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M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012: Art & Faith!

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival returns for its eighth outing, starting from the 15 February to 26 February 2012. Organised and curated by The Necessary Stage, the festival showcases Singapore and international works from artists of several genres, from dance and theatre to visual arts.

M1 SINGAPORE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2012: ART AND FAITH
Art and faith have always had a contentious relationship. While art challenges norms
through questions and critiques, faith relies on a confidence and belief in the tenets of the
present day. As such, the freedom of expression as espoused by art is often in conflict
with the notion of respecting differences that comes with faith. Through the works
presented, the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012 invites all to examine how art and faith
can come together despite their seeming irreconcilability.

There will be 17 works from 11 countries, including four Festival Highlights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Burma and Iraq. With 28 live ticketed performances, including Cane, a performance art by Loo Zihan, a One Night Only performance, is a re-enactment of the infamous 1993, Brother Cane by Josef Ng.

There will also be 6 visual artworks by international and local artists including, Alecia Neo’s Goddess of Mercy. The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012 will be held at Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, National Museum of Singapore, The Substation and ION Orchard.

Tickets are on sale now and unfortunately the performance which we wanted to catch sold out before it was even a week out in the news. Cane by Loo Zihan sold out it’s second batch of tickets on Friday, 21st October 2011. We hope the organisers will consider staging another show.

But good news for those who has your eyes on other performances. Enjoy Early Bird Discounts for Tickets to the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012: Art & Faith! So what are you waiting for? Get your ticket today.

October 25, 2011
Museum finds – Justin Lee’s gifts and collectables

The Singapore Art Museum, National Museum Singapore and the Asian Civilisation Museum recently stocks art merchandise by Singapore artists. Over at the National Museum Singapore, some of Justin Lee’s Terracotta Warriors wares caught our eyes. Other artist’s mechandises we saw by Dawn Ng’s Walter Bunny series of plush toys, iPhone covers and wearables and Casey Chen’s Singapore Heart Flag pins.

Our lady boss bought a lovely Terracotta Warriors tote bag from Justine Lee and a children sized Walter Bunny T-shirt from Dawn Ng as early Christmas presents for her good friends in London.

Coin banks by Justin Lee

Collectable mugs by Justine Lee

Cup and saucer set by Justine Lee

October 22, 2011
Cane. A performance art by Loo Zihan

In 1993, a young artist named Josef Ng made headlines in Singapore by pulling down his briefs and snipping his pubic hair in public. He had his back to the audience. He was standing out of sight in the corner of the room. The performance was done with other artists, Vincent Leow, who drank his urine, and Shannon Tham, who poured vomit over himself. It was staged as a protest against the press’ sensationalism and demonisation of homosexuality. The snipping of hair was a sign of silent protest.

The performance was regarded as obscene by many public members and woke our sleeping giants, which gave Singapore its first ban on funding for performance art for the next ten years—hence silencing art for the next ten years.

I was in my second year at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and the news was buzzing all around campus. But I was young and naive then and had only seen the close-up photos in one of our local newspapers. So I wondered what was all the hoo-hah about. Isn’t it just a performance with a message? But our authorities took it as a confrontational treat by a talented young man and turned it into lockdown.

Yes, 18 years ago, Singapore was ruled by anal-retentive authorities. And many Singaporeans were conservative and couldn’t accept such performances. Now, 18 years on, artist Loo Zihan will be re-enacting Josef Ng’s performance. Are our authorities ready for this?

Cane. A 30 minutes performance art by Loo Zihan will be performed live on 19 February 2012, at the Substation as part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012 – Art & Faith. Cane was first performed on March 19, 2011, at Defibrillator, Chicago, Illinois. Based on an eyewitness account, the performance seeks to honour the memory of Brother Cane and examine how performance art can be represented.

“I question what the relationship of the Singaporean audience will be to Brother Cane 18 years on. Re-enacting this piece is the only way we can find the answer. I have faith that things have changed, and the artist who chooses to stand for his beliefs will no longer be silenced or exiled. I have faith in the power of art and the persistence of time to bring about this change.”

– Loo Zihan

With this upcoming performance by Loo Zihan, does it mean that Singapore is ready for a change? Controversy art, gay and nudity in your face? Has our prim and proper nation grown to be more open-minded? Being an optimist, I believe that this is a good sign that the arts will continuously be supported by like-minded folks and thrive in Singapore. But alas, art has a role to play, and that is to evoke and not provoke.

Catch CANE, By Loo Zihan on the 19 February 2012, at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012: Art & Faith. Please get your tickets from Sistics soon as I heard it’s running out fast. More info about this festival is available on the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2012 homepage. Tickets priced at $19 (Excluding the SISTIC fee).

Photo Credit: Miao Jiaxin

October 21, 2011