Led by Artistic Director Matthew Ngui and curators Russell Storer and Trevor Smith, Singapore Biennale 2011 ‘Open House’, was organised by the Singapore Art Museum, opened on 11 March and is on view until 15 May 2011. 63 artists from 30 countries present 160 works across four locations, including the Old Kallang Airport, Singapore Art Museum, SAM at 8Q, the National Museum of Singapore, and Marina Bay.
'Open House', was conceived not so much as a theme but an invitation, as suggested by Matthew Ngui, for artists to explore an ever-changing Singapore as a backdrop for their artistic practices. This resulted in over half of the participating artists creating new commissions or premiering new works for the Biennale. The works featured at the Old Kallang Airport (formerly a place of transition and movement) address issues such as 'travel, transformation, exchange, displacement, and movement'. The works on display at SAM and SAM at 8Q invite visitors to 'enter another person’s world, opening the door onto private obsessions, secret knowledge, personal histories and intimate experiences'. The works situated at the National Museum of Singapore portray a dystopian world brought about by 'media hyped images, technological advancements, globalisation, consumerism and commerce'. Like a guest welcomed in an open home, one is encouraged to enjoy the plentiful presentation of the hosts, but not to look much beyond the surface nor stay for extended meditation.
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- Fri, 1 Apr 2011
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- South East Asia Exhibition Histories Diaaalogue
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