Preview: Singapore International Festival of Arts 2023, The Anatomy of Performance – Some People

Following a successful 2022 edition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), the annual international arts festival returns from 19th May to 4th June 2023, where a plethora of art takes over the city for three weekends. This year’s title is The Anatomy of Performance – Some People, and marks the second year of Natalie Hennedige’s three-year tenure as Festival Director. Across Hennedige’s tenure, … Continue reading Preview: Singapore International Festival of Arts 2023, The Anatomy of Performance – Some People

★★★☆☆ Review: Ransom by A Mirage

Kidnapping gone wrong leads to closer look at class and racial tensions. Kidnappings in Singapore are few and far between, so when one happens, it’s almost always a matter of national interest. But beyond the tension derived from rescuing a hostage, what if a kidnapping was viewed from the kidnapper’s point of view, and used as a means to understand class differences? First developed under … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Ransom by A Mirage

Reprogramming the anthropocene: Patricia Piccinini’s ‘We Are Connected’ at ArtScience Museum

“It’s some kind of weird exhibition.” That’s the message I spy out of the corner of my eye that an older man, maybe in his 50s, types exasperatedly on his phone, before hitting send. He’s not entirely wrong – we’re standing in front of one of Patricia Piccinini’s most renowned works, The Young Family (2002), which depicts a sculpted dog-human hybrid creature, as her young … Continue reading Reprogramming the anthropocene: Patricia Piccinini’s ‘We Are Connected’ at ArtScience Museum

SIFA 2022 Wrap-up: The Anatomy of Performance – Ritual

The first year of a festival under new directorship can be a daunting one, particularly a national festival with the entire country watching. And taking over the reins from Gaurav Kripalani’s four year stint as the previous director of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Natalie Hennedige had some big shoes to fill. And with the first run of the festival under her, Natalie … Continue reading SIFA 2022 Wrap-up: The Anatomy of Performance – Ritual

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)