By: Khoo Yi Feng Edited by: Wee Min Er Contemporary artists in Southeast Asia express themselves through the dynamic and versatile avenue of art. Such intriguing forms of expression calls for attention as it impresses others, and has become a force that cannot be repressed. Looking at Little India and Kampong Glam below, I know that Singapore is not an exception to this phenomenon in the region. Step out of Little India MRT station, you will see colourful buffaloes greeting you (Cattleland, Eunice Lim, 2015). Walk along Kerbau Road and you will find an awkwardly displayed web made of raffia string resembling hammocks. These installations are part of the Little India Art Walk, courtesy of the Singapore Art Week 2015. Being a contemporary art lover, I always enthused over the intent rather than the content of such displays. My curiosity took me to a chat with a surveyor from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) who was on-site. Her sharing illuminated the contours of how the state can use contemporary art as a means to achieve its aims. She asked, "What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Little India?" I fumbled with my words, throwing up good descriptives, due in part to the fact that the surveyor is an Indian. She stopped me midway through my "praise-singing", and simply said, "2013 Little India riot". Suddenly it all made sense. The state has a vested interest in changing perceptions of this heritage area through contemporary art. In the process of rebranding and managing the public's perception, contemporary art was ingenuously, covertly and conveniently used as a tool. Stepping into the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) in Kampong Glam, you see some exhibits (flying garbage bags) sticking out like sore thumbs amidst the landscape of this beautiful Istana. Exploring further, you will see MHC housing contemporary arts installations like the "Budi Daya" and those courtesy of the Singapore Art Week 2015. MHC's special exhibition "Budi Daya" is especially worth mentioning for it explores "Budaya" (culture) from the Malay perspective but goes beyond to explore the enactment of "Budi" (Sanskrit for intellect or wisdom) in emotions, behaviour, sight, communities and cognition via the artefacts. This focus on "Budi Daya", the bridging of both traditional and contemporary parts of Malay culture and ideals, is reminiscent of the struggle against the trope of underdevelopment that pursue the Malays. The artefacts highlight a conscious intention to reinterpret Malay culture, identity and ethnicity amidst the push for development. Notably, the artists showcased their influences from popular culture. For example, Malaysian artist Tintoy Chuo featured characters like Sangkalang Vedeh (Darth Vader), Si P Long (C-3PO) amidst mytical characters of the Wayang Kulit repertoire in “Peperangan Bintang” translated directly into Star Wars (look to picture on the left). It is almost as if the iconic Star Wars characters from the West are interacting with the archetypes drawn from Javanese mythology. What a conversation it will have been! In “Pasar Kumandhang”, Indonesian artist Dani Iswardana Wibowo planted mythical Javanese characters into contemporary landscapes replete with popular and desirable consumer items. He presented his art in a scroll reminiscent of Wayang Beber, a traditional Javanese art form (look to the picture on the left). In doing so, I find that the art pieces furthers highlight the uneasy negotiations between traditions and modern forces, which the artists will have faced in making sense of the present and what is to come. Contemporary art is able to provide social commentaries that document feelings of past hurt, life in the present and aspirations for the future. My walks down Little India and Kampong Glam has reminded me to be conscious of the intent of artists and more importantly those of the sponsors, the state and relevant actors even while enjoying the rich content in contemporary art, for artists do not work in vacuum. Learning more about the social worlds of the artists through their art makes for a lifelong hobby. What do you make of the use of contemporary art in Singapore? Where else in Southeast Asia have you seen contemporary art being used by the state?
1/11/2015 Just Do It By Ei Xuehan Ever since I took SE1101E (Introduction of Southeast Asia Studies) in my freshman year, my interest was piqued and I wanted to learn more about Southeast Asia (SEA). I ventured into SEA by taking up SE2214 (Arts of Southeast Asia), where we went to Ubud, Bali to learn Balinese Dance from the locals. We had to dance in the biennial Taksu 2013 event, which was ultimately 40% of our overall assessment. It was undoubtedly an experience and opportunity that only happened once in a lifetime where we got to wear authentic dance costumes and learn from professional dancers. Right after that semester, I decided to take SE3224 (Thai Art and Drawing), which provided a time off from the usual listening to lectures. A sketchbook, pencil and an eraser was what you needed during a typical tutorial class. The process of developing a Thai drawing and painting was tedious and of course, required long hours of focus and hard work. However, the satisfaction that one gets upon completing it outweighed whatever difficulties were encountered. It was during my stay in Bali, after watching so many performances, which made me fall in love with Gamelan. The sounds that the metallophones, drums and gongs produced led me to constantly want to hear more of its music. My friends who majored in SEA Studies told me that NUS offered the module, Music in SEA, and one could learn how to play the Gamelan during tutorials. Without much hesitation, I bided for SE2221 (Old and New Music In Southeast Asia). The module attracted students across all faculties, consisting of a class of around sixty-plus students. Some of these students were Southeast Asian majors, while others were interested students who played the gamelan when they were younger, or they were interested in music in general. The module aimed to give us an overview of traditional and popular music in different regions in SEA and focused on selected music – Javanese Gamelan and Thai music (both instruments are available at the SEA department). During lectures, Pak Jan (Dr Jan Mrazek) explained the musical structures and processes for the different instruments and the forms that a composition can have. Tutorials for this module consisted of 45-minute long practices of different instruments – the Peking, Saron, Demung, Slenthem, and Bonang (as each instrument played a different role). Like what Pak Jan said, it is impossible to understand how to play the Gamelan without conducting hands-on sessions. In fact, just like the Javanese community, which emphasizes on collectivity and harmony within the group, students practiced in groups with the different instruments each time. Even though it looked easy playing the instruments individually (just hitting it with mallets for example), the challenging part came when everyone played together, as we had to listen to each other, and coordinating on when to speed up or slow down. The fun came after I decided to join Singa Nglaras, the NUS Gamelan Ensemble, comprising of varying individuals from different walks of life. It was Gamelan that brought everyone together at one place. I realized that it was much easier to understand what was going on after taking this module, and thus it made it even more enjoyable playing the Gamelan, as compared to when I joined for one practice with them before taking SE2221. I was fortunate that there was an upcoming performance at Malay Heritage Center one month after I joined, and was welcome to join them even though I had limited playing experience. Javanese Gamelan is indeed very different from Balinese Gamelan. Its rhythm and melody is slower, gentler, and smoother. With the guidance of experienced players and learning with other newbies like me, I enjoyed the process a lot. Playing the Gamelan allowed me to enter another world; to take a rest from my hectic schedule and just enjoy the music. Taking up the different SEA Studies modules made me realized how different art forms, music, and ways of life relate to each other. And perhaps one thing that many people had concerns about before taking all these modules were: “I don’t have any artistic talent”, or “I have no clue about it” etc. But it is alright if you do not know anything. If you look closely to the IVLE descriptions of all these elective modules, there is one common thread – “Student does not need any prior knowledge about ____. However, one must have passion and interest in learning _____”.
The only pre-requisite for these modules was passion in learning. Hence, my only advice is – Just Do It. There are so many what ifs; they are never-ending. However, life in NUS is not just about studying mundanely, but also a time for you to explore what you want and discover what you like. 11/20/2014 2 Comments No Longer a 'Noob' in Martial ArtsWritten by: Wee Min Er During my summer break in 2014, I participated in the FASStrack Summer Programme – Southeast Asia in Context (SEAiC), with the intent to clear two modules during the holiday to lessen my load for the next semester. Along the journey of the wonderful learning experience, one of the greatest gains for me is being able to know more people and form new bonds. Students from other international colleges like Yale University, University of Copenhagen, and Australian National University, also participated in the programme. The classroom instantly becomes an international space, and the ideas that flow through classroom discussions give me a wide range of insights. Additionally, the SEAiC programme allows students to bond the lecturers in an informal setting, like that of an overseas field trip. It is through the programme that I am able to know professor Effendy, who co-guided the class throughout the whole 5 weeks in Singapore and Cambodia. During a jam-packed ride on the back of a truck, on the wildly uneven and soggy roads to see Kampong Phluk in Cambodia, I could still recall Prof Effendy excitedly publicising to the class a new module that he would be teaching in the next semester. SE3880B Martial Arts in Southeast Asia; it is a module culminated from his years of experiences and passion in martial arts since his schooling years. On the other hand, my interest in the subject only surrounds my watching of action packed movies like Ip Man and Huang Fei Hong films on local television for entertainment purposes. I have never really been so much of a sporty person, or even considered myself practicing any form of martial arts. I guess you can call me a 'noob' in martial arts. Nevertheless, although I have no background in martial arts (the short kickboxing classes I took part in community centres do not really count), I still felt that the SE3880B module could offer me a new lens to view the diverse Southeast Asia. Plus it sounds super fun, the way Prof Effendy puts it, so I went ahead and bided for the module. The module name itself must have attracted many other students as well, building up class size to around fifty-plus students. Some of these students are just Southeast Asian Studies majors, like me, fulfilling their major requirements. Others are interested students who are practitioners themselves, each of different martial arts such as Taekwondo or Silat. The module aims to give us an overview on the subject by diving into the history and transformation of martial arts as a whole, and then focusing on a selected few martial arts that are widely practiced in Southeast Asia. Prof Effendy also brings in his friends from the different martial arts to allow us to hear first person perspectives as well as witness amazing demonstrations in class. In opinion, such special arrangements make the things that we read and learn about come to live; it allows me to better reflect on the impact of martial arts on people's lives and especially to experience for myself the complexity of the movements as a 'noob' in martial arts. Not only do the hands on sessions make lessons less mundane, but it also allowed me to gain a better understanding and appreciation for martial arts. Before this, like most other 'noobs', I would not think much of the moves on the television or live demonstrations unless there are back flips or other kinds of epic-looking flips. Now even as a 'noob' in martial arts, I am able to examine aspects of it besides the usual focus of physical movements. For instance, through the lectures and sharing sessions by practitioners like Dr. Saiful Nizam, I got to see the various forms of Silat in Singapore as well as its role in the Malay culture. The demonstration sessions of the Chinese martial art Nei Jia Quan, also opened my eyes with its powerful moves and linked me back to how ideas and culture flow along with the early Chinese immigrants into Southeast Asia. Tutorials for this module are also pretty interesting and unique; there are intense discussions, role playing debates, student sharing and even hands on sessions for Kendo. The emphasis on the Kendo hands-on session is the Budo, the martial way and spirit. Throughout the practice session, 'kiai' (to shout) is a very essential and important component of it. The kind of experiences that I got from a single practice session of shouting, stance, wielding the 'shinai' (the sword), and attacking are things that is impossible to have through reading. The kinds of spirit and energy felt in the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall, or the dojo (practice area), are something truly impactful and memorable. At that moment, it did not matter whether or not I am an experienced martial artist or not, as I still got to experience the art and beauty of Kendo first hand. One of the other components of the SE3880B module that I really enjoyed is the video project assignment. The class is split into groups and tasked to create a video that explores martial arts in different perspectives, so as to explore student's understanding and interpretation in the subject area. Some groups explored the connections between Malay dance and Silat, others did a review on the martial arts scenes in movies like Red Dead Redemption. My group covered the topic of domestic workers and martial arts in Singapore; it's amazing sometimes how our classmates' connections can lead me to discover parts of the country that I never knew existed. The movie screening and pizza session at the end of the 13 weeks, is also one of the highlights of the whole module. Laughter fills the room as we all admire and appreciate each other's hard work, learning something new at the same time. Thank you Prof Effendy, for teaching and making this semester so much fun, I enjoyed my time learning more about martial arts in Southeast Asia! Drawing a wonderful end to SE3880B, I can proudly say that even though I do not practice martial arts, I am not a noob in understanding martial arts in Southeast Asia. If anyone is thinking of what SE modules to take the next academic year, do consider SE3880B!
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CategoriesAll AGM Alumni Dinner Bbq Event Film Intercultural Relations Relationships Screening Semester SEP Singapore Society Student Contribution Summer School Tidbits Welcome Tea Archives
July 2015
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