by Soo Mei Fei, BA(Hons) Fine Arts Level 2 (2019)
The mridangam workshop saw a variety of people—all ages and ethnicity—who were curious to learn more about the percussion. We were also given a crash course on the basic Carnatic rhythmic structure, which was insightful and an eye opening experience for all of us.
This year, I was fortunate to be part of ARTWALK Little India. Together with Soumee De and Davindran s/o Krishnamurthi, we presented River Ramble, a 20 minute Odissi-inspired performance about the Singapore River – an organised dance programme that was held at the open space, at Sate Kelinci Pak.
ARTWALK Little India is an arts initiative organised by LASALLE College of the Arts and the Singapore Tourism Board. This year’s ARTWALK marks the fifth year of its running. Since 2015, the public art project has aimed to portray the cultural presence of Little India through various forms of art—music, film, artworks, performances and various fringe events. When it first began, ARTWALK was held over five days, featuring only a handful of works. This year, ARTWALK took place over three weekends, and has grown to include an even greater variety of works, performances and workshops.
Beyond showcasing artworks, films and putting up performances, this year’s ARTWALK included a Live Painting session at Gayatri Restaurant along Race Course Road, as well as Dinner Theatre Storytelling at CreatureS along Desker Road. Combining art making and performance with the dining experience was not only innovative and engaging, but also apt, given that this year’s theme for ARTWALK was Image and Sound of Fragrance.
Our dance performance, River Ramble, traced the river’s history from a time when it was a source of livelihood for those living on its banks, to its ruinous plight from the encroaching industrialisation and resulting pollution, up to 1977 when then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew called for its cleanup. Today, the Singapore River is part of the skyline, as it runs through some of the most iconic and buzzing locations in the city.
The initial stages of our choreography saw us imagining possible scenarios and narratives that could have taken place along the river. Bearing in mind the theme for this year, we worked on the quality of the movements to expressively depict the river. Referencing the movement vocabulary of Odissi was apt - the movements never really quite ended in Odissi, it is continual and evolving, just like the river that flows on and on, ceaselessly, through the ages.
We performed alongside acts that featured other classical dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Kuchipudi which provided the audience with a rare exposure to the variety of Indian dance forms.
ARTWALK Little India also included several mural works, inspired by the imagery and smells of Little India, installation works, as well as other performances. The programme lineup was a good mix of contemporary works inspired by Indian culture and art forms, catering to a spectrum of audience. The works were well spread out throughout the entire precinct of Little India—from Ultrasupernew Gallery along Rowell Road, all the way to performances put up at the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) along Starlight Road.
Beyond variety, this year's edition also featured workshops that further engaged the audience. I was thrilled to see workshops on Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance form from Tamil Nadu) and Mridangam (an Indian percussion instrument) in the lineup, as these were (great and possibly, rare) opportunities to learn more about Indian art forms. The Mridangam workshop was packed with participants of all ages and ethnicity curious to learn more about the percussion instrument. We were also given a crash course on the basic Carnatic rhythmic structure, which was insightful and an eye opening experience for all of us.
While projects located in some of the minor roads in the precinct did not garner a huge crowd, efforts were made for greater outreach, such as having workshop registrations done on Peatix. Strategically placed signages provided directions to the different locations. Active updates on the event’s Instagram page helped with publicity and navigation as well. At such a large scale, the event could not have been possible without the help from the volunteers, as well as the capable team of BA(Hons) Arts Management students.
Little India is one of Singapore’s most vibrant and bustling precincts, and ARTWALK Little India is definitely a success in drawing greater interests to the area.
