Han Sai Por’s installation “Black Forest 2016” takes on the opposite quality.

Han Sai Por (Singapore), Black Forest 2016, 2016, Wood and charcoal, Dimensions variable

Distinctively stark, it absorbs sound, space and light as black charcoal logs form a forest of black. Representing the deforestation of green lungs, its destruction takes on new forms of energy, embodied in its new form. A utopia in a dystopia.

Ade Darmawan (Indonesia), Singapore Human Resources Institute, 2016, Installation with paintings, prints, photographs, found objects and furniture, Dimensions variable

Exploring identities, Ade Darmawan assembles interior spaces that do not add up to a whole. The installation entitled “Singapore Human Resources Institution” is an imagined space with artefacts from both Singapore and Indonesia, curated to represent the achievements of this organization. Embedded within the butchered sofas and hollowed office desks are narratives of national aspirations, reliance on naval navigation and transformation of values with the passage of time. What was once chic in its heyday is now abandoned, in what resembles a thrift store or simply replicated to create the same look, but not with the same craft.

Subodh Gupta (India), Cooking the World, 2016, Found aluminium utensils, monofilament line and steel 600 cm (diameter)

An explosion of sights, sounds and smells greets one as you move through this atlas. The array of mediums, from film, paintings, installation to sculptures attempt to reflect upon our existence and our understanding of our culture, context. Like a map, we step away with an understanding of the representation. Navigating the space is a whole different matter all together. All so familiar, yet surprisingly different when confronted.

Singapore Biennale 2016 – Atlas of Mirrors
Date: October 27th, 2016 – February 26th, 2017
Place: Various Locations
Admission: Adult $20, Students/Senior $10, Children (6 Years and under) Free
Tel: +65 6589 9580
Organized by Singapore Art Museum
https://www.singaporebiennale.org