“We are like impermanent buildings with a façade of which the inside is changeable”. - Mella Jaarsma
The artist Mella Jaarsma is known for her use of materials and intricate costume installations, crafted from dried banana tree trunks, fiberglass, goat leather, thread, photographs, and squirrel skins. Designed to be donned as a 'second skin’, these installations invite viewers to confront the space between the self and environment
How do we approach understanding our bodies and their connotations, in relation to ourselves and the wider society? Having first encountered Jaarsma’s participatory performance "PribumiPribumi" at LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts, Singaporean artist Ezzam Rahman has long been fascinated by the performativity and exploration of the body as a contested site.
In this performance and sharing, Ezzam Rahman responds to Jaarsma’s "Saya Goreng Kamu I (I Fry You I)", "Saya Goreng Kamu II (I Fry You II)", "I am Ethnic I", and "SARA-swati I" and contemplates the complexities of our bodily existence.
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About the Artist
Ezzam Rahman (b.1981, Singapore) is a multi-disciplinary artist known for his interest in the body and the use of common, easily accessible, yet unconventional media in his art practice. Working across sculpture, installation, digital media, and performance, he creates works that are often autobiographical, time-based, and ephemeral, aiming to pique viewers’ thoughts on the themes of body politics, identity, impermanence, traces, and abjection.
Ezzam lectures at LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, University of the Arts Singapore. He was awarded a joint winner of the Grand Prize for the President's Young Talents 2015 and the People’s Choice Award by the Singapore Art Museum. In 2016, he received the Goh Chok Tong Youth Promise Award and the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council, Singapore. Ezzam won the Most Promising Award for photography at the PULSE Awards 2021. He served as artistic director for The Substation in 2021 and was involved in various prestigious programmes, including the NIE Visiting Artist Programme and NAC Our SG Arts Plan launch event.
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About 'In-Gallery Sessions'
In-Gallery Sessions invites you to collectively reflect on art and life by questioning and exchanging ideas on artworks in our collection. Together with artists, curators, and cultural practitioners, these intimate sessions will be occasions for contemplation and imagination.
Go to www.nationalgallery.sg for more content and to plan your visit today!
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Disclaimer
This video has been edited for clarity and concision. The opinions expressed in this video may not represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. Every effort has been made to obtain permission for the material in this video. Copyright within this video belongs to its respective owners and shall not be reproduced without permission.
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6 окт 2024
