Signature Art Prize 2014 – the Emergence of Concepts
14 Nov 2014 to 15 Mar 2015
Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
15 finalists
Visiting SAM now? You should check out the exhibition of the 15 finalists of Signature Art Prize 2014. I am impressed by the very strong and various concepts and ideas, with different levels of technology involved, and at some moments, I thought I was in some famous movies or stories. Again, the meaning of art is related to our own experience, so this may not at all mean what the artists describe in their statements.
Have you watched the 3 hour long movie – Interstellar? Do you remember the different theories like Relativity, Gravity, 5 dimensions – or simply “The Theory of Everything”? Have a look at the 30 min video Installation “one place/ on “the room” by Go Watanabe.
2013
Full HD 3D CG video installation
Duration 28:06 mins
Collection of the Artist
Another recent movie “Maleficent” retold us the story about two worlds, what happened (according to the director’s imagination and logic), and the “truth”. Choe U-Ram told us another story about two worlds via Custos Cavum (Guardian of the hole). Believe it or not? Let this “engineering artist” convince you!
2011
Metallic material, resin, motor, gear, custom CPU board, and LED
220x360x260cm
Collection of the Artist
The memory I had about Jack London is the wolf series where he shared his adventures. Check out Robert Zhao Renhui’s work – Eskimo Wolf Trap often quoted in Sermons. He used mixed media and created the installation that provokes questions about universal truths.
2013
Mixed media installation with knife, bicarbonate soda, and diasec
Dimensions variable
Edition 2 of 3
Collection of the Artist
I’m very glad to see “Unsubtitled” by Nguyen Trinh Thi made it to the final 15. I went to Nha San in August and only with the context given by Tuan Mami, I understood the video. This was also shown at Singapore Biennale 2013.
Video projection on wood cut-outs
Dimensions variables
Singapore Art Museum collection
Photo Credit: Jamie Maxtone-Graham
Regarding social issues such as sustainable development, urbanisation, the video and photographs “Mirage – Disused Public Property in Taiwan” by Yao Jui-Chung might make you smile for the “happy ending” where art contributes to researching, raising awareness, doing advocacy and resulting in positive changes. I recall the community art projects, or “Art for Development” – a term that emerged about 4-5 years ago in Vietnam (GreenZoom, Action for the City, Ensemble Creatives, etc.)
2010 – 2014
Video and 124 photographs
Video duration: 41:26 mins; photographs: 70×70 cm (each)
Collection of the Artist
Those works are not easy to understand, and it might take a day to explore. You might check a few photos here (but not enough to cover the whole 15 works)
Porcelain
Dimensions variable
Collection of the Artist
2012 – 2014
Mixed media and painting installation with handmade linen paper, rice paper, wooden box, silk ribbon, jade pins, and oxbone scrollbars
Dimension variable
Collection of the Artist and private collection
2011
HD video
Duration 6:18 mins
Edition AP
Collection of the Artist
2013
Sculpture and video installation
Sculpture: 320 x 500 x 400 cm; video duration: 30:00 mins
Singapore Art Museum collection
Vietnam has 6 nominations, including Nguyen The Son – French Villa Transforms; Tran Tuan – Altered Cloud; Phan Thao Nguyen – Uproot rice, Grow jute; Phan Quang – Native Country; and Nguyen Trinh Thi – Landscape Series #1.
Only Nguyen Trinh Thi’s Unsubtitled made it to the final 15.
The evaluation criteria include:
Strength of the idea and concept
Creative use of medium, material or technique
Artistic insight and interpretation
Imagination and originality
You can do the vote now.
Reported by Hue Tran from Singapore.
