notionol College of Art. The iime in Poris wos speni in exhibitions - the Georges Pompidou Cenlre. I spenl not so much time ot the Grond Polcis ond noi so much time ot

= \otionol Museum, but ol the Georges Pompidou Centre. And oil the books were there. So o lot of time meeiing friends ond discussing. My ideos were consolidoted there.

.::.i .

-:n

I resumed formoi studies for my Mcsters, I wos not very hoppy over certoin expectotions

\SEAN siudents should follow o certoin opprooch using old cclligrophy. I begcn to

re-ossess

.'rhole situotion.

--=- lsloried

to deol with the ideo of identily, of ASEAN, of regionol consciousness These ore oll

: : ssues hondled on notioncl levels. As on ortisl, I wos concerned obout identily, somefhing thof -:-o repiico of the West. I felt strongly thoi if we con come oui with somelhing very ceor, thoi :-- -epresent ourselves truthfully, then the culture of our region will be respected. :

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owore of things like old troditionol Chlnese ideo obout the temple

- ,--ecturol buildings. From there, I slowy storied going into the whole -:-e o lthe lroditionol ortworks were plcced.

-= :esl of Souih eost Asion works were creoted for religious purposes. So, when I stort thinking - -^ci level, I discovered thot the whole ideo obout ori wos bosed on o Western notion lhot wcs -' : :-ed becouse we hove Weslernised troining. Art wos never lhe vocobulory of the Eost - --:C io re-ossess whether we con hove cn ort form thot con express ourselves, cnd of lhe some l

-se elements of theirs, like techniques using oils but expressing ASEAN elements.

-=': cre folk

elements, there ore court elements ond you hove reigious ort. And, from there,

--:j to look into the ideo of feng shui more deeply. lstorled looking lo old clossicol theories, :::: rvrilten by Togore oboui ort ond beouly. I wos moving owoy from Western elements.

:.eC up o lol of ideos obout the oesthetics of Chinese pointing ond tried to integrote them into . .estern woy of working. I slowly conceived the whole room os o poiniing, oll the elements - -::j rn the room os stil life obiects or like oblects thot ore ploced on o piece of convos in -:-:r io eoch other.l wos olso interesled in poce os o power sife, os o ploce of mediiotion.

-;:lre

owore of the relotionship behrieen oblects cnd spoce, ond how to utilise existing spoce the object. And simllorly how io use fhe oblecis so thot they ore in bolance. Most of ',:rks ore bcsed o lot on this whole troditionol ideo. lt is iust thot I re interprel them in new . :nd I coniinue working on thoi unti oround .I995, ending with the Lost Riie ot the

. r--tnce

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exhibiiion.

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Weolth Mondolo, 1998

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When I storted working on ihot series deoling with structurol ond orgonic forms, I wos trying to find o bolonce between these iwo, how life con work wiihin o structure, becouse I felt thot o structure thot hos been creoted by monkind someiimes is octuolly restriciing. lsow how noture slowly overcomes o building with weeds ond bronches covering it; I took ideos from fhere. Power Structure is more obout the power of life ond slructures, how they penetrote eoch other. Living in Singopore where we ore reoching this structure, where we hove to try to comply wifi stondords, how con we moke our doily life more interesting?

When I relurned to Singopore in the l99Os, lhere wos o gop beMeen younger ortists ond older ortists. With the estoblishment of ihe A*ist Villoge o lot of things were hoppening ond lot of things were, I think, misunderstood; o lot of very strong messoges were being pui up by both sides. lt wos o very tense movement. I begon to feeJ thot there wos o conflicl between the older generotion ond the younger generotion. Being in belween, I wos trying to find how we con ociuolly come to on understonding, to help to close the gop.

Tronsfornolion Of The Spirituol Drogon 1

It wos olso o tlme when people storied to proctice performonce ort, the Artlsts Villoge, Tong Do Wu ond his whole group of ortists were coming up together. Artisls were olso moking very strong sociol stotements. At thot time I storted questioning the role of the ortist.

989-1 994

did not respect Tong Do Wu very much; I respect him os on ortist but nol so much os o person becouse I felt thot he wos bringing something from the West, opplying o system thol wos totolly olien to Singopore. Whereos in the West we con moke o slrong stotement cnd yet get owoy with it, in $e Eost everything you soy hos o certoin responsibility. I wos quile worried obout ihe things thot he wos trying to tell the younger ortists. Although some of the things thot he wos trying to puf forword were oui of good intentions. Everything seems lo be ollowed ond yet everything seems to be geiiing nowhere. I olwoys respected Tong Do Wu os someone who could hove done o lot; wos inspired by some of the thlngs lhot he did when he come bock to Singopore in ihe eorly 'BOs I

Solleh ond I then begon to meet. We tolked obout issues ond dlscussed philosophy. From there onwords, I begon working with the ideo of how life con be creoted within structures. I storted deoling with the Theohes of Power series ond ihe History of Sexuolity series.

t4 i

*-=

History of Sexuolity series wos octuolly more oboui the kundolini energy or the serpent energy in our body thot is noi fully releosed, ond con only be releosed through meditoiion. ln the :orver Structure series, i storted to quesfion obout life conforming to o certoin sfructure. lf one is -:::-cble, one con live. My belief is lhoi we don't hove io oppose sociely. So I believe ihot if we -:.= something to express, we con. lf it is not in line with everyone ond it! o personol view ihen , -:n keep it to ourselves. So I wos very conscious obout sociol stotements, public stoiements : - : r'ivote slctements.

--:'3nl

Light, Knowledge, Sfructure,

199l

:-^:-e

spoce ond public spoce, their different roles. The privote spoce constiiutes our own constitutes our relotionships to the

*-:cm, our individuol freedom to ihink; the public spoce '-: e, where we hove to be port of thoi system. ..:-: ''

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bock to thot spoce quite o few times to look ot it, to get o feeling of it ond to see whoi thot spoce like o temple, olthough I wosn't very owore ::,:,i how old temple orchitecture wos built or the noture of the icons involved. I storted producing .*.".crks thot deolt with the feeling of icons, of worshipping icons ond of memories; of how our -:*cries become shodows; insteod of releosing us from our bondoge theyoctuolly bind us. -:-e of fhe plotforms in my drowings octuolly come from the shodows of buildings.

"eri -:- jo with it. Agoin I storted lo construct

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eve in fote but I believe fhot if l'm given thot opportunily I con ocluolly shore it with more

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So ofter coming bock in I 993, I 994, 1995, slowly my ldeos stort chonging; ond when I met his Holiness Sokyotrizin of the Sokyo lineoge of Tibeton Buddhism, the first thing I leorned from him wos io hove o good motivolion.

whole month ottending his tolks ond his religious octivitles. lt wos then thot I slort leorning thot one of ihe most imporiont things os o humon being is to hove o good motivotion. His Holiness Sokyofizin octuolly come ot o time when I wos ot one of the lowest points ln my life. I spent one

After 1995, ofter my exhibition ot Tokoshimoyo Gollery I wrote on essoy obout my thoughts ond my beliefs; |his wos the first time I pui oll my thoughts together. And I stort to believe thot insteod of using ort to moke strong stotemenls, we con octuclly use ort io help people by thlnking obout whot they ociuolly need insteod of imposing our needs on them. l{*".+

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I leorned from Soh Koy Cheng [Heod of Educotion Reseorch Technology, NIE], ond some of my reoding to understond my oudience, my students. I need to be oble to meet whot they octuolly wont. itry to push this tdeo into my ort by osking bosicolly whot is the moin motivotion for doing this oriwork, how con this oriwork octuolly help others. Art is bosicolly obout communicotion of your ideos or your siotements; if it! obout communicotion then priorily should be given to the oudlence. I try to communicote by trying to creote o bolonce belween their needs ond my needs, ond hope ihot the link between the Wo will be me. The eorlier works were very personolised but ofter Five Directions, I slowly try to understond them ond see how the works con ploy o role. {t,,'r*s *r*i}l ir;

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1;rg 1,.'ic ,: I ].r i:,,r {qr s,''h:., I didn't wont to odd too much colour becouse of my koining ot ihe Slode. During thot time I wos irying to explore in-between the block ond the white, how much con we work within the grey

colour. I loter reolised thot octuolly life con be much eosier if we keep ii ot o very simple level of working with simple elements. When I reolised thot, I stort to opply colours slowly, one by one, storting with gold which I like very much. The gold comes out very sternly ogoinst the blocks. I like blue which hos

o spirltuol meoning.

felt ihot the colours could ploy o very strong role in offecting the emotions of people; ond by using colour in o subtle monner, not in controdiction but in o certoin form of bolonce, it con octuolly enhonce the work rolher thon just merely block ond white. But even the colour I use is in o very colculoted monner. I

And my involvemeni with Tibeion Buddhism ond looking ot oll these colourful plctures everydoy, ond slowly, building up my home, surrounding myself with oll these imoges, slowly, olso offects my sense of colour. I om siill very coreful.

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When I do on orhruork I do it in response to o sltuotion. ldon't believe thot lwont to do o performonce iust becouse l'm o performonce ortist. But ot thot iime we wonied lo show the link behveen the hoppening of nolure ond how Chondro! performonce of destruction ls linked to Sollehs creotion ond finoly how I om to link them together. So when I do my performonce ldo

in response to whether there is o need.

My performonce wos not pre-plonned becouse we didn'l know whot Chondro would be doing. Suddenly he come out from behind the door of the Goethe Gollery cnd he wcs smcshing potsl

reolised I could use the element of time becouse preservotion deols o lot wirh ihe ,"qr"n." of lime. so I depict myself os on old mon, wolking, not oble to see. Then I used o chicken to represent the life ond the five elemenis. I wos wolking oround there, with the remoins of Chondro s performonce beside me, showing destruction, ot the some time trying to llnk his performonce cnd mine. lt wos o performonce ihct wos totolly unpionned.

l'm slowly bringing this whole idec obout messogei obout the simple trinily of beouty, truth ond compossion to the pub ic, one woy is by leoching ond the other is through my orhvorks. And then by ort exhibltions where I con bring in certoin ortefocls from oversecs ond exploin to people the role thol these orlefocls plcy. I believe lhe role of the ortist is not lust one person tecching but if you ccn get everyone to conlribute somelhing smcll, then you hove o whoe environment. So it is slowly shifting from toking the whole responsibility of ort-moking upon oneself to shoring ond osking other peopL to get invoved. So there is o slight shift. And thot is why I find ioy from seeing students doing cri.,r,,orks ond how they somelimes toke you os o source of inspirotion for whenever ihey hove o problem. So the ortist hos c muliiple role

998

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We ore good buddies. We spent o lot of time together, especiolly in the school. Chondro wos my clossmote, ond Fe Choo wos six monlhs our senior. We groduoted together. We hove this fond wor[ing relotlonship in terms of moking coses, crgumenis, cross-referencing, shoring informotion ond things like thot.

cnd Miss Moh I Siew Lon, Cuhuro Officer ot the lnstilut] offered the ploce ond we thought il wos o good ideo os it would be c follow-up from the Quintet exh ibition.

There wos this spoce ot Goethe lnslitut

Quintet

o kind of groduotion show becouse we didn't hove o groduotion show. We refused to hove o groduotion show with the rest of the closs becouse fhere were opposing ideos; lhey preferred to hove o lorge group show. You contribuled only iwo or three works which we found were not enough lo show three yeors of study. And then we wonted lo put up wor[s from our own portfolio, different from those perceived cs school work. Therefore, we refused lo hove works thot we enloyed exhibited with works which were school exercises - still life, flgures ond lhings li[e thot. lt creoted o lot of tension. The groduotion show olso cost o lot. Eoch student forked out something ike three to four hundred dolLors. We thought thot we could do it for less ond be effeclive. The Quintet exhibition is octuolly

Ee Choo hod on exhibition in Arbour lArbour Fine Arl Gollery] before. For the Quintet show he opprooched Jen How llim Jen How, proprietor of Arbour Fine A* Gollery] ogoin cs io whether we could hove o smoLl group show, o col oborolion show. He wos gome enough lo give us the spoce. lt become like o groduotion show, ond we enjoyed it becouse we were given free rein, we could do whot we wonled, bosed on five persons.

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Ee Choo wos the one who sourced for informolion ln terms of spoce, in ierms of opportunily,

becouse he hod good connections in the ort circle. He monoged to secure the ploce. From then on, we slorled discussing, We thought of putting up somefhing together ihot combined us; we spent o couple of doys just to think obout whot octuolly binds us together, besides NAFA. We looked in lerms of the noture, the woy we worked. We looked ot oll our works, our stotements, we discussed ond orgued obout them until finolly we come to the ideo thot eoch hod o different opprooch. Ee Choo hod o slight cdvcnloge becouse he hod o strong formol lroining in terms of droughtsmonship; Chondro breoks up things, dismonties ihings, so we thought it would be interesling to see him os the force thotworked within the syslem. Trimurti octuollydiscussed the firee different notures of worklng together.

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No, we were more or less refleciing on opprooches. Ee Choo wos reclly foscinoied by Dooism ond his works point io olher reolms thon the technico , We drew quite o lot from crnclent culture, which offected the woy in which we cctuo ly see. Port of thot is the mystlco cu tures. Those ore things thot I find most foscinoting ond not mony Singoporeon ortisls drow from ihot. They cou d drow from co ligrophy; bul the woy see it colligrophy hos become quite illustrotive. They iust write lhe words; the meonlng behind holding the brush, going through lhe stro[es, their significonce, ore not there. I find thot lhey drow surfoces rcther thon lheir essences. Whot most of us iry to get to is bosicclly essences. So ihoi is why some soy, we get quite spirituol or religious. l! r:r,tr',,, i il lrrmurtr

i.,

hod wo lpes of educotion. Cne wos the troditiono ond re lgious educoiion, ihe olher wos seculor educotion. Quite o few of the inclinctions come from thot porticulor, specific religious educoiion. There is o ot thot con be drown from ihci. : ri:rt, titi i"jL.iilrr

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we ieornt ln terms of ortlstic lrcining. lt wos routine, You jusi corne to school, sel up your ecsel ond then siori poinling. There wos not much in the woy of teoching, lhe eclurers wou d go oround ond point out the ihings you shou d rectify. Thus, there wos nol much we lecrnt in the sense of techniques ond skil s. The only thing I eornt from NAFA wos bosicoly bondrng, bondlng wilh your friends, especioly those serious cbout ort. I o so leornt lhoi you discover ihings obout yourself, oboui seif-perseveronce. There wos not much

Not in thot sense, there wos compeliiion in terms of who cou d drow better; the competilion wos obout who could point wel . The intellectuo stimulolion wos loc[inc. Trimurti There wos on effect; even if you tried to shut lhe oudlence oul, bul there

would be inler:venilon,

someone wo king post or something ike thot, You iust go bock. I troined myself to focus, ike in proyers where you hove to concentrote ond focus. The some things too in medilolion. Some of lhose exercises did he1p. There were cerloin things you cou d reoct with the oudience, in lerms of energy ihot connes ocross. I find it very difflcult ond energy consuming. Thot wos one reoson why didn't toke up performonce ofier thot-becouse it wos just too consuming, ii consumes o lol of your energy. Bul it wos fun ot firsi.

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It morked o climox of this bonding. lt served os o climox for eoch of us stort to work on o.ur own different roots. For me it wos on event thol mode me know the person next to me slightly better thon I hod known him os o siudent. Those ore things thot I find personolly quite sotisfying. You don't feel you ore the only person working olong such o route

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tried other ploces. I opp ied io Howoii Universily in Americo; they sent o reply which onnoyed me. There wos olso the cost. Also, I thoughl the Stotes would be obout l6 hours flight, Britoln would be onother I 2 hours fllght, it wos very for ond especiolly hord for my fomiLy. I thought moybe we should flnd something closer ond more convenient. We visited on Austrolion educotion foir ond mel Peter Efford, o lecturer ot Curtin Universily. He wos reolly interesiing. He wos very open to ideos ond got excited; especiolly when he looked ot our portfolios. He wos sincere in convincing us to study in Curtin, not for the fees thot we would be poying, but lo experience o different culiure. At the some time he sow lhct we mighl be oble to contribule something to procllclng orts in Southeost Asio. He tried to work out our finonces. We felt thot it wos not the inslitution itself but the peope, people like Peter Efford thol run lnsiitutions who would moke our experience of working cnd studying there enjoyoble. I thought ihot the finonciol ospects would be worked out. We ended up stoying there for o yeor. They reolly look core of us; we were picked up upon orrivol ond given studios. I

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They were the pointing stoff, threedimensionol studies sloff ond those coming from croft, besides Peter who wos from design. He used to come over ond tclk obout whot we were doing, whot kind of work were we up to ond thlngs like thot. We hod the benefit of not just one discipline in terms of pointing, but of oiher disciplines, lncluding theory. We hod the benefit of o totol educolion. Curtin is good becouse it promotes multi-disciplinory leorning. We even experimenied with working on some colloborotive proiects. We went to the sculpiure depcrtmenf, mixed with the sculpture students. We hod o good ropport with them. We visited the croft students studying textile fibre, ceromics ond things like thot. So we got oround the compus. lt wos so free; ihey lreol you os responsible odults ond we knew thol we hod to be responsible. So we completed our works on lime, were punctuol for sessions, like drowing, which were compulsory, besides the iheory.

We hod severol sioff coming into our studios quite often.

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ihaf? There wos. And I think it wos overcmbitious. It wos held ot PICA (Perth lnstitute of Contemporoy Artfwhlch wos on old school. Normolly ot PICA o group show would consist of six or seven becouse of ihe huge exponse of spoce. The spoce wos olso problemotic becouse the ceiling wos reolly high like o church. There wos o smoll corridor - o kind of mezzonine corridor - ottoched to holf woy olong the woll. lt wos problemotic. We hod io somehow work it out in terms of spoce ond how we could connect with the smoller works in the rooms. I hod to find something to fill up thot room, not verticolly but horizontolly. The pine lree is not notive to Austrolio ond it is"grown for commerciol purposes. This wos interesting. So I found thol pine wos of significonce os it reflected yourself os someone who comes in ond who lries to grow some roots there. Bui then you ore not going lo be someone kuly permoneni but you still hove on otlochment to the history of your post. The pine trees worked becouse il covered quite on extent of thol room. Thot room wos obout eigh! meters long. One of ihe fees somehow meosured obout thirty over feet, two of lhem come to over sixty, so they filled up olmost the whole spoce with thoi thing suspended obove the floor. You corne bock

.l990.

Whcr dicl you dc tlien?

Once we returned, we ended up hoving port{ime ieoching posts ot NAFA, ond the rest of the time you coniinued with your own proctice. Didn'i yau olso icin lhe Nsti+nel Mu*euiu cs c curolor-F After o while I wos o bit fed-up with teoching. Even when I wos in the gollery {Notionol Museum Art Gollery), I wos still ieoching becouse I felt o responsibility towords the siudents, no1 the institution. Somehow the thing siorts to weor off becouse you ore teoching the some subiect throughout the yeor. How in the world could I go further if I iust tought ort history over ond over ond over ogoin, especiolly ot foundotion level. I thought it would be o chollenge to see whot it! like to work in o museum, to understond o syslem, onother ort system. Mechonised Leorning, I 993

ji. i!

Born Out' Of Fire, 1993 vrew of inslollofion

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I think, if you ore open, you wou d leorn o lol of things. As o proclising ortist you don't know much oboul the museum except thot the museum collects works, exhibits works ond things like thot Somelimes you toke thot for gronted, so you moke demonds. When you wor[ in o museum, you know the constraints, the procedures. You oppreclote certcin smol thlngs.

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ond lthink becouse of thct conf lct, I ended up irying to prioritise ogoin whot I could ond whot I should do. Whot hcppens is thol the proclice tokes o bock seot becouse lhe museum demonds o lot of time, o lot of ottention, especiolly when you become involved in proiecls. So thot wos why I went bock to proctice. Yes, lhere wos o conflict

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The best lhing during lhose yeors wos lhe drive. When you ore working in the museum you hove orlists coming in ond showing you their new works ond you become ogiloted. You soy, 'Whot the hell, these people ore coming out with oll these new works.Whol om I doing?" So I hove to find every single pockef of time to work out something. So the things fiot i did wos bosicolly very smo clmost thumb-noil sketches. But the good thing wos lhot Aneeso fConnie Teo, Solleh's studenl, whom he loter morried] bosicolly wos quite close. She become olmost li[e on ossistont. You iusi hove to be quite delermined. Somebody comes in, like Fe Choo, ond soys, "Solleh, ore you inlerested, Ching I Ee Choos wife] secured o ploce in Toiwon to exhibit some works there. Con you porticipote? Why don't you porticipote?" Those ore the things ihot spur you ond bosicolly you iust hove to be quite determined to work. Also the momentum from the Austrolion troining is still bcsico ly in you ond is still working. The most importont thing is $ot you ore still working, you ore str I rn proctrce. hir tir*::r.u,

Born Ouf Of Fire, 1993 det'oil

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o porting shot becouse in the museum. lf wos o kind of tribute.

Thot wos obout the time I wos going to leove the ploce. lt wos olmost like

some of the works were slimuloted by whot

I eorned

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No, thot wos the Proiect Pre-Fx Pt; thof wos where I hod the crodles becouse in ROH, I used o lot of cloth, unbleoched colico. I hod o lot of extro colico. I wos wotching my neighbour honging this crodle thing mode out of o sorong. lfound it interesting, the triongulor godget, olmost like the 'Gunungon' {'mounloin' in Moloy). Thot wos where the crodle comes in.

"1,:,." ,,f Proiect ROH. Before you set up your ideos, especiolly if you plon on insiollotion, the most importont thing is to think obout lhe spoce, to work within the spoce, ond lhen to negoiiote, to monipulote your own ideos. How were you going to work out on ideo within thot space. Goelhe |nstitut Gollery] wos owkword becouse they hod two holls with one possoge woy. But I felt thot thot possoge could be turned into o iourney from one reolm to onother, deoling with dote, time, working in ihe museum, working in NAFA. The go leries outside showed physicol things; ond the possoge

woy connects these things ond o reclm where one could unify oneself. The 'neck' is the one thot I find importont. I refer to lslomic orchitecture, to the onti-chomber which prepores you, iniiiotes you be{ore you go in. I took thot concept into the Goethe Gollery.There were oll these godgets ond conlroptions; when you enter the possogewoy, it prepores you lo leove the post ond enler inio the doorwoy. There wos on instonce when o womon come to the show with her cousin ond osked, "Where did you get thot photogroph?" becouse there wos one instollotion feoturing photogrophs ottoched to o box. I soid, "l gof it from o mogozine." she soid, "One of the pictures wos octuolly of your ounly." I soid, "l dldn't know it wos your ounly." She osked, "ls it mogic or whot?" I soid no, I wos deoling with sociol commentory obout being ononymous; you will see your piciure severol times bui if you look ot these rows ond rows of people, you look ot ihem ond it is olmosi like eoch is different; there ore doubles. I told her this hod nothing to do with mogic or trying to defoce somebody. She wos quite open becouse she wos o teocher. lt wos quite good in the sense of lhe response; there were quite o lot of old friends who come. Born Out' Of Fire, 1993

defoil

Born Out det'ail

Of Fire, 1993

Drip Mochine, 1993

view of inst'ollofton

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Not reolly. There is nol much connection except for the interest in sociol commentories. The bosic form in terms of the crodle is in iiself o commenlory, in the sense of new-borns. There is o poem thot I hove wrilten. lt is o lul oby, where porents, especioLly the mother, sings to the boby. Somehow the poem olmost pre-determines the bobys lfe, like the boby should be good, wel behoved. Some of these things hove not chonged in thot ihe boby gets hold of life once it storts to moke thot iourney. ln one sense it wos deo ing with getting hold of your llfe, toking chorge of your life rother thon getting someone to toke chorge of your life.

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Thot wos ofter I returned from Briioin. lt wos olmost like o coming home showl After thot

year,'94,

'95, especiolly'95,

lhon

I hodn't been working much,

lwos reoding ond reseorching rcther

poinling. Drowing, yes, becouseyou need to drow, but nol undertoking moiorworks. ln'96 ltwos Ee Choo who helped me re-esloblish the direction I should toke. lt helped orientote myself.

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think there ore divergences in the sense thol Ee Choo is now becoming more entrenched into Buddhism. Prior io fhot his inieresl wos in Dooism ond Buddhism, creoting o mixture or hybrid of the two. Then ofter thot he beccme reclly interested in Tibeton Buddhism some of fhe ideos ore quile eclectic. Some of it is quiie interesting in the woy he tries to merge the visuols, not iusl concepts but the visuols. For me, trying to mediote beiween educoiion ond ori wos onother issue, befureen moking sociol commentories in the religious content is onother thing. So these con explcin the divergence. lthink Ee Choo hos followed logicollyfrom where he hod storted. I

Yes. Some of the notions, especiolly from the Sufi trodition, especiolly the imporionce of fhe

present; the post is nothing cnd the fulure moy not come. The most importonl foctor now is to somehow moke full use of the present. I feel the present is the environment thot I om in now. So some of the sociol things come inio being within the environment - identifying yourself, discovering

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/ourself, reviewing yourself, things like thoi. I think one of lhe.moin thrusis, in terms of exhibitions, -o understond yourself or to discover yourself, to find unity.

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/es. A lot of the ideos from Proieci Pre-Fx Pt wcs used. Especiolly the crcdles, yes, becouse -roughl I could octuolly push the imogery further. So here, the crodles hove octuolly possed owoy -om being pre-destined by porents into lheir own. The crodles ioke chorge of their own destiny or ie or their sensibility, whotever. So the box is supposed to be o 'soul boot', o coffin. When lfirst I

-ode the drowing it wos o coffin, becouse o coffin looks like o boot. But I found ii too literol, so -cybe the slow boot could somehow become more poetic, especiolly if it ccn deol with scole, : ze, position. Thot is why l end up hoving o boot.

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:ngec ILiong] wos bosicolly hounding some of us to collcborcte with her. She mentioned thot she ^cd done severol proiects with Chondro; so she wonted to do some with Ee Choo, myself ond scme other ortists. She sent me o possoge from 'Fleur de Mol', the possoge on exiles. Whot .'.cnted wos to moke the plcce recly uncomfo*oble, reoily miseroble ond hot. I hod tubes --rnipg, the hospitol tubes running. lt wos olmost like o woiting room in the hospitol. And I hod hot : otes on the floor with copper, ond the drips on the copper plotes. Smoke wos coming out ond '-ere wos scenl from frcnkincense. The ploce become timeless, infinite. Some of the wo ls ore :cvered with cloth. lt wos like on osylum with podded wo ls. The doncers improvised some of lheir -cvements bosed on the sfructures; it wos clever of them to use thot. I

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'.'cinly drowing, scoling down some of the works, moking moquettes. The situotion in Singopore

:- cresent poses difficulties for shows becouse you don't hove exhibition spoces.

There ore

=xribilion spoces but they ore iust loo costly. Ploces like Chijmes cosis you oboul o thousond o ::y, ond if you hove lhe minimum of five doys it costs you five grondl.The sponsorship you con :et bosicolly covers your moteriol costs; so I find it tough to work out on exhibition here. Whot -cppens is thot I lust moke drowings ond moquettes ond things like thot. J need to find o woy fo :xhibit overseos rother thon Singopore, becouse there ore more opportunities like in Moloyslo, 3ecouse there ore olternotive spoces fhere. lf you ore oble to find contocts you moy be oble to get : big ploce for free. You hove io think obout the cost of bringing the works. ln Indonesio I hove --'ends lo whom lcould propose c show. Then lhere is Austrolio. Now it is o motter of going :uiside Singopore; it! not thot I don'l wont to exhibit in Singopore but there is not much spoce.

Axis Mundi Series, 1995 view of inslollot'ion

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I enioy moking fun of structures, especiolly orgonisotions ond inslitutions. Cn top of lhot there ore oiher proiecls I hove in mind, moybe not quite in the educotionol field, but more in the woy of ihe m_oinstreom. l'm working on some drowings on flogs ond flog-beorers, stcndords ponii-ponii. ['flogs' or 'buntings' in Molcy]. Before thot I wos working on the concept of the curved eorth becouse 1 thought of working on positions cnd siies. Most of them ore drowings. But I hoven't got lorge-scole works os I hoven't gol o poce to disploy them.

No, I don't think so. Boslcolly ils good in the sense thot in fie Wesi they produce o lot of figures cnd whoiever figures thot we do ends up olwoys like lroiling behind the Western sense of looking ot figures, or even using figures os subiect motter. So lt is for more complex, sophisticoted, when deoling with something obstroct, in terms of geomeiricol potferns - reolly obstroct. lt is more chollenging in deoling with symbolism ond significonce. I do enloy the tosk of finding something else olher thon figures. lt octuoily lroins you to be creotive becouse it is nol the figure which dictotes you io be on ortist. lt! how creotive, how innovotive you ore which determines you os on orlist.

I would like to see my ort promoiing cworeness. Aworeness of things, of your own condifion or of the environmenlol condition. Through oworeness you probobly will be oble lo reoson better, to moke ourselves better persons. Mostly, ort should bring o sense of oworeness, be oble to inspire. would like to inspire.

15 April 1998

Consionce Shecres wos o former Singopore Nalionol Museum's Curotor of Anfhropology 11971-731, Curolor of Soufheosl Asian Ethnology (1982 85) ond Curotor of Art' (1973 76, 1985'BB). She is curently freelonce curotor ond consultonf. Anong t'he recenl exhibifions she curofed ore: Conlemporory Arl in Singapore: Where Easl Meels Wesf; Modern Arl Travels F.!st-Wsl, Art {rom Corporote Colleclions in Singopore and The Netherlonds; ond exhibitions by orfists Henri Chen Kezhon,

GohBengKwon,EngTow,S.Chondrosekoron,ChngSeoklin,

BrofherJosephMcNollyondlimnyOng.

rft_:

ffi_ftffiT

ffiffi q#/ffiffipqffi S. Chandrasekaran 1

Lingom 19BZ

Wox ond croyon on cloth

l0Ox62cm

29x27.5 x l0.5cm

Artist! Collection

Artist's Collection

Destruction l98B

Mixed medio inslollolion 3OO x 2BO x 280 cm Artist's Reconstruction, I 998

23.5

lV l98B

25xlBcm

Croyon,/chorcool on poper

llBxZ5cm I 14 x 9l cm I l7 x96 cn

Pointing meosurements:

Bindu (Third Eye) 1989 Cosl iron ond pigments

Artist! Collection

Atmon Series Toblet 13 1992 Copper ond enomel on cloy ond ploster

Mvrti(lcon) #1 1994

40x39xB.5cm

72x56cn

Singopore Art Museum Collection

Artist's Collection

Atmon Series ]992 Copper ond enomel on cloy ond ploster 34.5 x 27 x 6.5 cm

Popo Soys No to Post-Modernism

Murti llconl #21994 Acrylic, wox, tumeric on poper

72x56cm Artist! Collection

'1994

Murti (lcon) #3 1994 Acrylic, wox, lumeric on poper

llOx2O9cm

72x56cm

Singopore Art Museum Collection

Artist! Collection

20 Murti

shokri 1993 Oil on convos

llconl #4 1994 Acrylic, wox, tumeric on poper

212 x l20 cn

72x56cn

Collection of TK Sobopothy

Artisit Collection

DevoSeriesl1994 Bronze

24x22 x l6

Acrylic, wox, tumeric on poper

Mixed medio

Me ]996

Dimensions vorioble Pointing: 206 x 117 Artistt Collection

Singopore Art Museum Collection

Mixed medio

Atmon Series Toblet 5 1992 Copper ond enomel on cloy cnd ploster

35.5 x 27.5 x 6.5 cm

Devo SeriesXl 1994 Bronze

x2l

Collection of TK Sobopothy

23 x9 cm Artist's Collection

38x34x15cm

x24x8

1994

Singopore Art Museum Colleciion

15 Green Akoso ]995

Croyon wosh on poper

Devo Series Bronze

Artisti Collection

Visvoyoni (Shivo-Sokti in oneness)1 98B Mixed medio on soree 395 x 99 cm Singopore Ari Museum Collection Komo Sutro

lll 1994

Devo Series Bronze

Monipulotions 1998

Mixed medio cm

Artists Collection

Dimensions vorioble

Artisti Collection

tEffiT ffiF W#ffiKffi Goh Ee Choo Heoven ond Eorth lgBZ Acrylic on convos {triptych)

lO Word 1990 ond ink on poper 112.5 x l52.6 cm

Pen

l83xl83cmecch

Artist! Collection

Singopore Art Museum Collection

Preservotion 1988

1 Hisiory of Sexuolity 1989

Mixed medio

Pen ond ink on poper

l50x2BOx28Ocm

28.7 x40 cn

Artisti Reconstruction, I 998

Singopore Arl Museum Collection

Heovenly Flow Series

I lgBB

1/l l99l

Acrylic on convos

Power Structure Series Pen ond ink on poper

Singopore Ari Museum Collection

28.6 x 40 cm Singopore Art Museum Collection

l52xl52cn

Heovenly Flow Series Acrylic on convos

'l988

Power Structure I 991 Pen ond ink on poper

l52x l52cm

29 x41 cn

Artist! Collection

Singopore Art Museum Colleciion

Origin 19BB Acrylic ond modeling poste on poper

56x56cm

Light, Knowledge, Structure I 993 Pen cnd ink on poper, wooden polette, fluorescent bulbs, urns

21O x 240 x 60 cm

Singopore Art Museum Collection

Artists Collect;on

of Power I 99 I ond ink on pcper, bricks, plywood, chorcool, wire mesh The Theotres Pen

of Power I I 991

l99x3O1

l52xll2cn

ll I 99]

Singopore Ari Museum Colleciion

l52xll2cm

lll I 99'l

Weolth Mondolo 1998

Mixed ,]98 medio x 128.5 cm Artisti Collection

l52xll2cm

Artist's Collection

,l996 Om Moni Podme Hum - Enlightenment Series Instoilotlon consisting 96 drowings ond 8 bross contoiners with rice groins

244 x 549 x 40 cm Artisti Collection

Artist! Collection

The Theoires of Power Pen ond ink on poper

Singopore Art Museum Collection

Pen ond ink on poper

The Theotres of Power Pen ond ink on poper

lgg4

Mixed medio

Dimension Vorioble Artist's Reconskuction, I 998 The Theotres

Tronsformoiion of o Spirituol Drogon 1 g8g

Shrine 1998

Mixed medio Dimensions vorioble Artists Collection

re-.

Ltrffi'$-

ffiffi WffiffiPqffi Salleh Japar 10 Corpet Series l9B9

uniiiled l98Z Mixed medio

Mixed medio on proyer-moi

90x47 cn

(meosuremenl to be obtoined) Artist! Collection

Artist's Collection

Box: Elements (Woter, Wind, Fire) 1990 Mixed medio 20 x 24 x 22 cm eoch Artisti Collection

Becoming Series I - lV l9BB Oil postels on poper 23 x 33 cm eoch Singopore Art Museum Collection

Mechonised Leorning 1993

Universol Field Series 1 (StudyA) l98B

Creotion l98B lnstollotion View

150 x 280 x 280 cm Arlistt Reconskuction, l99B

Mixed medio

95xlZ0x5lcm Singopore Art Museum Collection

Mixed medio on cloth

Untitled 1993 Mixed medio

lBxlBcm

Dimension vorioble

Singopore Art Museum Colleciion

Artist's Collection

Universol Field Series Mixed medio on cloih

'l (Study Bl l9B8

Born out of Fire

l993

Acrylic on convos, plexigloss, lightbulbs, wood ond hunt poper Size vorioble

lBxlBcm Singopore Ari Museum Collection

Artist's Collection

Gurison-gurison Mogrib (Lines Between Twilight) 1988 Mixed medio on cloth

15 Drip Mochine

l5x30cm

bottles, woter, koy, wox heod Size vorioble Artist! Collection

Singopore Art Museum Collection Thoughts out of seoson I 9BZ Mixed medio

lZ0xl63cm

16 Axis Mundi Series 1995 Mixed medio \05 x 87 cm eoch Artisi! Collection

Artist's Collection

Fitroh/Humon Noture I 988

Mixed medio 219 x 175 cm Singopore Art Museum Collection Gunungon n

1989/90

Mixed medio

ll0x90cm Artist's Collection

(Mesin Tetes) 1994

PVC pipes, hospitol gowns, plostic tubes, infusion

Untitled (Nyonyion Ruong - Spotiol Song) 1998

Mixed medio Dimension vorioble Artistt Collection

effiT$ffiTffi

', ffi trffi ffi ffi-qffi

hff

ffiffi S. Chandrasekaran

?FSP, $rnrzuirpeire

]986 '1990 1994

Diplomo in Fine Arts, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts Bochelor of Fine Aris, Curtin Universiiy of Technology, perth Moster of Arts, Curtin Universiiy of Technology, peril.r

.smhci*d ffxhihiii*ns 1987 Rituol Art l, Notionol Museum Art Gollery, Singopore Rituol Art ll, Notionol Universily of Singopore Quintef, Arbour Fine Art, Singopore Goethe-lnstitut, Singopore Crossroods, Perth lnstitute of Coniemporory Art, perth Drowing Show, Artists Villoge, Singopore Crossroods ll, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts, Singopore

l988 ,1989 Trimurti, ,1990

1992 'l993

Atmon, Gollery 21, Singopore I om on Ob;ect, Tempo Gollery, Jogyokorto A NewJourney to the West, touring residency progromme, Fronce Modros Modley, Lolit Kolo Acodemy, Modros lcons, Fort Conning Gollery, Singopore Art in Soulheost Asia 1997: Glimpses into ihe Future, Museum of Contemporory Art, Tokyo

1994 1996 1997

$eiected ilerf,*rrffi

l9B7 l988 ,1990

l99l 1992 ,i993 1994 1995 1996 1997

'l998

rie*s

Rituol Art ll, Notionol Universily of Singopore Destruction, Trimurti, Goethelnstitut, Singopore

Borobudur, Notionol Museum Art Gollerv, Sinqopore Kolo Chokro {Wheel of Time), Blockbox, ForrLonning, Singopore Atmon, Gollery 21, Singopore Duolity, 1st Asio-Pocific Trienniol of Contemporory Ari, Queenslond Art Gollery, Brisbone The.Journey, Bogiuo Arts Fesiivol, Bogiuo Womb, Cholomondol Ariists Villoge, Modros Yoni, lnternotionol Noture Art Symposium, Kwoniu

Bug, Fon Connirg Gollery, Singopore God of Rubbish, Internotionol ond Environmentol Symposium, Chongiu Porosile, September Festivol, Singopore Porosite ll, Art in Southeost Asio, Museum of Contemporory Art, Tokyo Woiting, Asio House, Hovono PregnontTree, Longuoge Plus Gollery, euebec Pregnont Porosite, Le Lieu Gollery euebec Red Pregnoni Porosite, l4th lnternotionol Congress of Aesthetics ond Philisophy, Conkorieu Oom, Liubliiono, Slovenio

**ie***d

Fubf

i{*ti*r'ic

Trimurii, exh;bition cotologue, 1 98B Urbon Artists: 25 Yeors of Singopore Art, Notionol Museum, Singopore, 1990. 'l st Asio-Pocific Trienniol of contemporory Art, eueenslond Art 6o'llery, 1 993.

lndoronondS.Chondrosekoron,Mon&ModernMy'h: ADiologue,Voti pr.intpubiicoiion, lndio, 19g4.

lcons: An Exhtbition of Receni Works by chondrosekoron S, Deuiche Bonk, 1996. Fenemo,Joycevon(Ed.),southeostAsionArtTodoy,RoederpublicoiionspteLtd, ']996 96 Nine Drogon Heods, Noture Kunst House, Souih Koreon, ,1996. Art in southeost Asio1997: Glimpses inro ihe Future, Museum of Conlemporcry Art,Tokyo, 1997.

Goh Ee Choo b. I96?, lilr:gr:pore

1985 '1990 .

Diplomo in Fine Arts, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts Mosler in Fine Arts, Slode School of Fine Arts, Universily College London i F

I .t

)e1*cled trxniDtlisnS

'l986 1987

l988

99'1 ,1993 1

1994

Not the Singopore River, Arbour Fine Art Gollery, Singopore Quintet, Arbour Fine Art Gollery, Singopore First ARX: Artist Regionol Exchonge, Blockswon Gollery, Fremontle Trimurti, Goethe-lnstifut, Singopore Power Strucfure, Goethe-lnstitut, Singopore Riies of Silence, Notionol Museum Art Gollery, Singopore The Co-Exhibition of Four Asion Artists, Toipei Fine Arts Museum, Toipei Asion Art Biennole, Bonglodesh Shipokolo Acodemy, 5 Directions: Recent Works by Five Young Singoporeon Artists, Tokoshimoyo Art Gollery,

,l995 Singopore 'l996

Four Currenis, Creotive Centre, Kuolo Lumpur Contemporory Art form Non-Alighed Countries, Notionol Art Gollery, Jokorto Beyond Boundories, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts, Singopore Contoiner 96: Art Across the Oceon, Copenhoge Hobour, Conpenhogen

Selaci*d Puhliccti*ns Trimurti, exhibition cotologue,

988

Three Exhibitions: loseph Beuys, Kothe Kollwitz, Goh Ee Choo, Goethelnslitut Singcpore, l99l . Singopore, 1994 5 Directions: Receni Arfworks by Five Young Singopore Artists, Tokoshimoyo Gollery, ,1996. Fenemo, Joyce Von (Ed.), Southeost Asion Art Todoy, Roeder Publicotions Pte Lid, Beyond Boundories, Singopore,

996.

Salleh Japar b"

lfd?,

l9B5 ,1990 .1995

$ing*p+re

Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts {Diplomo in Fine A*s) Curtin Universiiy of Technology, Western Austrolio {Bochelor of Fine Arts) University of Centrol Englond (Moster in Art Educotion)

$eieqt# fxhibiti*ns

1987 ,1988 1989 ,1990

l99l 1992 I

993

1994 '1995

1996

Quintet Exhibition, Arbour Fine A* Gollery, Singopore Trimurti Exhibition, Goethelnstitut, Singopore

Crossroods l, Perth lnsiitute of Contemporory Art, Western Austrolio Crossroods ll, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts, Singcpore Notionol Sculpture Exhibition, Notionol Museum, Singopore Hope & Heol Proiect, 5th Possoge Gollery, Singopore confess ond Conceol: l 1 Insights from contemporory Austrolio ond southeost Asio Four Asion Artists Exhibition, Toipei Fine Arts Museum, Toiwon Proieci R.O.H. - Recent lnsiollotions, Goethelnstitut, Singopore Proiect Pre-Fx Pt, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Aris, Singopore & Creotive Centre, Kuolo Lumpur 5 Directions: Recent Ariworks by Five Young Singopore Artists, Tokoshimoyo Gollery, Singopore Zh Asion Art Bienniol, Bonglcdesh Beyond Boundories, Nonyong Acodemy of Fine Arts, Singopore Ropport: Eight Ariists from Singopore ond Austrolio, Singopore Art Museum ond Monosh Universiiy Gollery

Melbourne

1997

F.O.R.M. Exhibition, Borli Museum, Bondung

*ei+cieci Fubiic*ti*n* Trimurti, exhibition cotologue, I 988 Sculpture in Singopore, Notionol Museum Art Gollery, Singopore, 1991 Confess ond Conceol: 1 I Insights from Contemporory Austrolio ond Southeost Asio, Art Gollery of .

Western Austrolio, I 993. Pre-fx Point, Singopore, 1994. 5 Directions: Receni Artworks by Five Young Singopore Artists, Tokoshimoyo Gollery, Singopore, 1994. Fenemo, Joyce Von (Ed.), Southeost Asion Art Todoy, Roeder Publicotions Pte Ltd, l996. Beyond Boundories, Singopore, 1996. Ropporf: Eight Artists from Singopore ond Austrolio, Singopore Art Museum ond Monosh Universiiy Gollery,

996..

ro-

effi#Ehiffiwrffiffiffiffitu$ffiruTffi

Singopore Art Museum wlshes fo thonk ortists S. Chondrosekoron, Goh Ee Choo ond SollehJopor for their kind loon of works os well os colloborotion in the proiect, for wlthoui their commiited involvement the exhibition would not hove token ploce; T.K. Sobopothy for the loon of works from his collection; TinoJoiloni for klndly rendering her services in the production of o multimedio presentotion; Queenslond Art Gollery, Austrolio, for providing o video documenioiion of Chondrosekoron's Duolity; Noiionol Porks Boord for ossisting with the ortists' moferiols; ond everyone who hos contributed in one woy or onother to the plonning ond orgonising of this exhibition.

Exhihitia* {urcior"s: Ahmod Moshodl, T.K. Sobopothy, Constonce Sheores, Toy Swee

Lin

{urstsr-ial &ssi*tont: Domion Ooi fr*nserv*tion $uppcrt: Lowrence Chin, Lim Chong Quek ond Deon Sully

Artifsct Mun*gurnent: Fu Xinyi ond Beniomin Wong fhctngrnphy: Kuet Ee Foo ond orlists Additionol photogrophic ond video imoges reproduced with kind permission from copyright holders

the ortists Digitol video-stills reproduced wilh technicol support from TinoJoiloni

llesign $uppori qnd Collcter*i: Sherry Giong

Fnbricati$n mnd tlispimy; Siephonie Choo, Roslee Md Noor, Johoni Roni ondJumori Sonion Tschnical Supp*ri and Lighring: Kong Wing Loy, Suloimi Komsir ond Arul Krishnon

Audi*r Equiprnent e*d Audio-visusl Reproducfi*n:

With kind ossistonce from lrene

Lim

ond Looi Toi Yew of the Notionol Archives

Mu{timedia Fe*ign and Dir*cti+n: Tino Joiloni

Publicity ond C*rp*rcic Services: Megon Ton Suenne, Ringo Leung ond Alexondro Khoo

C*tulogue Design and Art fiirecii*n: Joyce Lim Redefinedesign Pte

Ltd

firintetJ by:

Ho Printing Singopore Pte Ltd

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