What’s on our diary this month: Festivals in Singapore, plus an international art exhibition in Venice.
Staging Conflict, Hacking Diversity
Like a collage, the configuration of objects and signs in Gilang Fradika’s paintings is a strategy the artist employed for putting together a series of knowledge and life experiences. In this solo exhibition at Mizuma Gallery, the works seek to trigger the memory of the viewer through an indexical relationship with the subject it represents.
Until May 22
The Forest and its Soul
Eminent Singaporean stone sculptor, Han Sai Por, is one of Asia’s leading modern sculptors and a Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient. For her solo exhibition at STPI Gallery, she has created 35 new print and paper works in a span of just three weeks. Made using technologies that are new to the artist, such as photo intaglio and laser-cutting, the creations draw from the artist’s own experiences of walking through dense forests – described by her as “an emotional landscape”.
Until May 22
Singapore HeritageFest 2022
Uncover the lesser-known stories of Singapore’s vibrant travel history and rich natural heritage through more than 100 on-site and online experiences. These include tours and programmes that illuminate the evolution of travel to and within Singapore, and what has made it today’s dynamic tourism hub. Hands-on workshops and trails also bring participants closer to nature on an adventure into Singapore’s natural heritage to discover the flora and fauna native to the region.
May 2-29
The Greatest Love of All : A Tribute to Whitney Houston
Bask in the breathtaking vocals of Belinda Davids, a Cape Town-based songstress who has been entertaining audiences around the world with her impressive renditions of Whitney Houston’s biggest hits. Presented at the Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands, the concert also features an orchestra and full band accompanying Davids’ vocals in paying homage to Houston’s musical legacy.
May 26-29
Singapore International Festival of Arts
This year’s festival, named The Anatomy of Performance – Ritual, invites audiences to consider our shared social rituals that are echoed in performance, as both feature a commonality in duration, artefacts and gestures. Audiences can enjoy new commissioned works by a mix of local and international artists across both digital and physical platforms, including some pre festival programmes through a new virtual venue, Life Profusion.
May 20-Jun 5
Before ∙ Between ∙ Beyond
The Aargauer Kunsthaus museum in Aarau, Switzerland, boasts a collection of over 20,000 works of Swiss art dating from the 18th century to present day. This exhibition presents a selection of its latest additions along with other key contemporary pieces. They span the mediums of photography, sculpture, painting, video, printed graphics and drawing. There are also large-scale installations and site-specific works created especially for the show, all presented in three different chapters: past, present and future.
May 15-Aug 7
Biennale Arte 2022
Paying homage to the city and culture of Venice, Maison Valentino is sponsoring the Italian Pavilion at the international art exhibition, which is part of this year’s Venice Biennale. Visitors can look out for an artwork by Italian contemporary artist Gian Maria Tosatti, titled History of Night and Destiny of Comets – a large environmental installation offering a striking vision of the current state of humanity and its prospects, with a proactive and optimistic perspective.
Until Nov 27
(Main and featured image: Gilang Fradika, Melawat Desember, 2021, oil on canvas, 150 × 200 cm; courtesy of Mizuma Gallery)
This story first appeared in the May 2022 issue of Prestige Singapore.