There was a voice; only not yet a voice, not yet a voice spoken out by someone, but only typed out on a piece of paper.

There was a piece of paper, only not yet a piece of artwork, but simply a pamphlet of the exhibition.

There was an exhibition, which holds 24 artists’ works, but not yet his work.

There was his work, with nothing shown in the gallery space, but only his words.

There were his words, only not spoken by him, but simply typed out at the very end of the listed artists, on the plain piece of pamphlet of the exhibition.

Reflection, thought and identity. These were the three words that subconsciously made their way to my mind when I was going through the gallery spaces for the President’s Young Talents 2018 exhibition. I was in a state of constant reflection and thought throughout my visit, and I think that says quite a lot about the quality of work by the participating artists.

It has been more than three months after Lee Wen’s passing as I pen this piece. I write from the perspective of a stranger, unable to offer personal anecdotes or inside information. In the days since 3 March 2019, there were numerous moving tributes published online and on social media, by individuals on whom the artist had an impact. I write not only from a distance, but perhaps also too late?

One Night Only was an event that every BA(Hons) Fine Arts student looks forward to: a day full of enjoyment and immense fun when not only do the artists get to display their works but also experience the dos and don’ts of an exhibition. It was LASALLE’s annual showcase of works from semester-long elective modules taken up by the Years 2 and 3 of the BA(Hons) Fine Arts Course. As suggested by its name, the event lasts only a few hours. It was graced by Professor Adam Knee, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts, Media and Creative Industries, as the guest of honour. 

The MA Fine Arts symposium took place where MA postgraduate students talked about their current works with students, artists and lecturers from LASALLE. The MA students presenting were Geraldine Lim, Jojo Shen Xingzhou, Liyana Ali, ND Chow, Ng Bing Ming Shane, Chloe Po, Muhammad Fauzi bin Johann and Wen Qing. The talk was riveting with a diverse range of topics discussed.

The conversation below briefly captures the practices of Norah Lea, Farizi Noorfauzi and myself, which presents convenient affinities and nuanced differences.

Zulkhairi: Norah and Farizi, what are some personal impressions you have of Malais-a-trois?

Gelam Gallery is Singapore’s first permanent outdoor art gallery. Located at the back alley of Muscat Street, within Kampong Glam, it is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board and One Kampong Gelam. The project involved 30 local artists and art students, among them are various LASALLE alumni and current students. The aim of the project aligns with One Kampong Glam’s agenda to conserve and enhance Kampong Glam’s rich cultural and business history.

In May this year, I visited my MAFA seniors’ graduation show Outside My Eye. It was their opening night and the atmosphere felt tense with promise. After all, this show is a culmination of one and a half years of research, positioning and repositioning. Camera flashes, backslapping and questions reverberated off the shiny grey floors of Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA)’s Gallery 1. The artists’ designated corners were enlivened with objects, environments, experiments, moments, and moods.