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Arts Picks: Singapore STories, Transition/Evacuation and more

PHOTOS: ARNDT, ART APART FAIR, JOYCE FANG, M1 CHINESE THEATRE FESTIVAL

SINGAPORE STORIES: THEN, NOW, TOMORROW

The exhibition, co-curated by the ArtScience Museum and The Straits Times, charts Singapore's past and projects its future through photographs and stories from the newspaper.

It comes as the newspaper celebrates its 170th anniversary and Singapore marks 50 years as a nation. Aside from historic front-page reports and photographs, the exhibition also trains the spotlight on lesser-known but captivating aspects of life such as sidewalk shopping along Orchard Road in 1949 (left) and the Singapore habit to reserve seats or places in a queue, playing on the Singaporean fear of losing out to the competition.

WHERE: ArtScience Museum, Level 3, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue MRT: Bayfront WHEN:Today - Oct 4, 10am - 7pm daily, last admission at 6pm ADMISSION: Free INFO: www.marinabaysands.com/artsciencemuseum


M1 CHINESE THEATRE FESTIVAL

The late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun's play on workers' rights, The Struggle (starring actor Yong Ser Pin, left), is being staged 46 years after it was banned.

The play by The Theatre Practice, the company that Kuo founded, traces the lives of families evicted from their homes by a landowner who wants to build factories. Years later, their children return to work in dismal conditions at the factories and must decide if they want to make a change. It is the only work by Kuo that has never been staged.

The M1 Chinese Theatre Festival, which is in its fourth edition, also includes six ticketed and three fringe events. It features Chinese- language works, from an original children's musical to experimental works from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

WHERE: Creative Cube, Lasalle College of the Arts MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/Little India WHEN: Till July 26 ADMISSION: $28 - $38 (ticketed shows from Sistic, excluding booking fees) INFO: Call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg & en.practice.org.sg/m1ctf2015


TRANSITION/EVACUATION - NEW WORKS BY KHADIM ALI

One of the strongest visual arts shows currently on, artist Khadim Ali's powerful artworks are rooted in the many turbulent journeys he has made. Ali (left) belongs to Afghanistan's Hazara tribe, holds a Pakistani passport and calls Australia home. His family was forced to flee from their home in Bamiyan during the civil war, which saw the Taleban take over Afghanistan in the 1970s.

His intense artworks tell stories of loss and living under the shadow of violence. His paintings are a mix of gouache, ink and gold leaf on fine Wasli paper - a handmade paper mostly used for miniature paintings. There are several large works such as rugs made of wool, cotton thread and ink, with images such as wrestling demons locked in combat.

Despite the grimness of the themes, there is something about his art that draws viewers.

WHERE: Arndt, 03-21, Gillman Barracks, 9 Lock Road MRT: Labrador WHEN: Till Sept 6, 11am - 7pm (Tue - Sat), 11am - 6pm (Sun), closed on Mon & public holiday ADMISSION: Free INFO: Go to www.arndtberlin.com or call 6734-0775


ART APART FAIR

Home-grown hotel art fair Art Apart continues to go strong in a crowded art fair scene. Its sixth edition is on from today till Sunday at Parkroyal on Pickering hotel.

The focus this time is on the Philippines. There will be more than 1,500 artworks by 150 artists from 15 countries, including Moves On Spice (left) by Singapore's Kumari Nahappan and works by Filipino painter Randy Solon.

As in the past, the hotel's rooms, lobbies and corridors will be transformed by paintings, sculptures and installations presented by 18 galleries from around the world.

WHERE: Parkroyal on Pickering, 14th floor, 3 Upper Pickering Street MRT: Chinatown WHEN: Today - Sun, 11.30am - 9pm ADMISSION: $10, buy tickets at the hotel INFO: artapartfair.com/ticket

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 17, 2015, with the headline Singapore STories, Transition/Evacuation and more. Subscribe