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Private \ Public Sphere

At first glance, they are thought to be a contrast. There could be a possibility that our private ideas would include the interactions that are typically found in the public world in which we inhibit. So, public and private sphere are codependent. 

"Public" sometimes implies a lack of monitoring and oversight. Public water coolers and recreation areas may be unclean literally. Since the public area is being exposed to scrutiny by people, conduct that is permitted in private may be forbidden in public. 

When would the public becomes the private and vice versa? For an individual to be designates as 'the public' would be one that is not part of a given profession. For example, the same commoner as 'the public' in an art museum would be known as the physician in a hospital and not 'the public' anymore. Public in this sense are constantly resifted and recomposed and everyone belongs to part of everything. So, if employed as a noun, the term 'public' is relative. 

How can private art be made public? Ever see a label that state artist's private collection? That means the art institution doesn't own that work. That's private art made public.

Can 'public' be considered 'nonprivate' then? 

Failure/s in a constellation & as a tribunal

An intimate and insightful discussion about 'failures' by Seelan Palay, Dr. Elmo Gonzaga, Lee Wen, Post-Museum, DiscLab Research and Editorial Collective held at the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Gillman Barracks.

Mr Koh Nguag How also gave us a tour of his office where a small portion of artists' archives are housed. He is currently curating an exhibition by the Singapore Art Archive Project (SAAP) at CCA. 

Shui Tit Sing - 100 years of an artist through his archives

11 - 25 Oct 2014

2 to 7pm daily

It's wonderful to hear from the veterans about art and activists, the roles of art institutions, housing of memories, social and political imaginations etc.

More about the event can be found here.

Painting on print

Printing on watercolour paper 300gsm. A few droplets of water and ink smudged, decided to try a different medium. 

Printable canvas A4 canvas sheet. The coated side is where the text is. Fed into the inkjet printer...

A few droplets of water and applied gentle brush strokes. I have dancing letters.

Finally, the text stabilised. Watercolour paper 300gsm, laser printer.

Refuse \ Refused

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things,

but their inward significance"
Aristotle

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd". Voltaire is right. Since when do we not doubt ourselves? Not that all of mine are valid but questioning and challenging myself is a bid to avoid further pitfalls. It feels absolutely terrifying to do something beyond your means. Because of the stigma that comes with failing. How many times would you be praise for making errors? Almost never. Nobody likes to feel like a failure. That said, people are more forgiving towards children than adults. The older you get, the less likely you are deemed to make errors or fail. That's unless you are repeatedly doing the same old thing. Like repeating a winning formula. It releases dopamine, you yearn for more rewards, the chances of failing should be minimise, which translates to no learning. There is a risk that comes with trying new things. The risk of not being accepted. The risk of ambiguity. The risk of no more winning formula. The risk of fatality. Or the risk of not risking.

Behind the glamour of a concert pianist, who can hear the mundane routines of repetitive chorus? Behind the elegance of a ballerina, who can see the deformities of the feet or feel the pain? What is beyond the grandeur of that facade, really? 

After \ thought