Cultures and Directors in Singapore

Jordan — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:23:27 +0000

Visiting Singapore is always an adventure in embracing an idea of the world that is so much larger than previously imagined. It even seems that, with subsequent visits, there must be one time in the near future when it will be possible to determine what the next trends might be, or what the next development in the art scene will look like. But the truth about the future, when human beings, especially artists, are concerned, is about as predictable as love or money. Every good fortune teller knows that they have to talk about these things, but they also know that they are more elusive than the phantasmal forms that sometimes help us to find them.

There will always be restaurants that serve Japanese food that is to die for, however, and that might be the only thing that’s certain. Singapore is a very interesting mix of cultures, with influences from the Malay, the Chinese, Indians, and Japanese, and it’s certainly reflected in the food. It’s in the art as well, where we can see traces of Chinese cultural influence in the Substation, especially during its first generation, when Kuo Pao Kun was running it. He was the founder, who had the vision and the remarkable drive to organize all the channels to make it happen.

It has happened, and it keeps happening, being one of the premiers places for new and experimental art in the region. These were very difficult shoes to fill, because being the artistic director means to be able to hold up in reputation to its founder, but also to be daring and innovative enough to take the reigns and move it in a way that the art community could admire. It’s a tough task. It certainly is a relief, then, to see Noor Effendy Ibrahim taking up the post. This new director, a performance and visual artist of Indian background, seems to have not only the chops, but the drive, and certainly a sense of humor, and that might be the most important thing of all.

Cultures and Directors in Singapore is a post from: Status Wheel

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Cultures and Directors in Singapore