My Maiden Tour

It was my maiden guiding experience at the museum today at 3.30pm. I was nervous the whole morning and kept rereading my tour paper. How could I forget what I myself wrote? I’m proud to say that almost no part of my tour paper was copy-pasted from my references! That’s even better than my papers and reports in university. Hahahah. I guess they’re right to say that love and passion makes you do things you don’t usually do (like read 5 books to write out 3 sentences in 2 hours).

I tried to go out a bit earlier so I could go round the museum on my own first, as I haven’t visited the artworks in quite some time, so I kinda lost the connection there. The galleries are actually bigger than I’ve been visualising in my head the past few weeks! That provided some relief in the claustrophobic area.

One of my biggest worry was that my tour would fall short of the 1-hour slot, as I do have a tendency to be bad at elaborating. But I was so glad that when I looked at my watch at the end of the tour – it was exactly 1 hour long! To be honest, I didn’t do a practice run through to make sure it was exactly an hour long, so I’m lucky that way. Hooray for me!

My mentor Kee Huat was very patient and helpful, too. The way he speaks remind me of an experienced paediatrician. I’m so glad it’s over, I’m happy about it, and I can’t wait to bring more people around the museum! Any takers?

Contemporary Art at SAM

8Q sam is located at 8 Queen Street, Singapore,
On the opposite side of the street from the museum’s “DOME cafe” and the Church of St. Peter & Paul

EVENTS

Today, 15 Aug is the opening of 8Q, the new wing of the Singapore Art Museum, which specialises in Contemporary Art. Opening is 6.30pm onwards. A few events over the weekend will follow:

Gallery Turn Studios at 8Q sam
16 – 17 Aug (Sat & Sun) • 8Q sam Gallery Level 1 • 10am – 7pm • Free
Come interact and find out how artists work as they transform a museum gallery into a working studio space to create artworks! Do not miss this opportunity to mingle with The Artists Village artists as they create artworks, turning a gallery space that is traditionally reserved for the display and presentation of art into a creative space where art comes alive!

“Uninvited Obstacles” Install II workshop by artist Agnes Yit
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Visualise your thoughts with artist Agnes Yit, who will pose questions and set you thinking on the role that you adopt in your everyday life.
Expect an installation of punching bags, which was exhibited in Post-Ulu at The Substation in the year 2000. Post-Ulu was organised by newer members of TAV who did not experience the early phase of the group and space at Lorong Gambas.

“When The Ship Comes In” workshop by artist Lee Wen
Time: 3pm – 5pm
Express your imagination to social history of Singapore and respond by creating your own artwork. Selected artworks will be used to form a collage to be installed at the future Bayfront MRT Station.
Commissioned by Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA), Cultural Medallion recipient & artist, Lee Wen will be conceptualising an artwork as part of LTA’s Intergrated Art Programme.

EXHIBITIONS

School: 8Q-Rate
(16 Aug 08 – 9 Jan 09)
Tour by curator: 22 Aug 08, 7.30pm (free)
School: 8Q-Rate is a contemporary exhibition where eight curators will work with eight artists from multi-disciplnary backgrounds to present works that play on the theme of school.

The Artists Village: 20 Years On
(9 Aug 08 – 5 Oct 08 )
Tour by curator: 29 Aug 08 & 12 Sep 08, 7.30pm (free)
The Artists Village: 20 Years On addresses issues concerning the history, or rather, memories of The Artists Village (TAV). The dynamics of individual and collective social memories of the TAV artists during the Ulu Sembawang period and the Post-Ulu period offer multiple entry points to the understanding of TAV.

Masriadi: Black Is My Last Weapon
(15 Aug 08 – 9 Nov 08 )
Tour by curator: 19 Sep 08, 7.30pm (free)
Masriadi: Black is My Last Weapon gathers more than 30 paintings by Indonesian artist I Nyoman Masriadi from early 1990s to his most recent 2008 works. A first solo exhibition of contemporary Indonesian art at the SAM, the exhibition forms part of SAM’s ongoing efforts to feature significant modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artists, continuing from solo exhibitions of Affandi and Widayat in 2007. The works on display for Masriadi: Black is My Last Weapon have been borrowed from individual collectors in , and Hong Kong.

For more Info visit the Singapore Art Museum website: www.singart.com