Colours of Impressionism - National Gallery Special Exhibition

Palace of the Popes, by Paul Signac

The National Gallery held a special exhibition, Century of Light from 16 Nov 2017 to 11 March 2018.  It was actually features two exhibitions, Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay and Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna, who hail from Indonesia and Philippines respectively.

Impressionism is one of my favourite periods in art - the use of light, the freshness and the spontaneity of the paintings are what appeals to me most.  So I was indeed very happy to view the beautiful artworks from the Musee d'Orsay which had been specially brought over to Singapore, by artists such as Cezanne, Renoir, Manet, Pissaro, Monet and so on.

As always, it was a fascinating learning journey.  I did not know that actually Impressionism was not just a new approach towards art, but that it was also made possible through newly invented pigments and colours which made it possible to capture the colours of the world so much more vividly than before.  That's why as time went by, the artist's palette itself changed, from more dark colours (and black) to the bright, fresh greens and blues, rosy pinks and glowing yellow which we see in so many paintings of the era.  To further illustrate the point, the exhibition also featured a palette of one of the Impressionist painters (I think it was Renoir) with the little blobs of paint still on it.

I didn't take that many photos (there are so many good photos of the paintings on line, and in any case the photo is a pale shade of the actual artwork).  What I did do was to record paintings which had a special meaning for me.  For example, this painting by Paul Signac, because it is of the Palais des Papes at Avignon, which I had visited a few years back.  I had not really heard of Signac before but he was a painter of the Pointilism school (made famous by Georges Seurat) where each painting is composed of carefully placed dots, or points!  Indeed, the whole is more than the sum of its parts.  Just like the painting is so much nicer than any of the photos I took of the Palace.

Family of J.C. Baud by Raden Saleh

Whilst the d'Orsay paintings showcased the famous artists of the day, what I really appreciated about the National Gallery is that they also try to remind us visitors that we should be proud of our own painters from this part of the world.  Hence, the second exhibition on the works of two South East Asian painters who had in their own different ways also achieved international standing.

Detail from "House of the Resident of Banyuwangi, East Java"
by Antoine Auguste Joseph Payen

The first was Indonesian painter Raden Saleh. Born in 1811, Raden's talent was first nurtured by Belgian painter Antoine Auguste Joseph Renoir who was working for the Dutch colonial administration.  Thereafter, Raden went to Europe to further his training.  He painted quite a few portraits, including this charming family scene (J C Baud was a friend and mentor), but also was well known for his paintings of tigers and other wild animals (there was quite a disturbing painting of a tiger just waiting to pounce on two innocent travellers, and yet another one of a hunting scene with the poor tiger as the victim).  He returned to Indonesia in his later years. 

Besides paintings by Raden Saleh, this segment of the exhibition also featured some paintings by his teacher, Antoine Payen.  I find it amusing that this picture of an Indonesian scene was done by a European whilst the picture of the European family was done by an Indonesian!  I suppose however both were done through a European lens.

La Mestiza, by Juan Luna

The other artist featured, Juan Luna was a Filipino painter and activist.  He too would travel to Europe to study painting and in fact, ended up winning an award at a Spanish art exposition, the National Demonstration of Fine Arts, for his painting, "The Death of Cleopatra".  However, tragedy struck in later life when he murdered his wife and mother-in-law in a fit of jealousy.  He was arrested but eventually was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity.  

All in all, it was an engrossing weekday afternoon, spent "Between Two Worlds" of European and South East Asian painters and subjects.  For a much better review, read the Straits Times article here.  More of my photos of the paintings here.

Visiting the National Gallery

Although the National Gallery has been open for a while now, I'd not had the opportunity to make a visit till recently.  And indeed, I'm sorry that I waited so long!

For it was an insightful and informative afternoon, where I had the opportunity to see artworks by South East Asian artists, and of Singaporean art in particular.

The National Gallery itself is a beautiful building.  The old Supreme Court and City Hall buildings were painstakingly remodelled and a connecting building inserted between the two.  It beautifully preserves the splendour of the old buildings whilst ensuring that they are fit for their new purpose.

I didn't really have the need or opportunity to visit the Supreme Court before (not being a lawyer nor a criminal) but I remember going to City Hall for my first job interview :-) The Public Service Commission (PSC) had its offices there and I have to admit that it was with some trepidation that I entered this imposing building to look for the interview room.  Not much remains that I can see (not that I remember much) of these old PSC offices but visitors to the old Supreme Court building can still view the Chief Justice's Offices, and the old cells where prisoners were held when not required in court.

But back to the paintings.   There are a few exhibitions going on at the National Gallery.  I went to "Reframing Modernism", which was in conjunction with the Pompidou Centre and featured European artists including Matisse and Picasso alongside Singapore and Southeast Asian painters of the same era.  But what I found more engrossing was "Siapa Nama Kamu  - Art in Singapore since the 19th Century".  Siapa Nama Kamu means "What is your name" in Malay, and hence this exhibition explores the Singapore identity through paintings.  These paintings give an insight into Singapore over the years just as much as they reveal the painters' own artistic development over time.  It was really interesting, for example, to see how Chen Wen His, well known for his "gibbons" paintings, painted in such vivid colours and in such "modern" styles!

It was also a great opportunity to view Georgette Chen's work - I hadn't seen many of her paintings till this visit.  She is really Singapore's great "impressionist painter" and her paintings of lotuses really brought to my mind Monet's famous water lilies.  By contrast, the quaint and vivid woodblock prints brought a smile to my face.

Best of all, the National Gallery helps you to bring your favourite paintings back with you!  The "Social Table" (you can see it as you leave the exhibition) allows you to select paintings and put them all together in one big picture.  Here's mine:

Here's to my next visit!

Majulah Singapura! Celebrating SG50 as One United People

 

So glad to be able to participate in this year's National Day Parade to celebrate Singapore's 50th Birthday as an independent nation.  

 

Many highlights - the ariel fly-past, mobile column, the short video commemorating Mr Lee Kuan Yew's life, the emotional climax of "Home" right at the end and the recital of the Pledge and the singing of the National Anthem.  Sadly my seat did not provide that great a view of the fireworks.  The floating platform's probably the best.

 

There are better reports elsewhere, so I won't elaborate.  My own photos and videos can be found here on Flickr.

 

But what was quite moving was that there were people wearing red throughout the day - when I went for mass, when I went for lunch.  It was a sign of solidarity for the day, that we were One United People.

 

 

Farewell, Mr Lee

Queue at the Padang, Thursday

Singapore's Founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away at 3.18am, on the 23rd of March 2015, at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) where he had been warded for severe pneumonia.  This triggered the start of a week of national mourning.  People from all walks of life mourned his loss.  They left tributes at SGH, where he passed away, at the Istana, where the private family wake was held, and at Parliament where he lay in state until his funeral service on 29th March.  Thousands waited for hours, queuing to pay their last respects (myself amongst them).  Each journey his coffin subsequently took was made through streets line with people.  Everyone wanted to say good bye to one of the founding fathers of modern Singapore.  

Mr Lee said once that Singaporeans are champion grumblers.  Somehow, this week, we decided to prove him wrong for once.  Despite hours queueing in the hot sun, despite more hours in the rain waiting for the funeral cortege to pass, Singaporeans took it all with good humour.  Strangers handed out drinks, food and umbrellas to those waiting in line.  We remembered the uncommon privilege we had in growing up in a society where success in life did not depend on the family you were born to or the colour of your skin.  It was a time which bound us together as Singaporeans.  Amidst all the sorrowful thoughts, there was a confidence that we could go on as one nation, one people, one Singapore.

Aside from queuing (mercifully, for only three hours), I visited the tribute site at SGH and also waited by the roadside for the funeral cortege to pass.  But much time was spent reading through the many newspaper articles, including in overseas newspapers, talking about his legacy.  Some critics complained that the hype in the media was just another attempt at propaganda by the ruling party. But the mass turnout, far greater than anticipated, and the soaring of the Singapore spirit indeed showed SIngaporeans' true respect and gratitude for Mr Lee.

At the SGH Tribute Site

Goodbye, Mr Lee.

Son of Singapore - Sculptor Ng Eng Teng

Look Down, a photo by Taking5 on Flickr.

Look down and see the beggars at your feet
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down and see the sweepings of the street
Look down, look down
Upon your fellow man!

Poverty, hunger - the struggle to live and for human dignity have always been themes which resonate through the centuries- in the Paris of Victor Hugo, in Singapore in the 1960s and today.   The movie version of Les Miserables is currently showing here in Singapore..  I've decided not to watch it (because I have certain expectations as to how it should be sung), but could not help be reminded of this song from the musical when I visited the NUS Museum's exhibition on "Sculpting Life: The Ng Eng Teng Collection".  Ng's interest in social commentory is seen in this relief  - where the viewer is truly looking down upon the subjects (interesting use of foreshortening in a sculpture as opposed to a painting). 

Freedom Child

Fortunately, Ng has a far broader range of subjects, including much more cheerful subjects.  He is  well known for his public sculptures (eg "Wealth" and "Contentment", which used to be in Plaza Singapura) and his "Mother and Child" series.  My JC had a large relief along the two walls leading to its front lobby.  He even did some ceramics!

Here at the museum, one of the sculptures I really liked was this one, entitled "Freedom Child" .  This particular sculpture embodies, to me, contentment, playfulness, freedom, joy.  Such a contrast to "Look Down"!

A temporary exhibition on Ng currently running at the Museum is  "106 Joo Chiat Place: Ng Eng Teng House". This is just a single room, with sculptures from Ng Eng Teng's house/studio, and memorabilia about the sculptor.  The house, which was originally the home of Ng's father and family, became his studio and that of other artists. It was subsequently sold to a developer and has since been demolished.  The owner invited Singaporeans to come and take a piece of the house - for memory collectors, I guess.  For more information, do read the Museum blog post on the exhibition.  The exhibition runs until 3 February 2013

Look here for some more of my photos from the Ng Eng Teng exhibition, including mini "Freedom children".

Amongst Flowers and Clouds

After seeing the Gardens from above and at night,  I managed to pay a longer visit to the Gardens by the Bay, one of Singapore's latest attractions - and an attempt to bring to Singapore the flora of the tropical highlands and of the cool and dry deserts and of the Mediterranean.

Baobab Forest

The Gardens are indeed a special place, with the towering supertrees and the cooled conservatories - ie the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest - helping it win the World Building of the Year award.  I spent a happy few hours walking through them, admiring and photographing the plantlife within.

Roses in Bloom

I started with the Flower Dome, walking through the succulents and the baobab forest..  It is truly an accomplishment to bring these exotic plants here - with their bloated trunks and tiny leaves, the baobab is well suited towards life in a dry climate where every drop is precious.

But I particularly loved the Mediterranean garden, where soft-petalled roses and other flowering blooms transported me to a happy day  spent in a garden of a stately home by Lake Maggiore in the Italian lakes.  The ancient olive trees in one corner, sheltering the bright flowers blooming at its base reminded me of my visit to Assisi, where the olive trees grew in the grounds of our hotel..

Mountain Magic

I then explored the Cloud Forest - which was truly a happy partnership between engineering and botany.  The lofty man-made mountain dominated the dome, with its waterfall cascading down one side.  Indeed, it reminded me of my visit to Doi Inthanon, near Chiang Mai not so long ago except that the winding mountain trails here were metal bridges extending out of the sides of the "mountain", enabling even the wheelchair-bound to experience life amongst the clouds. The sides of the mountain are covered with plants, with orchids and other flowers of the tropic highlands.  The mountain also has caves to be explored (full of crystals) and a visit to the secret caverns at the base also reveal what life would be like should temperatures rise by 5 degrees - a chilling warning of the dangers of climate change.

Leafy Blossoms

Leaving the mountain, the visitor then discovers a  secret valley at its foot.  A "river" flows slowly by, and "crocodiles" and giant snails peek through the flowers and plant life.  I see a lot of my mother's favourites, the epiceas, with their multi-coloured leaves.  One patch of leaves - purply green, bright green, red/yellow and green/pink/silver -was just as brightly coloured as any flower bush in the Flower Dome!

I've been indeed fortunate to visit the natural habitat of some of these beautiful plants.  And doubly fortunate that I get to experience them again here.  Indeed, the Gardens by the Bay has truly given Singaporeans the opportunity to learn  more about the glories of nature and the beauty and variety of plant life on this little planet called Earth.

For more photos (including my night shots) of the Gardens, check out my Flickr set.

Lessons from the Hotel New World Disaster

On 15 March 1986, the Lian Yak Building at the junction of Serangoon Road and Owen Road, more commonly known as Hotel New World, collapsed in a less than a minute, burying numerous people amidst the rubble.

 Immediately after the collapse, the rescue teams were at the site, trying to pull people out of the rubble.  The teams worked day and night and eventually managed to rescue 17 people.  But 33 people lost their lives.  To   mark the event, MHA together with the National Library has put together an exhibition and run a series of talks.  I attended the talk on 8 July 2012, by Dr Edward Pang, on "Disaster Preparedness: A Medical Perspective".  In his talk, Dr Pang drew inspiration from the Boy Scout motto: "Be Prepared".  He highlighted not only what the country and community needs to do in preparation but what we as individuals can contribute.  For example, training in first aid and CPR, ensuring that we have some basic supplies at home in case of an emergency, and so on.  

Dr Pang also drew many important lessons which can be applied outside the disaster zone: the importance of innovation, and common sense.  He told simple examples to prove his point: using broken furniture and/or doors to improvise splints, and the use of perfume to disguise the smells under the rubble and thus make it easier and more tolerable for the rescue team to do their work.  I asked Dr Pang what he felt was the key factors for successfully tackling  a disaster: his response - discipline, clear-thinking and presence of mind.  Preparation, and practice, are key to ensuring that we keep our cool and respond when disaster strikes.  He gave the example of how years of practice setting drips served him well, when he had to set up a drip whilst lying on his stomach, in a dark and cramped environment.  (The victim's leg was pinned down by rubble.  Medical intervention helped save her leg, and ensured that her other functions, including kidney function, continued to work well.)

Preparation.  Practice. Presence of mind.  Indeed, critical requirements to meet disasters, both great or small.

Dr Pang ended his talk with a short tribute to his late colleague, Dr Hanif Singh, who had died a few years ago. At the time of the Hotel New World Disaster, Dr Singh was a young Medical Officer.  Bravely, he volunteered to go into the tunnels to provide medical care to those beneath.  Dr Pang tried to discourage Dr Hanif, but Dr Hanif in his turn reminded Dr Pang that he was a family man.  Dr Hanif continued, "If I die, I am alone.  My family will not suffer."  In the event, both doctors went through the tunnels (together with the SAF doctors).  It was this indomitable spirit of self-sacrifice which drove the Hotel New World rescue team, much honour and praise to them.

After the talk, I walked around the exhibition area.  This covered the background to the collapse, and the results of the enquiry into its causes.  The shocking news was that apparently the building owner was so stingy, that he did not want to spend money on a proper architect to draw up the building plans, and cut corners on a lot of the building requirements.  Whilst he lost his life in the ensuing disaster, unfortunately his negligence cost many others their lives as well.  For more information, check here.

It has been a long time since I have posted a poem on this blog, but somehow in writing this post, I was reminded of Rudyard Kipling's inspiring poem, "If", on a father's lessons on life to his son.  So I thought I'd reproduce it here.


"If -"


If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and  Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much.
If youcan fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is  more, you'll be a Man, my son!

Living the High Life

Gardens by the Bay, a photo by Taking5 on Flickr.

Some time back, I blogged about my visit to Marina Bay Sands.

Last night, I had the opportunity to spend the night there. It was a significant night, partly because it was the opening ceremony of "Gardens by the Bay", a new garden in Singapore's new Downtown area. We had a magnificent view of the Garden at night, from the top of MBS, whilst eating a quiet bowl of beef noodles at Sky on 57. The Gardens were laid out like a splendid necklace of lights below, with the two glass domes at the edge of the bay, and the supertrees rising in the midst of the darkness.


But the visit was far more than that. We had great fun visiting the infinity pool on top of MBS, first at night, and then the next morning.  At night, the infinity pool is a magical place.  The water glows from the lights in the pool, and city skyline twinkles brightly behind it.  There's a certain buzz in the air.  People are laughing and talking, splashing away in the pool and in the jacuzzis tucked in the corners.

I went for a swim in the pool early the next morning. It was quite a thrill, as though I was swimming to the ends of the earth only to see this totally different world before me.  At that hour in the morning, there were fewer people in the pool which made it easier to swim around and also to take photos with no one else inside....  It was also a wicked little pleasure, to think that I was enjoying this little getaway from the office, whilst all these people were enduring the morning rush hour to get to their own workplaces in this other universe before me.

Alas, it has ended all too quickly.  Back home now.  But looking forward to the next visit!

A Momentous General Election

Today, 7 May 2011 marks the end of a momentous General Election for Singapore.  It has been 10 days of intensive campaigning, when political parties fought the battle for the hearts and minds of Singaporeans.  One can only hope that the outcome is known, it will indeed be in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans.

On a less serious note, here is Mr Brown's podcast which  summarises some of the highlights of this election:

The High Life

I finally made it down (a few weeks ago) to the Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore's two integrated resorts (or IRs for short).  Not, of course, to visit the casino.  I certainly am not going to waste money like that.  But, I did stand outside and peer in.  Not much of a view, and not very pleasant with the odour of stale cigarette smoke in the surrounding air, but nonetheless quite interesting.  Didn't see many people entering but I suppose it was a little early in the day (around lunch time).

I was actually at MBS for lunch at Pizzeria Mozza, one of the celebrity chef restaurants in the IR.  Pizzeria Mozza and its next door neighbour Osteria Mozza are by Nancy Silverton, in partnership with Mario Batalli and both restaurants are famous for their mozzarella, in particular the burrata mozzarella (this rather mouthwatering article tells all about burrata).  We had the burrata for our starter - the absolutely delicious mozza caprese - burrata mozzarella topped with a little pesto sauce and grilled cherry tomatoes (on the vine). The milky cheese, the tart sweetness of the tomatoes, the flavourful pesto - mmmmm...  The pizza too was tasty, and the famous crust was indeed light and elastic.  But the star of the show is indeed the burrata and I'm seriously thinking of visiting the mozzarella bar in Osteria. 

After lunch, we decided to take a trip up 55 floors and visit the MBS Skypark.  This was not without some debate.  Did we really want to pay $20 for a view?  In the end, we decided to do so and max out the time there.  Oh dear.  Did I just sound very Singaporean?  So we went up, and after walking around a bit we sat at the bar there and had a drink or two.  The view?  Well, it was certainly quite interesting to look down at the surrounding areas and to see all the way to the ends of Singapore, but I'm certainly not going to pay $20 again for the experience. 

So that was my visit to MBS. 

Journey to Pompeii

I have been on leave all this week. Aside from meeting up/having a meal with friends, and clearing my work email, I've taken the opp to do a little bumming around Singapore.  One item on the "to-do" list was visiting the Pompeii exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore - Pompeii : Life in a Roman Town 79CE.

It's been a while since I visited the Museum - in fact, I've not returned since my first visit soon after the Museum re-opened.  Instead, I visited the Peranakan museum a few times in the interim :-)  So it was probably time for another trip.  And the Pompeii exhibition was well worth the time.

The first thing which greets the visitor to the exhibition are casts of people and animals lying on the ground.  When Pompeii was excavated, the forms of those who died during the volcanic eruption were found - the ash had covered them and formed moulds around their dead bodies.  Whilst the bodies decayed over time, the shapes remaind. Particularly poignant (for me) was the cast of the little dog which had been chained up to guard his owner's property, whilst they fled to safety.  He died trying to escape the chain. Another cast was of a man, seated on the floor, with his hand covering his mouth in an attempt to keep the ash out.  But his  efforts, too, were in vain. 

The next stop is a short video, which attempts to reproduce the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on that fateful day in  79CE.  The eruption was actually recorded by the Roman letter writer Pliny the Younger (the Pepys of his day), who describes what happens in some detail - from the early part of the eruption to the subsequent darkening of the sky and the constant raining down of ashes.  Pliny was in Misenum, a nearby town, not in Pompeii itself, but he too had to flee the town in order to escape the volcanic ash and fumes. His uncle, however, had taken a boat out to study the volcano and also to mount some sort of rescue mission and perished in the attempt.

Subsequent rooms contain pottery, coins, weights, religious artefacts, jewellery and other items from the destroyed city. But my favourite room was the one containing the statues and beautiful frescos from the town. Some of the colours were still so rich and fresh, I had difficulties in believing that these were really almost 2000 years old.  According to another short video, the frescos were preserved so well because of the ash they had been buried in, following the eruption.  There was also a beautiful little mosaic fountain.  It is fascinating to think that this is just one small Roman town, not particularly exceptional, yet with people who appreciated beauty, art, and the pleasures of life.

I ended up buying a book on Pompeii, and with a wish to pay a visit to the ruined city one day.  I feel fortunate indeed to live in Singapore, far  away (relatively) from active volcanos. But at the end of it, it is indeed a reminder not to take for granted the blessings which we have, for life as we know it can indeed change overnight.

A somewhat pensive thought to end the year on!

p.s.  a few more photos on my Flickr page.

The End of an Era - Goodbye Dr Goh Keng Swee

(photo from CNA website)

Like so many Singaporeans, I was saddened to hear last Friday 14 May 2010 of the death of Dr Goh Keng Swee.  I have never met Dr Goh, but his policies and actions have surely shaped my life in so many ways. I was probably one of the first batches of Singaporeans to go through streaming in secondary school (ended up in the Express class), and of course encountered his legacy in the workplace, through dealing with agencies he created and through reading and hearing of his actions and practices from others. 

For that reason, I thought I would also join the crowds to pay my last respects to Dr Goh as he lay in state in Parliament House.  It was a hot day with the sun positively blazing down on us, but still the queue built up steadily.  It did move quite fast, with crowd control done by the SAF officers.  There were young school children, parents with their kids, older Singaporeans coming alone including a short, elderly lady with swollen legs which made it difficult for her to even walk (not to mention rather improbably dyed raven black hair).  We moved forward, signed the many condolence books, and walked forward to the coffin where he lay.  His widow was seated beside it.  I said a quick prayer and then it was over. 

As I left, I realised that the Old Guard of leaders was indeed slipping away.  Mr Rajaratnam, Mr Lim Kim San, and others, and nearer home amongst the MPs, Mr Ho See Beng.  One of my younger colleagues confessed that she was not familiar with what Dr Goh had done.  I was surprised as somehow, I thought that there had been so much written in recent years (eg MM's Memoirs, the recent book "Men in White" etc.  It is sad to think that the younger generation these days probably don't read the newspapers, or books of this nature and because of that take for granted the Singapore of today.

But when I was reading through the stories on Dr Goh in the papers over the past few days, it struck me that the first generation of leaders were perhaps far less distanced from the rest of us masses than their legacy makes them out to be.  The stories of Dr Goh sitting and drinking in the mess with his soldiers, and telling risque stories; and working out how to improve his golf, paint a far different picture (or maybe a more complete picture) than the analyst par excellence and the architect of the Singapore economy and the builder of its defences.  We owe him a tremendous debt.

Not sure how long this will stay up but here is link to channelnewsasia videos on Dr Goh.

Singapore Biennale

The Singapore Biennale was first held in 2006. I was in the US at the time and so could not check it out. This time round, I decided to make the effort to visit the Biennale. So I took half-day leave and went to two of the venues - City Hall and the South Bank Development, taking in one exhibit at Raffles City en route.

I rather enjoyed the City Hall exhibits. My favourite - the great Google map of Singapore which covered the floor of the City Hall Chamber. It did not seem to be very exciting or innovative in the first instance but I was surprised at my own reaction to it. I felt really compelled to find my home and workplace and to stick a little label on the map. Unfortunately someone stuck a label on top of my house (they shd hv given out smaller labels). So it was a little frustrating. But what was also quite compelling was to watch other people's reactions/response to the map. Some just walked in and out. Others spent a long time pouring over the map, locating the buildings they knew. (I took a little video, available here - unfortunately the timing wasn't too good so there were not many people in the room.) A few other exhibits can be seen on my flickr site. There were a number of videos in the exhibition which sort of inspired me to take a few videos too. For many of the installation art pieces in the exhibition, it is important to walk around the exhibit and take it in from various angles. So the videos were trying to imitate the human eye's experience looking at the artwork. Does that sound like an attempt at art too, or just a little bit pretentious...

I rather liked the South Bank Development building. This was where the former Singapore Volunteer Corps was headquartered. It is a large, sprawling site with a few buildings on it, built in art deco style. My colleague had tied up with a friend of his, who is a volunteer guide, to give a little tour of the building so I met him and the little group he had gathered, to go through the exhibits.

It was good that we had a guide, as I didn't feel that the exhibits were as compelling and interesting as those in City Hall and so it was useful to have someone to raise points of interest, and engage the group in discussion. Of course, it was the notorious sugar sculpture Sweet September that everyone had to see. But the symbolism of the piece had been brought up so many times in the press that by the time I saw it, it had lost a little of its interest and novelty for me. Not to mention that it had decomposed considerably and was a little smelly downwind. I rather preferred instead some of the other exhibits - the charcoaled rooms, with black & white videos of the elements of the old South Bank building (creating a certain sense of nostalgia for days gone by), and the series of gorgeous photos of a man who wished for the moon, found it and didn't know what to do with it.

Ah yes - a profitable afternoon/evening.

Table Tennis - Olympics Team Finals

Last Sunday our women's team played the Chinese for a Gold Medal. Well, we did not win and many did not expect us to. But unfortunately Li Jiawei said before the game that she did not expect to win and many people then felt that she was not showing fighting spirit. What will make people happy? Why penalise Jiawei for forgetting how to be politically correct? The newspaper article also commented that she showed more fight during her semi-final match with Zhang Yining in the women's singles. Well, what does one expect? She had not got any medal yet!


I'm quite proud of our table tennis team, so much so that I made a video of the match off my tv. Fortunately, at a point they were doing well. Here is my little video:

Go girls! London 2012!

Oh, Frabjous Day!

It is not every day that Singapore gets an Olympic medal, so I thought I would commemorate it. Well done to our table tennis women's team of Li Jiawei, Wang Yuegu, and Fang Tianwei. They have done us proud.

Watching the Olympics, I realised that for many events, it is about consistent excellence. Take the men's gymnastics individual medal, for example. Yang Wei performed consistently well across all apparatus and took the Gold, predictably. But the gentleman who took the Bronze won because he did a great vault, and was consistent throughout the rest of his performances without making mistakes. He was more surprised than anyone else when those ranked above him put a foot wrong or fell off the apparatus, leaving him in third place.

On the subject of gymnastics, I really am very cross with the Starhub folk. They didn't show the repeat telecast of the female gymnastics individual medal! Instead they show women's football, volleyball and beach volleyball. Goodness me. The next day, the papers feature the performance of the female gymnasts and don't give any newsprint to the other three events. Of course pride of place and the most amount of coverage goes to our table tennis gals! Well done again to them!

Finally, I found a number of Olympic atheletes have started blogging. It is quite interesting to browse through them. Here's the link.

p.s. The photo is of the logo on my Beijing Olympics t-shirt, given to me by my classmate who works in the Sports Bureau in one of the Chinese provinces.