Written by Kenneth M. George and Mamannoor in 2002, ‘A.D. Pirous: Vision, Faith, and A Journey in Indonesian Art, 1955-2002’ is a thorough survey of artist A.D. Pirous’s life, works and artistic practice that was born out of the long-term collaboration and friendship between A.D. Pirous and George.

The book details A.D. Pirous’s stories on aspects of his life and artistic journey, highlighting his explorations of calligraphic forms and expressions and his critical position in developing the practice and discourse of modern and modern Islamic art in Indonesia.

This conversation between A.D. Pirous, Kenneth M. George and exhibition curator Anissa Rahadiningtyas explores Pirous’s works in the exhibition ‘The Neglected Dimension’ while delving deeper into the process of making his prints and paintings and the stories behind them.

This programme was livestreamed on 26th August 2023 in conjunction with the exhibition “The Neglected Dimension”. It was supported by Serambi Pirous and CIVAS | Centre for Indonesian Visual Art Studies, Bandung Institute of Technology.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.

Welcome to Padang Spotlights! These special episodes are dedicated to unearthing our archives to bring to life the rich narratives of Southeast Asian artists and art spaces.

In this spotlight, our researcher and host Tan Yen Peng traces the legacy of female artist and educator Sun Yee (b. 1919, d. 2010), a pivotal but lesser-known figure in Singapore’s early art scene. As the former head of the Singapore Academy of Arts, and an artist with nearly 100 exhibitions to her name, Sun Yee played a vital role in shaping art education in Singapore but over time, her contributions have quietly faded from public memory.

Through heartfelt conversations with her former student, artist-designer Eng Siak Loy, and long-time friend and gallerist Johnny Yu Ching Chung, Yen Peng pieces together Sun Yee’s contributions to Singapore’s artistic landscape and reflects on the importance of remembering those who laid the groundwork for today’s creative communities.

Researcher, Host & Co-editor: Tan Yen Peng

Co-editors & Producers: Adele Tan, Kelysha Cheah Kassim, Ng Zheng Hong

Audio production, Music & Sound design: Chong Li-Chuan

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Can we conceive of exhibitions as a medium? Are exhibitions only neutral spaces for the display of artworks, or do they have agency as an aesthetic, contested and epistemic site Can we conceptualise the exhibition as a medium that generates new ways of thinking about and making art?

When talking about methodology, there is a dilemma in terms of how we can develop approaches to study exhibitions that extend beyond just art history. As part of October Gathering, “Towards a Mystical Reality: A Documentation of Jointly Initiated Experiences by Redza Piyadasa and Sulaiman Esa” (Malaysia, 1974) was restaged. It was used as a case study that could be reconstructed, reconsidered and propositioned as an exhibitionary medium, method, and “conceptual performance” that is participatory, critical and reflexive all at once. Reconstructing such exhibitions proposes a way of thinking that sees the exhibition as method and the exhibition as medium approaches as ways to demystify the original exhibition.

This discussion was part of a workshop that accompanied the restaging of “Towards a Mystical Reality: A Documentation of Jointly Initiated Experiences by Redza Piyadasa and Sulaiman Esa”. Art historian Simon Soon and independent curator Biljana Ciric explored how we could develop approaches to studying exhibitions that extended beyond what we have from art history. This conversation was moderated by then Senior Curator Seng Yu Jin.

This discussion took place at National Gallery Singapore on 7 October 2022, as part of October Gathering.

Disclaimer: The comments and opinions expressed are those of the speaker/s, and do not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore.

All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners.