From Warhol's Campbell Soup Cans to Beuy's One and Three Chairs: "contemporary art" means something more than 'art of the present moment". When anything can be an artwork, it raises a question central to the contemporary: "why is a work of art a work of art?''
Venue: SAM at 8Q
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 10 - Tue, 23 Mar 10
Time: 7.30pm - 9pm
Fees $12 per session, $50 for all five sessions. Registration required. Please email nhb_sam_programs@nhb.gov.sg or call 63323220
Sessions
Week 1 Conceptual by Joyce Toh. Date: Tue 23 Feb 10, 7:30pm - 9pm
The Term "conceptual art" covers a broad range of artworks, many of which do not look like conventional art objects. Is it all a big con job? This talk discusses the history of the genre, starting from Duchamp's Fountain, to claims that the form has been exhausted, and to its current expanded usage.
Week 2 Crisis by Michelle Ho. Date: Tue 2 Mar 10, 7;30pm - 9pm
The world wars and other crises of the first half of the 20th century galvanised artists to create, represent and manifest in new ways. This talk discusses the role of art in a world of crisis, and other critical forms and philosophies that emerged as response.
Week 3 Controversy, by Tan Siu Li Date: Tue 9 Mar 10, 7:30pm - 9pm
Controversy, shock and provocation seem to be a given contemporary art. Is this really the case? Drawing open the work of artists who challenge the status quo, and discussing the part played by critics and institutions, this talk will examine the role of controversy in the contemporary.
Week 4 Consumption, by Patricia Levasseur. Date: Tue, 16 Mar 10, 7.30pm - 9pm
Is art an object of consumption? In an age of mechanical reproduction, new technologies change the way art forms are produced, distributed and received. This talk will discuss the theme of consumption and comsuming in contemporary art, covering genres such as flim, photography and lithography, and art forms like Pop Art and New Media.
Week 5 Cultural Contexts, By Tan Boon Hui Date: Tue 23 Mar 10, 7:30pm - 9pm
Although official restrictions on (performance) art in Singapore have loosened since 1994, some younger artists are moving away from grand defiant gestures and making instead coded, allusive works that need to be unravelled by a "discerning" audience. This has been accompanied by an increasing sophistication and complexity in installation work and generic form. This talk will discuss the contexts of and implications behind these developments in the Singapore contemporary art scene.
Classic Contemporary: Contemporary Southeast Asian Art From The Singapore Art Museum Collection
Classic Contemporary shines the spotlight on Singapore Art Museum's most iconic contemporary artworks in its collection. By playfully asking what makes a work of art "classic" or "contemporary" - or "classic contemporary" - this accessible and quirky exhibition aims to introduce new audiences to the ideas and art forms of contemporary. A stellar cast of painting, sculpture, video, photography and performance art from across Southeast Asian are brought together and given the red-carpet treatment, and whole of the SAM 8Q building is transformed into a dramatic stage for these stars and icons. This exhibition marks the start of SAM's new contemporary art programming centred on enabling artistic developments through the creation of exhibition and programming platforms, as well as growing audiences for contemporary art. Classic Contemporary offers an opportunity to revisit major works by Suzann Victor, Matthew Ngui, Simryn Gill, Redza Plyadasa, Jim Supangkat, Nindityo Adipurmomo, Agnes Suwage and Montien Boonma, among others. Exhibition runs through 2 May 2010.