ROOTS OF METALCRAFT: TSUBAME-SANJO, NIIGATA, JAPAN
The metalwork of Japan's craftsmen has attained mythic status, thanks to the pop culture cachet of samurai swords. But the metalware from Tsubame-Sanjo, two cities in Japan's Niigata prefecture, is less lethal. The craftsmen's precision work, now applied to more mundane objects ranging from tableware to machine parts in the modern age, is celebrated in the annual Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival.
This showcase of the festival, curated by Japanese agency method inc, gives visitors a chance to see how the skills of metalworkers have evolved over 400 years. The objects on display are fascinating, ranging from pruning scissors customised for ikebana schools to traditional nails made from the 17th century, the production techniques for which are now being applied to making camping pegs.
There will be videos demonstrating the production processes, as well as hands-on workshops with Japanese craftsmen. While the lectures are free, the workshops are paid sessions. The knife-finishing workshops are full. But slots are still available for the Hammering Copperware workshop tomorrow and on Sunday ($35), as well as the spoon and chopstick rest-crafting sessions ($25) next month.
WHERE: The Ngee Ann Kongsi Galleries 1 & 2, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Campus 1, 80 Bencoolen Street MRT: Bencoolen WHEN: Till March 22, 11am to 7pm (Tuesdays to Sundays), closed on Mondays ADMISSION: Free INFO: str.sg/JGBC
JAWI: SCRIPT OF DESIGN
The distinctive curls and whorls of Jawi lends itself naturally to calligraphic art, a practice called khat.
This script, derived from the Arabic alphabet but with the addition of six characters to accommodate the Malay language, is the subject of this talk by calligrapher/artist Hazrin Mohamad. He has adapted Jawi to modern sensibilities by creating a graffiti-inspired form of khat he has named Jawigrafi.
The talk in English will be moderated by Dr Azhar Ibrahim from the National University of Singapore's department of Malay Studies.
WHERE: Programme Room, Level 3 Bedok Public Library, 11 Bedok North Street 1 MRT: Bedok WHEN: Tomorrow, 2.30pm ADMISSION: Free with registration INFO: str.sg/Jcau
BOSCH: THE GARDEN OF DREAMS - FILM & TALK (M18)
Painter Hieronymus Bosch's paintings, crowded with mythic beasts and tiny humans, open a window into man's fevered identity. And The Garden Of Earthly Delights, his idiosyncratic take on the vanitas genre of religious painting, is his most instantly recognised work.
While Bosch was born in Brabant, in modern-day Netherlands, this masterpiece has been in Spain since the late 16th century. But you do not have to travel all the way to the Prado Museum to see it. This documentary by Spanish film-maker Jose Luis Lopez-Linares was produced in 2016 when Bosch's fifth centenary was celebrated with major retrospectives.
The film is pretty much a line-up of famous talking heads - from novelist Salman Rushdie to contemporary Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang to assorted art critics. But it is also filled with loving, and eye-poppingly high-resolution, close-ups of myriad weird and wonderful imagery in Bosch's busy triptych.
Just to complete the art geek experience, there will be a pre-show talk by Dr Sian Jay, an Oxford-educated anthropologist who has taught at Lasalle College of the Arts since 2000. This event is co-presented by Corcovado Arts. Tickets are going fast, but there are plans for more screenings next month.
WHERE: The Projector, 05-00 Golden Mile Tower, 6001 Beach Road MRT: Nicoll Highway WHEN: Tomorrow, 5pm ADMISSION: $18 INFO: str.sg/JGBt
VCH PRESENTS: ORGAN, FRANCAIS
How about a little culture with your lunch and I'm not talking about fermentation. The Victoria Concert Hall's lovely Klais organ will be put through its paces by French musician Francois Espinasse in a French-accented programme. And the best part: The concert is free if you register at str.sg/JGBy.
The hour-long lunchtime concert will include Bach's Sinfonia from Cantata BWV 29 as transcribed by Frenchman Andre Isoir as well as two works by early 20th-century French composer Jehan Alain.
WHERE: Victoria Concert Hall, 11 Empress Place MRT: Raffles Place WHEN: Monday, 12.30pm ADMISSION: Free with registration INFO: str.sg/JGBF
