Art What!: Patricia Piccinini – We Are Connected at ArtScience Museum

ArtScience Museum presents one of its most evocative exhibitions to date – from 5th August, Patricia Piccinini: We Are Connected will draw visitors into a strange and wondrous reality where animal-human hybrids exist. Staged in collaboration with the Institute for Culture Exchange, Germany, this exhibition brings together more than 40 important artworks, making this Patricia Piccinini’s first major solo showcase in Southeast Asia. Regarded as … Continue reading Art What!: Patricia Piccinini – We Are Connected at ArtScience Museum

★★★☆☆ Review: ASYLUM by Intercultural Theatre Institute

Going mad over the isolation of quarantine. During the pandemic, all of us have experienced what it’s like to be locked down, and isolated from society. In being forced to see the same faces day in, day out, settle into a fixed routine in a highly confined space, and little contact with the outside world, it’s enough to make anyone go mad. Exploring this idea, … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: ASYLUM by Intercultural Theatre Institute

★★☆☆☆ Review: Hitting (On) Women by A Mirage

Strong direction can’t patch the pre-existing holes in this dated look at lesbian relationships. It’s June, Pride Month for most other countries, and the month of Pink Dot in Singapore, an event where the nation continues to push for ‘the freedom to love’. Existing as a queer person in Singapore remains unusual and generally undiscussed in public, and positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people media generally … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: Hitting (On) Women by A Mirage

★★★☆☆ Review: The Once and Future by Yeo Siew Hua and the Berliner Philharmoniker (SIFA 2022)

The end is just a new beginning, in this cinematic laser show by Yeo Siew Hua. Everything in this world is interconnected, in a delicate balance of life that repeats itself over and over. Musing upon this idea, in the final weekend of the 2022 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua (A Land Imagined) presents The Once and Future, a unique … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: The Once and Future by Yeo Siew Hua and the Berliner Philharmoniker (SIFA 2022)

★★★★☆ Review: project SALOME by Ong Keng Sen / T:>works (SIFA 2022)

Unpacking and reimagining the complexities of Salome through a modern lens. Princess of Judea, villainous exotic dancer, or vengeful femme fatale? The historical figure of Salome’s claim to fame lies in her request to see the head of John the Baptist as reward for performing a dance for her step-father. But one thing that is never made clear is her intentions for doing so, with … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: project SALOME by Ong Keng Sen / T:>works (SIFA 2022)

★★★☆☆ Review: Devil’s Cherry by Kaylene Tan and Paul Rae (SIFA 2022)

The outback becomes both nightmare and dreamscape for a couple running from their own problems. The name ‘devil’s cherry’ brings to mind a great many things – ideas of temptation, of evil, and perhaps, the loss of innocence. The moniker itself is an alternative to its more common name ‘deadly nightshade’, a poisonous plant and invasive species to Australia, bearing black, cherry-like fruit. Just a … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Devil’s Cherry by Kaylene Tan and Paul Rae (SIFA 2022)

★★★★★ Review: Bangsawan Gemala Malam by Teater Ekamatra (SIFA 2022)

Shakespeare’s classic comedy lends itself perfectly to the bangsawan form. In Malay culture, the bangsawan is a traditional opera form performed by theatre troupes, regaling its audiences with epic tales, its scenes both melodramatic and comedic, punctuated by song and dance. While no longer as common in modern day Singapore, the form has found new life during the 2022 Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Bangsawan Gemala Malam by Teater Ekamatra (SIFA 2022)

★★★★☆ Review: Sylvia by Pachyderm Theatre

Man’s best friend counters the dog days of life. How much do we love our pets? For one man, it might just be a relationship that’s unnervingly close to a romance, much to the chagrin of his wife. Written by A.R. Gurney and directed by Pavan J. Singh, Sylvia is a modern romantic comedy that follows middle-aged ‘empty-nesters’ Greg and Kate (Sean Worrall and Susie … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Sylvia by Pachyderm Theatre

Review: Delicate Spells of Mind by Lucy McRae (SIFA 2022)

Unveiling the mysteries of the inner mind. If you could look into your mind, what would you see? In her short film Delicate Spells of Mind, British-born, Australian science fiction artist Lucy McRae imagines the inner workings of the human mind as anthropomorphised creatures working as part of an operating system, and invites you to take a closer look. Commissioned for the 2022 Singapore International … Continue reading Review: Delicate Spells of Mind by Lucy McRae (SIFA 2022)

★★☆☆☆ Review: The Neon Hieroglyph by Tai Shani (SIFA 2022)

Chill out and open your mind to new possibilities in this trippy film. In a world that’s constantly teetering on the edge of insanity and chaos, the more hopeless the situation seems, the more it pushes our imagination towards increasingly radical solutions to overcome it. For Turner Prize-winning British artist Tai Shani, that solution comes in the form of witches, hallucinogens, and communism. This is … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: The Neon Hieroglyph by Tai Shani (SIFA 2022)