25 Oct - 24 Nov 2024
10am – 7pm
Level 3, Gallery 3, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Free for all
Lost & Found: Embodied Archive
Lost & Found: Embodied Archive unpacks how artists radically re-envision the body as a reservoir of memory. This reservoir retains convergences of the past and present while offering the possibility of new encounters.
The participating artists demonstrate how memory is ingrained in history by incorporating physical encounters into their artworks. This is accomplished through a variety of bodily manifestations that use the body as a historical informant and a means of personalising social and cultural experiences. In making space for what lies in the body, these works choreograph our encounters with them, activating us as viewers.
Refusing to remain static, Lost & Found: Embodied Archive embraces the process of becoming by making space for the live nature of performative works. Many of the artists whose works are on display in this gallery have conceptualised performances, workshops and talks. The exhibition will unfurl slowly over the month as works are activated in turn, creating an intentional space for movement, rhythm and reflection.
Lost & Found: Embodied Archive forms the second pillar of Lost & Found, a multi-year curatorial study on the interplay between artistic practices, memory and the notion of the archive. When one thinks of an archive, what often intuitively comes to mind is a physical site with material objects, records and documents. This project seeks to expand on that understanding by inviting viewers to consider the body as an archive.
Banner image: Lee Kang Seung, Skin, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist and Commonwealth and Council, Los Angeles; Gallery Hyundai, Seoul; Alexander Gray Associates, New York.
related events
check out the line-up of free and ticketed event happening during the opening week below!
Click here for the full line up, spanning across one month!
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[Performance] Cosmic Labyrinth by Albert Yonathan Setyawan Fri, 25 Oct | 6.30pm–8.30pm
Cosmic Labyrinth, a contemporary ceramic work with an integral live performance component, marks a pivotal moment in Albert Yonathan Setyawan's artistic journey. The work was previously performed in Singapore in 2011, demonstrating to audiences the tranquillity of Setyawan's artistic process through time. Through the artist’s durational performance and final presentation of the work, Cosmic Labyrinth invites visitors to contemplate the significance of being in time, a concept at the heart of Setyawan's artistic process. Over the course of two hours, Setyawan will lay out handcrafted pagodas—a testament to his artistic labour. Arranged first as a labyrinth, then as a mandala, the pagodas take on a cosmic presence, which can also be felt in their profound presence of silence.
Image credit: Installation view of Albert Yonathan Setyawan’s ‘Cosmic Labyrinth’ (2011) from its 2011 performance. Image courtesy of the artist.
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[Workshop] Phantoms and Their Embodiment: A Journey on “Film” before Film by Au Sow Yee Sat, 26 Oct | 10.30am–12pm
In response to Au Sow Yee & Chen Yow-Ruu (Her Lab Space)’s SAM commission work, Bad Dream Rocking a.k.a The Rocking Malay(a), this workshop offers a journey into the constructive history of moving images and the phantom power of its narrative. At the same time, it disenchants maker and audience from being passive consumers of the image. Under the guidance of Au Sow Yee, audiences will learn how various devices used in the creation of moving images animate the spectators’ bodies through examples such as diorama, shadow play, zoetrope and magic lanterns. This workshop combines an artist talk with hands-on activities that involve optical toys, offering participants a unique opportunity to engage with the history of moving images in a playful and insightful manner.
This workshop is suitable for participants aged 16 years and above.
Image credit: Image courtesy of the artist.
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[Workshop] Navigating the Bodily Memory of Personal Archive by Chen Yow-Ruu Sat, 26 Oct | 2pm–4pm
In response to Au Sow Yee & Chen Yow-Ruu (Her Lab Space)’s SAM commission work, Bad Dream Rocking, a.k.a. The Rocking Malay(a), this workshop invites participants to delve into an inspirational interplay between objects, emotions and personal narratives with artist Chen Yow Ruu. Participants will embark on a voyage of sensing while navigating the relationships between object, body and space, reconstructing life stories and personal narratives of objects. This workshop offers participants a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of the emotional connections that can be forged with objects and to explore the power of personal narratives. Participants are required to each bring an object (which may include clothes and accessories) that carries a personal story and are encouraged to dress comfortably.
This workshop is suitable for participants aged 12 years and above.
Image credit: Image courtesy of the artist.
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[Performance] Tirta Maya by Rosemainy Buang and Zachary Chan Fri, 1 Nov | 7pm–8pm
Fleeting echoes in water reveal glimpses of an archipelagic expanse where the sea serves as a connective tissue. Tirta Maya is a song of water—a prayer, an invocation and an invitation to drift along its currents. Tirta Maya can be translated as “sacred water,” and the word “Maya” conjures a sense of the illusion, evoking the image of light dancing on the water’s surface. Through the ritual retelling of stories about water, we remember the buaya kembar, the double-headed naga, the cosmic turtle, water spirits and ghosts, allowing Tirta Maya to guide us through the currents of existence as they flow from the cosmic to the personal.
Tirta Maya was first released online as a music video as part of Lost & Found: Sea Chanty Project. This live performance brings the work to life by drawing it into a physical space.
This performance takes place after museum opening hours. Visitors are encouraged to view the exhibition before 7pm.
Image credit: Video still of Rosemainy Buang and Zachary Chan’s ‘Tirta Maya’ (2024) as part of Lost & Found: Sea Chanty Project. Image courtesy of the artists.
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[Screening] ONE DAY PINA ASKED… (1983) Sat, 2 Nov | 2pm–3.30pm
Join us for a screening of Chantal Akerman's acclaimed documentary, ONE DAY PINA ASKED... (1983), a captivating exploration of the life and work of legendary choreographer Pina Bausch
ONE DAY PINA ASKED... (1983) offers an intimate glimpse into the world of Bausch's Wuppertal Dance Theater company, capturing their rehearsals, performances and personal reflections. Through Akerman's lens, we witness the power and emotion of Bausch's innovative dance style, blending movement, monologue and narrative to explore themes of love, memory and human connection.
After the screening, a facilitated discussion will take place with exhibition curator Hsu Fang Tze and Dr. Tania Roy, Senior Lecturer and Chair of the Graduate Programme in English Literature at NUS. Explore the themes of dance, art and the human experience as depicted in ONE DAY PINA ASKED... (1983).
ONE DAY PINA ASKED... (1983) is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Lost & Found: Embodied Archive, which explores the intersection of contemporary art and social issues.
Image credit: Image courtesy of Icarus Films .
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