Art vs. Art - lee wen 李文
Art vs. Art No.1 & No. 2
Modified vacuum cleaner, papier mache,
Modified remote control cars, papier mache
The Singapore Art Center now commonly known as 'The Esplanade' has become an iconic image of Singapore's skyline often refered to as the "Big Durians" as the roofs of the two main structures were spiked like the durian fruit. In the beginning they were designed as two large egg shaped structures but due to many negative comments the architects redesigned them to its final and present image. It is a fitful image as after all the durian is considered the king of fruits in this part of the world. And I am often happy to add that durians "smells like shit but tastes like heaven" when trying to explain what the fruit is like to those who have yet to come across it.
To me it not only symbolizes the high culture in this increasingly affluent society but also that of central state directed agenda of cultural development in contrast to the other more humble and on the grassroots level of cultural work what used to be known as alternative or more conveniently generalized as experimental, radical manifestations of those who seek to express the ever changing world and hence termed as contemporary, the avant-garde if not the cutting-edge label of art.
Of course the ones presented as high art may also fall within similar descriptions if they were on the right track of risk-taking into bringing forth current vibes and motivated by similar veins of daring to challenge traditional practices in form and presentations however I shun to say they tend to pander to a sophistication of distinction based on class, capital as well as conventions.
The first time I made this as a vacuum cleaner covered by a crude durian shaped canopy made out of wire mesh and paper mache in the night just before my opening performance at the first Future of Imagination, international performance art event that was organized with a measly small budget that was the first time we had officially received funding from the National Arts Council in 2003. It was a test run for us and probably for the NAC too as it was the first after ten years of funding ban on performance art since the notorious 1993-94 event of Artists General Assembly. The action started with someone reading the clauses and conditions of the license for entertainment that we had to apply for and adhere to when presenting public performance art events in Singapore even within gallery spaces such as The Substation. I climbed up a ladder with a sack of art books and other paper texts of flyers and brochures of art publicity materials, and let the sack fall down each time reaching the top of the pyramid ladder. Picking up some of the flyers I lit them or shredded them and followed up by sucking the ashes and litter of shredded brochures up with the 'durian' shaped vacuum cleaner.
In my solo exhibition, Lucid Dreams in the Reverie of the Real at the Singapore Art Museum, after having had seven times of international performance art events under the same name of Future of Imagination, and also many other changes in the art and cultural scenario, I see the need to maintain if not return to a position of resistance by acknowledging that there is distinct differences in positions of practices of art based on one's motivation and consciousness of one's beliefs if not ideals which is lightly expressed in these 'durian shaped' vacuum cleaner and two remote controlled toy racing cars.
To me it not only symbolizes the high culture in this increasingly affluent society but also that of central state directed agenda of cultural development in contrast to the other more humble and on the grassroots level of cultural work what used to be known as alternative or more conveniently generalized as experimental, radical manifestations of those who seek to express the ever changing world and hence termed as contemporary, the avant-garde if not the cutting-edge label of art.
Of course the ones presented as high art may also fall within similar descriptions if they were on the right track of risk-taking into bringing forth current vibes and motivated by similar veins of daring to challenge traditional practices in form and presentations however I shun to say they tend to pander to a sophistication of distinction based on class, capital as well as conventions.
The first time I made this as a vacuum cleaner covered by a crude durian shaped canopy made out of wire mesh and paper mache in the night just before my opening performance at the first Future of Imagination, international performance art event that was organized with a measly small budget that was the first time we had officially received funding from the National Arts Council in 2003. It was a test run for us and probably for the NAC too as it was the first after ten years of funding ban on performance art since the notorious 1993-94 event of Artists General Assembly. The action started with someone reading the clauses and conditions of the license for entertainment that we had to apply for and adhere to when presenting public performance art events in Singapore even within gallery spaces such as The Substation. I climbed up a ladder with a sack of art books and other paper texts of flyers and brochures of art publicity materials, and let the sack fall down each time reaching the top of the pyramid ladder. Picking up some of the flyers I lit them or shredded them and followed up by sucking the ashes and litter of shredded brochures up with the 'durian' shaped vacuum cleaner.
In my solo exhibition, Lucid Dreams in the Reverie of the Real at the Singapore Art Museum, after having had seven times of international performance art events under the same name of Future of Imagination, and also many other changes in the art and cultural scenario, I see the need to maintain if not return to a position of resistance by acknowledging that there is distinct differences in positions of practices of art based on one's motivation and consciousness of one's beliefs if not ideals which is lightly expressed in these 'durian shaped' vacuum cleaner and two remote controlled toy racing cars.