BETWEEN DECLARATIONS & DREAMS:

Art Of Southeast Asia Since The 19th Century

Ongoing | Supreme Court Wing, Levels 3–5, UOB Southeast Asia Gallery

F.X. Harsono

What Would You Do If These Crackers Were Real Pistols?

1977–2019 Crackers, table, chair, instructions and notebook, dimensions variable

F.X. Harsono was a key figure in Indonesia’s New Art Movement, a group that emerged in 1975 and sought change through new art forms and contemporary practices. He created this work in 1977 as a political statement against Indonesia’s then-President Suharto’s authoritarian New Order regime. Harsono provokes the viewer to consider the infiltration of violence into everyday life with a simple question: What would you do if these crackers were real pistols?

On display in UOB Southeast Asia Gallery 11.

In this painting, a familiar urban scene appears streamlined and modern. The shapes of two ships and the silhouettes of workers are simplified such that the image appears to be almost abstract. It was painted by Lai Foong Moi, the first graduate from Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) to study in Paris, where she also exhibited in salon exhibitions.

On display in UOB Southeast Asia Gallery 7.

1960

Oil on canvas, 81.5 × 65 cm