Fiction@ Love (Singapore Art Museum May 11
Could someone explain the title to me again?
One contributor to the show’s brochure quotes lyrics from Tori Amos, Thirteen Senses and Lisa Germano… is there a point in using a quote if it doesn’t have an obvious relationship to the text? And what does it say that a Singaporean/Shanghai art show uses the lyrics of American and British musicians?
Also from the brochure:
...”the work speaks of the protrusions built on the outside of the pieces reaching up in an attempt to create discordance between the two towers just as the strangely as paradox of irony twisting the mental image of the innocuous mind frame and as well as a manifestation of progression towards the ideal that lies beyond the pervading darkness of youthful cynicism.”
yep……
Also in the brochure was Victoria Lu’s Curatorial Statement. She also spoke at the opening. Here is what I liked about her presentation:
She knows what she doing and what she is talking about.
She began speaking in Chinese and then spoke in English. She defined a new art movement called animamix and mentioned that the word will likely end up in English dictionaries. (Animamix Art is defined as animation + comics.)
With this declarative statement, it appears that Shanghai is determined to be the driving force of the international art industry and is displaying the mindset that made Pop Art a cultural standard-and a good investment.
She acknowledges the groups which utilize technology to create art and suggests group networks will be creating the most significant art of the future. She mentioned the Disney Company’s Mickey Mouse, Pixar, multiplayer online games and the role of Nokia in promoting portable downloadable art.
“Contemporary art has become a social game between elite groups, an arbitrary area less and less friendly, and one that has been losing public concern and participation.”
“Artists of the 21st century will step out of the ivory tower of pure art and high art to act as the Creative Directors of the future and conduct cross-field reorganization of resources. The creation and marketing of art will be part of the global creative industry.”
On the minus side, there was no mention of spirituality, environmental or social concerns; animamix could be perceived as pretty lights(pixels) constructing fantasies for an audience with the mindset of children…backed up with huge marketing campaigns, of course.
The show, however, frightened me with its incoherence and shallowness…I felt as if I was in a nice café featuring the latest works by graphic designers and toy makers. I love graphic design, especially when it goes beyond just being “cool” and generates emotional responses. Except for the pieces by ffurious and ZERO, there was little acknowledgement of the artist’s role in commenting upon society.
The fuzzy rabbits, cute costumes and updated Pop Art pieces were as exciting as a meal of old candy. This is the future of art?
I am extremely curious as to what the ‘parent’show in Shanghai is like.
Where were the Japanese artists? The brochure lists China, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and others, but there is no mention of Japan-the birthplace of manga and anime. The inside cover of the brochure shows a work by Yoshitaka Amano-but doesn’t mention where the artist is from.
Collection of the Artist…when you see these words it means the show organizers did not have enough money to buy the work or rent it from a gallery….if this event was supposed to be defining the future of art, wouldn’t the pieces that were exhibited have value as art commodities(investments) as well as pieces to be studied and viewed by future generations? Why are they not part of the museum’s collection? Or a local gallery’s collection?
Seven of the pieces shown in the brochure were from the collection of the artist…..
Closing on a (mostly) positive note, the blue and white illustration (oops! artwork) of the innocent child in the blue and white pattern of flowers was excellent, combining a peaceful knowledge of color (similar to that of a Matisse cut out) with a traditional pattern(Japanese?) and the innocence of a manga line drawing.
The simple white and blue image nicely embodies the qualities that the show attempted to highlight.
(Unfortunately the artist is not credited in the brochure nor on the invitation card.)
One contributor to the show’s brochure quotes lyrics from Tori Amos, Thirteen Senses and Lisa Germano… is there a point in using a quote if it doesn’t have an obvious relationship to the text? And what does it say that a Singaporean/Shanghai art show uses the lyrics of American and British musicians?
Also from the brochure:
...”the work speaks of the protrusions built on the outside of the pieces reaching up in an attempt to create discordance between the two towers just as the strangely as paradox of irony twisting the mental image of the innocuous mind frame and as well as a manifestation of progression towards the ideal that lies beyond the pervading darkness of youthful cynicism.”
yep……
Also in the brochure was Victoria Lu’s Curatorial Statement. She also spoke at the opening. Here is what I liked about her presentation:
She knows what she doing and what she is talking about.
She began speaking in Chinese and then spoke in English. She defined a new art movement called animamix and mentioned that the word will likely end up in English dictionaries. (Animamix Art is defined as animation + comics.)
With this declarative statement, it appears that Shanghai is determined to be the driving force of the international art industry and is displaying the mindset that made Pop Art a cultural standard-and a good investment.
She acknowledges the groups which utilize technology to create art and suggests group networks will be creating the most significant art of the future. She mentioned the Disney Company’s Mickey Mouse, Pixar, multiplayer online games and the role of Nokia in promoting portable downloadable art.
“Contemporary art has become a social game between elite groups, an arbitrary area less and less friendly, and one that has been losing public concern and participation.”
“Artists of the 21st century will step out of the ivory tower of pure art and high art to act as the Creative Directors of the future and conduct cross-field reorganization of resources. The creation and marketing of art will be part of the global creative industry.”
On the minus side, there was no mention of spirituality, environmental or social concerns; animamix could be perceived as pretty lights(pixels) constructing fantasies for an audience with the mindset of children…backed up with huge marketing campaigns, of course.
The show, however, frightened me with its incoherence and shallowness…I felt as if I was in a nice café featuring the latest works by graphic designers and toy makers. I love graphic design, especially when it goes beyond just being “cool” and generates emotional responses. Except for the pieces by ffurious and ZERO, there was little acknowledgement of the artist’s role in commenting upon society.
The fuzzy rabbits, cute costumes and updated Pop Art pieces were as exciting as a meal of old candy. This is the future of art?
I am extremely curious as to what the ‘parent’show in Shanghai is like.
Where were the Japanese artists? The brochure lists China, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and others, but there is no mention of Japan-the birthplace of manga and anime. The inside cover of the brochure shows a work by Yoshitaka Amano-but doesn’t mention where the artist is from.
Collection of the Artist…when you see these words it means the show organizers did not have enough money to buy the work or rent it from a gallery….if this event was supposed to be defining the future of art, wouldn’t the pieces that were exhibited have value as art commodities(investments) as well as pieces to be studied and viewed by future generations? Why are they not part of the museum’s collection? Or a local gallery’s collection?
Seven of the pieces shown in the brochure were from the collection of the artist…..
Closing on a (mostly) positive note, the blue and white illustration (oops! artwork) of the innocent child in the blue and white pattern of flowers was excellent, combining a peaceful knowledge of color (similar to that of a Matisse cut out) with a traditional pattern(Japanese?) and the innocence of a manga line drawing.
The simple white and blue image nicely embodies the qualities that the show attempted to highlight.
(Unfortunately the artist is not credited in the brochure nor on the invitation card.)
posted by stephen black at 5:16 AM
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