Ivan (Life imitates art):
The very act of creating an artwork involves a selection that entails an omission. The completed work reshapes our perspectives of its subject matter more than it portrays the actuality of matters.
The very act of creating an artwork involves a selection that entails an omission. The completed work reshapes our perspectives of its subject matter more than it portrays the actuality of matters.
Johannes (Art imitates life):
Changes in the environments that artists operate within yield perceptible changes to their artistic output. This phenomenon reiterates the significant impact that life experiences have on artistic creation.
Changes in the environments that artists operate within yield perceptible changes to their artistic output. This phenomenon reiterates the significant impact that life experiences have on artistic creation.
Text by: John Tung (Curator) | Editor: Yeo Boon Ping
The Contract, 2022
A handwritten copy of Singapore's National Pledge resides within a glass vitrine, sheltered by a blue sailcloth awning — a remnant from Dennis Tan’s self-constructed kolek featured in the Singapore Biennale 2019 commission, Many Waters to Cross.
The Pledge, written with two pencils at once, gives the illusion of an image out of focus. In bringing these elements together, The Contract pays homage to Singapore’s maritime roots, while alluding to the challenges of nation-building and the aspirational nature of the pledge.
The Pledge, written with two pencils at once, gives the illusion of an image out of focus. In bringing these elements together, The Contract pays homage to Singapore’s maritime roots, while alluding to the challenges of nation-building and the aspirational nature of the pledge.
Artist:
Dennis Tan
Special thanks:
Trika
Handwritten National Pledge in vitrine, housed in a re-purposed blue sailcloth tent
Dimensions variable
Dennis Tan
Special thanks:
Trika
Handwritten National Pledge in vitrine, housed in a re-purposed blue sailcloth tent
Dimensions variable