Expressing Heritage: Art & Originality Unfold
Part of the fun of visiting this show is discovering the quiet green oasis that is 28 Temenggong Road. It is a black-and-white bungalow tucked away at the top end of a winding lane that creeps up the side of Mount Faber.
This is a new initiative by non-profit arts organisation Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, which plans to host annual group shows. The inaugural exhibition features four artists - graphic artists Koh Hong Teng and Sonny Liew, designer Theseus Chan and architect Sim Boon Yang - as well as art collective Phunk. The artists have created works inspired by the building.
Sim's installation of a handshake shaped in wire mesh greets the visitor at the doorway, inspired by the 1819 Singapore Treaty. His series of mudras, sculpted in mesh and wood, are accompanied by concept sketches. Look out for the hilarious one which depicts a rude gesture.
Koh and Chan offer striking works that sit comfortably in the homey rooms.
Koh's six-panelled screen in his characteristically dense style unfolds like a delicately oversized comic. It tells a story told by Temenggong founder and artist Henri Chen KeZhan about meeting an elderly Japanese man in search of a tomb.
Chan's prints drape in unrolled scrolls, filling another room with textures that draw the viewer in for a closer examination.
The most elaborate set-up belongs to Liew. An amazingly detailed board game with tokens, figurines and playing cards is laid out on a table, with portrait paintings and concept drawings on the wall as well as a video "review" of the game. The attention to detail is mind-boggling.
Phunk's work is the reason for the odd operating hours of the show, as it incorporates a light show on the exterior of the building. The projections capture Chen's calligraphic execution of the Chinese character of love as well as Phunk's more graphic rendition. Completists will want to schedule a later visit in the evening so as to be able to see every work.
Where: Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, 28 Temenggong Road
When: Till Sept 12, Tuesdays to Sundays, 5 to 10pm
MRT: HarbourFront
Admission: Free with registration at visit.temenggong@gmail.com
Info: Temenggong Artists-In-Residence website
Immersive Hanfu experience
The hanfu craze has been picking up steam in the past decade. Those curious about the phenomenon can check out Yue Hwa's Hanfu Experience on Sept 11 and 12.
Visitors can rent an outfit and pose at two tableaus set up for the event - a garden setting and a scholar's study.
If the experience piques your interest, the store has a tiny hanfu retail section with a selection of outfits as well as accessories such as purses and hairpins.
The event is part of the shop's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, which also include a lantern-making workshop and caricature drawing of customers. The caricatures will become part of an art project that Yue Hwa is planning for Chinese New Year.
Where: Yue Hwa Chinese Products, Yue Hwa Building , 70 Eu Tong Sen Street
When: Sept 11, 11am to 10pm, and Sept 12, 11am to 9pm
MRT: Chinatown
Admission: $30 to $50 for outfit rentals; caricature drawing is free with a minimum purchase of $68
Info: Yue Hwa Chinese Products' website
