GROUP EXHIBITION

Curated by John Z. W. Tung, the exhibition that opens on the 14 October 2023 consolidates a spread of contemporary art-making concerns that intimate the present’s indelible ties to that which has transpired and anxieties that are to come.

Inspired by the German notion of Sehnsucht – a yearning for the redress of imperfect moments in life – Tung writes of the exhibition:

The title of the exhibition, and its associations, is all that there is to it. It is an exhibition of art that is relevant in perpetuity, histories repeating themselves in our daily lives, technologies and the lack thereof, prophecies and regrets, but also unwavering hopes and optimism.

The title, functioning as both an intimate whisper and a declarative statement, encapsulates the fluid relationship between what has been, what is, and what is yet to come. It underlines the perennial relevance of this collection of artworks which simultaneously mirrors and questions the cyclical nature of history, technology, prophecy, regret, hope, and optimism.

In exploring the dichotomy of technologies and their conspicuous absence, the exhibition unveils the dialectics between advancement and tradition. The artworks presented bear witness to the innovative spirit of humanity and its relentless drive towards progress, while simultaneously heralding the loss of simplicity associated with a technologically naïve past. In such a light, the consequences of action and inaction are also brought to bear, set against the backdrop of the anthropogenic epoch.

With each work in dialogue with another, the exhibition urges a contemplative pause, engaging viewers in reflecting on the pluralities of existence. Visitors to the exhibition can look forward to new works created specially for the exhibition from Anthony Chin, Dusadee Huntrakul, Ong Kian Peng and Pratchaya Phinthong. At the same time, the exhibition also offers opportunities for a re-animation of pickings from Ng Joon Kiat’s corpus of paintings, and the Singapore premiere of a selection of works from Miti Ruangkritya’s recent photographic series BLISS.

The exhibition runs till the 26 November 2023. Members of the media and public are welcome to partake in the opening moment commencing at 4pm on the 14 October 2023.

It is in no uncertain terms that art bears the weight of history. But to what end can it bear the weight of the ahistorical too?