Publication - National University of Singapore

artzoneartzone
August August
– December
– December
2013 2013
Editor’s
Message
artzone is published twice a year by
NUS Centre For the Arts
University Cultural Centre
50 Kent Ridge Crescent
National University of Singapore
Singapore 119279
Tel: (65) 6516 2492
Fax: (65) 6778 1956
email: cfamarketing@nus.edu.sg
website: www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
artzone is a printed complementary guide to
its electronic version which features CFA’s listings.
To subscribe to the e-version, send us an email with
your particulars to cfamarketing@nus.edu.sg
To advertise and/or promote your products and
services in artzone, contact Adeline Tan
at 6516 6787 or email adelinetan@nus.edu.sg
© 2013 NUS Centre For the Arts
No part of this publication may be reproduced in
any form without prior permission from
NUS Centre For the Arts. The opinions expressed
in artzone do not necessarily reflect
those of the publisher.
Welcome back to campus! This semester, our wide selection of shows promises
a haven of arts and fun amid busy schedules. We’re organizing a big party this
23 August, aptly titled Welcome (Back) To Campus - HERE!, featuring professional
artists and campus talents as you’ve never seen them before. Flip the page for
more details.
Besides interviewing British/Australian dancer-choreographer Richard Causer,
we follow up on Issue 17’s Cool Spaces for the Arts article with articles on the new
Alice Lee Plaza (pg 23) and the opening of the Stephen Riady Centre at University
Town, NUS (pg 14 & 15). In our special feature (pg 10 & 11), discover the rich arts
and culture of the NUS Halls of Residence.
Visit NUS Museum’s three new exhibitions – Between Here and Nanyang:
Marco Hsu’s Brief History of Malayan Art and Come cannibalise us, why don’t you?
both open this 22 August. This October also will see the unveiling of In Search of
Raffles’ Light | An Art Project with Charles Lim. .
Don’t miss out on a chance to win one of three iPod Nanos by taking part in our
Audience Survey 2013. Find out more on our back cover.
Thanks for picking up artzone. We’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions.
Do drop us a line at cfamarketing@nus.edu.sg.
Table of Contents
04
10
16
Welcome (Back) To Campus
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Arts on Campus
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Arts Awards
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Editorial Team
Advisor
Christine Khor
Editors
Dinah Ng
Adeline Tan
Charlene Tan
Chang Yueh Siang
Lalwani Poonam
Trina Bong
Contributors
Eusoff Hall
Raffles Hall
Kent Ridge Hall
Sheares Hall
King Edward VII Hall
Temasek Hall
On the cover
This Moment Here taken by
Witono Halim, NUS alumnus
I Was Here, Francis Ng
06
12
18
Personality Interview
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CFA Arts Calendar
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New Exhibition
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Nanyang: Marco Hsu’s Brief
History of Malayan Art
07
14
20
NUS Arts Festival
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of Questions
Stephen Riady Centre
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and Learning
NUS Baba House
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celebrates 5th anniversary
About CFA
Established in 1993, NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA) is a multifaceted arts organization that
nurtures triple arts—performing, visual and literary—on campus and beyond.
CFA’s Vision
For the NUS community to be informed participants in global society, through engagement with
the arts and an understanding of cultural diversity.
CFA’s Roles
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campus life.
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music, dance, drama, visual arts, film-making and production.
t 7&/6&)*3&$'"NBOBHFTWFOVFTBOEGBDJMJUJFTTVJUBCMFGPSXPSMEDMBTTBSUTQFSGPSNBODFT
exhibitions, academic and corporate conferences and other lifestyle activities.
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management and curating expertise for the campus and beyond.
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3
WELCOME (BACK) TO CAMPUS
artzone August – December 2013
Shirlyn & The UnXpected
To New Beginnings
Party With the Arts
Celebrate a brand
new year on campus with
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Inspired by the “I WAS HERE”
iconic sculpture at UCC by
Francis Ng, HERE! celebrates
YOU being in a special time
and place of your life.
If UCC will be the final
destination where you will
ultimately receive your
degree, HERE! at UCC is
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Sa (
)
Shirlyn & The UnXpected will light up the stage as lead singer-songwriter Shirlyn
United by their zest for experimentation, Sa (
Tan’s powerful vocals and the band’s spot-on rhythm and talent rock the crowd.
to break new creative ground. By fusing musical elements inspired by Chinese and
Celebrating the Brave and the Bold
) is a young trio that constantly seeks
Southeast Asian cultures, the band cleverly injects modern and pop music into their
work. Sa( ) comprises Andy C on the dizi (Chinese flute), Natalie Alexandra Tse on
the guzheng (Chinese zither), and Cheryl Ong on the drums and percussion.
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OFX TFNFTUFS :PVSF JOWJUFE UP HERE!, a happening arts party on Friday
23 August 2013, 6 – 11pm at the University Cultural Centre (UCC). Filled with
live performances by some of the hottest names in Singapore and groups
from NUS Centre For the Arts, games and food for sale, plus snacks to be
given away, HERE! is a free admission event open to everyone.
HERE! is where the FUN Begins!
HERE! features sizzling performances by headliners which include
big names on the club circuit - Shirlyn & The UnXpected, Sa ( )
and Singapore Idol runner-up Jonathan Leong with PennyLane.
Winner of the Singapore Music Awards for Best Song (Window),
Shirlyn & The UnXpected was awarded in Best Breakout Band
2007 by Power 98 FM.
Look out for Sa ( ), a hip trio with a unique sound which blends
South East Asian rhythms, Chinese instruments with pop and rock
music elements. Finally, alums Jonathan Leong fresh from his stint
in musical spectacular (Voyage de la Vie)BOE1FOOZ-BOFKPJO
forces in original tunes and covers which will have you bopping
together with the beat.
Where The Arts On Campus Begins
Meanwhile 300 student artists from the NUS Centre For the Arts
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sized performances of different dance styles, music genres and
theatre in a spectacle of their best works.
Entertaining programmes in 5 spaces
4 hours of FUN under one roof!
Fun arcade challenges for gamer buffs
PennyLane
Showcasing campus talents
at their best
Free munchies and beer to chill out with
Jonathan Leong
Highlights include In.Evolve, a dance collaboration by Zaini Mohd
Tahir, Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer of NUS Dance
Ensemble, a KPop medley by NUS Wind Symphony, Ocean’s
Children by NUS Electronic Lab, plus a flute beatbox and Malay
dance collaboration by NUS Ilsa Tari and Jermain Cho.
Get your Extras HERE!
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attractive giveaways at the event.
First Prize:
2D1N Universal Studios Singapore Special
Second Prize: J1BE.JOJ(#8J'J
Third Prize:
Dinner Package for 2 @ Stellar at 1-Altitude
Plus 15 sets of Sennheiser Earphones (worth $79 each)
to be won.
™
Music, Moves, Munchies and More
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Those desiring a more hands on experience can give the
arcade machines a whirl. Besides the classic Dance Dance
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JOTUSVNFOUBMJTUTDBOFOKPZ5BJLP%SVNT#FHERE! and music
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For those who prefer a more esoteric experience,
NUS Museum is having its Open House on the same day.
So make Friday, 23 August a day for the arts by taking a visual
arts tour at the Museum, followed by an artsy evening chillout
session at HERE!
Discover another side of NUS and make the choice to enrich
your varsity life right HERE!
NUS Museum
Film / Tour / Performance
Time
Group / Artist
10am 7pm
Malaya Black and White
film showcase
6.30pm
The NUSChoir
6.40pm
Alexander Yuen
Museum tours
6.55pm
NUS Harmonica Orchestra
Tours also at 3.30pm,
4.30pm, 5.30pm
7.05pm
NUS Guitar Ensemble
(GENUS)
7.00pm
NUS Chinese Drama
7.55pm
NUS CAC Resonance
7.30pm
NUS Stage
12.30pm
Centre Foyer
Time
Group
Performing together, versatile and just the right side of groovy, four-member band PennyLane and Singapore Idol finalist and NUS alum with the distinctive baritone voice,
CFA Arts groups are also looking for fun loving people who
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August for more info. Latest details of all programmes at
www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
Theatre
Time
Group
6.30pm
NUS Symphony Orchestra
7.20pm
NUS Chinese Orchestra
6.40pm
NUS Piano Ensemble
7.30pm
NUS CAC Viva LatiNUS
6.50pm
Intermission
7.35pm
NUS Ilsa Tari & Jermain Cho
7.00pm
NUS Chinese Dance
7.40pm
NUS Wind Symphony
7.05pm
NUS Dance Synergy
7.50pm
NUS Indian Dance
(Bollywood)
7.15pm
NUS Dance Ensemble
7.20pm
NUS Indian Dance
(Bharatanatyam)
7.25pm
NUS Electronic Music Lab &
CFA Dance Groups
7.55pm
NUS Dance Blast!
Courtyard
LOOKING FOR ARTS TALENTS!
Theatre Foyer
Time
Time
Group
8.15pm
NUS Electronic Music Lab
8.35pm
NUS Jazz Band
8.55pm
Sa ( )
9.20pm
PennyLane
(feat. Jonathan Leong)
10pm
Shirlyn & The UnXpected
Jonathan Leong will be back on campus to charm their way through with some covers and original compositions.
4
5
PERSONALITY INTERVIEW
Richard Causer in Natalie Weir’s While Others Sleep
Photo by Fiona Cullen
NUS ARTS FESTIVAL 2013
artzone August – December 2013
Sw
ard
t
Whetting Optical
Appetites
De
A recipient of the National Arts Council Seed Grant,
i
N
by
m
RAW Moves unveils its latest offering, Optical Appetite,
28 August, 8pm at the University Cultural Centre (UCC)
Theatre, NUS. A world premiere, the new work is by
British/Australian guest choreographer Richard Causer for
RAW Moves. RAW Moves contemporary dance company is
founded by Artistic Director, Ricky Sim. artzone finds out
more in this one-on-one with Richard Causer.
1. How did you meet Mr
Ricky Sim (Artistic Director
of RAW Moves)? Why
did you decide to work
together?
I met Ricky back in Australia
in 2003. I was training at
Queensland University of
Technology (QUT) and Ricky
was doing his Masters in
Choreography I believe.
I auditioned to be in his work,
Transparent Ground, for his
research. From working for
almost a full year intensively
learning Ricky’s distinct style,
we became very close friends.
Ricky became a mentor for me
during my studies and after he
left Australia we maintained
contact. We have been
6
intending to work together
again for many years but
timing has never been right.
Ricky was one of the biggest
influences in my career and
to engage together both as
professionals is very exciting.
have all worked with Ricky for
some time now, therefore they
will be great dancers.
I look forward to sharing ideas
and collaborating creatively
on this work together with this
exciting company.
2. What do you look forward
to in this collaboration with
the RAW Moves dancers?
3. Which is the toughest
role/work you have ever
done whether physically or
mentally difficult?
I have heard great things
about RAW Moves dancers,
so I look forward to being
in the studio with them and
experimenting with what their
bodies can do. I have ideas for
this work but once you start in
the studio it always changes
and magic happens. So I look
forward to the outcomes. They
The toughest would have to
be Natalie Weir’s Where
The Heart Is. Physically
because I was the lead
character on stage for the
entire hour with a lot of
movement and partnering
involved. Mentally because
it was about family, it was
to
Ph o
an honest work and dived
deep into your emotions and
memories. However this was
absolutely the most rewarding
work I have done also. Each
performance was so satisfying
and the collaboration with
Natalie was one of my most
treasured moments.
4. Please describe your new
work, Optical Appetite, in
three words.
Raw, Tasty, Juicy.
For the full version of this
interview, please visit our
blog at www.nus.edu.sg/cfa
or find us on Facebook.
Catch Optical Appetite, part
of ExxonMobil Campus
Concerts, on Wed 28 Aug
2013, 8pm at the UCC
Theatre, NUS. Admission is
free. Tickets are available at
the door (on a first-come-firstserved basis) 1 hour before
showtime. The audience
capacity at University Cultural
Centre Theatre is 400.
Limited to two tickets
per patron.
Discovering
the Power of
Questions
The 8th NUS Arts Festival brought
a blaze of colour and energy to the
campus this 9 – 23 March with
over 30 programmes from music to
dance, theatre to film and more.
Themed Open Questions, the Festival
saw an average of 5,000 visitors each
weekend. Read on for the highlights!
7
NUS ARTS FESTIVAL 2013
Solo/Duet
Persona
artzone August – December 2013
Korea Now
Mirror.Moon
(From left) Neo Kim Seng, Gwak Ah Ram, Ryu Jin Yook, Lee Insoo, His Excellency Oh Joon from the Republic of Korea, Ms Christine Khor, CFA Director, Lee Da Som,
Lee Jae Young and Jung Jae Woo.
New Commissions
The new works commissioned
for the Fest give the
opportunity for our NUS
students to work with
both local and foreign arts
professionals. NUS Chinese
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of working with Wang Cheng,
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choreographer from China
for Mirror.Moon, which
looked at the importance of
traditional values through
poetry and dance.
NUS undergrads Samantha Ho
and Chen Yingxuan were
mentored by T.H.E Dance Co.’s
Lee Mun Wai and playwright
Chong Tze Chien respectively
for a dance and theatre
doublebill Face to Face III:
Full Circle.
A diverse cast of talented
NUS students and alums
shared their stories with
Artistic Director Jeremiah Choy
to create a spectacular Closing
Show, The Swing Thing. One
of the cast, fulltime magician
Alexander Yuen, blogged,
“I am really glad that my
performance resonated with
the audiences and that they
too feel that magic has the
potential to be an art form.”
Unique
Local and
Performances
International Works
Many burning questions and
issues were explored through
this year’s performances.
NUS Piano Ensemble grappled
with the question of ‘to what
extent genius was similar to
insanity?’ by performing the
works of famous composers
who may have been a few keys
short of a scale.
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works by local and international
artists like T.H.E. Dance
Company who returned with
their second installment of
triplebill Solo/Duet featuring
works by choreographers
Mui Cheuk Yin (Hong Kong)
and Kim Jae Duk (Korea)
alongside Artistic Director
Kuik Swee Boon’s choreography.
spell#7 returned to work with
NUS student writers and
wellknown Singaporean voice
talents like Tan Kheng Hua
and Daniel Jenkins for an aural
murder mystery which led
the audience on a tour in and
around NUS Baba House.
NUS Electronic Music Lab took
the sci-fi route with Persona,
an otherworldly concert with
its android protagonist in
search for her identity. With
Maargam, NUS Indian Dance
and its alum dancers explored
how traditional Bharatanatyam
dancers moved when they
didn’t have to tell a story.
NUS Faculty
And Lots More!
The Fest also tapped on
NUS faculty Dr Patrick Daly
of the University Scholars
Programme for a postscreening dialogue for David,
a film which Dr Daly wrote,
produced and codirected.
Dr Ho Chee Lick of the
Chinese Studies Department,
FASS, gifted the Fest with his
beautiful calligraphy which was
featured in Mirror.Moon.
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Chinese Orchestra, who celebrated their 40th anniversary, The
/64$IPJS/648JOE4ZNQIPOZBOE/64(VJUBS&OTFNCMFUIF
Fest’s fringe also included film screenings, a concert by the Yong
Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra and performances by groups
under NUS Cultural Activities Club (CAC).
Other artists included Korean
choreographers Lee Insoo
(EDx2 Dance Company)
and Lee Jae Young and
NUS alum film director
Ekachai Uekrongtham
(Thailand) together with
Singapore musicians like
guitarist Neil Chan and
Obedient Wives Club.
The Fest also celebrated the opening of the Stephen Riady
Centre at University Town with programmes that spread the
Festival buzz to more parts of NUS. For more, please see pages
14 and 15.
NUS Arts Festival will
return 13 – 29 March 2014.
Meanwhile, do check out the
colourful photos and videos on
our Facebook page. More arts
events from this August can be
found on our centrespread on
pages 12-13.
“But the budget-conscious art
lover’s best-kept secret has to
be the National University of
Singapore’s (NUS) arts festival,
an annual showcase of student
and professional arts groups.
Especially strong on dance and
theatre, the festival has been
showcasing award-winning
plays and dances, most of
them for less than S$20 a pop.
What’s there not to love?”
- Adeline Chia, The Budget-Conscious
Art Lover’s Best-Kept Secret:
NUS Arts Festival, Fest preview on
BlouinArtInfo.com, 6 Mar 2013
The Swing Thing
“…I’m pleasantly surprised
to see a play from spell #7 so
fuelled by plot that it’s almost
a genre work - it’s a refreshing
change from their meditative,
experimental style, yet still
full of soul. Plus, in spite of its
being a student-created work,
it doesn’t feel amateur at all.”
- Ng Yi-Sheng, review of And Then
There Was One, The Flying Inkpot,
14 Mar 2013
In Memoriam: Mr K.P. Bhaskar
“… it is encouraging to see
how Face to Face unites
artists from two NUS dance
groups, alumni and current
NUS students, and thespians
in faculties which range from
pharmacy to literature. The
series is indeed a wonderful
opportunity for budding
artists, and an accessible
platform for their friends to
witness their talent beyond the
classroom.”
NUS Centre For the Arts is deeply saddened by
the passing of Mr K.P. Bhaskar, 88, on 17 April 2013.
A pioneer of Indian classical dance, he often attended
performances at the University Cultural Centre.
This visionary leader worked tirelessly with his wife,
Mrs Santha Bhaskar to instill a love and appreciation
for Indian dance in the Singapore community.
Mrs Bhaskar is the Artistic Director and Resident
Choreographer of NUS Indian Dance. His contributions
continue to resonate with many Indian dancers and
he is dearly missed.
- Germaine Cheng, co-reviewer of
Face to Face III, The Flying Inkpot,
(From right) NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS Provost Prof Tan Eng Chye with the alum and undergraduate cast of
22 Mar 2013
The Swing Thing.
8
9
STEPHEN RIADY CENTRE
artzone August – December 2013
Merging
Arts, Sports and Learning
NUS Jazz Band’s A Brew of Jazz Tunes and the combined Halls of Residence’s
annual Rockfest, organised by ExxonMobil Campus Concerts, provided evening
entertainment at Stephen Riady Centre’s Foyer.
Choreographers from Korea and Hong Kong were invited for dance
masterclasses at the Centre’s Dance Ateliers.
Top Facilities
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Mark Platinum Award by the Building and Construction Authority.
Its many facilities include an auditorium, two multipurpose sports
halls, a rock climbing wall, a gym and a recreational pool.
(From left) NUS Students’ Union President Mr Goh Ren Kai, Prof Tan Chorh Chuan, Dr Stephen Riady, Minister Heng Swee Keat, NUS Chairman Mr Wong Ngit Liong and
NUS Provost Prof Tan Eng Chye at the Centre’s launch on 8 March 2013.
Photo by Office of the Provost, NUS
University Town’s Stephen Riady
Centre combines arts, sports
and learning facilities. It is a
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to develop individuals socially,
physically and intellectually.
14
0GåDJBMMZPQFOFEPO.BSDIUIJTZFBSCZ(VFTUPG)POPVS
Minister for Education Mr Heng Swee Keat, the Stephen Riady
Centre combines a range of sports, teaching and performing
arts facilities with lifestyle options in dining and retail outlets.
Named in recognition of a generous gift of S$30 million to NUS
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broad-based education at NUS and will fund student bursaries,
sports, culture and arts programmes for NUS students.
In addition, for dance activities, there are a new dance studio
and two dance ateliers, equipped with the sprung floors and
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campus arts.
For musical activities, there are:
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Several arts groups, part of NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA),
began rehearsing and performing in the new arts spaces as
early as January this year.
The Stephen Riady Centre Dance Studio saw improv and theatre performances
by NUS Stage and NUS Stage IMPROVables.
Exciting Performances
The Stephen Riady Centre’s March launch was celebrated by
NUS Arts Festival 2013 which brought concerts, screenings,
dance workshops and theatre performances to University Town,
spicing many March evenings with the arts and entertainment.
And Lots More
This September, look forward to more arts events at the Stephen
Riady Centre. For more details, please see page 12 and 13.
15
NEW EXHIBITION
artzone August – December 2013
Emerging artists
Liu Kang, Indian New Year (1957), collection of NUS Museum
Between Here and Nanyang
Marco Hsu’s Brief History of Malayan Art
same month that Singapore
merged with Malaya to form
Malaysia, Hsu’s serialised
articles were compiled and
published as a book,
A Brief History of Malayan
Art. The exhibition Between
Here and Nanyang marks the
50th anniversary of the book’s
publication.
Cheong Soo Pieng, Motherly Love (1956), collection of NUS Museum
This 22 August, a new
permanent exhibition,
Between Here and Nanyang:
Marco Hsu’s Brief History of
Malayan Art, centered on the
writings of the late Marco Hsu,
will open at NUS Museum.
Educator, art commentator
and a member of the Chinese
intelligentsia, Hsu (whose real
name was Koh Cheng Foo)
was a frequent contributor of
18
articles on art and culture to
the press. Between 1961 and
1963, already an established
author of books and articles
on the cultural history of
Nanyang*, Marco Hsu (or
.B(F
, in Mandarin)
was invited to be a regular
columnist of the Chinesenewspaper Nanyang Evening
News to write about the
history of art in Malaya. In the
Between Here and Nanyang
is backgrounded by the
changing times of August 1963
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to form the new nation state of
Malaysia, marking the end of
colonial rule. The years leading
up to the merger had seen
social dissension in the forms
of communist activism (ranging
from the Malayan Emergency
to unionist activities such as
the Hock Lee Bus riots) and
communal riots (arising from
the Maria Hertogh affair).
With these historical events
fresh in the memories of
people then, the question of
national and cultural identity
was on the minds not only of
the politicians on both sides
of the Causeway, but also of
various cultural commentators,
including Hsu.
In A Brief History of Malayan
Art, Marco Hsu traced the art
history of maritime and colonial
Malaya, to the contemporary
developments in the early
1960s. The exhibition will
showcase the strength of the
NUS Museum’s collections
which is broad enough to
contain many artefacts and
artists mentioned by Hsu,
from Indian temple sculptures
dating to 300AD, Chinese
ceramics from the 14th century,
ink paintings, batik textiles
from Malaysia, to modern
paintings by our emerging
Singaporean artists.
The beginnings of NUS
Museum (in the form of the
University of Malaya Art
Museum) and its collection
are contemporary to Hsu’s
art commentary. Many of the
‘modern-day’ artists collected
for the museum by its first
curator, Michael Sullivan, were
the young contemporary
artists identified in Hsu’s
book. For instance, Hsu points
to the 1952 Bali expedition
undertaken by four pioneer
artists – Liu Kang, Cheong
Soo Pieng, Chen Chong
Swee and Chen Wen Hsi – as
an important moment when
a discernible ‘local flavour’
emerged in modern art in
Singapore. NUS Museum’s
South & Southeast Asian
collection includes paintings
from the four artists’ 1953
exhibition, or works purchased
shortly after, such as Liu Kang’s
Indian New Year (1953) and
Cheong Soo Pieng’s Motherly
Love (1956). Many other
paintings in the collection
were also gifts to the Museum
from the artists.
Fledgling
institutions and
“seed” collections
Marco Hsu opened his
discussion of Malaya with
a question: “Malaya is often
called a cultural desert:
is it that bad in reality?”
By the end of his series
however he concludes that
it is “unfortunate that
Malaya is brandished as
a ‘cultural desert’ at the
commencement of her
cultural artistic development.”
To Hsu, one of the signs of the
maturing artistic environment
was the increasing number
of galleries and museums,
private and public, opening
around him then. He cites
the efforts of the University of
Malaya in building a collection
of contemporary artists, and
notes that the then Nanyang
University was also receiving
paintings from artists even
though it had not yet built a
gallery. Hsu also named the
Xiang Xue Zhuang (
Xu Beihong, Magpies (1945), collection of NUS Museum
Sunyee, Flowers and peacock (1960), collection of
NUS Museum
private collection, built up by
the late Dr Tan Sze Chor,
as one of the most important
collections of Chinese art in
Singapore by the 1960s.
4PNFPCKFDUTGSPNUIJT
collection were donated by
Dr Tan to the Lee Kong Chian
(BMMFSZPG$IJOFTF"SUJO
the 1970s. These collections
may be likened in imagery to
botanical seed collections,
waiting to germinate
and grow, in Hsu’s words,
into “beautiful, limitless
plantations, and fruit orchards
of never ending yield.”
Visitors to Between Here and
Nanyang can view paintings
from these collections.
Between Here and Nanyang:
Marco Hsu’s Brief History of
Malayan Art
South & Southeast Asian
Gallery, NUS Museum
22 Aug 2013 till 2015
* Translating as “the Southern Seas”,
a catchall term from the overseas
Choo Keng Kwang, Street Scenes (1960), collection of NUS Museum
Chinese community which referred to
the Southeast Asian region.
19
NUS BABA HOUSE
artzone August – December 2013
NUS Baba House
celebrates 5 Anniversary
th
Since its official opening on 4 September 2008, NUS Baba House
has offered a range of programmes to students, researchers and
the public. Look out for the 5th anniversary events this September.
Built around 1895, this three-storey townhouse stands at the heart of the 5BOKPOH
5th Anniversary Highlights
Additional Weekend Tours (7 & 14 Sep 2013)
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opportunity to experience the antique artefacts and furniture of
the NUS Baba House. The tours will last an hour and visitors will
be served tea and delicious nyonya cakes.
Upcoming Exhibition (from Sep 2013)
View artworks by two contemporary artists, Samantha
Thio (Mintio) and Budi Agung Kuswara (Kabul) created in
collaboration with batik makers from the Javanese village
of Kebon Indah. A cultural icon of Indonesia, batik has been
studied for its symbolisms, production, and commercial
potential, but less is understood of the mainly female workforce
behind batik production. Using an early photographic process
known as cyanotype, Mintio and Kabul printed portraits of the
batik workers on cotton. The women then responded by making
batik patterns on the same pieces of fabric, resulting in artworks
which give a face and voice to their role in the industry.
Pagar district and was once the ancestral home of a wealthy Straits Chinese family.
Conference: Peranakan Communities in the Era of
Decolonization and Globalization (27 Sep 2013)
Organised by the NUS Baba House, Chinese Heritage Centre
and the National Library Board, this conference continues the
discussions of the inaugural 2009 conference by examining
recent research on Peranakan Chinese in Singapore, Malaysia
and Indonesia. Topics include the politics, literature, business,
and social and cultural identities of the community in an age of
nationalism and globalization.
NUS Baba House Guidebook (Due to be released in end 2013)
Featuring the architectural ornamentations and artefacts of the
NUS Baba House, this guidebook is a supplementary resource
to the House’s guided heritage tours. Visitors keen to know
NPSFBCPVUPCKFDUTQPQVMBSJOBOFBSMZUIDFOUVSZIPNFBOE
the iconography and stories of the plaster reliefs and wooden
carvings in the House will find the volume a treat.
Visits to NUS Baba House are by appointment only.
A donation from Ms Agnes Tan, a lady of Peranakan Chinese descent, allowed the
For more information, please visit www.nus.edu.sg/museum/baba,
call [65] 6227 5731 or email babahouse@nus.edu.sg
National University of Singapore (NUS) to acquire the property in 2006. After its
restoration, the House has been curated as a heritage house, providing visitors with
the unique experience of an early 20th century Straits Chinese family home.
Curator Foo Su Ling introduces the exhibition to the International Alliance of
Research Universities (IARU) global summer program students
An Artistic
[Re]EJTDPWFSZ
Family Hall
Former President S R Nathan and Ms Agnes Tan during the official opening in
September 2008
Programmes at NUS Baba House
Some key events over the years
Exhibitions presented include A Psychotaxonomy of Home \
Michael Lee (2008), Of Fingerbowls and Hankies \ Chris Yap
(2009), Discordant Symmetries \ Wei Leng Tay (2010), Capturing
the Straits: Painting and Postcard Views from the 19th and Early
20th Centuries (2012) and most recently Dressing the Baba:
Recent Donations of Portraits (2012).
2008
Official opening on 4 September.
(SBEVBUJPOPGTUCBUDIPGEPDFOUT
2009
International conference Peranakan Chinese in a
Globalising Southeast AsiaPSHBOJ[FEKPJOUMZXJUI
Chinese Heritage Centre and National Library Board.
$IBSJUZ5PVSBOE%JOOFSIFMEJODPOKVODUJPOXJUIUIF
Singapore Sun Festival.
2010
Publication Peranakan Chinese in a
Globalizing Southeast Asia.
2011
(SBEVBUJPOPGOECBUDIPGEPDFOUT
2012
University Museums and Collections (UMAC)
conference tours and events.
Collaborations with academic departments on research and
student programmes include Domesticity: Melaka in Flux in 2011
by student participants of IARU programme. Ongoing module
collaborations with NUS School of Design and Engineering and
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
5BMLTJODPOKVODUJPOXJUIFYIJCJUJPOT
Heritage tours of the house and walking tours of the
neighbourhood.
20
'PSUIFJSZFBSMPOH'JFME4FSWJDF1SPKFDU'41
UISFFIPOPVST
year NUS Business School students merged the academic and
the artistic when they worked with NUS Museum to generate
NPSFBXBSFOFTTGPSUIFJOTUJUVUJPO(VJEFECZ%S8V1FJ$IVBO
of the NUS Business School, the three enterprising undergrads
– Joyce Ho, Nicodemus Ler and Shirlyn Tan – developed
marketing strategies and carried out a student-initiated
edu-tainment campaign to encourage the campus community
to (re)discover the NUS Museum, with its roots tracing back to
1955, and its unique collections.
This is the third time that the
NUS Museum worked with the
students from NUS Business
School. The Museum has
partnered several academic
departments to develop
learning opportunities for
students from different fields
and welcomes suggestions of
new initiatives.
The NUS Museum would
like to thank Joyce Ho,
Nicodemus Ler and
Shirlyn Tan for their hard work
and enthusiasm and Dr Wu
for her invaluable guidance.
5IFUSJPTFGGPSUTDVMNJOBUFEJOUIF<3F>%JTDPWFSSPBETIPX
which was spread across the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,
NUS Business School and University Town. Their ideas included
using little known facts of the Museum to perk interest and
educate their peers. Thirty different posters with a “Did you
know...” header were put up around campus and on the NUS
Museum’s Facebook page and Twitter account. The “by students,
for students” initiative successfully engaged their peers and
highlighted the Museum’s outreach efforts on Facebook and
other channels.
Find NUS Museum at:
nusmuseum.blogspot.com
facebook.com/nusmuseum
twitter.com/nusmuseum
21
WHAT’S ON AT THE NUS MUSEUM
artzone August – December 2013
New Exhibitions
Tan Tie Chee, Mending Clothes (1958),
Ng Eng Teng, Self portrait (1955),
collection of NUS Museum
collection of NUS Museum
Between Here and Nanyang:
Marco Hsu’s Brief History of Malayan Art
South & Southeast Asian Gallery, NUS Museum
22 Aug 2013 till 2015
Liu Kang, Maidens under a tree (1956),
collection of NUS Museum
In 1963, Marco Hsu, art critic and regular newspaper columnist who wrote on the history of art in
Malaya, published a series of essays on the cultural history of the people of the Malayan Peninsula,
which were compiled into a book published in Chinese in 1963, A Brief History of Malayan Art.
Through his analysis of the development of art history in Malaya and Singapore, Marco Hsu raised
questions of Malayan identities and culture for the young nation. The NUS Museum presents the
exhibition on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the book’s publication, and the Museum will
use art and artefacts referred to by Marco Hsu to highlight questions of identity and nation building
raised on the eve of an anticipated political development of significance: the creation of a merged,
independent nation.
Aeriel view of Alice Lee Plaza, surrounded by University Cultural Centre, NUS Museum and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.
Transforming
‘Come cannibalise us, why don’t you?’ | Erika Tan
VEG Gallery, NUS Museum
22 Aug 2013 till 31 Jan 2014 (Artist talk on 23 Aug 2013)
Emerging from an ongoing discussion between NUS Museum curators and artist Erika Tan
TJODFBCPVUUIFNVMUJUVEJOPVTQPUFOUJBMTPGUIFNVTFVNJ[FEPCKFDUUIFDPMMPRVJBMMZUJUMFE
‘Come cannibalise us, why don’t you?’ is an artist’s response that re-visits through re-use,
re-enactment and repatriation, the artefacts and writings from the exhibition Camping and Tramping
Through The Colonial Archive: The Museum in Malaya (2011-2013). In additional, newer artworks
EFWFMPQFECZUIFBSUJTUUIBUJODMVEFåMNPCKFDUTBOEXPSLTPOQBQFSXJMMCFTIPXOBMPOHTJEF
The guiding principle being a form of aesthetic cannibalism, speculative in its method and
oscillating between formats, the site-specific installation reveals the contingent rules and contextual
considerations of the colonial museum in Malaya as it came to be formed in the 19th century and
the particular interpretative technologies and translationary mediums that continue to murmur a
discourse in the contemporary postcolonial museum of Singapore and in the dis-located South East
Asian collections elsewhere.
In Search of Raffles’ Light | An Art Project with Charles Lim
NX Gallery, NUS Museum
18 Oct 2013 till April 2014 (Artist-curator talk on 17 Oct 2013)
In Search of Raffles’ LightJTBOJOUFSEJTDJQMJOBSZQSPKFDUUIBUBUUFNQUTUPSFNFNCFSIJTUPSJFT
attached to a single site – the Raffles Lighthouse (estd. 1854) – Singapore’s southern most territorial
marker. Moving away from definitions of history and heritage as monumental and structured,
it highlights the immaterial, mundane, anecdotal and perhaps irreconcilable traces surrounding
the site and the artist-curatorial attempts at ‘searching’ for a critical vocabulary with which effective
postcolonial histories of Singapore’s relationship to the sea may be expressed. Presenting new films
EFWFMPQFECZBSUJTU$IBSMFT-JNUIFFYIJCJUJPOBMTPNPCJMJTFTFWFSZEBZPCKFDUTNVTFVNBSUFGBDUT
archival texts and maps, photographs, paintings and prints that range from the national to personal,
the archaeological to biological, the historical to present – a poly-vocal attempt at illuminating the
complexities between contemporary practice, museums, and their cultural artefacts.
22
Check out the Museum’s
full exhibition listings and
information on the NUS
Museum and NUS Baba House
at www.nus.edu.sg/museum
or visit the Museum’s blog at
www.nusmuseum.blogspot.com
Do also keep updated on our
programmes and activities
from our Facebook (facebook.
com/nusmuseum) and Twitter
(@nusmuseum).
Admission to the
NUS Museum is free.
NUS Museum
University Cultural Centre
50 Kent Ridge Crescent
Singapore 119279
Opening Hours:
Tues – Sat (10am – 7:30pm)
Sun (10am – 6pm)
Closed on Mondays and
Public Holidays
NUS’ Arts and
Cultural Hub
#ZFOE/64$VMUVSBMBOE)FSJUBHF)VCXJMMCFSFKVWFOBUFECZUIFOFX-FF,POH$IJBO
Natural History Museum (LKCNHM), scheduled to open in late 2014 and the Alice Lee Plaza,
opening in August 2013.
Designed by W Architects, both the Alice Lee Plaza and the
LKCNHM were made possible by the relentless efforts of Prof
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BUUIF/64'BDVMUZPG
Science and Prof Peter Ng, Director of NUS’ Raffles Museum
of Biodiversity Research (RMBR), from an idea first mooted
in 2004 by Prof Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large, Honorary
Chairman of the National Heritage Board and Tembusu College
3FDUPS5IFQSPKFDUSFDFJWFEUIFJOWBMVBCMFTVQQPSUPGGPSNFS
Singapore President Mr S R Nathan, Dr Lee Seng Tee and the Lee
Foundation as well as other generous benefactors.
With sheltered walkways, the Plaza will seamlessly link the hub’s
main arts and heritage centres – the University Cultural Centre,
the NUS Museum, the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
and the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. Serving as
a nexus, the Plaza will be vibrant social space where events,
programmes and outdoor exhibitions can be held.
The Plaza will seamlessly link
the hub’s main arts and heritage
centres – the University Cultural
Centre, the NUS Museum, the
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of
Music and the Lee Kong Chian
Natural History Museum.
23
SURVEYING
The Arts on Campus
Share
When
How
what campus arts you want to see,
you would like updates and
you want them.
Win an iPOD NANO
Take our survey via our Facebook Page
(NUS Centre For the Arts) or on our
website at cfa.nus.edu.sg
Scan this to take our survey online.
All you need is 10 min and stand
a chance to win in our lucky draw.
Survey closes on 30 September 2013.