Perks for seniors at Singapore Biennale

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The Singapore Biennale features art by more than 70 artists and collectives from South-east Asia and beyond in about 10 venues - such as National Gallery Singapore and Gillman Barracks.
Left: Fabric installation In The Skin Of A Tiger: Monument To What We Want (Tugu Kita) by Malaysian artist Sharon Chin at National Gallery Singapore. Above: The Map For The Soul To Return To The Body is a set of ceramic reproductions of ancient pots
Fabric installation In The Skin Of A Tiger: Monument To What We Want (Tugu Kita) by Malaysian artist Sharon Chin at National Gallery Singapore. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Left: Fabric installation In The Skin Of A Tiger: Monument To What We Want (Tugu Kita) by Malaysian artist Sharon Chin at National Gallery Singapore. Above: The Map For The Soul To Return To The Body is a set of ceramic reproductions of ancient pots
The Map For The Soul To Return To The Body is a set of ceramic reproductions of ancient pots by Thai artist Dusadee Huntrakul on display at Gillman Barracks. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

The Singapore Biennale is back from today to March 22, with perks for seniors.

The four-month event, set to the title Every Step In The Right Direction, features art by more than 70 artists and collectives from South-east Asia and beyond in about 10 venues - such as National Gallery Singapore, Gillman Barracks and Lasalle College of the Arts.

Merdeka and Pioneer Generation card holders can also visit ticketed Biennale venues (but not ticketed events) for free. Multilingual tours at the National Gallery Singapore and Gillman Barracks titled Kopi, Teh, And Contemporary Art have also been designed with seniors in mind.

The public can also look out for performances, talks and other events, some of which are happening on the opening weekend: Phare, The Battambang Circus will perform a circus show at Far East Plaza, and Taiwan artist Chang En-Man will teach participants to prepare and wrap aboriginal millet dumplings with snails at the Telok Ayer Arts Club.

The biennale is organised by the Singapore Art Museum and helmed by artistic director Patrick Flores as well as six other curators.

"I'd like to consider the title as an invitation for the public to think about the world we are in today, and an inspiration for them to take steps to make it better, or do something different about it," Dr Flores said at a preview on Wednesday.

During a speech to members of the arts community on Tuesday, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said she would like the biennale to inspire people, act as a platform for spotting new talent, promote conversations among those from different backgrounds and be accessible to underserved groups and the less mobile.

The last biennale drew 600,000 people, nearly half of whom came from overseas.

Five biennale artists have been shortlisted for the Benesse Prize, which comes with a cash prize of three million yen (S$37,500) and the chance to have their work exhibited or collected at Benesse Art Site Naoshima in Japan. The prize was presented at the prestigious Venice Biennale between 1995 and 2013 and has been awarded at the Singapore Biennale since 2016.

  • VIEW IT / SINGAPORE BIENNALE: EVERY STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

  • WHERE: National Gallery Singapore, Gillman Barracks, Lasalle College of the Arts, Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore Art Museum (hoarding), SAM at 8Q (hoarding), National Museum of Singapore, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, National Library, SMU de Suantio Gallery, Far East Plaza, Wild Rice @ Funan

    WHEN: Today to March 22

    ADMISSION: Free and ticketed. Merdeka and Pioneer Generation card holders can attend ticketed venues (but not ticketed events) for free

    INFO: Go to www.singaporebiennale.org. Additional events are also being held in collaboration with groups such as Drama Box and the Indian Heritage Centre.

The finalists are Singapore performance artist Amanda Heng, who is revisiting her Let's Walk series; Robert Zhao Renhui from Singapore, for his cabinet of curiosities with objects from the forest next to Gillman Barracks; Thai artist Dusadee Huntrakul, who has created 16 ceramic reproductions of ancient pots, with modern inscriptions next to them; Turkish artist Hera Buyuktasciyan for her wood and metal installations; and street artist Haifa Subay from Yemen, who has nine murals responding to issues such as child recruitment and the casualties of landmines.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 22, 2019, with the headline Perks for seniors at Singapore Biennale. Subscribe