SMEAR YOUR IMPULSE limited

The Review

2009-11-30T18:29:00.001-08:00

The much anticipated review by Matthew Lyon of Flying Inkpot.

Capricorn Rising
Most physical theatre prides itself on its precision: consider the elastic grace of Ramesh Meyyappan, for example, or the clockwork choreography of many Finger Players productions. Cake Theatre's The Comedy of the Tragic Goats, however, seemed to have discarded precision in its urgent rush to get across what it wanted to say. The show resembled a hyper-caffeinated lit student hammering club-fisted at his keyboard, battering an essay deadline into submission. Its two actors looked like they were powered by far too many batteries. But this was a very good thing indeed - Goats' relentless attack gave it a unique aesthetic that drilled through the eyes and bubbled into veins and glands. It reeked of testosterone, piss and sweat; you could taste its blood on your tongue. And it didn't care that it was messy and bleeding: the play possessed the ecstatic abandon of a wounded animal - roaring and defiantly alive... and quite unlike any other theatre I have ever seen.

And it's not like precision had never had any part in the proceedings. The play was tight, well-timed and consistent (I saw it twice), and there must have been rehearsals, early on, when neither of its actors (Najib Soiman and Rizman Putra) sustained bruises; when neither was soaking wet by the end; when the props survived until next time. Certainly each moment of Mohd Fared Jainal's direction was carefully considered and expressively articulated... And while Natalie Hennedige's script (which was given out with the programme) was a mere sculptural doodle, it was one drawn with clean lines, consisting of an unadorned litany of actions for the characters to perform.

But while the play's skeleton possessed economy and grace, in performance these qualities were disguised under layers of convulsing meat. Consider an early confrontation scene in which Rizman plays one of the protagonists, Boo, a construction worker, and Najib plays his sadistic site supervisor. Najib leans back, setting his shoulders low and emphasizing his belly in an arrogant, Neanderthal slouch. His gaze is slow and glassy-eyed, but his fingers twitch from an instinct for cruelty built into their nerves. As Rizman leans over a work desk to assemble his materials, Najib lazily hefts a long metal pole and positions the pole against his crotch, creating a giant phallus. He eyes Rizman's backside with an autonomic detachment - and then he proceeds to mock-sodomise Rizman, all the while maintaining a disinterested demeanour, save for the slightest curling of his lip. Meanwhile, Rizman attempts to go about his business with the wary glances and shrunken posture of a kicked dog. He draws in his arms; his feet carefully, automatically measure their steps; his eyes refuse to look directly at his oppressor in the hope that meekness will assuage him - but nor does he look away entirely, keeping Najib always in his peripheral vision. And then in the moment when Boo finally snaps, Rizman's physicality detonates. His muscles violently swell; his pupils dilate yet attain a razor-sharp focus; his face contorts with galvanic, wind-tunnel ferocity. The performances in this production came not from the brain but from the red chemistry of the flesh. Although there was no spoken text in Goats, it seems wrong to call it mime, with all the Frenchified, theoretical baggage that word carries. This was physical theatre plain and simple.

Yet there was a depth to the piece – the kind of depth folktales have: echoing and unilluminated. It told the story of two prisoners: Boo the construction worker and Munsee the student-activist. The play chronicles the events that led to their imprisonment, the games they play to occupy themselves, the obsessions their captivity incites, and the torture they receive at the hands of a sinister clown Gestapo. The story was simple enough, but between the script and the direction, enough of a symbolic vocabulary was created to lend it an infrasonic resonance - an indefinable but persistent sense that there were larger issues at stake than the fate of these two men. For example, the jail Boo and Munsee find themselves in serves as a makeshift workshop (rendered in stained steel and wire mesh in Fared's versatile and fitting set design), and the pair use the materials they find to create effigies of their obsessions. Munsee builds an army of blocky clay soldiers, their right arms raised in salute to him, their Supreme Leader. Boo draws on a blackboard sketches of the utopia he dreams of constructing - an earthly paradise that uncannily resembles the Integrated Resort. Both men caress the blackboards with chalk, describing abstract but voluptuous female forms, before their lust overtakes them and they stab the chalk at the board, obsessively colour and recolour the genitals, and finally throw themselves against the flat surface in two-dimensional coitus. Politics, satire and sex - it may not be quite clear what Goats is trying to say, but it's certainly saying something big.

Audience members familiar with Hennedige's past work may be better able to parse Goats' symbolism. Hennedige has a deep distrust of podium-pontificators and architects of paradise - of men with grand plans and booming voices. For example, in Cheek, her take on the Antigone myth, Lim Kay Siu played Creon as a petty generalissimo issuing self-satisfied diktats to a zombified demos; while in Temple, Najib played a deluded latter-day Moses driving his flock to build a land of milk and honey in a neighbourhood sports hall. Animal, Vegetable, Mineral and Queen Ping also contain their own iterations of men (and in the latter case, a woman) with the mad glint of epiphany in their eyes - with a mania to command, to exhort, to see the face of God. How, then, does one stand against these obsessives and megalomaniacs? Organically. In Temple, Li Xie was a butterfly beating her wings against the glass case that confined her. Queen Ping saw Noorlinah Mohamed drowning in a tide of love and lust that carried her away from her dysfunctional family - and she inhaled deeply the lung-burning water. In Cheek, Jean Ng, playing Antigone, stood rooted as a tree, swaying but unmoved by Creon's bluster. Resist, and be who you are. Even when your resistance will have no effect; even when being yourself will kill you.

Except that it's not quite so simple in Goats. It seems that either Munsee or Boo is the son of the Goat Head, an assassinated military leader who planned to build Utopia. Each, then, must struggle against an impulse that threatens to overwhelm him - Munsee to rule, Boo to build - even as they struggle against the powers that have imprisoned them.

Najib and Rizman were brilliant at portraying these struggles. They burned with rage and desire and humiliation. They broke and rebuilt themselves. They succumbed to petty jealousies and one-upmanship... yet, ultimately, they achieved the kind of gnosis Aeschylus had in mind when he wrote that man must suffer to be wise. And all this without words and, more impressively, without the dancerly precision with which mime implies that it is a system of codified meanings as schematic as language. What Najib and Rizman did here was make meanings out of meat.

Complementing and intensifying the impact of these performances, Philip Tan's sound design was a deliberately low-fi affair - a scratchy, repetitive, narrow soundscape that gave the impression it was made with nails, vynil and red-eyed, insomniac nights.

As a theatre lover, it's a rare joy to see a production like this: avant-garde but mythic, chaotic but controlled. Every element held up - especially Fared's direction, which managed to be endlessly inventive as well as being easy to follow (although he might have paid a little more attention to Munsee's death, which wasn't very clear). But compared to the ten-layer, cherry-topped gateaux Cake usually serves up, Goats is a slightly thin slice. What I'd love to see more of is the fusion of scale and focus Cake achieved in Nothing (which I like even more than Amos did): a play big enough to blow you away and secure enough to know where you'll land. Until the next masterpiece comes along, though, Goats is an extremely welcome diversion.

Jiwo Jiro: Zero Soul

2009-11-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

The next world, really excited working with Mr Bijan...yeah!

JIWO JIRO
NAJIB SOIMAN (SINGAPORE)

15 – 16 January 2010, 8pm
(75 minutes with no intermission)
Esplanade Recital Studio
$19

Festival commission . World premiere

Jiwo means soul while Jiro means zero. Put together, JIWO JIRO means “zero soul”.

A story about man and machine. A little man who speaks loudly like the tall fat giant who sleeps in the cabinet. He sings like the nightingale who has lost her chord. He dances like mad on the rooftop. He cooks with a microwave recipe in mind. He climbs the ladder to fix the bulb. “Stupid” is his first word said before everything.

But somewhere after midnight, he cries while staring at his own invention – an electronic bonsai tree – while the villagers laugh out loudly until he sleeps. In his dreams, he imagines a world where the difference between man and machine blurs, where the line between humanity and technology fades, and where the soul and the silicon chip unite.

He questioned the Laws of Human Nature every night.

Right or Wrong? Man or Machine? Jiwo or Jiro? He asked…God.

Muhammad Najib bin Soiman is an arts educator and theatre practitioner who has worked with various companies such as The Necessary Stage, W!ld Rice, Cake Theatrical Productions, Teater Ekamatra, Panggung ARTS, etc. He was the President of Teater Ekamatra from 2006-2007 and the Artistic Director of Panggung ARTS from 2008-2009. Recently he was awarded Best Actor at the 9th ST Life! Theatre Awards 2009 for his heartbreaking role as a photographer detained without trial in the play Gemuk Girls by The Necessary Stage.

MELT: The Aftermath

2009-11-18T22:02:00.000-08:00

Melt was fun, I had a great team to work with, never felt better, it felt like friends coming together to produce such a zany creation. Special thanks to all who came down that Saturday to help out, you know who you are...

When Bloco came in for the introduction, it felt so good, it was like a calling, a calling of the tribe. It would be better if the stage is closer to the audience or vice versa just like what Philip said.

It was hard work for everyone definitely, loads of food. loads of popcorn and helium filled balloon to bring joy to a Saturday in a neighbourhood where nothing such as this ever surfaced. I guess, we managed to bring a new animal into the space and now we have to pack our bags and move on.

MELT

2009-10-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

After Jazzy Jazz and The Razmatazz, comes Melt, so see you at Toa Payoh!

Come and join us on Saturday 7 November [5.00pm & 6.30pm] at Toa Payoh Amphitheatre for Melt, directed by our Associate Artist, Rizman Putra!

Conceptualised and directed by Rizman and written by Natalie, Melt is an outdoor theatrical experience that combines visual art, theatre, movement and music into a rare and surprising theatrical treat. Neon Tights, a merry band of visual artists will create visual installations and structures that will take the shape of larger than life eyes, ears, nose, mouth and tongue. A percussion troupe will beat and bang sending exuberant sound waves through the streets and all around, Kuda Kepang performers will replace their horses with life-size limbs and bodybuilders will bulge and swell in cheeky display. Join us as one man’s meltdown turns into a joyous celebration of the imagination.

Presented by Paradise Alley, Cake’s free annual outdoor performance and funded by the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Inspire Programme, Paradise Alley takes to the streets, bringing experimental theatre with visual spectacle into common spaces to capture, enthral and uplift the spirit and imagination of audiences in a diverse and electrifying gathering.

Come rain or shine, we’ll be rearing to go, so come on down and join us for a fun time! And again, free popcorn for all!

Body Overhaul: System Overload

2009-10-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for the past week, I am not sure of what has got into me, some say a mysterious female entity has gotten into me, some said my body is tired.

My body has been battered, twisted and groped in the name of health from a basement jack accupunture dude who pronounce my name as Jiman, to my Iron Shaik daddy-in-law, to the neighbour who lives on the seventh floor as he called upon his brother (who looks like Steven Seagal) who painfully realigned the veins in my body to their right places.

The last resort was a visit to Alexandra Hospital, and the doc who looks like Dino Vomit jabbed 2 solid jabberwockies of sedated muscle relaxant liquid fire onto my nerves. I had no choice, I hate going to hospitals, but with the help of my Bee, she was there with me throughout this ordeal.

It all started out when my body got jammed from my neck to my shoulder blade somewhere in Hillview. Then it got really worst, I was like C3PO with arthritis. As when I thought I was 'A' ok, I suddenly got this bad tummy flue, not sure if it was from this whole Body jam madness, or another bad unknown symptom. I felt like there's a load of bad gases in my body, and everything tasted so bad, made me wanna puke shit out of my mouth.

This morning, when I woke up I felt a bit better, being sick and immobile is not something that you look forward to every morning, the feeling is like a bad hangover with needles in your head.

I want to get back to work...now!

For the Greatfuls

2009-09-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

Life is different now, I am not sure of how to describe this feeling, and Singapore is not like how it used to be.

Recently, I realised tha I have difficulties in having to place myself in a large crowd. I will get so breathless and it feels like someone is knocking my head with a huge ass hammer. I am not sure if Singapore is becoming overcrowded or I am getting old. Come to think of it, I am not that old, but not so young either. Maybe, I am one of those who are struggling with the rapid modernisation/post modernisation or whatever you want to call it, but hey, do I have a choice? I just live with it, go with the ride and make sure that I put on my seat belt.

I still go about doing what I love doing but not having to get involved in the 'tete-la-tete' of the world that we all knew. I don't find the need to anymore, not sure why, but I am contented with whatever that has been given to me.

Goats: The Aftermath

2009-08-25T00:50:00.000-07:00

Production: The Comedy of the Tragic Goats
Company: Cake Theatrical Productions
Full review coming from: Matthew Lyon

If you are serious about theatre - watching it, creating it, studying it - then the explosive Comedy of the Tragic Goats simply cannot be missed. This is theatre, this is art - which lives, breathes and stands before you daring you to call it by any other name.

Audience members who are not regular theatre-goers should not be intimidated though. There are no words used in this 75-minute production but director Mohd Fared Jainal's ferocious vision of a dystopian world, created onstage as a carnival of sets, props, costumes, light, sound, dance choreography and physical theatre movement, is a gripping work that puts a knife to your throat and simply demands your attention. It shocks, disturbs and amuses, never letting up till the very end. It is not surprising that Fared, an experienced designer, has such a flair for visual impact but, for a new director, he shows a particularly impressive understanding of pacing and the building of momentum.

Credit for the success of the play must also be given to actors Muhammad Najib Bin Soiman (bijaN) and Rizman Putra who demonstrate monstrous skill and endurance in challenging roles that are physically exhausting and require them to take on everything from playful clowns to horrifically violent sadists.

Easily the best play I've seen this year.

4.5 out of 5, Kenneth Kwok, 20 Aug 2009

Taken from Inkpot Theatre Review

The Goats are Asleep now

2009-08-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

The end of Goats, its time to recuperate from the madness, clean the house, change the sheets...

Jiwo Jiro

2009-07-28T01:00:00.000-07:00

This was done by Mr LonelyIsAnEyesore, a publicity shoot for Najib(Bijan)'s comeback directorial for M1 Fringe next year. This will be my first time in a piece directed by Najib, whom I have been wanting to work with for so long.

The Comedy of The Tragic Goats

2009-07-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Comedy of the Tragic Goats
Cake Theatrical Productions

Synopsis
The Goat Head was an artist. His most famous work, a magnificent blueprint of a utopian city.
One day as the Goat Head and his expectant wife appear to address the public, a gunshot is fired and the dictator is assassinated. Dissidents stage a coup and gain control of the country. A massive hunt is launched for all goats. All goats are wanted. All goats are hunted. After a time of purging, the dust finally settles.

Several years later two prisoners, Munsee and Boo wait behind bars.
Then word comes. The most wanted Goat has surfaced. The Goat from the expectant belly. The feared successor. The hunt resumes. The Goat could be anyone, teacher, astronaut, deep-sea diver, doctor. The Goat could be anything, fat, man, hairy, woman.
When a blueprint resembling the Goat Head’s Utopia is found in their prison cell, all eyes turn. Could one of them be the Goat? Munsee, a university student imprisoned for participating in a demonstration or Boo a construction worker for assaulting his supervisor. The interrogation begins.

Munsee or Boo? Which clown is the culprit?

The Comedy of the Tragic Goats is a tale of two clowns who dance and play to fend disaster away.

Creative Team
Story:Natalie Hennedige
Direction: Mohd Fared Jainal
Performance: Muhammad Najib Bin Soiman (bijaN)
Rizman Putra
Sound: Philip Tan
Set: Mohd Fared Jainal
Lighting: Suven Chan
Creative: David Lee

Performance Details
20 - 22 August 2009, 8.00pm

Drama Centre Black Box

$28.00

Concessions for Students, NSFs & Senior Citizens: $23.00 & 10% savings for ASA, SDEA & TTAS members

Tickets available at all Sistic Authorised Agents, hotline: 6348 5555, www.sistic.com.sg

Happiness in Slavery

2009-07-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

Mr Lonely is An Eye Soar, Goat's rehearsal, Cake Theatre, Singapore.

One of the 8 photos I submitted for the Museum Show, nothing spectacular, but I just love the view of Buangkok.

Milking Mermaids will be postponed till further notice, apparently, there were some issues that caused all of this to happen. The same old issue that we have been facing a decade ago, power and positions... how can we defeat that?

Yasmin Ahmad passed away last Saturday, I have been a fan of her works since Sepet, I was really looking forward to her first full length to be shot in Singapore. But I guess that will never happen...
She passed away a month after Michael Jackson, and Merce Cunningham passed away on Sunday night. It seems all these geniuses are disappearing every month, I am not sure of how to react to this, too much to handle, its pretty gloomy I would say.

Is Blogging still In?

2009-07-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't been really active in the cyberspace like how I used to. The reason is probably because I am too busy with life that at the end of the day I am too tired to put in any entry. Maybe that is how it works, but I am not ready to shut down this site as yet. Probably because of some sentimental reason and I am just wondering is blogging is still da thing, maybe I am out of touch, heard about Twitter though, I am not interested in that at all.

Well, I will use this space to put up on what I have been doing lately, maybe that is more worth it. It is a nice feeling of writing your thoughts when you have the time. Anyway, I have been busy with loads of stuff.

Here's the list:

July: National History Museum, "Spot n Shoot" (commissioned work)
August: Cake Theatre's The Comedy of The Tragic Goats, directed by Fared Jainal
October: Cake Theatre's Melt, directed by Me

The Politics of the Popular

2009-06-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

The P.O.P Station is back, like a reunion or sort, bringing the show back to Singapore after 5 years. Come down with family and friends.

“Make your own music videos with Singapore’s most off-beat artist collective. Take the chance to sing and dance to a pop-song while being filmed in a fantasy world. Within 24 hours your very own music video will be uploaded on YouTube for the world to enjoy.” - KYTV

KYTV returns to its hometown with 5 brand new Mandarin pop songs together with the English version that started it all. Come join them for 3 days of non-stop D-I-Y music-video action galore!

Make your own music videos with Singapore's most off-beat artist collective. Take the chance to sing and dance to a pop-song while being filmed in a fantasy world. Within 24 hours your very own music video will be uploaded on youtube for the world to enjoy. This satirical and quite unconventional edition of American Idol plus the karaoke machine exposes our longing to be, at least once in our lives, a star. The acronym says it all: "P.O.P -The Politics of the Popular"

TAKE PART!
5 - 7 June 09
2 – 6pm & 7 – 10pm

THE EXHIBITION (8 Jun - 5 Jul)
11am - 8.30pm (Mon - Fri),
10am - 8.30pm (Sat & Sun, Public Holidays)

The Politics of The Popular (P.O.P) Station is a satirical approach to the processes of becoming a popular ‘star’, through different tributaries of faculty that manufacture or package an individual or a group into a spectacular product similar to celebrity.

In response to the gimmicky attributes from the commercial music industry in shaping and creating a new ‘star’ through their methods, we are adapting the notion into own version of creating a ‘star’. As known to the critical masses, the ploy of music being packaged as a form of media fancy. P.O.P station seeks to assist individuals/groups in seeking triumph by providing them with the necessary expertise/support to further recognize their delusions of grandeur into a memorable yet sentimental recollection.

IT'S FREE!!

KYTV: POP STATION

Bumiputra Cina: The Aftermath

2009-06-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the review of Bumiputra Cina by June Yap and pix by Irfan Kasban

A process-based performance collaboration between writer and performer Verena Tay and interdisciplinary artist Noor Effendy Ibrahim that explores the conflicted sense of belonging and identity of a contemporary Chinese Singaporean woman coming to terms with the fast-changing landscape that she grew up in - the text written on the performance for its publicity material.

Bumiputra (or bumiputera, and wiki-ed originating from the Sanskrit term ‘Bhumiputra’) - literally ‘prince of the soil’, also translated as ‘son of the soil’ and more politically correct, ‘child of the soil’, is a term that finds unlikely partnership with ‘cina’ or Chinese. In a series of twenty-over vignettes the question of what it means to belong, to be rooted in, or tied down to a piece of land is explored with wry humour and at times cutting accuracy. Accuracy at least in the context of a Chinese female in Singapore. Verena’s examination of her own experience, is extended into that of the everywoman, and further questions as well the nature of the relationship of the term ‘bumiputra’ to even those ‘native’ to the crumbly earth with that raw smell that frankly we do not have a very intimate relationship with these days living in boxes in the sky (flats) where soil is found in pots that line the corridor walkway, an attempt possibly on our part to connect with the land, yet one that is frowned upon within housing board regulations that champion regularity and concrete.

The script which was written first in English, had portions translated into Hokkien, Chinese and Malay, with subtitles in English when the non-English parts were spoken, perhaps already indicating then a detachment from ‘origins’ (English being the ‘pragmatic’ decision made by Singapore for it to progress economically and such), and setting the stage for an analysis of what origins and belonging might mean. The questions ‘Are you Singaporean? Are you Bumiputra?’ were repeated at regular intervals, a question less for the characters than its audiences as the performance unfolded.

As pointed out by a member of the audience during the post-show discussion, the term ‘bumiputra’ itself has different connotations in Singapore than say in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the term has more political implications and its qualifications are quite clear - that one is either from one of the ethnic or indigenous groups of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak, of Malay culture (speaking Bahasa Melayu, now Bahasa Malaysia) and Muslim; whereas its use in the performance is more of a sociological and anthropological nature. The term used in a broader, and perhaps looser, sense here is an attempt to ‘search for the land beneath your feet’ according to the character The Wild One played by Rizman (I think I might be quoting, notes in the dark are not always very clear come the following morning), an anthropomorphism of the land/earth/nature with a mild case of blood-lust.

The question posed here is: how many generations does it take for one to become no longer of migrant stock? Do you have to wait till you are dead and buried? My grandfather was from China, though he lived most of his life here. He may not have been ‘son’ but he is definitely ‘of the soil’ right now. The introduction of the character Lt. Adnan bin Saidi played by Shahril adds an interesting layer to the performance about the implications of belonging - defending what is considered yours - a premise that the local armed forces use for their recruitment drives. Born in Selangor, of Minangkabau descent, and commemorated for his brave defence at the battle at Pasir Panjang against Japanese invaders, the question that is raised with the character is that if you define yourself as part of the land, would you stay and fight? Of course it may also be argued that the two are not necessarily contingent or related; the question that has not been asked here is why must one belong to only one land? Can one not belong to more?

Earth in all its deep, mysterious, dark and organic glory took centrestage in the performance, with each character sweeping, scooping, toiling at it, lying in it or just letting it trickle through cupped hands. Its presence kept the performance and the abstracted observations about belonging grounded. Soil - what seeds would you plant here… The verdict? 4.5 out of 5 chungkols!

The Days of Restless and Youthful

2009-04-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

Zouk, Art Room, Helloween, 2000.

Where have all the cowboys gone? When the blossoming skin of dilapidated heart in grand stature, connected eyes finding reason to escape the rusted cage of the monotone. We are all slayers of the new breath, new apostles and new buildings. The island where it was and when it was, we are now in a cyclone of polyester truth. Missing the sparks of a good conversation with companions and as choice does not seem to beckon the misery and mystery of life, we surrender ourselves to the redevelopment, a constant redevelopment of motion and emotion.

Irregular shape keeping its transformation as steady as the metal pedestal finding its character. We are all creatures of the sanitized.

Bumiputra Cina:

2009-04-28T00:20:00.001-07:00

Here is what I am busy with at the moment...

Bumiputra Cina : A Chinese Child of the Soil

Written by Verena Tay
Directed by Noor Effendy Ibrahim
Performed by Verena Tay, Shahril Wahid and Rizman Putra

Venue: The Substation Theatre, 45 Armenian Street
Dates & Time: Thu 14 to Sat 16 May 2009, 8pm
Ticket Price: $15 (adult) & $10 (concessions for NSF and students) from The Substation Box Office
(Open Mon-Fri, 2pm - 8pm; Tel: 63377800)

Bumiputra Cina is a process-based performance collaboration between writer and performer Verena Tay, and interdisciplinary artist Noor Effendy Ibrahim, that explores the conflicted sense of belonging and identity of a contemporary Chinese Singaporean woman coming to terms with the fast-changing landscape that she grew up in. The text and physical theatre performance investigates issues of home, generations, family, growth, marriage, longing, desire, and what it means to be ‘bumiputra’ or ‘prince of the soil’. Bumiputra Cina travels through time-space, looking at the idea of rootedness and connections from the perspectives of the ever-present land, a Chinese coolie, the life and death of war hero Lt Adnan Saidi, vignettes of contemporary life and cyberspace chats. Come journey with us and discover for yourself what it means to be ‘bumiputra’…

Performed in English, Malay and Hokkien. English surtitles provided.

Supported by the National Arts Council, Hong Leong Foundation, The Substation and Teater Ekamatra.

Suap the Destiny

2009-03-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy period for me, Suap was physically and emotionally draining, but it was all worthwhile. Being in my first scripted Malay theatre was quite an amazing feat. Thank god I could get those lines down, knowing my relationship with lines are not so friendly. However, the team that I worked with provided a great sense of comfort and motivation during the process. Plus I was quite familiar with Fared's working style, and Zul's sonic landscape. Its like a reunion or sort. I lost of a lot of weight during the process, well that is another plus point.

Presently, I have been busy with Cake's Destinies of Flowers, the process is very cognitive I would say, and this piece is a very challenging one for myself and maybe the rest of the cast. Finally, I get to see how actors really research deep into the characters and finding their journeys in the piece.

The past one year or so, I have been heavily involved in the process of theatre making, I would say it is a different ball game, from the administration to the creative sense of things. All of these coming from a perspective of a visual artist, now, I think I have a clearer sense of how things work in a theatre company, it is all a 'full on' collaborative effort.

It is somehow similar to planning a wedding event, but its like everyone is getting married at the same time, from the cast, writer, producer, stage hand, sound and set designer all merge. United as one. It sounds cheesy, but its a tedious process definitely. Everyday is a new learning experience for me, it is like as if all of us are searching for something there.

Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror

2009-03-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

The rehearsals have been really fruitful, for me it is a learning experience, taking notes from the heavyweights, a piece that will make you think in depth.

The elusive Flower continues to speak with a voice quiet and persistent. Like a ghost gently moving her voice never ceasing.

Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror is the story of one pilgrim bearing the burden of her belief, venturing boldly onward to claim her destiny.

Text by Robin Loon
Directed by Natalie Hennedige
Performed by Lim Kay Siu, Noorlinah Mohamed, Nora Samosir & Rizman Putra
Sound by Philip Tan
Set by Mohd Fared Jainal & David Lee
Lighting by Suven Chan

Date & Time: 2 - 4 April 2009, 8.00pm & 4 April 2009, 3.00pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio
Ticket: $28.00
Concessions for Students, NSFs & Senior Citizens: $23.00 & 10% savings for ASA, SDEA & TTAS members
Tickets available at all Sistic Authorised Agents, hotline: 6348 5555, www.sistic.com.sg

Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror was first commissioned and staged by Theatreworks (Singapore) as a site-specific work at the Suntec City Fountain in May 1997. It was directed by Ong Keng Sen.

Jabberjaw

2009-02-03T00:16:00.000-08:00

Life in a split shift of doing 2 different actions in one day, pulling ropes in sequence. The wrinkles on their faces are talking about the dilemma of a bird with a broken wing. Focus and constant zero-ing and mirror-ring. We have to be ready when the ring of sacrifice open its doors to the public.

A less sacred devotion in amplifying the different variations of coming out of the lion's mouth. We play hoola hoop on a fine thread. We floss our toes and pull the safety ring. We are on a safe place, there is no need to wear 3D specs.

Acting and action. Follow the direction.

In the pursuit of swallowing a lifeless figurine

2009-01-28T00:55:00.001-08:00

The different body parts are communicating in tongues. I was in a room full of rubber bands, those red rubber bands. The wrinkles on their faces began to speak. I cowered in the most appropriate manner. All the languages are broken into various codes. No one here can believe the sound, it felt like tremors.

We did not bother locking our bikes, the sun spoke to me the other day, he said, we are all made of stars. I shook my head and started to dance. There were too many cows in the field, I started to put my headband and swerve from side to side. They flew me back to Kansas, I could not find Toto.

Toto the band appeared suddenly all dressed up in Black Ninja costumes...
I started to chant the Karma Police...man, it was awful, the music was awful,
maybe I should just reach out for the phone...

I was too late... the Lee Cooper gang already came to slaughter the rubber chickens... I was in a trance, and my body started to shiver...

Strange Overtones

2009-01-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

2 days ago, I managed to watch the man himself David Byrne at Suntec, it was one of the best concert that I have ever been. Special thanks to my mrs for buying me a seat. I was surprised to see the middle age caucasian crowd filling up at least 75% pf the seats.

David Byrne has always been a great inspiration for me musically, with his song writing and his ability to combine arts in different form. Experiencing the concert was like witnessing a theatre piece. There was dance, music and spirituality. Loads of surprises... and the sound was just amazing. He played I Zimbra which is like one of my favourite Heads track plus Once in a Lifetime. Of course I waited for Psycho Killer, probably its not in the setlist, maybe its like Byrne's Smells Like Teen Spirit.

But anyway, I am inspired and ready to go again...same as it ever was!

The New Year

2009-01-08T00:39:00.000-08:00

Life is definitely changing now, there is no doubt about it. I am beginning to realise a few things, many of the things that I thought was important is really not important now. That something important is something that you can wait. What important is that family comes first... after that is whatever you want to place next.

Life is not simple, but what is simple will be your needs, maybe my needs not others. Its ok to be ambitious, but its not ok to be selfish. There are too many worldly things, we are indeed humans after all. We hang on hope too much till it collapses down the abyss of insanity.

I still love music, art, life or what have you.... but there is something more than art that art cannot capture... the realness of being I guess. This is life, this is the new, this is me and this is you...

The Beginning of Something Beautiful

2008-11-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

The WabeeSabee Theory, 5 days before the wedding. Photo by OneTwoDelta

My Surprise birthday bash after rehearsal at FTP, Arnold's and Cedele Chocolate Cake. Photo by Joanna

Me and Fared as the horses in rehearsal at TFP. Photo by Joanna.

Me and my queen after our nikah at Istiqamah. Photo by Linda

Well...well...2008 is ending, I am a 30 year old married man. Life is just amazing, but this is definitely the moment, a rite of passage, a new lease of life and a new beginning. I am not sure how to describe the feeling, its a definite moment to remember for the rest of our lives.

The performance of my life last weekend was to be there up on stage with my beautiful wife (hehe), sitting at the dais looking at guests known and unknown (hehe), it was nice to see friends who came down and chilling out eating Thai Food listening to the Keronchong band. It was more than what we had expected, a laidback wedding that we've always wanted without the heavy duty briyani or the ever annoying karaoke hoohaa.

Plus the lovely people from Cake Theatre and Finger Players who came down to witness the event as I was in the midst of a production. Flare went pretty alright with the mixed reviews or sort. It was the first time I did 'sound design', I would say it went pretty smooth.

I am looking forward to 2009, not sure what it will bring for me, hope for the best...

Flare

2008-09-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

DATE
6-8 Nov 2008

6 & 7 Nov 08
8pm

8 Nov 08
3pm & 8pm

DURATION
Approx 1 hr 30 mins

VENUE
National Museum Gallery Theatre

TICKET PRICE (EXCLUDE BOOKING FEE)
Standard - S$35

Tremors from an earthquake in a neighbouring land reverberate through the lives of various families. Their once peaceful lives are shaken and the people feel deep unease. In the mornings, they awake with hearts trembling, wondering when their nerves will settle.

Their once secure homes now witness the appearance of mysterious cracks in the walls and dubious visitors of the equine-kind.

They must quickly distract and inspire themselves before they waste away with anxiety. They make plans to visit exotic destinations, renovate their homes, purchase the latest electronic products and take on outdoor hobbies.

A middle aged woman stands firmly within a shiny capsule, surveys the re-constructive work beneath her feet and chants fervently, “The future is a great place to be. The future is a great place to be.”

Inspired by Peter Shaffer’s psychological drama Equus, Flare is a narrative kaleidoscope exploring desperation and escape.

Written by Chong Tze Chien and directed by Natalie Hennedige, this collaboration between The Finger Players and Cake Theatrical Productions is an original dramatic work that draws from each company’s signature visuals and potent storytelling devices.

Temple in Naples

2008-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, haven't been blogging for quite some time now, due to work overload, but here's a bit on Temple in Naples.

2008-08-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging for ages now, but its not right if I don't put this up. I have been breaking my back directing various cultural groups, a rock n roll band and my lovely actors the past couple of weeks. This is the time... this is the space...this is for you...

plus there's a special treat for everyone: wohoo!

Here's a note from the producer.

Dear all,

Come and join us this Saturday 23 August [5.00pm & 6.30pm] at Marine Cove [East Coast Parkway] for Jazzy Jazz and The Razzmatazz, directed by our Associate Artist Rizman Putra!

Involving Contortionists, Bhangra Dancers, Dhol Players, Zapin Dancers, Rock & Roll band, Breakdancers, Beatboxer and contemporary performers, Jazzy Jazz and The Razzmatazz is a super wacky super bizarre super musical theatrical spectacle set to challenge any parade of dreams on this planet or in outer space!

Presented by Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation, Jazzy Jazz and The Razzmatazz is the first performance under our latest division Paradise Alley which was set up this year. It is also Rizman’s directorial debut and we are really excited about it! Paradise Alley is a free annual outdoor performance presented by Cake. Fusing experimental theatre with visual spectacle, Paradise Alley takes to the streets, bringing theatre into common spaces to capture, enthral and uplift the spirit and imagination of audiences in a diverse and electrifying gathering.

And there will be free popcorn if you say the password 'Paradise Alley'! Come and have a day out at the beach with us!

Hope to see you at Jazzy Jazz and The Razzmatazz!

Thanks!

Sharon

Naples Day 4

2008-06-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Its already Friday, our opening night, there was a fire in the building last night right before our full dress. Can you imagine, while you are standing by backstage, a bunch of firemen is right behind you. Weird, but its Napoli... most of us performing are beginning to realise the dry air.

The space is so huge that the energy that you have to give is a maximum overdrive. So much so, that I had to keep drinking water backstage, my throat gets dry constantly...its like playing an away match with AC Milan or something. Najib is down with food poisoning, we suspected the mussels he ate that night was uncooked. He had Cozze Zuppa di Mare, a signature Neopolitan dish, massive mussels and huge squids above bread soaked in tomato soup.

Last night, we had cup noodle, courtesy of Ema and Fared who brought along a mini cooking stove. We have consumed too much cheese and tomato sauce the past couple of days, I believe our Asian bodies are reacting to it in a rapid manner. This afternoon we went searching for kebabs, we met Nora in one of the Kebab place not far from our hotel. She told us not to eat here, turn back and find another place, for the kebab was quite bad.

We walked around till we found a golden arch, they you have it, a Big Mac meal, a nice change, a familiar taste. It was so bad but so good. After lunch, walked a bit more in search of gifts, we found a lane with Africans selling peripherals from Senegal, and at the corner we found an Arab grocery store selling halal salami.

Fashion for woman here is so 'This Fashion', I am not sure maybe it is summer, but their fashion is quite horrid. There's like a mini pasar malam behind our hotel which reminds me of Petaling Street in KL, they sell all kinds of B-grade clothings and apparels.

Our show is opening tonight, a sold out show, I am curious of the reaction that we are going to get later. I hurt my knee last night after the run, I definitely need a knee guard for tonights show. Breaking some leg...

I am still thinking of what to get for my bee here, I need her help.

Naples: Day 2 and 3

2008-06-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

Post show stand by with Fared fooling around at the back.

Our dressing room, with our costumes on standby.

Fared fooling around in the dressing room after his predator make up.

The Temple poster around Naples featuring me in my swimming gear.

Spaghetti Al Filetto and Taglietelle Salmone, a 10 Euro lunch at the Restorante near our hotel.

Hot Napoli: Day 2

2008-06-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Day 2, we began rehearsal, first we did a dry run in a room allocated for us, which was in a huge echoey hall. Then we moved to the space outside, it was 5pm, but it felt like 3pm, technically, the sun set at around 9pm. It was so hot, that I had to wear my shades and cap provided by the festival.

So we got to wait for the sun set, then Suven our lighting designer can plot the lights. Its tough performing outdoors, with the plane.

We had to lower down the volume from 9-11 because there was another performance happening next to our venue.

Then in the middle of the tech rehearsal, suddenly there were fireworks not far from the stage. We had to stop there for a couple of minutes.

We ended rehearsal around 12.45am, all tired. Ended the day with Pizza Marinara, literally Marinara Frutti di Mare, its pizza with dead sea creatures on it that cost me about 10 euros.

There's this restaurant downstairs, we call it Al-Ahmin, its like the coffeeshop in Bukit Timah. A lot of Italians eating and drinking Ferrarele Minarele.

Najib is down with tummy flu, must be the cozzes he's been eating excessively.

The sunset at 9pm and sunrise is at 5am, so there is more sunlight that moonlight here in Naples.

At times, after the rehearsal I got this urge of drinking teh halia, but shops closed really early here, by 6.45pm you can't find any provision store.

The daily breakfast is gettin on me, they serve the same bread, jam and butter on a daily basis.

We will open the show on Friday, and the director of the show is watching the full run tonight. We'll probably rehearse till late again tonight, so we got a whole day off, yahoo, but I am reserving energy, its insane to go out with that heat.

I miss my Bee Strompol...

Nap in Pearls

2008-06-25T02:16:00.000-07:00

We reach Naples on Monday night feeling all groggy after a crazy 15 hour flight, I sat next to Fared who got hold of a PSP from a friend, and throughout the trip, we were trying to figure out how to play a simple game of soccer.

Anyway back to Naples, the city reminds me of Jakarta, the sight, sound, pollution, rubbish and the chaos of the traffic. Najib and myself decided to walk around the city for a bit, the buildings are rustic, it is a historical city definitely. Even the space where we will be performing, was actually a former housing for the poor around 1600.

Food can be so cheesy, but here original Italian pizzas are the best, thin, crispy and cheesy. I heard that Napoli is controlled by the mafias, not sure if its true. Almost all the men here look like mafias, or they can become models for Giorgio Armani underwear ad or something.

I just love the visual onslaught of Naples, you can find street kids playing soccer outside ancient churches, dodgy African men selling branded goods on the streets right in front of a branded boutique.

Sharon just told us that the first night show is sold out. So the pressure is on again. The afternoon summer Neopolitan sun can be a killer, its stinging... and blinding. I am preparing for the heat to hit on me.

The hotel is pretty alright, 3 stars, can't complain, free breakfast, the pastries here are awesome, you can't resist it... day 2 is going to be different, we will begin rehearsal.

Alimentari

Temple-ing Naples: Day 1

2008-06-25T01:59:00.000-07:00

Quick change dressing room by the side. Like a huge fridge...

The Operating booth right on top, just like a rock concert.

Standing outside the house of destitute, with a simple poster of Temple.

The crew building the set, at The House of Destitute.

View from the rooftop of Hotel Botanico, Naples.

Temple in Naples

2008-06-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

view from Hotel Botanica

Naples, Italy 24th June 2008, 06:30 hours

Merry the Merry

2008-05-07T03:38:00.000-07:00

A day by the catchment in search of greater pasture and the lost shrine.

She walks through the tower of fake plastic flowers, across the border all in the name of love.

You Won't Fool The Children of A Revolution

2008-04-30T03:35:00.000-07:00

IAP is like a form of escapism, where the students are allowed to explore, express and discover themselves, the freedom of expression (though it sounds cheesy), it is interesting if you see the process from Week 1 to Week 15, how they progress and develop their work.

IAP is a necessity not a novelty.

Hope for A Better Age

2008-04-30T03:25:00.000-07:00

When your life is constantly on the road, when you action becomes a repetition, everything becomes a passing motion.

I had the chance to perform in a school with a motto that goes something like this Auspicium Melioris Aevi - "the hope for a better age". And of course, instead of a school hall, it was in an air-conditioned auditorium with good seats.

Alik yr Bom Bom Now!

2008-04-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Another one from the west side elementary institution, remember be diligent and helpful, we will go a along way.

The shadows kept following the species of abnormality, a mediocre superficial beauty and lost in translation side by side, when can we ride ponies when the stable is on fire? Sabotage the bearer of the flame, and leave his name in vain, clouded by the name. The cyber world is a cyber game, all the teachers have forgotten how to reach out and touch somebody's hand, make the world a better place if you can...

Ethnic phonetic in a magnetic spin of fearless gush of wind in spontaneous combustion. The arabs have stopped trading carpets for profitable sheshas are cheaper than rearing camels behind a Sarbat stall. Soho is definitely not in the middle east where pseudo cool brats strut themselves silly with cotton from the cheese steak jelly bone shell.

We can't produce candle wax anymore, we are in need of wax, for the head and for the soul. Like an informer, smendeng smendeng smendeng A-lick-your-bom-bom now...

I'm longing for the smell of primary school bookshops, where the lord of the flies taught me how to steal rubbers and mechanical pencils... His name was Ajeez, and he wore a knee length football socks and carried a cool 'umbro' bag with Heavy Metal studs..

Pixie Sassy

2008-03-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

Routine, Switch, Butt Fact, Feb 2008.

The Gan and The Man Trucker, March 2008.

Me and My Precious at Dal's wedding, Jan 2008.

Mukaka! Mukaka!

2008-03-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

The On-going process of emotional quotient in the most wicked poses of all identical spiritual awakening. The mediocre sound of union jackasses attended by living mannequins of uber cool in dreamy knots of superficial epileptic tapeworm. Subdued degree of sedated assault cringing necklace of hollowed constipation.

Art Slavery to the grind in a skidded row of a 21st century toy boy and nancy boy, research on too many electro vodoo. kneel down to the creator of soft cells and the vast universe of Einstein's dream in a loop sided Afghan sing along.

Hug like ants do, symmetrical smile, 2cm to the left and 2cm to the right, may this be love. Tears for the dears, love for the intruders, man on the run like a lymping Merlion in a forested brothel with Tom Yam buffet.

The calling of the falling in circling antidote of devised drum roll. Arafat's scarf wrapping around pimpled neck of virgin drinker who's on curfew on a night of festive. The Switch in a factory of butter make no sense in the presence of the deadly strobe lights.

Peace in the yeast, halo in the cello...

Assorted Pixie Dixie

2008-03-19T00:52:00.000-07:00

TV on a TV for free...

Hanging out at St Gomz with The Pinholes.

The Fairfield Angels, rehearsing a movement based work on Utama.

Aji No Mottos

2008-03-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

Long live the Mottos...

Life is still Life Afterall

2008-02-26T03:37:00.000-08:00

Your friendly vagabond in action last year in 'Because We Have Big Mouths', The Substation. Effendi just send this one in, a year after the project.

Hi life, how are you? I am still alright actually, nothing much, living, day in day out, enjoying every little action that has been given to me.
I believe things will get really busy for the next couple of months to come, especially with Cake Theatre, well, I guess there is really nothing much to do here. Who would have thought, a game of badminton can turn me on, I am constantly craving for anything that's sporty... its the age perhaps, the age of recovery...

Recover from what? Recover from lapses of the dark shattered past, recover from the excess of living, recover from overeating...

Overeating, recently, I was down with tummy flu, for about a week actually, I could not control bad gas coming out from various sources. I am not sure of the causes, but it could be those bad neighbourhood donuts that I had.

CIRCUS

2008-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

The yearly event, which I have been involved in, spearheaded by myself and Effendy. The theme for this year is Circus, we are not sure what to expect, but we are sketching characters in our heads, at this moment we have Zack Zainal, Berok Makyeh and Mak Arip.

Children of Connecticut

2008-02-12T01:39:00.000-08:00

This is Ryann 's brother and sister, Naqib and Nuha, respectively, all of them are in Connecticut together with my brother and his wife. They will be back in June, can't wait to see all of them after 2 long years. They have really grown... my mum said they are having difficulties conversing in Malay...

This little bugger is my nephew, Ryann, he left for Connecticut a week after he was born. Lucky Soul...

Faith, Charity and Hope

2008-02-12T01:36:00.000-08:00

Here's another one for my collection, this one is somewhere in the east, very obedient students, not so noisy, its all about faith, charity and hope.

To Love and Forgive

2008-02-04T04:54:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks I have been busy rehearsing and performing for assembly plays, becoming part of a swinging cast in plays about cyber addiction and saving the environment. Some of the schools are alright, but I have gotten to a school that is simply chaotic, and it took the discipline master close to 15 mins to shut them up. I have never done assembly plays before, I was curious with the whole format.

There's this school in the west that I could not describe their behaviour, it was simply atrocious at its best.... when I stepped into the school hall, I think they had a school motto big and shiny up above the stage. 'To love and to forgive.' (Its quite a Bob Marley-esque type of motto I would say)

I guess assembly plays are like that, you just have to love and forgive. God bless these children...

Me and The Banshees

2008-01-28T04:24:00.000-08:00

This was taken last year during their fabulous final presentation, I called them The Twisted Sisters, they did an ago-go number that was a slave to the grind. As you can see, most of my students are taller than me, but that adds the fun nevertheless...

Karkinos and Papa

2008-01-28T04:02:00.000-08:00

The past couple of weeks I have been sending my dad for his medical appointment, I have never realised the crazy waiting game at the hospital. The number of people who are sick coming in for appointments in the clinic, from the rate we are waiting, I believe people will die even before they get to their next appointment.

My dad is a sort of person who doesn't tell anyone if he's sick, he likes to keep it to himself. Now, the doctor has discovered some rectal cancer in his system. It is at stage 3, we are all praying, hope that he can recover soon. It is going to be a journey for him and all of us...

The Last Pixies

2008-01-11T02:15:00.000-08:00

MOODS at Clarke Quay, New Year's Eve, I had a headache soaking in the atmosphere, I had to stand close to the nearest wall to avoid myself from fainting. I am having difficulties dealing with large crowd these days.

Plus Nueva's dressing room, yes, big and roomy...I was invited to be the guest dancer, but its more like a favour for a friend.

Plus Nueva's soundcheck at The Esplanade, an interesting musical project by Bob Kamal, who was also the music producer for KYTV's POP Station in 2004.

Elektone had a rather soothing set, last December, for the Elektrolab session at The Esplanade. I knew Bach since he had the notorious Eddie Vedder hairstyle and he sessioned for a couple of times with Tiramisu.

ISMAIL HARON, The legacy

2008-01-07T13:04:00.000-08:00

The living legacy, the man behind songs such as Ilham Pujangga (Thinker's Inspiration) and Ku Tiada Minta Lahir Di Dunia (I Never Asked to be Born Into This World), ok, all these are direct translations, I would like to apologise if there is a lost in translation somewhere. I am planning to create a musical/docudrama piece based on his life, together with good people from Flannel Mag and Syed Ahmad (Stoned Revivals, Tiramisu, Wicked Aura)

For more info which is not much info about Ismail Haron.

Two O O Eight

2008-01-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't been updating my blog for the longest time, maybe I'm just lazy or perhaps my mind is shifting towards something else. 2008 is going to be a great year I believe, the year of manhood, a new phase, a resignation to the excess of living and finding a purpose, finding 'The Way'.

The gig at The Esplanade went pretty alright, the fact that it felt like performing in a TV studio, we had loads of fun, and partly because of that I took a week off and did nothing except spending some precious time with my loved ones.

The forecast for this year:

April: Circus For Now (A collaborative performance featuring Noor Effendy, Joavien Ng and Sabrina Annarhar)
June: Temple (A Theatre piece with Cake Theatre) My relationship with Cake is like a yearly affair.
July: AMK sec NOMAD festival (An Arts Festival where currently I am grooming the kids to be part of this big event)
Sept: Reservoir (with Ka5 directing plus Norico Sunayama, Yi-Sheng and Pat Toh)
Nov: Another show with Cake and Finger Players (TBC)

Plus, a show I am currently proposing for my residency at 72-13 entitled 'In Search of Ismail Haron.', finishing up Tiramisu's Album, directing another piece with Cake and of course, the biggest event of my life which is MY WEDDING!

Let's get excited!

TIRAMISU: The Misadventures of Belladonna & Digitalis

2007-12-18T20:36:00.000-08:00

Friends and families, please do come and support this end-of-the-year affair. Tiramisu's first solo concert ever, I have never worked so hard before plannning for a musical event such as this, I hope we can make that $25 ticket worthwhile...

TIRAMISU
The Misadventures of Belladonna and Digitalis

28th December 2007, Friday, 9.30PM
ESPLANADE RECITAL STUDIO

Belladonna and Digitalis have 24 hours to soothe the beast in them. The only prescription
their shrink has given them is music created by a bunch of erratic musicians whose costumes
are inspired by a woman who lives in a giant shoe. In order to exorcise their demons, they
have to perform a ritual while the band is playing. This band, known as Tiramisu, only
performs when the moon is full.

Will Belladonna and Digitalis succeed in finding their cure? Stay tuned to find out...

Tiramisu is Noorazlan Misnan aka Lan Cum (bass), Keith Su aka Dr Soos (vocals, guitars),
Syed Ahmad aka Bobo (Drums), Athif aka Gained Tail (guitars) and Rizman Putra
aka Woom-ber-the3x (vocals)

Their different backgrounds and musical interests have not hindered them from performing
together as a band for almost a decade. They started out in carnivals, jamborees, prom nights and tupperware parties but now have progressed to gigs locally as well as overseas.

http://www.myspace.com/tiramisuism
http://www.tiramisuism.blogspot.com
(60 mins, no intermission)

Early-Bird Special*:Purchase tickets before 14 Dec to enjoy a complimentary post-shownon-alcoholic drink at Aria Bistro, #01-09 Esplanade Mall.
*Limited to first 100 customers

$25
BOOK NOW!
www.esplanade.com
Tickets from Esplanade Box Office and SISTIC's authorised agents. SISTIChotline: 63485555. Group bookings of 20 or more: 6828 8389. A SISTIC
booking fee applies for all tickets. No admission for infants in arms and children below six years. Tickets are required for all patrons.

LYKRA! LYKRA!

2007-12-10T23:38:00.000-08:00

LYKRA! LYKRA! Another film by Sweet Sight, a guerilla style short film, with no budget and a lot of stupid ideas. This was shot in 2000 or 2001, can't really remember.

The Decemberist

2007-12-10T23:33:00.000-08:00

COPO the house cat chilling out in the studio.

Hanging out with Plus Nueva at Bob's, and I have been delegated to become a guest dancer for their set at The Esplanade this Thursday, opening for Canadian Electro act, Montag.

Tough Till I Die by Sweet Sight Films

2007-11-29T02:24:00.000-08:00

The film that never was, a 1997 D-I-Y production, directed by Aaron Kao, featuring Jeremy Sharma, Keith Su, Ginette Oh and myself. A story about a punk and a vegan. Now watching it again, its like a cross between Crime Watch and CDIS programme. Enjoy!

From The Most to The Least

2007-11-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

Something from the memory lane, the first performance with Tiramisu in costume at YMS, I found this tape in the archive, so its really priceless this one, a week before this gig, Jeremy got hospitalised. So we went ahead and we decided to celebrate Helloween on Valentine's Day. This was 6 years ago...

Monsoon is coming!

2007-11-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

Had a great dinner with Gani and Jecko, they were from the original cast of Lear. I was with Jecko last February in Osaka for the dance festival, he was here for '5 Pieces', the contemporay Indonesian Dance showing at the museum.

Hanging out at Gilles', a very cosy place and I used to work around the corner, making big ass props for parties.

I have been addicted to watching Heroes (Season 1) lately, me and Sab bought the whole season while doing our odd shopping at Mustafa. I've always wanted to watch it but never had the time. And we got hooked watching it the past 2 nights or so. The creator of Heroes Tim Kring also created Misfits of Science, one of my favourite 80s superheroes show.

Nothing much has happened, rolling around in rocks, entertaining international friends who came over, preparing for Tiramisu's gig at The Esplanade. I love wasting time when there is nothing to do...you really have to enjoy the art of idling, like what Henry Miller would say, only when you idle you will bump into ideas.

Well, this could be a very 'Mat' sensibility, but I need this rest after a long year...

A message from the council, ".... we want you to meet curators from Shanghai and Taiwan, but we are looking for a translator for you."

Google Boxers

2007-10-30T04:10:00.000-07:00

Lan Cum in the groove. All photos by Sabrina Annarhar

Dahlan Session at Orita Sinclair Media School around 2 am.

Living with your family can be an interesting affair, after 4 years without cable and the lack of watching TV, life can be quite enlightening. I realised my mum is a Malay Soap Opera junkie, and I am beginning to memorise most of the theme songs already. But that's life living under one roof with your family. I get lost when they started to watch TV and telling me about this new Malay singer and that new song by SIti Nurhaliza.

There is a huge impact when you are not in touch with television. Recently, I made an attempt to watch MTV, and I got really nauseous. Its either the music is irritating or I am getting older. Maybe its vice versa. There are other interesting channels my all time favourites will be DIscovery Channel and National Geographic.

I believe it is never possible to Kill Your Television, it is like a strange animal...

Heart Landing

2007-10-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

The City_Net show in Korea.

A Dangdut Band somewhere in Jurong West.

The year is almost ending, I have moved back to my parents, it is the most 'un-coolest' thing ever, but I realised certain things, its actually not that bad to be back home again with my family after living away from them for 4 years. First of all, daily meals are always there rather than me surviving on Pringles and instant noodles constantly when I was living in Siglap. I don't have to pay rent and I just have to help out with the house chores. Nevermind the junk that I have brought back home...but the nice warm and cosy feeling of living with the people you love kinda like make you feel so wanted actually.

Walking around my estate, I feel like, this is me, I am a heartlander to think of it. This is the reality of it all, properties are rising in the most absurd prices ever. This is the best time to find solace in the comfort of your loved ones. I believe its all temporary, though 4 year, I have learnt to be really independant, to survive.

At times, we have to be self-less. There is a reason to live all over again, perhaps.

Dahlan Francesca at The Arts House

2007-10-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

My side project situation called Dahlan Francesca will be performing next Saturday, 27th October, at The Arts House as part of the Singapore Writers festival. Other bands include West Grand Boulevard, Pinholes and Sibeh Serious. I have requested for the first band slot, because we are really new at this...so it will be like around 7:30pm or so.

I have gathered people that I believe can possibly carry the tunes that I have in my head at the moment, as usual it will be a clash of many things. Dahlan Francesca have been presented as various forms, shapes and sizes the past couple of years. Sometimes, it is just me, the collective or the band has really no specific direction or any form of desire to pursue as a really serious band per se. My idea is just to bring people together and create a piece of music and present them as an ad hoc presentation. This time round I have roped in Sabrina Annarhar (Moods), Zul Mahmod (Sound Artist) and Lan Cum (Tiramisu).

One Hundred and Twenty

2007-10-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

The only way to sum up for 120 is just plain memorable, something that you love and hate at the same time. The crew was great, performing with Uncle Alex and Rosie, the cast, the asistants, the building, the stories and the pre and post performance syndrome.

It was a challenge, to be thrown into the pit of unknown and extracting everything out and puke them all out to become a new creation. I never felt so sacred singing the National Anthem and P Ramlee's Getaran Jiwa was just out of this world. I have always wanted to sing that song and plus the fact that Uncle Alex played the guitar.

I deserve a good rest, the process of 120 was compressed, 3 weks prior to performance we had to conceptualise really fast, we have to think constantly about the piece 24/7. Even when I was in Seoul, I was still doodling the manga for the Yamashita scene. I never taught History would make people work their asses...

Seoul Coughing

2007-10-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

The works are almost up, except for the speakers for Copper Brown Blues, the funny thing about Seoul is the breaking down in communication. Due to that, we have to wait long hours, for equipments to come or whatever, nobody communicates here. Perhaps its because of language, we will just wait and wait for things to happen.

The countries participating in this show are from Japan, China, Korea and Sinchiapore. I believe we have been co-opted for this show, but that's the way it is...it is part of being in an art world. I am not saying being co-opted is bad, there are positive and negative part of it.

The 8 artists representing Singapore are as such Ye Shufang, Vincent Leow, Michael Lee, Tang Ling Nah, Tan Kai Syng, Terence Lin, Jeremy Sharma and Ritman Putra. Curated by Joyce Fan from The Singapore Art Museum. The 'Kanchongest' curator I have ever seen in my life, she is like curator's version of Irene Phua perhaps. But nevertheless...all is cool...

Shufang and Vincent were my former lecturers, Michael was my external examiner, Ling Nah was my junior when we were in school, Kai Syng is a friend, Jeremy was my classmate and it is my first time meeting Terence, the emerging young artist who's works are pretty laborious.

There you have it, the cast of City_Net exhibition, the showcase of Singapore artists dealing with urban existence and whatsoever. It is getting cold here in Seoul, temperature has dropped from 25 to 16, and all I have is a hoody sweater, its autumn and thank god I am flying off tomorrow to face the truth...that is '120'.

Seoul report

Seoul Dazed

2007-10-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Another view from the apartment, tyres on rooftops, the best way to hide trash under the carpet.

Seoul Museum of Art, at around 9pm.

Korean Art workers installing Copper Brown Blues. This is its 3rd installment after 5 years, half a decade already. 5 more years to go before tracing back all these people. Some of them are married, some of them broke up and some of them went missing in action.

Not far from the museum, is the city hall, also known as the central business district.

Seoul's BBQ beef is a must try, simply delicious...

Sir Vincent at da Museum

2007-10-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Sir Vincent looking at his dismantled gondola.

View from my room

2007-10-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

The Police Station opposite the apartment.

Vabien

2007-10-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

My room.

Seoul Man

2007-10-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

My name in Seoul is Ritman, ok get it?

Seoul Searching

2007-10-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

I have just reached Seoul this morning, it was a bumpy ride, and I slept most of the time partly because of the exhaustion from 120 rehearsal. I had this weird SQ omelette breakfast at 4 in the morning. Adding to that, we could only check in at 2pm...but thank god, they have put us up in this lovely apartment, called Vabian, (very French hor). The last time I was in Seoul was 3 years ago, not much difference to me. Perhaps I am not sure where am I staying exactly, but I know Fukuan and Kim Seng are staying at the same apartment. Gonna do some catching up with them later in the evening...

We met Joyce and Shufang at the basement, we walked to the museum for about 20 minutes, pretty good space actually....I was on the same plane with Vincent, Terence and Kai Syng.

The openig will be this Tuesday, all I need to do is to arrange my works then I will probably be checking out the city and the university area.

120 and I am 007

2007-10-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Yes... Yi-Sheng has put it in the best way possible, I am the official mascot for the National Museum the fact that I despised the History Gallery with passion. I have been involved with the museum for quite a number of shows already.

I live at the museum now... and working with a stellar cast of legendary thespians can be pretty much a jamboree, I am just an 'indie kid' who got thrown into a theatre world accidentally/incidentally...whatever...

Anyway this is my second production with KS...tickets are expensive, but try to get concession... or complimentary tickets...I am not sure its worthwhile...but sure its interesting la...

TheatreWorks Presents
120
A new production by TheatreWorks / Ong Keng Sen

12 – 14 October 2007
The National Museum of Singapore
8 pm
Tickets at $28

Conceived & Directed by: Ong Keng Sen
Written by: Ong Keng Sen & Robin Loon
Costume Design by: Koji Hamai
Choreographed by: Jeremiah Choy

In a museum, time is confused. What looks old may be a reproduction, what looks new is actually a stained glass window from 1887. 120 will attempt to recast the National Musuem of Singapore as a host of luminescent voices.

"Sin sai hong was made at the same time as the malay films triptych. I think they crossed, my dreams on both of these. I was researching sin sai hong, the hokkien opera troupe for a year. I volunteered to be a soldier for them, don't have to talk, just stand there. At the same time I was editing the malay films in the daytime. So I felt like in the evenings I had stepped into the frame of illusion I was editing every day in the studio. At night, I stepped into the film, onstage. Maybe I was affected by the national museum project for 881. the special effects of the malay films, the magical feeling where you just act and out of nowhere you start to sing – that's a trigger for 881." Royston Tan, filmmaker

"Suddenly, the tunnels were filled with voices – some eerie, some painful and some even cheerful. Events are only dates, times and a collection of actions. It is always the people who make events meaningful. It was with this experience and attitude that I came into the National Museum. I have always been fascinated with people’s thoughts, people’s voices and how they make sense of the world around them – and how I make sense of the world around me, before me and hopefully after me.It’s never about the object – it’s about the people."
Iskandar Bin Mydin, senior curator

"Everyone knows about the National Day Parade, what more can you do with it? For me I was always interested in the rituals and how it is used to illustrate nationhood. So this was my dream project. It's a 7 minute cycle on a loop. I watched 40 years of NDP to make this 7 minutes. I watched one, two NDPs and then suddenly I realized that I have watched them all. The only difference is the ageing faces and the different personalities. That marked time for me."
Tan Pin Pin, filmmaker

"History keeps changing and yet you want to remember the past. So…it is fulfilling its purpose by changing to this image now and yet you have Matthew Ngui’s exhibits…to bring back recollections of the past. I think that is the function of a museum. It should present a modern front and yet bring back to mind the old things. Things that have gone on before. You have to live with those as well…but you know things must change. It’s wrong if it doesn’t. You can have good recollections. I think it is good to feel the nostalgia. They should feel it…and realise the passing of time. But it’s fantastic to be able to have fun also isn’t it?"
Constance Sheares, Curator National Museum 1970s - 80s

"Can I just say at the onset that this extension has cost me many, many sleepless nights. I don’t want to sound melodramatic but I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking that something was amiss. I worry for it because it is the NATIONAL MUSEUM and it is a public and civic space. It is meant to be iconic, monumental and … well, let’s just say that I did my best and sometimes, I had a nagging feeling that my best just wasn’t enough for it."
Mok Wei Wei, architect

"I graduated from the University of Malaya and joined the museum in 1956 as the first local curator of zoology. The museum then was the biggest building along Stamford road; there was nothing else like it. It was only shophouses all the way to the seafront. it was a stately awesome building, the visitors would walk through the main entrance, stand in the Rotunda and look up at the skylight. That was something worth looking at. You walked up the stairway and suspended above you was a huge skeleton. You thought it was a dinosaur but it was actually a whale. Not many people have seen such a sight before, it was a fantastic introduction to the museum."
Eric Alfreds, curator/director Raffles/National Museum 1950s - 70s

"We started with a blank page. we took a long time to absorb, I didnt design at first, I needed to bathe in Singapore. we wanted to have a sense of nostalgia, to create emotions, but to craft this is not an easy thing. I don't have memories of Singapore, there is a lack of sense of belonging but I know what could be important to who. I had to work closely with locals to make it real. I wanted to leave room for people to bring in the real thing. I dont want to have a style which imposes... this is a contemporary museum, it is an expression of today, special to this place and this people."
Laura Miotto, designer

"There is a sensation that I get from tableaux vivant, you freeze a body in the film, you know the body is alive, the blood is flowing, breath is coming in and out but the human body has to react against movement by freezing itself. It creates a sensation for me. You see the leaves, the grass moving in the background, the flags, the wind, the external world is moving. You look at the actors and you know that their internal world is still moving. That sensation becomes a way for me to express my ideas of history, it is a certain freezing of a moment from the past. It is totally constructed as well."
Ho Tzu Nyen, artist

"The false ceiling of the upstairs galleries in the 1887 building was demolished to reveal the original timbre ceiling. But in order to bring the airconditioning above the timber ceiling, we had to deconstruct the entire aircon/dehumidifier unit into small elements so that they could be brought above the timber ceiling through a hole in the roof. The small elements had to be reconstructed again in the attic and then installed. Imagine breaking a brand new system that you have bought so that you can install it."
Kenneth Ng, conservator

"I tried to permeate it with some of the popular taste of these films and also the cultural experience of these films. It was also about my own identity, my estrangement from these things over time and coming back to it after these years. You cant see it innocently anymore, you see the blueprints, the architecture. Very rarely do you allow yourself to be absorbed in the whole experience anymore."
Alfian Saat, writer

"I wanted the merderka not to be portrayed as a period of despair, shortages, insufficient everything. I wanted to show hopes, dreams, creative communities emerging, nationalism was taking shape, young leaders with alternative political theories communism, Fabian socialism. People spoke their minds freely without fear of being arrested under operation coldstore or operation what have you. This was before people started moving in a certain path, developing this famous apathy of Singapore. People were all out there! Everybody wanted a little piece of the pie. We wanted to convey that excitement. It was not a meek, gloomy period."
Selvi Siva Subramaniam, curator

"Another thing that is lost forever. I suppose that happens. No need to get too attached."
Kaylene Tan, writer

"I suppose the larger question is whether or not a history museum simply represents a reality, often positioned as the truth or whether a history museum can take a politicized position through the highlighting of alternative perspectives which radically expose that the truth is but one imagined reality. This necessitates moving beyond simple multiplicity of perspectives which sometimes further perpetuates stereotypes. Rather a history museum can put forth propositions of modalities which define future actions."
Ong Keng Sen, theatremaker

"I was interested in awakening the people. You don’t awaken them with just somnolent sentences. You awaken them with drama. 'Hey, we are human beings. Hey, we have got the right to vote. …Hey, we have got a right to elect our own representative. We’ve got a right to a voice in how we are to live.' Now that is something you don’t understand today. But that was very, very radical at that time. You know, it’s like a four-legged animal suddenly finding himself standing straight and looking upwards instead of looking to the ground. It really was a radical change of psychological atmosphere, to awaken the people to….'Hey we are standing on two legs."
David Marshall, first ?? of Singapore

"The thing is, you can’t push history too hard on the people – you just can’t. History had to be made relevant, and packaged in a way that the young people would even be bothered to know. They had to want to know: and frankly, my job is to try my best not to put them off. History had a problem – it was old. It is old. Like everything old, it seemed austere and distant; inaccessible and serious."
Lee Chor Lin, Director, National Museum of Singapore, 2007

With special guests Irene Ang, Kumar, Hossan Leong, 120 hosts luminaries from the Singapore stage including Alex Abisheganaden, Serene Chen, Nelson Chia, Jeremiah Choy, Chua En Lai, Caroline Fernandez, Koh Boon Pin, Janice Koh, Sharon Lim, Lok Meng Chue, Noorlinah Mohd, Alin Mosbit, Neo Swee Lin, Jean Ng, Rosita Ng, Nora Samosir and Rizman Putra and Sze Chen.

The performance will usher the audience through the galleries, halls and exhibits playfully: inviting the audience to see this space in a different light, through alternate frames, against a wallpaper of people. The performance may take the shape of pockets of ‘happenings’, walks and guided tours, lecture performances and theatrical interventions.

Audiences, too, can countdown with the performers the timeline of 120 years of National Museum artefacts. Carefully selected from the Heritage Conservation Centre, many of these artefacts have never been displayed before.

Conceived and directed by Ong Keng Sen
written by Ong Keng Sen and Robin Loon
costume design by Koji Hamai
choreographed by Jeremiah Choy
wig design by Ashley Lim

with the participation of actors from the Theatre Department of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
with curatorial advice by Cheryl Ann Low, Jason Toh, Heritage Conservation Centre

Ticketing Information:

Online booking
www.nationalmuseum.sg or ring : 6332-3659 for more details.

Counter sales
Stamford Visitor Services Counter, 10 am – 8 pm
Canning Visitor Services Counter, 10 am – 5 pm
*Concession rates are available to students, senior citizens, NSF and National Museum members

Please check with Visitor Services Counter at (65) 6332 3659 or visit the website for more information.

Reality Is Fancy!

2007-09-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

Stoned Revivals invited me to play with myself at the Homemade Party, so I did as I was told. It felt like 1999.

I am pretty busy and I am not sure where to place myself, if I could only split my body into parts. I have to germinate in the dark in order to see the light.

Aimless Rant

2007-09-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have been hybernating like a bear, been trying to get to the root of things, dealing with the self, environment, people, community and society. Finding a new studio is not easy, and I am spending the last couple of days at this studio squeezing every ounce of my creative energy out of this tired brain to come out with something interesting for whatever it may come.

This studio has spawned many ideas, arguments and discussions, many of the KYTV works were created out of nothing in this space. I have this gut feeling, our lovely landlord has sold this house for a couple of million dollars. Mothership has given a stern warning on getting a 'Real' job, reality is creeping in. I am a man with no CPF, how do I struggle against this system and to be free from any form of establishment or institution? (Oxymoronic statement, I believe) Writing down my occupation as an artist or performer or whatsoever with pride.

Live with it... an artist is self-employed, and is equivalent to an odd job labourer. I am hearing voices from every corner saying,
"Hey Rizman...wake up, get your shit together, stop dreaming, get a proper job, your time is up fool."

I am more stubborn than a mule...

The state of Bohemia is coming to an end, we have to make ends meet, I realised I have been working my ass off paying bills and rents. I love $ingapore!

A couple of days ago, I decided to turn on the TV, there was this programme called Living The Dreams. Another talent show with some of the judges from Singapore Idol (aren't there anymore judges left in Singapore?). It was depressing. I was not sure if I should cry or laugh my heads off. I am not sure if you want to achive your dreams by people deciding through sms voting. It is like a total 'What-The-Fuck? situation"

Yay!

The Randomness of Things

2007-09-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

While I was chilling out with my 'strompol', I saw this Japanese boy sitting at the jetty.

Recently, I have been fascinated with clouds and sky, took this one at Ubin.

The Last Wayang Show last Friday at The Capitol, a side-show so called organised by the mighty council but with no budget at all. How nice...

Arrested Development last Saturday, they brought back memories from my high school days..." I need some time to ease my mind..." 90s Hip Hop is still the best...

The Death of Pumpkins

2007-08-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I was one of those teenage angsters back in the early 90s who listened to loads of American 'Alternative' music. Smashing Pumpkins was one of them, and one of their favourite albums for me would be Siamese Dream.

I still remember listening to them almost every morning on the way to school, and that was the era of cassette tapes and walkmans, mind you. Cassette tapes cost only $8.50, and you can get good albums from Supreme Records, Roxy or Dada, back then there were no IPODS and MP3s. As you know CDs cost about $25. For that price, you can actually get a cheap 'kapok' guitar from Davis Guitar Shop down at Peninsular Plaza.

Coming back to The Smashing Pumpkins, yes, I love them. I was there when they performed at the Harbour Pavillion in '96 or maybe '95, I can't really recall. I remember I was chased out of the hall for crowd surfing, and that was fucked up, I used to have this big shoulder length hair (everyone wanted to look like Kurt Cobain back then) and all I remember was that I was pulled by the hair and thrown out of the hall. The gig was not really awesome actually, in fact, I think they cut their set short because Billy Corgan had food poisoning or something.

Fast forward to 2007, the Pumpkins new album, 'Zeitgeist', I took a listen recently, and I felt it is a really shitty album, and I am super disappointed, I thought Tarantula had a promising intro but the rest of the songs were just bad alternative music mashed up and trying to be hip in these era of indietronica.

And of course, its either I am geting old for this music, or Billy Corgan is running out of ideas and still cashing in on this whole bleak period of bad music. I think I am going to give up thinking that I am still living in the era of alternative rock. On a personal level, rock is polluted with recycled sound from the past....

Like they say, when you are in doubt, go back to the classics, they never will never fail you....so at this moment
Stevie Wonder 's Song in The Key of Life is on my list.

The Quote Generator

2007-08-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

The Quote Generator project by Danielle Freakley, a 3 year performance project by this young Melbourne based artist. From what I heard she is pretty big in Melbourne, and it was great to share the bill with her in Interpositions.

The Mindl Market Catharsis

2007-08-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

HAM in Darwin.

The Northern Territorial Adventures

2007-08-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

Khai, the dirty malay boy in a laudrymat, Cullen bay.

Sunset at the ski club, witnessing Lynn's performance.

Picnic at Berry Springs

Ash Keating at the mall, before the cops came after someone reported a drunkard in the vicinity.

The death of ego, the death of it all.

Darwin Festival 2007

2007-08-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

02:30hrs, Sunday,19th August 2007,
Interpositions, Performance Art Festival,
Darwin, Australia.

When Steve Eland the director of 24hr (A contemporary art space in Darwin), invited me for this event, I really did not know what to expect. I was curious about Darwin, I knew once the Singapore National Soccer Team trained here in the 90s.

Thank God, Mr Robert Guth decided to be part of the event, volunteering himself as the official/unofficial photographer/chef for Interpositions.

Steve picked us up from the small little airport at about 2 in the morning last saturday, where I got stopped at the customs for taking photos of the baggage clearance space (stupid me).

The weather is warm, with low humidity, its just like in Singapore except that when you sweat you don’t stink. We stayed at Steve’s place that looks like a house in Tropical Heat (if you can remember Lorenzo Lamas).

This event is interesting because of how it is being curated, Steve curated the show in such a way that the artist will have to find a space to perform and when he or she wants to perform, the tagline for the show is ‘ You don’t find us, we find you.’

The market in Darwin is a cultural/lifestyle event, they have like market or pasar malam/funfair thing going on 3 times a week. As you know there are only 100 000 plus population in Darwin, it seems like the only leisure here is to go to the market and see the sunset.

This is the Australian culture that I did not get to experience when I was in Brisbane or Melbourne 3 years ago. The past couple of days, the list of activities were structured/improvised/flexible, in the morning all the artists will be at Steve’s place for breakfast, then probably there’s a performance in the afternoon or in the evening, the artists will prepare props or such. Set the time, and Steve will mobilize everyone, and we will hit the spot, perform and back to Steve’s place, chill and talk about the work or whatever we want to talk about.

The inter cultural exchange has been good, in the line up there is Jill Orr, a legendary performance artist based in Melbourne who was Stelarc’s side kick in the 70s, and she is about my mum’s age. She is such a ball of energy, only untill the middle of the week she got pneumonia and she got slightly mellowed.

Most of the performance artists are based in Melbourne except for Hayley, who is based in Darwin.

Singapore is represented by regular performers in the circuit Khai Hori, Juliana Yasin, Lynn Lu and myself. Jason could not make it due to unforeseen circumstances.

As usual, the first thing that Singaporeans will talk about is the food. Steve brought us to one of the markets near 24hr Art, there were so many Asian cuisine, but they were pretty greasy, bad and overpriced. I had a small Tupperware of fried rice, chicken satay and Coke, altogether was about 10 bucks.

Surprisingly, people actually ate this stuff, and I saw an old Chang Kee type of curry puff selling at 3 bucks each.

I realized people really take their time here, and we are not used to being so laid back, this is when art and leisure melt together into one, and you absorb art on a natural level, instead of having to force them in like what you do unknowingly. Steve said, this event is a shook up, a good mould for future happenings, perhaps.

I was blessed to meet emerging young artists from Melbourne such as Ash Keating (The Rubbish Man), Danielle Freakley (The Quote Generator), of course the hilarious Jason Keats who never failed to amuse everyone with his silly Australian humour. I like their spirit of working without any government funding in Australia, like Jason he runs an art space in Melbourne called Carni, where they have events almost every weekend. Of course not forgetting, Ann the Samoan/Melbourne artist who deals with ghost and hair in her work.

Goodbye Siglap Close

2007-08-08T07:51:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks time, this Siglap Studio will be gone, and we are looking for a space. As I walked pass by the street, I realised everyone is selling their houses, and new houses are being rebuild or renovated at least. The landlord has already sold the house, a month ago, we were given only 2 months notice to vacate the place. It has been nice, close to 4 years living in this grungy house...its time to move...

I can never afford to buy a 2 million dollar house...is that important?

Kassel Greyskull

2007-08-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Yes of course Documenta: Museum Fridericianum, I took a lot of photos of the artwork, but that will come later..

The view of the village from the river... its German Kampung for you.

The banditos from left Shubi (Singapore), Javiar(Germany), Me and Sarah (US of A).

Miko the L.A. musician/artist who was helping out in the workshop, I want that Digital Casiotone guitar.

The Open Space Village..the weather got really moody throughout the week, the first night was the craziest, it went don to about 10 degrees...

I know I am too lazy to upload photos...but here are some...maybe I will do them bit by bit...or maybe not...

Mali kita Yaya

2007-08-07T22:07:00.000-07:00

I think its about time we have to realise that we Singaporeans are a total screwed up for we are not sure how to sing the National Anthem. We have been pretending...

Traseone and Manic Jango, Berlin, 2007

2007-08-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Lost, somewhere in Berlin...searching for Reichstag...

Deutsch Bitte Danke

2007-08-07T03:29:00.000-07:00

One of Anselm Kiefer's powerful works in the main hall of Hamburger Bainhoff.

Hirst's 'The Void' at Hamburger Bainhoff.

Me, the Reichstag and Berliner Sun.

Dimitri and Marina, on our way back home from Kreuzberg.

The Punk Rock house near Meiringer Hostel.

Germany was quite an experience, meeting people, Documenta 12, Melhus, BauHaus (Thirsty smell in Malay), Open Space and Brothers Grimm. Walking aimlessly in Berlin, meeting curators and art talkers. I got to Hitler’s bunk, smell the Berlin Wall and cherished the sun with the rest of the sun craving Berliners.

Sleeping in dorms, waking up with a smelly naked couple on the foot of my bed. Just to let you know, German timing is precise, if you miss the train, that’s it, go get another ticket. That was what happened to us on the way to Kassel, well, one of the staff led us to a wrong platform, and that’s it, we had to say goodbye to our 50euro ticket and purchase another 70euro ticket.

My advise for those of you who are in Germany craving for Asian food, do not eat in any restaurant with these words on their door’ ‘Asian Imbiss’. It’s a con job, they just throw anything that taste Asian into the wok convincingly and call it Asian food. So basically, all these Germans got a taste of Asian food.

Ok unfortunately, I have to admit, Singapore is a food paradise. When I came back, I had to look for hardcore spicy food, for 2 weeks I had to endure eating rabbit/cowboy meal day in day out.

On my last night, Truong brought me to a Berlin karaoke place, ok, there are 4 karaoke pubs in Berlin. 3 are own by the Koreans, and they only do only Korean songs, so we went to the only rocking karaoke place in Kreuzberg (the place where they shot Run Lola Run).

All they had was a room with no ventilation (really, no ventilation at all), many Europeans don’t own fans in the summer and I don’t know why, a small 14 inch tv with text of the songs and a small mixer for the microphones. Lo-fi and strange, as I passed by other rooms, I saw a group of people in standing position banging their heads and singing to ‘Smell Like Teen Spirit’. It was the weirdest karaoke pub I have ever seen, this is quite on par to the one I went in Hanoi, where the deco was like someone’s living room.

Kassel is a beautiful town, from what I heard if there is no Documenta, the town is dead. Truly, shops close by 6pm, except for some random cafes. Documenta was quite an experience; most of the works were exceptionally good, especially in the nue gallerie. Some of them were didactic, while some were purely aesthetic, but after Venice, I felt I’ve had enough to see. It is like if you like to eat apples, and you are given 2 basket full of apples to finish within a day.

Open Space was an experience, hanging out with students from Finland, Israel, Scotland, Chicago and Taipei. Sharing works and ideas, sitting in front of the fire explaining the geography of Singapore over and over again. But it got really cold in Kassel, the temperature went down to 11 degrees, though there were sun at times…to the Finnish, Scottish, and Americans it was warm.

Now I have to prepare for Darwin this week, for the Interposition, a Performance Art Festival. I am not sure what to expect from Darwin, but hopefully everything will be good.

Berlin: Rosanthaler Platz

2007-07-20T00:21:00.000-07:00

A view from the room in our hostel. You can see what your neighbours are doing.

A Hugo Boss boutique with a fantastic neon interior.

Experimental Berlin sound art in a pub called Zapata in a very alternative district at Oraninstrafze.

A rundown East German buillding near Rosenthaler Platz.

The Travellers

2007-07-17T01:28:00.000-07:00

Trase resting and finding his way on the map in the hostel room.

A view from the hostel upon arrival, the european sky.

A view of Doha International Airport, all high and dry.

Hello Berlin, I am an Asian...

2007-07-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

I have arrived in Berlin, and the weather is like Singapore, what a dud, its about 30 degrees, and the bartender at the lobby of the hostel was sweating like hell. The flight was long and Qatar airlines did not provide with in flight entertainment, so I had to resort to eat-sleep-eat-sleep formation. Our transit at Doha was strange as well, there were no money changer in sight, for 2 hours we had to roam around the transit lounge, and they sell duty free cars in the middle of the lounge. How strange...

Doha International airport is located in the middle of the dessert, and the weather was about 40 degrees, and there were no connecting platform to the plane, and we had to take a bus which was about 15 mins from the airport.

We got stopped by the immigration and were told to present them with a travel document stating that we have a purpose in Germany. At Tegel Airport in Berlin, the immigration officer asked me, " Do you have any money while you are here?" I wonder what will happen if I say no. Ha ha...

The complication of travelling when you have a Muslim name and you don't look important... this is what you get, while a white man with suit and a briefcase gets through with ease. Nabe...

Its Summer in Berlin, there are a lot of teenagers roaming around with beer bellied school teachers bringing them around.

Achutung Minen..

The Union of Souls

2007-07-10T05:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was one of the most intense weekend I have ever had in relation to weddings. All in all I went to 3 weddings, I am not sure of how to decipher the notion of an auspicious date. Wherever I go, there were weddings taking place, under the void decks, in restaurants, couples were posing outdoors in their most loving poses... I guess 7/7/7 is special to a lot of people.

Its time for merry cheery I guess, my former schoolmate/band mate got married last weekend, and I was assigned to sing for his wedding together with the wedding planner Akira and my Bee Strompol. I am a nervous wreck when it comes to singing in weddings, not sure why, it is worst than any other performances that I have been involved in. Probably its just expectations but nevertheless I tried my best butchering up songs by Billy Joel, UB40, Beatles and other classic evergreen hits.

Me + guitar + singing = scary

Gone Shopping

2007-07-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

A film that Lilin directed and wrote, which had been in the making in the course of 3 years, Aaron Kao the co-founder of KYTV is playing one of the main role. I got some cameo bit as a drag queen called Ash in it. You can catch a glimpse in this trailer, and dancing in the Sari Section in Mustaffa at 4 in the morning is no laughing matter. It will be out on 27th of July at Golden Village Cinemas.

Movies Galore...

2007-07-04T02:27:00.000-07:00

Finally, after a year, I finally get the chance to idle and indulge in my favourite past time... watching films...Super yay!
The list of films watched since June 12th:

1. Music and Lyrics by Mark Lawrence
2. Jack Johnson and Friends (Concert and documentary)
3. All The Vermeers in New York by Jon Jost
4. Panic Room by David Fincher
5. Billy Elliot by
6. Its All Gone Pete Tong by Michael Dowse
7. Adele H by Francois Truffaut
8. Iron Ladies II by Yongyot Thongkongto
9. La Promesse by Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne
10. Beach Boys: Endless Harmony by Alan Boyd
11. The American Invasion (Dance documentary) by Valerie Preston
12. The Catherine Wheel by Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation and music by David Byrne (Ace Stuff!)
13. U Carmen E Khayelits by Mark Donford May
14. Transformers by Michael Bay

Goodbye Goodman!

2007-06-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Tiramisu at Lasalle College of The Arts, it was a sweaty affair...

Hyperbolic Alpha Male (H.A.M): In Venice

2007-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

A Pixelated documentation of the Venice Performance... it was such a small space and there were a lot of rules and regulations, in Venice it is illegal to have music outdoors. SO we had to make do with the minuscule interior, but I had loads of fun with the fruit bombs and whistling sparklers.

TIRAMISU rocking at Goodman Road for One Last Time

2007-06-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, the Old LaSalle will be gone soon, and we have been invited to perform for one last time at the amphitheatre, for the good of evil, for memory sake we will do this one for Lasalle nevertheless. Plain Sunset, the band that pretty much inspired us when we first came to Lasalle and Psycho Sonique. Let's have a good time.

The first gig Tiramisu played was at the amphitheatre in '98 (damn, it has been 9 years), and we performed on a Freshmen night, some of us were not really sober, but we had so much fun that night.

GOODBYE GOODMAN!
LASALLE Moving Out Party for all alumni, current students and staff

29 Jun 2007 (Fri) 6.30pm – 11pm
LASALLE Amphitheatre, 90 Goodman Road

This is a LASALLE private party.
Students to present student card at the door for entry.

---------------------------

LINE-UP OF BANDS & DJS
FEATURING LASALLE ALUMNI & STUDENTS

Bands:
ALLURA – including Inch Chua, Aaron Wong, Mark John
ASTREAL – including Ginette Chittick
THE MARILYNS – including Azhar Talib
PLAIN SUNSET – including Jonathan Chan, Norsham Husaini
TIRAMISU – including Rizman Putra, Keith Su

DJs:
AMANDA LING
JULIAN LEE
JONATHAN NAH (aka KIAT of Guerrilla Collective)
KEITH COLACO (aka DJ KFC)

Represent!
Photos: It’s time to share those priceless photos of your days in art school!
From the early ‘80s and unforgettable ‘90s to the recent new millennia, we wanna see what you looked like!

Dress Your Decade: Come dressed as you were in the good ol’ (or recent) days of LASALLE!
Prizes to be won for “Best Dressed Art Student/Staff” of the ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s.

Confession Box
Discover and laugh about the darkest secrets none of us ever told!
Write down your most memorable or most mischievous moments at Goodman Road
(or St Pat’s Art Centre, or Telok Kurau studios or Kallang Theatre),
drop it in our drop-box and catch the best Confessions and Top 10 Polls at the party screening.

Limited Edition T-Shirts
Slogans! We want slogans of popular expressions, sayings or quotable quotes
(especially from lecturers or bosses) from your generation!
Guaranteed to be collector’s items! Sales proceeds go towards the food and beer!

Food & beer will be served.
Age restrictions on alcohol consumption apply.
LASALLE Management reserves the right to refuse entry.

Sparkling HAM in Venice

2007-06-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

The Final Showdown of the HAM republic in Venice. WIll post up the video soon...

A Homely Weekend

2007-06-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

A homely affair, from left me, Bushuk Strompol, Is Vicious (my former schoolmate), Rida, Jad and Saf the Kinematician.

It is the beginnig of a new semester for AMK sec, there I was looking at my students, all these 'booyah' kids of the internet generation, and kept telling myself these kids are so lucky to have creative movement as part of the syllabus. When I was in school, I had to learn recorder and practice Chan Ma Li Chan day in, day out

For the first lesson, I will normally start with an African proverb that I came across long time ago, "If you can talk you can sing, if you can walk, you can dance."

And for the last couple of years I will start with the question 'Is walking a form of dancing?' Some of them said no, some said yes, but in the end everyone just agreed that they have no choice but to participate in this class. SO I told them, based on Alexander technique, it is all about body awareness and having the confident to move freely in a space without feeling guilty. I love teaching, but waking up in the morning is like a different task altogether. Sometimes I mix and match methods to suit the class... but at the end of the day, it is about disseminating ideas and expose them to things which they have never heard of...

Last weekend, after a freaking long time, I finally got the chance to hang out with some friends. I am not sure where I have been, but I know the past 6 months or so I have been really busy working my ass out.

Rock for Wayne gig was pretty alright, and the fact that it was the first time after a long time that I have ever been to gigs, but I managed to catch Humpback Oak, the younger crowd did not really respond well to the Oakies. Nevetheless, they were a bit rusty for they got back together just for this gig, they played Circling Square and Ghostfather. How nice...

Its funny when you know that going to gigs are getting different now when you have to look around for familiar faces. I met people like Nigel Hogan, who looked really mellowed down and a few others. It felt like I am not Indie enough to be in an Indie situation. Or I have stopped being Indie because being or not being is already Indie indeed.

In the evening, a friend of mine, Yan was spinning at Home Club, and Home Club has changed, and I am not sure of how many transformation this place has gone through, from the Mad Monk's origin to the early Pop Tart to now, which is just to slick for comfort. It used to be crowded during weekends, but it was a vacant affair, is Singapore becoming more happening these days, or we are just spoilt for choice, I used to remember Zouk was an institution for some of us who grew up in the 90s. These days, going to Zouk is like a touch and go affair.

Probably time is ever changing...

A Thousand Different Things

2007-06-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

The fantasy playgroung smack in the middle of the walkway, for the innocent bystanders to ponder what the hell is going on...

This is an ode to the Flying Circus, Cake Theatre has a way to be political and at the same time being cheeky about it.

Dressing room regime, anime gone wrong.

Fared looking like Butoh Master, Kazuo Ono.

Oh my, the second half of the year is here, so what are we going to do? The following day after I came back from Venice with jet lag still, I was thrown into a multi-cultural fiesta initiated by Cake Theatre at The Esplanade, yes, Natalie strategically placed me as a Pop Idol, with a screaming red hair, tight leather pants and super furry hot leopard cape.

That was 'A Thousand Different Things' for me, I felt like I was in a National Day Celebration but slightly twisted, it was nice to be in the line up together with Fared, Emma, Najib and the flamboyant Essen. Last year, I played the prophet in Yolanda's Fever. Being a casual guitarist being placed in a public space and having to play 2 classic songs such as Wonderful World and We Are The Champions can be quite a formidable task. Especially when you have 72 hours to learn the song, But well it was al worth it nevertheless.

The Ancient of Mumu

2007-06-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Basilica di San Marco, Venice

Surviving Venice

2007-06-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Of course me and my former dean, S Chandrasekaran who was also performing in one of the collateral events. All clean shaven this man... but fitter and happier.

Happy People at the Mexican Pavillion, from left Zul, Anita, Robert, me, Robert's friend and Ajeet (former schoolmate who is working at the Mexican Pavillion)

San Marco at 3am, on our way back finding the night ferry.

The floating market near San Margherita.

Venizian graffiti in Campo San Margherita.

Iceberg installation at the Piazza Academmia, not far from the Singapore Pavillion

Well, I have survived Venice and now I have a jet lag with a slight vertigo, a week traveling in taxi boats giving me a very strange feeling. I do miss the food here, no chili for a week is tough for me. But nice to be back, and I had to go for rehearsal this morning with Cake Theatre with a little jetlag.

Everyone had a fair share of star sightings in Venice, Zul saw Naomi Campbell in one of the openings, Vincent saw Salma Hayek gallery visiting, and I met Tsai Ming Liang at the Taiwanese Pavillion, he was talking to a couple of confused European curators. I should have said hello, but I was too shy… but I swear to god I saw Moby passed by me while sipping my cappucino at the Accademia.

The Peggy Guggeinheim Collection was awesome, I stood in front of the Picassos, Kandinskys, Margrittes, De Chirico and all the legends of 20th century modernist painters… looking at Pollock in the last section brought me to a standstill. I saw these works in art books, but all of them looked so fresh and crispy.

In another section, Barney/Beuys exhibition was on, they were fantastic as well, the works were placed side by side, and you can see the impact Barney had in his works… well yes being an Art tourist, I had to buy a T-shirt.

One week in Venice was enough to put me into a situation where I felt like I have to rethink about my practice. I am inspired but yet I feel like there is a need to understand how it works in the art world.

I have never witnessed an opening where people were trying to bash through the doors without invitations. That happened in the Mexican Pavillion, music was loud, people were dancing, exchanging name cards, introduced to many people and forgot their names within hours…

I can never imagine that I walked through the Arsenale for half a day looking at works from all around the world, and it was simply remarkable… tired but good, Sophie Calle’s works were amazing. Emins’ drawings and installations were intimate, the Serbian Pavillion was a combination of old school/new school which I really like.

Baselitz showed his new works, Polke, Richter, and there were just too many to mention. I missed the Thai pavilion, the German ones as well where you have to queue up for 45 minutes to view the work.

I am going to take a rest now, and prepare for Documenta in July.

Art Overload in Art Mecca

2007-06-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Small LCD screens in the shower and you can switch around with the knobs to control the sound. This was a tribute to Nam June Paik.

A Monolithic Metallic structure in the Polish pavillion.

The classic light bulbs by the legendary Felix Gonzalez-Torres

I saw this interesting piece in the Russian Pavillion, with mirror reflection and lights... about getting lost in a well connected world.

The Venezuelan Pavillion with home made Cocoa at the entrance.

The Artful Day

2007-06-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

The Swiss Pavillion

Hyperbolic Alpha Male in Venice, Orange Bar, San Margherita.

Venice, Italy
Friday, 8th June 2007
11:45hrs

As you can see, I am getting lazier in updating this blog partly because I am just too tired to keep up with things. The performance went alright, the fact that it was in a small space, and many did not get to see it. The opening of the Singapore pavilion was good, as the food was superb, I was surprised to see so many people.

I met Karen, a friend who is studying in Milan, came all the way to Venice to attend the opening, there is Colin and Karee, June Yeo, Juliana Yasin and other Singaporeans.

Coincidentally, the opening coincided with the degree show in Lasalle, so basically, my supervisor also known as Vincent Leow congratulated Robert and myself, and yes, it became such ‘a self-congratulating’ experience.

Ok all swell, San Margherita was where I performed, the atmosphere was great, I overheard a conversation, in Venice, there are artists and architects, the rest are all tourists.

This morning, we decided to do the whole art tourist thing at the main pavilion, or also known as the Giardini Biennale, where all the permanent pavilions are situated. I have never seen such an event being attended by so many people at one go. And it is so strict that they have to scan your card to get in.

Of course, there were many new works by the legends in the show curated by Robert Storr, there were Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Tracy Emin, Felix Gonzalez Torres where people were taking the free posters from the gallery like vultures gnashing in flesh of meat.

There are so many openings in the garden that you might never know you might just bump into a Turkish opening or whatsoever. This is the mecca of art, and after seeing all the works, you can’t help but to feel and ask yourself what have I been doing all these years? Have I been inspired or is it time to re-analyse my practice.

We got the news that Scissor Sisters will be doing the opening for the German Pavillion tonight at Lido, this was while I was buying gelato at Giardini from a group of American journalists who were going to gatecrash the party.

This is how it works, nobody really knows about the major openings, its either through the word of mouth, or insider’s information. People go to the party for loads of freebies, I got a catalogue from the Dutch Pavillion just by exchanging it with my namecard. But of course, if you are from the press you get more freebies. Like tote bags, t-shirts, badges of the different pavillions, so you can imagine, how crazy the situation is.

There are pavilions where you have to queue to get in, it is completely insane but an eye opener for me.

After close to 6 hours of looking at works ranging from objects, videos, paintings, installations, sculptures and many other things… we got really tired and decided to head home earlier, too many parties, too much to digest….

Another Day in Venice

2007-06-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

Random nice building..

The Orange Bar at San Campos.

Jason doing last minute touch up on his work.

Chilling out under Zul's dome with Anita, photo by Rob

The Venizian Dream

2007-06-06T04:31:00.000-07:00

The way out to the Boat Terminal from the apartment.

Hsein Lin from Mogas Station in the quaint little apartment in Giuetecca.

Robert taking a power nap in front of Vincent's sculpture.

Night view of Venice, while a bunch of Singaporeans and an Australian finding a nice place to eat.

Venice, Italy
Wednesday, 5th June 2007
06:30hrs

I woke up yesterday searching for the ever-elusive internet access in Giudecca but to no avail. Then, I tried logging in at the café I went yesterday but it didn’t work. Robert woke up earlier than me and he went to take a walk around the island. Walking by the pier in Giudecca seems really nice, a nice and tranquil neighbourhood, like you never know you might bump into Luigi, Ferrero, Marco, Antonio or whoever living in the area.

We spent the day walking around aimlessly again, but this time round, we are more familiar with the landmarks, so that it was pretty much easier to manage in the navigational side of things.

Well, what else to do in Venice, we decided to touch base and hang out at the Singapore Pavillion, it seems like it’s the only place where you know everyone.

Managed to get down to The Orange Bar and had a chat with Biljana, the Shanghai based curator who invited me and she told me Venice is a place where people rip you off big time. Well its true, everything is so expensive that it reaches to a point of ridiculous…

Venice is like London in some ways, expensive and loads of tourists… as the pavilions are all still not open and I have yet to get a hold of my golden ticket to any of the pavilion, we ended up hanging out around the Academia Bridge area.

I have decided not to keep thinking about the exchange rate or I will be famished. So yeah, I will have to pay no matter what, you can’t keep on eating 2 euros pizza everyday. You will go nuts…

The Venitian Mayhem

2007-06-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

Zul and Rob at one of the many cafes not far from the grand canal.

On my way home, taking random shots of this surreal city...

San Marco, the mecca of tourists.

View from Giudecca, the residential area where we are staying.

Venice, Italy
Tuesday, 5th June 2007
06:30hrs

Many have mentioned about the beauty of Venice, so here am I, looking at the city in awe, from the architecture to the culture and the food. The flight was about 18 hours, thank god KLM has improved tremendously, from the entertainment to the food, but well, they still serve ice cream at 4 in the morning.

Watched 3 films straight and a documentary. The films were Zodiac, Little Children and the lamest of all lamest film ‘Black Dahlia’. But I topped all of these with a documentary on Nirvana’s Nevermind album on how it was made and the interview with Butch Vig was a gem. A very detail song by song presentation…very nice!

I didn’t really have a good sleep, in fact I couldn’t sleep at all. Partly because I was down with a mad fever the last 2 days and my tummy has been giving me problems but well the journey was pretty alright surprisingly.

Together with Robert and Anita, the 3 of us looked like united colours of Benetton in some ways due to our ethnic difference. But let’s skip all the Amsterdam transit joke and Masonry dilemma.

I will try to avoid writing like a travel writer for I know I am not. It is my duty to write based on my experience. Though the facts about the city may be true or may be not, it does not really matter.

We met Zul at the airport who has been there for a week setting up his work at the Singapore pavilion. As I have been invited as an independent artist by an independent curator, of course my treatment will be as independent as it gets, as what I have realised in Europe, technically people want to push your limit of independence to the fullest.

The instruction given to me was to find the apartment Giudecca No. 97, well, as you know in Venice City, people walk or take the boat, basically, we have to feel the vibes and let our soul free.

After an Italian lunch owned by a Chinese family, and a call to Biljana, we finally reached the apartment, a nice quaint space with a lot of furnitures and artists. Lodging in Venice is costly, the best and cheapest way is to share.

We did not waste any more time, so we set sail, curious about the cityscape like young men in search of new heights. The taxi boat is a helluva manic transportation, bringing people around the city. Though we are staying opposite the main city, like Sentosa and mainland, if you take the wrong boat, it may take you 2 hrs to reach the city.

My first impression of the city was such an anti climax, the city was filled with summer vacationers from all over the world, mostly Americans which include sailors, senior citizens and students, random Korean and Japanese kawai-des photo opps, Spanish diva dozens, rich middle eastern dwellers with their harems, it’s a circus.

We tried to find our way through the ruckus to the Singapore pavilion, Jason, Vincent, Da Wu and Zul are all setting up in the space. All looked ready,except for Da Wu who is waiting for his banana stems… and of course I met the legendary Chandrasekaran (my former lecturer) who will be doing a performance in Venice as well.

The Singapore Pavillion looked rather subdued from my angle, maybe I am having a jetlag or perhaps Vincent’s dog looked glossy and juicy. But yah, my body is still adjusting to the manic onslaught of the vicious city.

The city is beautiful nevertheless, if you are a big fan of gondola rides and willing to splurge 70 – 100 Euros (SGD$200), why not… if not then stick to your guns, look for cheap coffees, greasy pizzas or kebabs.

Being a Singaporean I can’t help but to say Boat Quay and Clarke Quay and is a bad imitation of Venice, or I am not sure if they are trying to imitate Venice. Wherever you walk or turn, you might get in a way of someone posing in front of the Rialto Bridge.