The Propeller Group at Cinerama Exhibition in Singapore

The Propeller Group at Cinerama Exhibition in Singapore

Sarah Choo Jing, Wear You All Night (video still), 2017. Image courtesy of the artist

17 Nov 2017 – 18 Mar 2018
SAM at 8Q
8 Queen Street, Singapore

Two artworks by the Vietnamese-American art collective The Propeller Group are on display at an exhibition on art and the moving image in Southeast Asia in Singapore.

From hand-drawn animation to films and immersive installations, Singapore Art Museum’s latest exhibition, Cinerama: Art and the Moving Image in Southeast Asia, delves into individual and collective memory, identity and politics through the medium of the moving image. Presenting the works of 10 artists and art collectives from across Asia, the exhibition takes place from 17 November 2017 to 18 March 2018 at SAM at 8Q.

Referencing Hollywood, mass media and popular culture, two works at Cinerama by artist collective The Propeller Group explore the ubiquity of violence in popular culture, and speak of notions of time, space, and conflict in this contemporary age.

AK-47 vs. M16 is an installation comprising bullets from the Soviet-made AK-47 and the American M16 frozen in collision within a ballistics gel block, presented in front of a video depicting the process.

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The Propeller Group, AK-47 vs. M16 (installation view), 2015. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum
Audience in front of AK-47 vs. M16. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum
Audience in front of AK-47 vs. M16. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum

The other work, AK-47 vs. M16, The Film, features the two weapons as the protagonists in a feature-length film, made up of spliced scenes from Hollywood films, documentaries and found footage from the internet.

The Propeller Group, AK-47 vs. M16, The Film, 2016. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum
The Propeller Group, AK-47 vs. M16, The Film, 2016. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum

The other artists whose works featured in the exhibition are: Amy Lee Sanford (USA/Cambodia), Hayati Mokhtar (Malaysia), Jeremy Sharma (Singapore), Korakrit Arunanondchai (Thailand) and Alex Gvojic (USA), Ming Wong (Singapore), Narpati Awangga a.k.a oomleo (Indonesia), Sarah Choo Jing (Singapore), Tromarama (Indonesia) and Victor Balanon (Philippines).

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition last Friday, Dr. June Yap, Director of Curatorial, Programmes and Publications at the Singapore Art Museum, said: “Despite the proliferation of visual production and consumption that characterizes our present time, artists continue to find new ways to relate to the moving image, challenging both its representations and forms.

“Presenting the recent works by artists from the region, the exhibition highlights the shifting boundaries between the moving image, film and art; reflecting, too, the dynamic and deft ways in which artists can transform the media, even as the media itself continues to evolve,” he added.

A series of accompanying programmes, workshops, and artist and curator tours will be held over the course of the exhibition period, to expand on the artwork themes and artistic process behind the works.

Find out more about the exhibition and its programmes online here

The Propeller Group was established in 2006 as a cross-disciplinary structure for creating ambitious art projects. The collective is headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and works in conjunction with creative individuals in Los Angeles, California, United States.

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