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Arts Picks: Living Yangtze, 5 Stars, A Night With SCO@ Hong Lim, Ma'ma Yong: About Nothing Much To Do

PHOTOS: ERIC VALLI, ST FILE, SCO, BH FILE

LIVING YANGTZE BY ERIC VALLI

For six months, photographer and film director Eric Valli documented faces and landscapes along the Yangtze River in China to raise awareness of the importance of clean, sustainable water resources.

But do not expect gloomy images of nature being abused or people suffering from the effects of environmental degradation. Instead, there are happy and smiling faces as well as lush land and waterscapes.

These images captured in 96 photographs and seven short films documenting the lives of seven communities around the river are on display at the ArtScience Museum.

WHERE: ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands MRT: Bayfront WHEN: Till Tue, 10am to 7pm ADMISSION: $4 (adults), $2 (children) from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg) INFO: www.marinabaysands.com/museum.html or www.swarovski group.com/S/aboutus/Swarovski_Waterschool.en.html


5 STARS: ART REFLECTS ON PEACE, JUSTICE, EQUALITY, DEMOCRACY AND PROGRESS

From a distance, the installation looks like the free flow of fabric or a crystal wave mesmerising the viewer with its intricate light and shadow play.

But there is a lot more to Suzann Victor's stunning new work, Bloodline Of Peace. Contemplating the idea of peace, it is made of nearly 35,000 fresnel lenses with drops of blood from individuals in key communities such as the civil defence force.

The work is part of the Singapore Art Museum's exhibition, 5 Stars, a nod to SG50 and the five stars on the Singapore flag, which represent universal humanist values.

The show also features works by local artists Ho Tzu Nyen, Matthew Ngui and Zulkifle Mahmod and art historian T.K. Sabapathy.

WHERE: Singapore Art Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road MRT: Bras Basah WHEN: Tomorrow - May 2; 10am - 7pm daily, open till 9pm on Fri ADMISSION: Free for Singaporeans & permanent residents; for others: $10 (adults), $5 (students & seniors above age 60), free for those under six TEL: 6589-9580 INFO: www.singaporeartmuseum.sg


SPH GIFT OF MUSIC PRESENTS SCO COMMUNITY CONCERT: A NIGHT WITH SCO@HONG LIM

Sponsored by Singapore Press Holdings under the SPH Gift of Music Series, this sees the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO) collaborating with Hong Lim Community Centre's Drum Ensemble.

Expect a musical treat that includes the Huang Fei Hong theme song, A Man Should Stand Strong. This majestic tune with rearrangements promises to electrify.

The orchestra, led by resident conductor Quek Ling Kiong, will also perform the third movement of Law Wei Lun's Admiral Of The Seven Seas: The Voyage, a celebratory Mongolian folk song - and Joyous Reunion, featuring the orchestra's dizi musicians.

WHERE: Hong Lim Park MRT: Clarke Quay WHEN: Tomorrow, 7.30pm ADMISSION: Free


MA'MA YONG: ABOUT NOTHING MUCH TO DO

Playwright and director Najib Soiman's latest production, Ma'ma Yong: About Nothing Much To Do, is about revival.

The dying Malay dance-drama art form, mak yong, is showcased in a modern setting in Ma'ma Yong - whose full title references William Shakespeare's 1598 comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

This is a play-within-a-play, transposed to a modern setting. Fatimah, a literature teacher, is admitted to a mental asylum after being possessed by the spirit of a mak yong performer.

The multi-faceted production has a diverse cast made up of practitioners of different races, backgrounds and ages. Five musicians are also part of the cast.

Expect to see multiple art forms, including dikir barat (a form of collective singing accompanied by percussion instruments and coordinated hand movements), wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) and joget (Malay traditional dance).

WHERE: Esplanade Theatre Studio MRT: Esplanade WHEN: Today, 3 & 8pm; tomorrow, 8pm ADMISSION: $28 from Sistic, concessions available

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 23, 2015, with the headline Living Yangtze, 5 Stars, A Night With SCO@ Hong Lim, Ma'ma Yong: About Nothing Much To Do. Subscribe