CONTENTS

IN ARTISTS ALUMNI THIS ON THE SPOT- ISSUE ROAD LIGHT

52 THE 04 EXPLORING MESSAGE FROM CONVO- INTERCULTURAL IMPERFECT THE PRESIDENT THEATRE IS CATION PERFECTION. 41 53 06 72 A GOLDEN BRAVING THE LING WU INDIAN PARTNERSHIP 46 2011 HIGHLIGHTS TOP COUNTRYSIDE 09 STUDENTS PLAYING 54 IN A IT COOL 23 49 74 LIVE@LASALLE EXTERNAL FOREIGNER’S RUBEN PANG EXAMINERS SHOES 76 29 THE LASALLE SHOW 55 SPOTTED! A SUMMER IN NEW YORK 34 i-AM FESTIVAL 60 CATALOGUE INSTITUTE OF TROPICAL LAB 5 CONTEMPORARY ARTS SINGAPORE

81 5

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

When I joined LASALLE as its President Cinema Symposium. We also successfully relationships to our teaching and research. in February 2012, I was struck by the ran the fifth edition of Tropical Lab, an Excellence is never an end point, but warmth and kindness of the reception annual international art workshop, with rather a continuous process. It is therefore I received, as well as by the recent participating artists from renowned important that we are rigorous and outstanding achievements of the college. arts institutions in the USA, UK, China, self-reflective in maintaining our forward I feel extremely fortunate to have joined Thailand, Indonesia and Australia exploring momentum towards our strategic objective LASALLE at such a successful and historic art practices of different cultures centering to become the leading arts education time in its development. Credit must be on the theme of food. institution in Asia. given to all the staff and students for the college’s exceptional performance in The college has established itself as one I believe that our experience and expertise 2011, including my predecessor Professor of the city’s most important art and design in academic research in the arts is a Alastair Pearce whose exceptional work exhibition venues, skillfully directed platform for LASALLE to step up and move has elevated the LASALLE name and by our curatorial arm, the Institute of on to an even higher level of excellence reputation so highly. This has culminated Contemporary Arts Singapore. With seven this year. We are developing plans for a in our prestigious five-year validation separate galleries spanning over 1,500 thriving and ambitious research culture, partnership and research collaboration square metres, we have hosted dozens of and endeavor to become a leading Asian with the renowned Goldsmiths, University exhibitions by established and emerging and global centre for arts research. of London. international artists and designers, as well as by our talented students. Highlights Finally, I would like to thank our many Goldsmiths, University of London, is one include We Who Saw Signs, a group benefactors and sponsors without whose of the world’s elite arts institutions, being exhibition of eight artists, curated by generosity we could not sustain our ranked in the UK top 10 for world-leading writer and artist Guo-Liang Tan; high standards across our full range (4-star) research. We are proud of our Filipino conceptual artist Roberto Chabet’s of Diploma, BA(Hons) and Masters partnership, which will have a strong To be Continued and our very own fine programmes, as well as important short and positive impact on the development arts lecturer and artist Dr. Ian Woo’s courses for the public. I would also like of arts education in Singapore, as well wonderful retrospective Ian Woo: A Review to thank our highly committed Board of as on the wider expansion of the local 1995-2011. Directors for their continued support and and regional arts scene. By August 2012, guidance. 14 Goldsmiths-validated undergraduate In the competition arena, our Design degrees will be open, to LASALLE students emerged top at the 11th Crowbar 2011 has been an exciting and students, and all of these will have fees Awards, with numerous awards including unprecedented year for us, and my subsidised by the government for local the Best of Show; and Film student Juan colleagues and I look forward with great students. Goldsmiths is also validating all Reyes won the Best Film award in the pride and positivity towards the future. our specialist Masters programmes, and Faith Shorts 2011 competition organised This is both in terms of the development we will be undertaking a series of research by the Tony Blair Foundation. Meanwhile, of LASALLE as a leading international initiatives and academic exchanges our Fashion Design students made it onto institution, and the burgeoning between our institutions. the coveted catwalks of both London’s opportunities that are taking place within Graduate Fashion Week and Singapore’s an increasingly dynamic arts scene in This milestone development follows a Audi Fashion Festival – the biggest fashion Singapore. year of outstanding achievements in event in Singapore. the year 2011. In addition to staging an Professor Steve Dixon ambitious programme of student and Moving forward: an agenda for excellence April 2012 professional exhibitions and performances, LASALLE seeks not only to maintain its LASALLE launched a number of regional high standing and accomplishments, but platforms for academic exchanges such also to continually improve and enhance as the Asian Atelier for Young Festival all areas of the institution, from our Managers and the first-ever Asian Cultural administrative processes and external 7

A GOLDEN PARTNERSHIP

As part of its new partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, LASALLE College of the Arts launched 14 publicly-funded undergraduate arts degree programmes on 29 April 2012. The BA(Hons) programmes cover a full range of contemporary arts disciplines – from fine arts, media arts and performing arts to design and arts management. This partnership also marks Goldsmiths’ first such collaboration in Asia, where degrees are awarded in its name.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong witnessed the official signing of the partnership agreement at LASALLE’s award-winning campus, between LASALLE's Chairman Mr Peter Seah and the Chairman of Goldsmiths’ College Council, Mr Christopher Jonas CBE. Under the agreement, besides validating LASALLE’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, Goldsmiths and LASALLE will also foster joint research initiatives, and facilitate staff development and exchanges between the two institutions.

Mr Peter Seah said, “This partnership is the perfect marriage between two innovative arts colleges that are at the forefront of contemporary arts education TODAY’S SIGNING in Asia and Europe. It will continue to energise our learning environment through academic exchanges IS NOT JUST A on approaches in teaching as well as research. Partnering with Goldsmiths is not only in the best MAJOR MILESTONE interests of the college but also in the best interests of Singapore in developing the next generation of FOR LASALLE AND arts and cultural leaders.”

GOLDSMITHS, BUT IT Part of the world-renowned University of London for more than 100 years, Goldsmiths offers IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT undergraduate, postgraduate, teacher training and return-to-study opportunities in subjects STEP FORWARD covering the arts, social sciences, humanities and computing. It is ranked ninth in the UK for FOR SINGAPORE’S world-leading (4 star) research and is a member of the prestigious 1994 Group that brings together ARTS AND CULTURAL 19 internationally renowned, research-intensive universities. Goldsmiths has also educated some LANDSCAPE. of the art world’s most famous names, from Turner Prize winner Damien Hirst, to fashion doyenne PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, to well-known musician Damon Albarn.

Mr Christopher Jonas CBE, Chairman of Goldsmiths’ College Council said, "We are delighted and honoured to be partnering with an institution as prestigious as LASALLE College of the Arts. At the heart of both institutions is a belief in providing an innovative educational experience through creative and intellectually rigorous thinking and practice. This partnership will build on these shared values and promote the exchange of academic excellence between the two institutions, in turn benefitting the creative economies of both Singapore and the UK.”

2011 HIGHLIGHTS 11

LASALLE TOPS CROWBAR AWARDS AN AN EVENTFUL ICON YEAR FOR CREATED FILM STUDENTS

LASALLE led the medal tally board at the 11th Crowbar Awards with 189 points, having won six gold, 11 silver and Design Communication student, The college produced outstanding results the Pusan International Film Festival in international panel including former 17 bronze medals at the awards ceremony Zheng Meisi, was the proud winner at the 24th Singapore International Film Korea, La Femme Festival in Los Angeles, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and held in Singapore. Sid Lim’s winning of Space Furniture‘s student design Festival. Five thesis films from LASALLE’s the Zanzibar International Film Festival in Hollywood actors Hugh Jackman and brand campaign, also his final-year competition. The competition was Puttnam School of Film were nominated, Tanzania, the Festroia International Film Jet Li. Paulo’s three-minute film,First thesis, The Universal Language of The Crowbar Awards received over co-organised with Kartell Italy to discover out of which three LASALLE students Festival in Portugal and the Singapore Steps to Recovery, screened at the Things, sought to explore social themes 1,200 entries this year from students young talents in furniture design. The nabbed wins in Best Short Film, Best International Film Festival. British Academy of Film and Television like communication through an old beer in Singapore, Malaysia, China and New participants were tasked to create an Cinematography, and Special Mention. Arts (BAFTA) in December where he brand. His outstanding works secured Zealand, for the advertising, design, original graphic motif of the Merlion. James Khoo’s Hentak Kaki won Best A second-year student, Juan Paulo Reyes, was presented with the award. The film an internship for him at DDB Singapore, photography, interactive and film The winning design was to be featured Short Film, Anirudh Ashok’s Blue Tide made his impact internationally, having explores the role of faith in times of which he later joined as Assistant Art categories, which were judged by a jury on the back of the seat of an equally won Best Cinematographer of Short Film, won the Best Film (Family Category) illness and death. Director upon graduation. of industry veterans. iconic objet d’art – the Louis Ghost Chair and Nooraini Sikkander’s Window of award at Faith Shorts 2011, a global film designed by Philippe Starck. Said Meisi, Dreams won the Special Mention award. competition run by the Tony Blair Faith “Singapore is a harmonious multicultural Foundation. Entries were judged by an society; I used colours to symbolise the 2011 was also an eventful year for the creative energy and joy of its people and final-year film students as some of these geometrical shapes to represent the thesis films also appeared on a number cleanliness and order in Singapore.” of local and international platforms like 2011 HIGHLIGHTS 13

FIRST BATCH

REALITY SCRUTINISING ASIAN CHECK PRESENCE IN FILM FASHION FIRST

At the 25th Convocation in September, the first cohort of MA Asian Art Histories LASALLE was the first arts college students graduated. The programme to ever grace Singapore’s most was introduced in January of 2010 and prestigious fashion runway – the is the first of its kind in any tertiary arts Audi Fashion Festival. Avant-garde institution or university in the world with evening, cocktail and casual wear The Faculty of Media Arts launched its curricular focus on Asian modern designed by the Fashion programme’s Singapore’s first ever Asian Cultural and contemporary art. The programme final-year students turned heads in Cinema Symposium, themed Human covers a variety of art forms, disciplines It’s one thing to be judged by your an unprecedented interactive show Spaces, in September. The symposium and themes that go beyond conventional classmates and lecturers, but it’s an entitled Department Store, where looked at film as a dynamic space programmes that study the history entirely different ballgame when it’s models wheeled onto the catwalk on where the human condition collides of painting, sculpture, architecture, being done by a large crowd. For the first trolleys. LASALLE also collaborated with traditional cultural constructs. It photography and new media. Students time, music students were put to the test with LG Electronics during the fashion celebrated the differences within a shared will explore fields of study such as in public at the Esplanade Waterfront. week, where the students designing Asian identity through the screening curating, popular culture and the Eleven Pop and Jazz students shook off cell phone case covers for the newly of selected films. “The objective was art market. their nerves and rocked the Outdoor launched smart phone, LG Optimus to merge dialogues with research and Theatre stage, either solo or with their Black. Five of the student designers have films as evidence of the Asian Graduand Loredana Paracciani was bands, and performed a mixture of their from this show went on to take part in consciousness through storytelling,” recently invited by the Institute of original songs and covers to a cheering London’s Graduate Fashion Week. They said Rashid Saini, the Symposium Contemporary Arts Singapore (ICAS) to audience that gathered over the Labour were Cindy M Warsono, Florentsya, Director who lectures at LASALLE. curate CUT THRU: A View on 21st Century Day holiday in May. Maheshika Thudawa, Mia Budiman and Thai Art. Remarked ICAS Director Quan Dong. Dr Charles Merewether, “Loredana was very dedicated and applied herself to researching and curating an exhibition that offered an insight into the development of a new generation of contemporary artists in Thailand today.” 2011 HIGHLIGHTS 15

ASIA-PACIFIC NETWORK FOR CULTURAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

NEW ASIAN PLATFORM FOR FESTIVAL MANAGERS

LASALLE announced the setting up ART THERAPY CREATIVE of Asia-Pacific’s Network for Cultural INDUSTRY IN HOME Education and Research (ANCER). Cristina Ortega Nuere, President ONE ACCORD IDEAS of European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres (ENCATC) said, “ANCER will be a much needed organisation to represent this part of the world and provide collaborative possibilities with the existing organisations in Europe and the USA.” She added that the potential for the exchange of knowledge and new Design students Grace Joan Tanutama developments in cultural policy and and Nur Sabeela Abd Karim from Interior research would be greatly enhanced by The School of Arts Management hosted Design bagged the Honourable Mention this timely intervention. the first Asian edition of the well- Awards in this year’s Furniture Design established Atelier for Young Festival Award. The entries were judged by a Managers, jointly organised with the panel of industry experts and the winning European Festivals Association (EFA), designs, together with the works of and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). other finalists, were showcased at the Forty-five young festival managers from International Furniture Fair 2011 held 27 countries participated in the intensive from 9 to 12 March at the Singapore Expo. The MA Art Therapy programme hosted one-week training programme, designed Organised by the Singapore Furniture an industry night in October for members to nurture future festival leaders. Industries Council, the Furniture Design of the Art Therapists’ Association High-level reflections in working groups Award provides a platform for talented of Singapore (ATAS). Programme Therapy Association (ANZATA). Ron who and lectures, interactive exchanges and young designers to gain experience in Leader Ron Lay in his opening address has practical and research experience insightful discussion on case studies the field. expressed the college’s commitment to in forensics, geriatrics, and professional made up the Atelier’s unique format. develop and sustain partnerships and education and development presented a collaborations with health providers paper at ANZATA’s Brisbane conference including institutions such as ATAS and on “Rivers to Recovery: Creative the Australian and New Zealand Arts Responses to Trauma”, in November. 2011 HIGHLIGHTS 17

REINTERPRETING THE KEBAYA

FROM SINGAPORE TO CANNES

YOUTH WITH A CAUSE

Alumni from Interior Design and Graphic Design raised over $80,000 for the needy in Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore. The Peranakan Museum invited Called Love in R(evol)t, the three-day LASALLE’s Fashion students to concert/fleamarket was conceptualised design and showcase an original to engage the interest of local youths in collection for its Sarong Kebaya: helping the less fortunate. The event was Peranakan Fashion exhibition in funded out of the organisers’ pockets and April. The students were asked with the help of their 16 sponsors. Held to revisit the Sarong Kebaya, a Recent graduates, Karan Dang, Naresh at *SCAPE with stalls selling second-hand traditional Peranakan costume. Kumar and Suhaimi Saadan, represented apparel and accessories, the flea market After attending a museum tour and their respective advertising agencies attracted a large turnout and the sales workshop on Peranakan heritage, at the Mediacorp Young Creatives proceeds were donated to the partner the students designed a twenty- Competition 2011. Participants were charities. piece collection for a fashion show given a brief and asked to design a held at the museum. campaign within 48 hours. Karan Dang (representing JWT Singapore) won in the Print category, while Naresh Kumar and Suhaimi Saadan (representing DDB Singapore) won in the Film category. The winners then represented Singapore at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival in June. 2011 HIGHLIGHTS 19

INDIE MUSIC FOR LOVE AND PEACE

JAMMING WITH GRAMMY GREATS

OH CHRISTMAS TREE! DESIGN TIE-UPS

As part of their annual i-AM Festival, Arts Management students organised a public concert, Love-In, at Hong Lim Park in Chinatown, to engage new audiences. Known names like King Kong Jane, TypeWriter and The Pinholes were present to perform upbeat numbers to a dancing audience, while Sean Harrison sang soulfully to the crowd late into the evening. Not just any other outdoor In the spirit of Christmas, lecturers and public concert, Love-In spoke out against students from the Faculty for Creative Students from Design Communication, Jeremiah Venod Chandran and domestic violence. Industries created an unconventional Fashion Design, Fashion Management speaker. The collaboration is part of the Muhammad Muzaffar Bin Mustafa, Christmas tree that was put on display and Interior Design participated in faculty’s initiatives to promote both Jazz students of the School of for three weeks in December at the Linking Cities, Designing Experiences, inter-varsity tie-ups abroad. Contemporary Music rubbed shoulders ArtScience Museum. This project also a collaborative design exhibition with with and learnt from influential jazz marked the beginning of a year-long Sangmyung University Korea. The event Another tie-up, The Neighbour Project, artists during the Mosaic Music partnership between LASALLE and the aimed to further develop students’ was a practice-based research project Festival 2011. They also got to jam with ArtScience Museum allowing students to research skills and understanding of that aimed at reconnecting art and triple Grammy Award winner Charlie participate in projects and competitions cultural and contemporary design in design institutions in Southeast Asia. It Haden and artists from the celebrated held by the museum. urban settings. The exhibition was held involved the King Mongkut University of Tierney Sutton Band. Recalling moments at the annual Ubuntu International Technology in Thailand, Dasein Academy during Bright Young Things, a twelve- Design Symposium 2011 in Seoul, Korea, in Malaysia, and Binus University in week mentorship programme aimed at where Dean of the Faculty of Design, Indonesia as participating institutions in nurturing young musical talents, Muzaffar Nur Hidayah, was invited to be the guest this second annual workshop. exclaimed, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be able to meet the big boys of jazz history. This has been most memorable for me!” 21

GIVING TO ARTS EDUCATION The library was renamed BENEFACTORS The Ngee Ann Kongsi Library in March OF THE COLLEGE 2011, to recognise the organisation’s generous donation of $3 million towards Ngee Ann Kongsi PATRON MANAGEMENT the college. In honour of this contribution, Tan Chay Bing Education Fund Mr George Yeo a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held that National Population and Talent Division Professor Steve Dixon was attended by then Finance Minister of Embassy of the United States of America, Singapore President Venka Purushothaman Singapore, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Peter Seah Lim Huat BOARD OF DIRECTORS Vice-President (Academic) Ngee Ann Kongsi is a foundation actively Winston Oh CHAIRMAN & Provost involved in educational, cultural and Tupperware Singapore Pte Ltd Lepercq Foundation Mr Peter Seah Barbra Gan welfare activities. Lee Foundation Chairman, Singapore Technologies Vice-President Yeap Lam Yang Engineering Ltd, DBS Bank (Strategic Developments) Khushroo Dastur Freddy Teoh Harris Kor Swee Yong MEMBERS Chief Financial Officer Tan Koon Boon Bro Paul Ho Kok Chee Jane Allan Zulkifli Baharuddin Allied Educator, Dean, Faculty for the Creative Industries OAAG (S) Pte Ltd St Joseph Institution Wolfgang Muench Chan Cheow Peng Ms Jane Ittogi Dean, Faculty of Media Arts & Hexacon Construction Pte Ltd Partner, Shook Lin & Bok LLP, Acting Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts Albert Court Village Hotel Singapore Nur Hidayah Bte Abu Bakar Art Friend Mr Koh Seow Chuan Dean, Faculty of Design ASKM Pte Ltd Founder-Senior Consultant, A LIBRARY FOR Amanda Morris DP Architects Pte Ltd Basheer Graphic Books Dean, Faculty of Performing Arts THE ARTS Mr Lee Suan Hiang Chris Jaren Design Pauline Chan chocolate schubar CEO, Real Estate Developer's grow its collection to 250,000 titles, with digital library. In addition to e-journals, Director, Division of ClubCouture Association of Singapore (REDAS) the support of the library community and the library’s digital platform will also Academic Policy & Planning Creativasia Mr William Lim other partners. host staff research, students’ theses Yvonne Choo EpiCentre Solutions Pte Ltd Deputy Director, and audio-visual collections. More Director, Division of Public Affairs Fifteen Minutes Private Limited Higher Education Division, Alvan Loo To supplement its on-location collection importantly, the platform will also Geisha Specialty Coffee Ministry of Education Director, Division of of about 50,000 print titles, 100 journal provide links to other libraries and Health Promotion Board Ms Kirtida Mekani Communications & Advancement titles, CD and DVD collection, specialist universities. Plans to introduce Kindle Hide & Seek Director, CIS Agriferts Pte Ltd Leonard Low art dictionaries, encyclopaedias and Readers to the library facilities have also iCare.4U Pte Ltd Singapore Trustee, Academic Registrar and Director, directories, the library has institution been put into motion, thanks to support KCK Craft UWCSEA Foundation Ltd Division of Student Administration tie-ups for users to gain access to from the American Embassy. Kim Lee Kiat Trading Enterprise Pte Ltd Mr Edmund N S Tie Low Seow Hua another one million e-books, and further Leng Peng Asia Pte Ltd Executive Chairman, DTZ Debenham Director, Division of Information collections through inter-library loans. “Today, a library is not just about books LG Tie Leung (SEA) Pte Ltd & Communications Technology and resources within its premises. It is M1 Limited Mr Robert Tomlin Dr Charles Merewether One of LASALLE’s long-time community also about facilitating the links between Marina Bay NPC Vice Chairman, Director, Institute of partners is the National Library Board, students and resources. We have to help Motomonstar Lepercq de Neuflize Asia Pte Ltd Contemporary Arts Singapore whose large collection of printed guide students and staff to where the National Arts Council Mr Alain Vandenborre Malar Nadeson Director, materials and online databases has resources are,” adds Malar. NexWave Telecoms Pte Ltd Vice Chairman and Co-Founder, The Ngee Ann Kongsi Library proven to be an invaluable resource New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia The Singapore Freeport Pte Ltd Agnes Wan On any school day, The Ngee Ann Kongsi which, back in the day, were thin on An avid reader herself, Malar hosts NOQ Store Professor Steve Dixon Director, Division of Human Library at LASALLE is like a second the ground. her very own specialist blog (www. Overjoyed (Ex-Officio Director) Resources home to its 2,300 students. Its modern lasallelibrarian.blogspot.com) where Page One – The Bookshop Pte Ltd President, Palprints Pte Ltd Daren Woo space is decorated with contemporary The American Embassy is another key she posts a wealth of information on the LASALLE College of the Arts Director, Division of Admissions artworks, with floor-to-ceiling glass supporter, having stuck with LASALLE latest journals and websites in the PUB NEWater windows overlooking the rest of the through thick and thin. “From 2005 to world of the arts. Puma Red Mango Pte Ltd campus. 2007, the American Embassy offered Samsung great support with filling our shelves, Sentron Engineering (S) Pte Ltd This library is a far cry from what it particularly with material relating to the Singapore Airlines Limited was in its formative years at LASALLE’s performing arts,” says Malar. In addition, Singapore International Foundation former Goodman Road campus, housed the Embassy has provided grants and SMRT Corporation Ltd in a small room. “It was a challenge facilitated a series of library talks and STAEDTLER Singapore Pte Ltd to run the library back then when it workshops by practicing artists. Through Stationery World (S) Pte Ltd operated on a shoestring budget,” says this collaboration, the library has been Stereolab Library Director Malar Villi Nadeson able to add out-of-print, exclusive art Studiorola 3D Consultancy reminiscing on her role as Librarian titles such as works by American artist, Super Multi Vending Pte Ltd in 1996. Edwin Parker ‘Cy’ Twombly Jr, to its The Arts House collection. The Peranakan Museum In order to achieve its vision of becoming TubeFlexL (Asia) Co. Pte Ltd a leading repository of knowledge on A key project for the library right now is Yayasan MENDAKI contemporary arts the library intends to to develop an even more comprehensive

as at April 2012 LIVE @LASALLE 25

EXHIBITIONS & PERFORMANCES EXHIBITIONS & PERFORMANCES 27 29

THE LASALLE SHOW

From March to June, LASALLE’s graduating class of 2011 staged an inspiring spectacle of exhibitions, events and performances, to showcase and celebrate the achievements of an education at LASALLE. THE LASALLE SHOW ’11 31

for London to take part in the city’s prestigious Graduate Fashion Week alongside students from renowned arts institutions like Edinburgh College of Art, Nottingham Trent University, Salford University and The Amsterdam Fashion Institute. UK-based Idol Magazine praised Florentsya’s “high level of execution” whose colour palette made her one of Idol’s “faves of the week.”

On the performing arts front, the Musical Theatre student cast in Broadway musical Thoroughly Modern Millie thoroughly entertained The Flying Inkpot writer, Ng Yi-Sheng. “There’s clearly broad horizons To kick off the season, Arts Management ahead for the cast of this production, students presented i-AM Festival 2011, a who’ve acquitted themselves remarkably fourteen-day arts festival of performing on the stage and entertained us more than and visual arts events held across any student production has a right to,” he central Singapore. Entirely produced, remarked in his review. marketed and managed by students, the festival demonstrated their skills and Matthew Lyon, another writer of The resourcefulness in collaborating with Flying Inkpot was floored by the Acting during World War II. The School of study, and are heavily involved in the industry partners to present professional students’ production, Big Love. “It’s vital Contemporary Music also staged its production of each of the shorts screened events to the public. that its performers find a throughline signature CO-LAB concert, featuring today in different capacities.” that joins up the dots. Fortunately, lead cutting edge, original pieces that boldly Fashion students showed off their actress Carla Dunareanu, playing the crossed the boundaries of electronica, Finally, the Visual Arts & Design collections at the Audi Fashion Festival on sensible sister, Lydia, did this almost contemporary classical, rock and jazz. Exhibition ended the season with the Orchard Road – their show was cited one superhumanly well,” he commented. largest show on campus ever, exhibiting of the “thrills” in a review by The Straits The Puttnam School of Film’s Avant over 800 final-year works of students Times: “LASALLE College of the Arts In another ambitious multi-disciplinary Premiere screening was extolled by A from Fine Arts, Media Arts and Design. put on a show framed by an interesting production, students from the Nutshell Review’s Stefan S who wrote, The online arts publication, Whiteboard narrative that gave a fresh spin to how Theatre+Performance programme “Each of these six films do not betray Journal, wrote, “The annual year-end one would watch a fashion show.” collaborated with others specialising the notion that they’re done by film show for LASALLE continues to wow the in Interactive Art, Acting and Technical students, rather, they’re made by up and audience once again.” Following the Audi Fashion Festival, Theatre to produce a powerful coming filmmakers who have honed their five of the students – Cindy M Warsono, interpretation of Pablo Picasso’s craftsmanship in multi-disciplines, as Florentsya, Maheshika Thudawa, Mia Desire Caught By The Tail, a surrealistic each of the graduates possesses both Budiman and Quan Dong – headed commentary on German occupation a major and a minor in their course of THE LASALLE SHOW ’11 33 35

Movers and shakers of the arts industry were spotted at the opening night of i-AM Festival, LASALLE’s annual student-run arts festival, on 1 March. Beyond providing just an educational platform for the arts, i-AM takes on themes that affect and confront our society, cultures and communities at large. The festival saw a creative and eclectic series of eight performing and visual arts events with more than ten outreach programmes. i-AM is an annual project assigned to Arts Management students to assess their event administration skills – from concept development, artists-management and venue logistics to fundraising and publicity. i-AM FESTIVAL 2011 37

i-AM FESTIVAL CALENDAR

CHAOS. PEACE. LOVE. THIS IS HARMONY @ National Geographic Store

The curators of this week-long exhibition chose to present a juxtaposition of traditional Chinese ink, oil painting, pen, print-making and tattoo art to demonstrate that diverse art styles can collide into new art forms. Three artists specialising in different genres came together in a ‘live’ art performance, utilising each of their unique artistic styles to recreate the same piece of art.

A visual arts exhibition held at The Arts House featuring a myriad of ORIGIN OF THE WORLD emerging and established artists from various galleries. Works by twelve @ The Arts House artists were put up; some were individual artists without representation, while others were brought in by Art Xchange Gallery, Della Butcher Gallery and Geeleinan Gallery. Notable participating artists include Solamalay Namasivayam who had worked with LASALLE founder, Brother Joseph McNally, in the early years of the college.

ART IN THE MAGICAL FRESHFACE WORLD OF OZ @ Home Club @ Singapore Art Museum This night of live music was held A children’s art workshop and story- in the cosy setting of Home Club, a telling session where student actors popular underground club. The ticketed narrated Dorothy’s adventures in performance was a one-night event The Wizard Of Oz to children aged profiling homegrown YouTube musicians: between five and eight. During the workshop, they learnt the Black Forest band, the Sets Band, about the techniques of pointillism, relief clay modelling and Evelyn Leung and Rebecca Burch. printmaking. Twenty children from Club Rainbow, a foundation that supports children with chronic and life-threatening diseases, were invited. The organisers also worked with children from PAP Community Foundation, a provider of affordable and quality educational services. i-AM FESTIVAL 2011 39

LIBRE OLE! @ Cuba Libre Café and Bar

This dance and music event featured a line-up of performances with different genres and styles of Latin American music and dance. Libre Ole! aimed to generate an interest and appreciation for Latin American culture through the performing arts. Participating artists included crowd- favorites like Colombian band Adrenalina and the Samba, Makulele and Batucada performers from Acão Quilombo Capoeira.

ALAN IN VUNDERLAND @The Arts House

Written by Khairul Ikhwan Kamsani from LASALLE’s Theatre+Performance programme, Alan in Vunderland was a contemporary take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, with a male protagonist and a script that upheld diversity. It was held in support of Action for AIDS and roped in local celebrities like stand-up comedian Kumar and various local musicians.

An outdoor music concert saw some of Singapore’s most talented indie MONTAJ LOVE-IN musicians like King Kong Jane, TypeWriter and The Pinholes coming @ Orchard Central Mall @ Hong Lim Park, Chinatown together to celebrate life, love and peace. Drawing inspiration from the Glastonbury and Woodstock festivals, Love-In spoke out against Held in collaboration with the International Women’s domestic violence. Event sponsor, the United Nations Development Fund Federation of Commerce and Industry to celebrate For Women (UNIFEM), was incredibly pleased with the turnout, “We the empowerment of women, Montaj showcased liked their dedication and how enterprising they were. We’ll definitely unconventional fusion performances like gothic ballet and consider partnering with them again.” the lesser-known art of Indonesian contemporary dance put up by female performers.

25TH CONVOCATION 45

It is heartening to see that LASALLE has made its mark in biennales and festivals, runways and theatres, classrooms and boardrooms, as well as cinemas and homes. Today, LASALLE is becoming an institution of choice among those seeking an arts education.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TEO CHEE HEAN 25TH CONVOCATION 47

TOP STUDENTS

The LASALLE Awards for Academic Excellence are faculty THE MCNALLY awards given to outstanding students who maintained high academic AWARD FOR standing throughout their education at LASALLE and demonstrated EXCELLENCE IN achievement as emerging practitioners THE ARTS in their respective creative fields. The McNally Award for Excellence in the Arts is an award given to the top student of each academic year. It is awarded to a student who has not only WEIXIN SID LIM excelled academically, but also demonstrated strong CHONG XIAN HAO capabilities as a practitioner BA(Hons) Fine Arts BA(Hons) Design Communication Major in Printmaking Major in Advertising Design in the creative industries. This year, for the first time, there were two winners. At 23, the number of accolades on For his final-year thesis, 25-year-old Weixin’s resume is one to be reckoned Sid developed a brand campaign, The with. The over-achiever credits all her Universal Language of Things, which accomplishments to self-motivation, attempted to reposition an old beer a trait she picked up while being home- brand as a social tool to promote the schooled. importance of communication.

In 2008, just a year into her studies in It was this sterling campaign that won Fine Arts, she won the NAC Overseas him the top positions at the Crowbar Bursary. The following year, she won Awards 2011. He took home four Gold, the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts one Silver and three Bronze medals and Cultural Scholarship as well as the for his entries, including the Best Georgette Chen Arts Scholarship. of Advertising and the Best of Show awards. His wins help put LASALLE at The judging panel for the McNally Award the top of the Crowbar rankings. was greatly impressed by Weixin’s active involvement as a practicing artist, Through the Mentorship Challenge having held over 20 exhibitions, group project initiated by the Design and solo. A notable moment was when Communication programme, Sid she co-curated the college’s exhibition, clinched an internship with award Takeaways, staged at Sabanci University winning advertising firm, DDB in Turkey. Singapore. Sid impressed DDB’s Creative Director, Thomas Yang, so Weixin says that though her family is not much that he was offered a full-time LASALLE AWARD MCNALLY AWARD particularly inclined towards the arts, she position as an Assistant Art Director FOR ACADEMIC Mads K Bækkevold Marselin Widjaja FOR EXCELLENCE attributes her success to her aunt just a month into his internship with Diploma Film BA(Hons) Design (a graphic designer) who encouraged her the company. EXCELLENCE Communication IN THE ARTS Magdalene Paulina to take up LASALLE’s portfolio-building Teo Wanling Saravanan s/o workshop. She took her advice and has Diploma Technical Theatre Sambasivam never looked back since. BA(Hons) Film Shen Xin Yeo Yak Ka Ashley Weixin Chong Diploma Fine Arts BA(Hons) Fine Arts BA(Hons) Fine Arts Kristy Lee Griffin BA(Hons) Musical Theatre Jiang Minyi Debrah Tanja Valeska von Sid Lim Xian Hao Diploma Arts Management Muhammad Zaki Bin BA(Hons) Design Stegmann und Stein Communication Yap Woon Hwee BA(Hons) Arts Abdul Razak Diploma Interior Design Management MA Fine Arts 25TH CONVOCATION 49

2011 EXTERNAL DIPLOMA BACHELOR MASTERS AWARDS OF ARTS(HONS) EXAMINERS FOR OU-VALIDATED PROGRAMMES Arts Management Art History Animation Art Arts Management Asian Art Histories Fine Arts Animation Art Art Therapy Interactive Art Fine Arts Arts & Cultural Management Video Art Interactive Art Fine Arts Film Video Art Dance Film FINE ARTS Ms Rebecca Fortnum DESIGN COMMUNICATION Mr Simon Davies Music (Classical Performance) Dance Reader & Pathway leader Principal Lecturer & Music (Composition) Musical Theatre (MA Fine Art) Programme Leader Graphic Music (Jazz Performance) Acting Camberwell College of Art Design & Illustration Music (Music Technology) Theatre+Performance University of the Arts Faculty of the Arts Music (Popular Music Performance) Music (Classical Performance) London, UK University of Cumbria, UK Technical Theatre Music (Composition) Design Communication Music (Jazz Performance) PRODUCT DESIGN Dr Gordon Hush Fashion Communication Music (Music Technology) Head of Product Design Fashion Textiles Music (Popular Music Performance) Glasgow School of Art, UK Fashion Design Technical Theatre Fashion Management Design Communication ANIMATION ART Dr Sally Norman INTERIOR DESIGN Ms Rose Spankie Interior Design Fashion Communication VIDEO ART Professor of Performance Course Leader BA(Hons) Product Design Fashion Textiles INTERACTIVE ART Technologies Interior Architecture Fashion Design Director, Attenborough Department of Architecture Fashion Management Centre for the Creative Arts School of Architecture and Interior Design University of Sussex, UK Built Environment Product Design University of Westminster, UK FILM Mr Brian Dunnigan Head of Screenwriting FASHION DESIGN Ms Gillian Sandford Course Leader Deputy Dean MA Screenwriting Cardiff School of Creative and The London Film School, UK Cultural Industries University of Glamorgan, UK TOAL NUMBER OF GRADUATES ACTING Dr Nick Phillips MUSICAL THEATRE Head of Acting & ARTS MANAGEMENT Mrs Vicky Woollard 892 THEATRE+PERFORMANCE Community Drama ARTS AND CULTURAL Head of Department for Culture, Liverpool Institute for MANAGEMENT (MA) Languages and Translation 40 Performing Arts, UK Centre Head for Cultural Policy and Management DANCE Ms Kate Lawrence Programme Director Lecturer, Performance for MA Culture, Policy 89 School of Creative Studies and Management and Media Pathways Programme 101 Bangor University, UK City University London, UK TECHNICAL THEATRE Mr Nick Hunt ART THERAPY (MA) Ms Jill Westwood Head of School Lecturer in Art Psychotherapy 490 499 Design, Management and Goldsmiths College 109 Technical Arts University of London, UK 353 Rose Bruford College. UK ART HISTORY (MA) Dr Amna Malik CLASSICAL PERFORMANCE Dr Robert Ellis-Geiger ASIAN ART HISTORIES (MA) Lecturer, History and Assistant Professor Theory of Art Slade School of DESIGN 103 COMPOSITION JAZZ PERFORMANCE School of Creative Media Fine Art, UK PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC TECHNOLOGY City University of Hong Kong, POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DIPLOMA Hong Kong SAR GRADUATES BY MEDIA ARTS GRADUATES BY BA LEVEL OF FINE ARTS FACULTY MASTERS ACHIEVEMENT

53

ARTISTS ON THE ROAD

Students at LASALLE are mentored to take advantage of every opportunity to stretch their creativity, especially to meet other practitioners and to experience life outside campus. They go on the road in a number of ways – internships, group study trips or self-initiated research trips. The experience of living and creating art in an unfamiliar environment also means that they gain life skills and a wider perspective of the world.

at first, I soon learnt that there were EXPLORING many minute and complex moves involved in each set. We need full concentration INTERCULTURAL during class and diligent practice after, so as to be able to master the art of Kabuki uneven and the dismal weather made THEATRE and Kyogen. It was fascinating watching BRAVING THE travelling much more difficult. As a result the principal of Toho Gakuen, Professor of that, the vehicle had to make several Terufumi Koshimitsu, direct rehearsals INDIAN pit stops, which actually helped because we were able to captured many beautiful Posted By Ms A Yagnya, who went to Tokyo for two works which were later brought to for a two-month programme at Toho and performed in Beijing in the same year. COUNTRYSIDE scenes for Window of Dreams at some of Gakuen College of Drama and Music. The first performance wasYuzuru , a play these stops. based on a Japanese folk tale, and the other was a condensed, contemporary version of The people I worked with in India were very Posted By Ms Nooraini Sikkander, who Shakespeare’s Richard III. supportive and helpful, which made the travelled to a remote South-Indian village filming process smoother than expected. Through a contact of our Senior Fellow, to lend authenticity to her thesis film. Fortunately for me, there were a lot Nevertheless, we did face some challenges Aubrey Mellor, I earned an internship of teachers at Toho Gakuen who were along the way. For instance, we could not at the famous Toho Gakuen College of proficient in English. Mr Masashi Nakao, get permission from the school when we Drama and Music. My aim was to explore an English teacher at the college, was my needed to film Kassim’s son in class. After inter-cultural theatre, an important aspect I went to Maariyur, in the South-Indian supervising tutor during my stay in Japan. explaining the nature of our documentary of contemporary theatre making. Cultural state of Tamil Nadu, for a week, to shoot He helped to plan a detailed schedule to the school officials, they relented and boundaries are continuously blurred and scenes for my thesis filmWindow of for me, indicating the rehearsals and allowed us to film in the school premise. crossed in our contemporary world; I saw Dreams. It is a short documentary about performances I could attend, and introduced this internship as a great opportunity to an Indian national, Kassim, trying to attain me to various teachers who were happy to Having completed Window of Dreams, experience cross-cultural negotiations a work permit in Singapore in search for a answer the numerous questions that I had I feel that I am ready to explore works and and tensions in theatre. So with all this in brighter future for his family. Indebted due regarding their practice. productions in other film markets. I’m mind, I arrived in Tokyo in June of 2011, to a dishonest business partner and his still learning new things on the job knowing only a smattering of Japanese. daughter’s wedding, Kassim wants to earn My stay in Japan highlighted to me the everyday, but the experience of producing Over the next two months, I attended enough to clear his debt and bring his family importance of effective communication as Window of Dreams was particularly practical classes, production rehearsals to Singapore. For an accurate portrayal well as the influence of Asian heritage in fulfilling and I learnt a lot there. Whilst and performances held within and outside of Kassim’s life and home in Maariyur, I Singapore theatre. Despite the progress in India, I was introduced to people who of Toho Gakuen. decided to travel to India to shoot. and modernity of Tokyo, the Japanese are worked in the Indian film industry, some

still very passionate about their culture’s of whom expressed interest in a possible Kabuki dance and Kyogen performance My crew was small, comprising only two traditional art forms. This observation collaboration in the future. For me, that classes were on my timetable. These were people – the Director of Photography and further motivates me to explore the option was a bonus, considering all the intangible traditional Japanese theatre art forms. In Cameraman, Fazrin Affendi, and myself of using our Asian heritage to represent an benefits that I had already gained on the these classes, students would watch the assuming the roles of Director, Producer, authentic Singapore in my theatre works. trip. I do hope that I will be able to work in Master demonstrate a set of moves before Writer and Editor. The most scenic part of the Bollywood film industry one day. trying to execute the moves themselves. the trip was the long, bumpy ride in the Yagnya is currently in the final year of the While the sequences appeared manageable minibus between the city and Maariyur, BA(Hons) Theatre+Performance programme. Nooraini graduated in 2011 with a BA(Hons) through the countryside. The journey in Film. She is currently running her own took almost an entire day; the roads were company, Voices Film, which produces documentaries on world social issues. ARTISTS ON THE ROAD 55

canvas bags to represent the role of different nationalities and individuals in the building of a new Singapore.

The tent was pitched in different parts of Singapore and the public’s reactions were recorded; a majority of passers-by were indifferent or too busy, but many tourists IN A and migrant workers inched nearer to try to understand the rationale behind the FOREIGNER’S set up. SHOES As a relatively young nation, much of Singapore’s locally produced art revolves around the theme of home. Some lament the lack of a definitive Singaporean Posted By Mr Shah Rizzal, whose artwork identity, while others question the validity This is Home traveled around the streets of the Singaporean identity, reflecting of Singapore and was on exhibit at the Singapore Art Museum. Singaporeans’ escalating discontent over the presence of foreigners in Singapore. But few have looked at Singapore from the perspective of a foreign worker here.

A home is different from a house. A With the growing number of foreign house is a physical shelter whereas a talents working in Singapore, where do we home provides comfort and security in place the new residents? The presence of its stability and along with it, a strong foreign workers, whether in construction emotional attachment. In This is Home, or in white-collar positions, is a constant I wanted to recreate the ‘home’ that debate in Parliament, on the Internet, and foreign workers, especially those in the in coffee-shop conversations. building and construction sector, find in Singapore. I chose to represent their History has shown that Singapore owes ‘home’ in the form of a tent to symbolise its success to the combined effort of its impermanence. The aim of this work hard-working immigrants. Foreign talents was to highlight the harsh living conditions contribute to the overall progress of in which the builders of our Home find the economy and we should welcome shelter, and to pay a tribute to these hard foreigners with open arms, as were our working people who continues to make our grandparents when they first arrived at Home a better place. Singapore.

I used various materials such as brown Shah Rizzal graduated in 2011 with a paper, steel poles, cotton strings and BA(Hons) in Fine Arts. 69

LASALLE’s academic 01 02 03 04 staff have been engaging MADEIRA, PORTUGAL DUSSELDORF, GERMANY SWITZERLAND BEIJING, CHINA Teresa Almeida Rashid Saini Wolfgang Muench Aubrey Mellor

communities around PAPERS Faculty of Performing Arts the globe through their Faculty of Media Arts Faculty of Media Arts Faculty of Media Arts Paper Presentation & Paper Presentation: Published Essay: Paper Presentation: practice and contributions Publication: In transit: roam Cinema/moving images as Nolwlhere: Scenographies The art of managing art in international platforms. and apparent wind cultural artefacts for SomePlaceElse. Platform: Collection of the interaction design concepts Platform: Human Frames Platform: Monitoring 5th Asian Theatre Education Platform: 5th International Conference 2011 Scenography 03: Space Centre International Forum, Conference for Tangible, and Desire 2011, Zurich 2010, Culture & Art Embedded & Embodied University of the Arts Publishing House Interaction TEI 20112010, Culture & Art Publishing House 05 TAICHUNG, TAIWAN Joselyn Sim Wai Yee 01 02 03 Faculty of Design Paper Presentation (keynote): The teaching of nurturing creative leaders – understanding the pedagogical progression through visual learning (co-authored with Nur Hidayah Abu Bakar, Faculty of Design) Platform: Motion in Design – International Conference on Computer Animated Design and Visual Learning 2011. Chaoyang University 13 of Technology

14 06 15 04 SINGAPORE Venka Purushothaman Provost & 05 Vice President (Academic) Paper Presentation: Trajectories 09 of change: arts, education and 16 their bleeding prospects in 21st Century Asia 10 12 Platform: 6th Diversity Matters 17 06 – A Commonwealth Forum 11 on Cultural Diversity, 2010, 07 18 LASALLE College of the Arts Keynote Presentation: 08 Spirit & authenticity: leadership in the arts for the 21st Century. Platform: Raffles Institution Annual Leadership Conference 2010

09 10 12 14 15 07 SANTA BARBRA, USA MEXICO BRAZIL SWITZERLAND SWITZERLAND SINGAPORE Brian O’Reilly Aole T Miller Elizabeth De Roza Darren Moore Timothy O’Dwyer Lucinda Law School of Contemporary Music Faculty of Performing Arts Faculty of Performing Arts School of Contemporary Music School of Contemporary Music Faculty of Design Performed and conducted Conducted Masterclass Performed at Vertice Brazil Conducted Masterclass at Conducted Masterclass at Paper Presentation: Just Masterclass at University of at Voice and Speech Trainer 2010, Meeting and Festival Conservatoire De Lausanne Conservatoire De Lausanne looking: the meeting point PERFORMANCES California for the Media Arts Association’s International of Women Contemporary Date: 3-6 July 2010 Date: 3-6 July 2010 between exhibition and and Technology Programme Conference Theatre Performed at Performed at retail space in fashion Date: 6-15 December 2010 Date: 31 July-25 August 2011 Date: 16-24 July 2010 Montreux Jazz Festival Montreux Jazz Festival Platform: International 16 11 Date: 3-6 July 2010 Date: 3-6 July 2010 Symposium of Innovation & Creativity in Asian Fashion 13 THAILAND PERU 18 Industry (Proceedings) 2010, Performed at SOL Space Conducted Masterclass at 16 The Korean Society of The World & World UK AUSTRALIA Date: 12-13 March 2011 Fashion Business Conference of Theatre Harris Jahim THAILAND Performed at the Melbourne School of Directors Faculty of Performing Arts Justin Hegburg International Jazz Festival, Date: 31 July-25 August 2011 Conducted Masterclass School of Contemporary Music The Now Series No. 4, 08 (stage combat) for the Jazzgroove Programme 17 Performed at 3rd Southeast British Academy of Asian Directors of Music Date: 6-15 June 2011 SINGAPORE INDONESIA Dramatic Combat Congress Jeffrey Say Conducted Masterclass at Certification Date: 26-27 March 2011 Faculty of Fine Arts Bali Taksu Workshop Date: 26 July-6 August 2010 Paper Presentation: Date: 5-18 June 2011 On Singapore sculpture Platform: Sculpturing Singapore Forum 2011 CONFLUENCE CONFLUENCE 61

LASALLE held its fifth annual international art workshop, Tropical Lab, in September.

James Green Developed and led by Senior Fellow, University of the Milenko Prvacki, the Tropical Lab series Arts, London returned this year with the theme Masak Masak. The ten-day programme welcomed postgraduate artists from top arts institutions like Academia of Fine Arts in Belgrade, Columbia University, Central Academy of Fine Arts, RMIT University, Masak Masak Camberwell College of Arts, California Institute of the Arts, Indonesia Institute of the Arts, STISI Telkom Higher School of Art & Design Bandung, Silpakorn University, University of Plymouth, Winchester School of Polly Snaith RMIT University Art, University of Southampton and National Taipei University of Fine Art to indulge in, and be inspired by the experience of Singaporean food. The programme included interaction with local artists like Amanda Heng, Salleh Japar, Henri Chen KeZhan and S Chandrasekaran, who each represented Singapore’s mix of ethnicities. By the end of the Lab, participants drew upon their experiences to create artworks for an Nadia Frank Columbia exhibition hosted by LASALLE's Institute University of Contemporary Arts Singapore.

Matt Thomas University of Plymouth Simon Ng CONFLUENCE 63 LASALLE College of the Arts

Agnes So RMIT University

Nina Galic Academia of Fine Arts, Belgrade

Ma Moe Htet Htet Beansprout LASALLE College of Conversations with the Arts Amanda Heng Liu Di Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing CONFLUENCE 65

testament. Perhaps I should start with fish. Singapore has a very famous dish called the Fish Head Curry. Its derivative ingredient is the discarded head of a fish floating in a thick curry laden with tomatoes, okra, etc. With its slightly parted lips, the fish eyes its predator surreptitiously out of the broth. Laid claim by Muthu’s Curry in Little India, Singapore, it has been categorically denounced by the Malaysians in 2008, the latter claiming that its dishes had been hijacked by the capitalist pirates called Singaporeans. Should Singaporeans take Masak Masak this lying down? It is a never-ending tale of epic proportions and is simmering on low heat today.

In 2009, Singapore listed its top home FOOD, grown dishes, including chilli crab and chicken rice. Malaysia immediately rebutted: Malaysia Tourism Minister Ng ENJOYMENT Yen Yen lay to claim signature dishes such as nasi lemak (fragrant coconut milk rice), laksa (spicy soup noodles) AND THE and bak kut teh (pork ribs herbal soup). Ng declared, “We cannot continue to let other countries hijack our food. POWER OF Chilli crab is Malaysian. Hainanese chicken rice is Malaysian,” in The Star newspaper. Tempers flared reaching CONTROL a boiling point. Knives sharpened and sliced through arguments placed before all who would listen but there was no Old Speech delivered by Testament divide like the Spaniards and Portuguese. It simmers. Provost, Venka Purushothaman Nations continuously feel that their enjoyment has been taken away from them. Unlike days of colonialism, national identity and active citizenry is organised around political participation in democratic exercising of soft culture When Milenko Prvacki, Senior Fellow at visual but never quite an invitation to is known for the prowess of the Sri the largest producers of nutmeg, cloves such as food, music, travel and social LASALLE and organiser of Tropical Lab, savour, taste or smell the aroma and Vijaya Empire, which reigned from the and mace in the world. Then came the media. Prior to today’s world – where informed me that the research theme of fragrance of food. This limitation is most 7th to 12th centuries, extending from Spaniards who colonialised the islands mobile and Internet technology this year’s Tropical Lab is Masak Masak, pronounced in the limited number of Southern India and was known for its and lost in battle to the Portuguese. The reformulates the invisible communities a term eluding to food and play drawn adjectives that are used to describe taste contribution to Hinduism, Buddhism and TODAY, FOOD fight over spices resulted in the famed who imagine a notion of nationhood from the Malay Language of Southeast on TV: yummy, sophisticated, appealing, trade. Moreover, the spice trade from Treaty of Tordesillas (circa 1500s) which through a sense of Internet idealism, Asia, I had just gotten my medical report. appetising, divine, heavenly, delectable, 1500 onwards brought the Spaniards, saw Spain and Portugal divide the world locked in a hyperreal sense of visibility My low-density cholesterol is high and tasty, spicy etc. They claim to give an Portuguese, British and Dutch to EXPERIENCE along a longitudinal line allowing two (that is, you are trackable) – communities high-density cholesterol, low. So I am told insight to cultures and cuisine but really fight over nutmeg, cloves, sugarcane, distinctive colonised areas with much of imagined themselves through many I am a walking time bomb. I was asked, they are only directing you to The Biggest and pepper, resulting in the division IS REDUCED Asia falling within the ambit of Portugal. images, events and activities, including as the dutiful doctor sighed, to review my Loser (a weight loss programme). This and revision of Southeast Asia as a This, of course, is one version of the Old the creation, preparation and ownership diet of food. Low carb, high protein. My simulacrum is Baudrillard’s hyperreality geographical and cultural category as Testament. of food. hormones are in check. Apparently, my as nations of culinary wannabes seek it stands today. One denying the other TO PLATING, stress stuff is in tiptop condition. I was to bake bread, hand-make pasta, and of the opportunity of enjoying nations, The point is, you are in a historically rich I am reminded of Benedict Anderson’s recommended a diet of nuts. Leaving that devour the moments of becoming a communities and their culture has led PRETTINESS part of the world. Southeast Asia has 1983 Imagined Communities: The Origins aside, I love my food. Gordon Ramsay or Nigella Lawson. Today, to wars, treatises and subjugation of the always been a confluence of cultures and Rise of Nationalism. One of the food experience is reduced to plating, locals. and this is represented in the food we most influential texts on nationalism Today, switch on the television and you prettiness and pairing. AND PAIRING. consume here. today. Anderson, a historian, spent years are inundated with what some critics Malacca, not far from Singapore, in in Indonesia experiencing culture and have daringly proclaimed gastro-porn Food developed through the histories Malaysia, was the epicentre of the spice I want to come to my point of the politics. which does not stimulate sweat, pain and of communities living in Southeast Asia world in 1511. The Portuguese had full hyperreality of the food culture that heat: culinary shows, cooking challenges, amalgamates the Indian, Chinese and control and extended the reach into surrounds us, and how it shapes our competitions, travelling food adventurism, the Indo-Australian archipelago. You the Moluccas Islands or Spice Islands. national identities through principles of etc. entice and inspire you with the are located in a part of the world that These small Indonesian islands were ownership. For this I must come to a new Continues on page 90 CONFLUENCE 67

VISITING ARTISTS

Every year, LASALLE plays host to a number of distinguished international artists. Some teach for a whole semester while others give project-based instruction through masterclasses; the directing of plays and musicals, choreographing dances, or doing collaborative work with students, bringing with them strong but differing artistic leadership. BETH HARLAND is a British artist and lecturer from the FACULTY OF FACULTY OF University of Southampton. She was a MEDIA ARTS FINE ARTS visiting artist for the Faculty of Fine Arts in February. Beth has been to LASALLE in the past as an External Examiner, but Adhari Donora & Hans Bernhard Panu Aree Alex Wong Rhett D’costa this was the first time she worked directly Artist Director with our students in a workshop setting. Andreas Siagian Professor, Sabanci University Artist, Lecturer, RMIT Beth’s art experiments with traditions of Honf-House Of Natural Fiber, painting and she is particularly interested Honf Collective, Indonesia Ho Yuhang Patrick Woo Boo Sze Yang Russel Wong Director Senior FX Artist, Double Negative Singapore in the way paintings convey and contain Artist Photographer the experience of time. She also studies Alex John Tan types of paintings that address the viewer Matchmove Artist, James Lee Prasanna Jayakody Dr Beth Harland S Chandrasekaran and how different ways of communicating Director Director Double Negative Director of the Graduate School, Artist with the viewer through her work can be Winchester School of Art, University adopted. Read on to find out more about Jan Philippe Carpio Ray Toh of Southampton Shinyoung Park her project for the students… Alicia Koh Assistant Professor, Stanford University Freelance Digital Artist Animator, LucasFilm Eric Chan Chee Seng Visiting Lecturer Jasalaw Kapuscinski Rayya Makarim Artist Stephanie Fong Anand Patwardhan Assistant Professor, Stanford University Director Director Tze-Wern I have been doing extensive research Eriko Hirashima Director, FOST Gallery on the subject of fragmentation and John Mahoney Rithy Panh Book Artist, Curator, La Libreria Andrej Boleslavsky Character Animation Co-Director, Director the extent to which this theme is still of Artist and Researcher of new media art Production Design Professor California Tan Wee Lit relevance today. I enlisted the help of the & interactive design Gwendoline Robin Artist, School Of The Arts students at LASALLE in my research, and Institute of Arts Robbie Shaw Visual, Performance Artist University Of California-Irvine though brainstorming, we produced a wall Ang Hwee Sim Jussi Angesleva Tan Zi Xi of post-it notes. The students and I then Producer Iwan Wijono Putro Artist worked on a large wall painting together, Designer Sherad Anthony Performance Artist called Culture of the Fragment. The Asgrimur Sverrisson Khavn De La Cruz Sanchez Wee Keng Li painting featured a fragment of everyone’s Writer and Director Director James Paul Artist work, and using a chance throw, we Designer Visual Artist created a dynamic composition without the Ato Bautista Taliya Finkel interference of hierarchy. Director Liao Jie Kai Filmmaker, Israel Joyce Fan May Yin Designer Senior Curator, The National Fine art is often seen as an individual Art Gallery of Singapore Ben Qwek Tay Shih Ming activity, but it doesn’t have to be, and IIlustrator, Artist, MRB Illustration Lau Hon Meng Rigging Lead, LucasFilm Filmmaker sometimes a collective effort allows Lee Weng Choy greater exchange of thoughts and Independent Critic Bounchao Phichit Malcolm Uruphong Raksasad expertise. The students and I had Director Director some interesting discussions about the Thomas-Gustav Michael Tan theme and about the realisation of the Brandon Tay Senior Rigger, LucasFilm Singapore William Lim Assistant Professor, Artist, piece of work for the MRT stations (the Nanyang Technological University Media Artist & Visualist Lead Cloth Technical Director, collaborative artworks were installed at Megan Doneman LucasFilm Singapore the Harbourfront, Dhoby Ghaut, Farrer Edward Zhou Director Paul Huxley Park, and Clark Quay MRT stations from Lead Animator, LucasFilm Ying Liang Artist, Educator, Treasurer Royal May to July). It brought to our attention Academy, The Royal Academy of Art Michael Chuah Director a range of technical challenges that may Goh Ee Choo Filmmaker arise when working on a large scale, Freelance Artist Zulkifle Mahmod site-specific project. I hope my idea for Mufizal Bin Mokhtar Sound Artist a piece of work that enabled students to Guy Nattiv Art Director, UbiSoft, Singapore work collaboratively was an enriching Filmmaker experience for them. CONFLUENCE 69

FACULTY FOR FACULTY OF CREATIVE PERFORMING ARTS INDUSTRIES Adam Christopher James Raysor Sutton Pavan Singh Ang Gey Pin Low Kee Hong Marple Associate Arts Professor, Tisch School Director, Writer Creative Artist, Theatre Performer General Manager, Of The Arts, New York University and Instructor Singapore Arts Festival Director, Designer Paco Renteria NICOLE ‘NIKKI’ Adrian Howels Jason Wilcox Kahn Guitarist/ Singer Colin Goh Mary Dinaburg Director Public Performer, Composer, General Manager, The Arts House Principal, Dinaburg Arts; SNELSON Writer, Installation Artist Paul Spyker Partner, Fortune Cookie Projects is an accomplished Broadway actress, Barry Likumahuwa Producer, Agent Dr Bill Gillham singer, dancer and choreographer. In Bass player Joanna Wong Psychologist, Research and Muhammad Zaki November 2011, Nikki worked as director Chinese Opera Institute Rayann Condy Children’s Book Author Bin Abd Razak and choreographer for A Handful of Keys, Ben Kiley Director Asst Researcher, an exploration of songs from the Broadway Musical Director John Patrick Rowe Dr Robert Liew Singapore Arts Museum revue Ain't Misbehavin’. The production Singer, Educator, Director, Roberta Marie Shaw Managing Director Arts Management was a collaboration between students Benjamin Ho Musical Director, Writer Dance And Media Artist Associates, Knight in the Order of Arts Paul Alexander from BA(Hons) Musical Theatre and Director and Letters, Singapore BA(Hons) Technical Theatre programmes. Jochen Roller Sadanandan Pillai Biju Morales Nicole shares her thoughts on teaching at Artistic Director, Ballet Philippines Biju Kalamandalam Dancer, Choreographer Choreographer, Dancer Dr Simon Parry LASALLE… Bhaskers Arts Academy Teaching Fellow, Arts Management, Joseph Curiale Sally Elizabeth Raper University of Manchester Pawit Mahasarinand Cesare Picco Composer, Arranger, Producer Director, Choreographer Chulalongkorn University Pianist Enin Supriyanto I was in Singapore in 2006 performing Director/ Curator, T. Sasitharan Mary Ann Tear Saycet in Tick, Tick...BOOM! at the Victoria Director Electro-pop Band Langgeng Art Foundation, Jogjakarta Director, Theatre Training and Chikage Terai Research Programme Theatre, when Tony McGill (then Kanze School Of Noh Theatre Programme Leader of Musical Theatre Michael Maximilian Stafanos Rassios Fotis Kapetopoulos at LASALLE) approached me to teach Founding Director, Yeo Shih Yun Riefer Director some classes at LASALLE. I offered Chim Shen-Kang Kape Communications Artist And Director, INSTINC Nicholas Singer, Song Writer Lecturer, Music University Of Lugano some advanced theatre dance classes Terence O’Connell for the students. I taught them the MingPoon Director Goh Ching-Lee original choreography for the item, Chok Kerong Artistic Director, Culture Link Jazz Pianist, Organist Choreographer, Dancer, The Rich Man's Frug from the musical Rehearsal Director Tiffany Wrightson Sweet Charity, which I had just done on Choreographer Ho Tzu Nyen Broadway. Chong Teck Seng Independent Filmmaker And Director Muhammad Najib FACULTY OF Visual Artist Tony Knight DESIGN I have also had the wonderful privilege Bin Soiman Director Claire Sutherland Arts Educator, Theatre Practitioner of teaching a few dance classes and Director Jeffrey Tan being on the panel at "Performance Head, Education and Outreach, Tracie Jane Pang Practice" (a module under the BA(Hons) Nicole Snelson Director Singapore Arts Festival Teema Muethong Darren Robert Yap Choreographer, Director Designer Musical Theatre programme). The Director students at LASALLE constantly amaze Vincent Colagiuri Jonathan Hollander me. They are a consistent group of Nigel Thompson Scott Artistic Director, Douglas Hamilton Musical Director diverse and committed young artists. Elizabeth Louise Lea Sound Designer Battery Dance Company BBH Singapore Artistic Director, Liz Lea Dance/ Artistic Director, Canberra Dance Theatre/ Vladimir Bouchler It is my deep belief that hard work, Oliver Chong Director Karen Wai Shu Jun & Anne Farren Associate Director, Ql2, Centre For Director Director Of Fashion Studies, perseverance, confidence, and a Youth Dance Kenny Leck Curtin University Australia positive attitude will get you everything Otomo Yoshihide Boon Liang in this business as well as in life. I Fiona Baird Guitarist, Turntable Player, Owners, Books Actually George Hwang want my students to feel open and Choreographer Composer, Producer IPOS explore their talents in a safe learning Kavitha Krishnan environment. We have been working on Gabriel Hernandez Creative Director, Apsara Asia David Oster preparing them for their professional Pianist Artist endeavours and getting a kick-start on Koo Chia Meng handling themselves in a way that is Ho Kah Wai Independent Film Maker Lorna Hall appropriate in the professional world of Production Manager, Puppeteer Senior Retail Editor, WGSN theatre. I want them to be armed and Lee Weng Choy ready to deal with this tough business. I Made Djimat President, Singapore Section of the Artistic Director International Association Of Art Critics

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 73

Ling Wu, a handbag and accessories designer, draws inspiration from chaos, music and daily life.

love the beauty of imperfection. And it’s a quality that can “ only come with the handcrafted,” says Ling Wu, who designs THE IMPERFECT I slouchy, textured bags done in exotic-skin and bold-coloured leather under her own label. “When you think of crocodile, you think of Hermes and their structured bags. I want to make it soft, matte, luxurious, modern. Nothing chi-chi or pretentious about it,” IS PERFECTION. adds the LASALLE alumna. When you think Ling Wu, you think rock’n’roll. Her designs feature gathered leather, braided straps, and plenty of metal studs. Ling’s most recent collection, Iggy’s Girlfriend, was inspired by the lanky, tousled-haired women who also played muse to punk rock icon Iggy Pop. Destiny, for instance, is all cool leather and metal zips in a lazy bucket bag to be slung over shoulders.

Drawn to strong, sensual women like Francoise Hardy and Jane Birkin, Ling defined her own path in the design world. She started off in graphic design, graduating at LASALLE with a diploma in 1994 before going over to Central St. Martin’s in London to top her graphic design class.

“Fashion, music, and design – they all overlap. You could be an architect and design fashion. You could be a graphic designer who designs handbags. It’s about the concept, and the research done to deliver a design concept.” She now teaches these design ideas as a part-time lecturer in LASALLE.

It makes perfect sense that the label is named simply, Ling Wu. The hardworking designer and businesswoman runs the label as a one-woman show, overseeing everything from design, to production, to publicity. Her signature lies in every detail, every step of the way. “As an entrepreneur, you work for yourself. You can’t slack off, and need to be working harder than everyone else you know,” she says with a laugh. True to her word, Ling puts out about three full collections a year, which are stocked in five local boutiques as well as internationally. For the second year running, Ling Wu exhibited at the prestigious TRANOÏ trade show at Paris Fashion Week.

Straight haired and sharply dressed, Ling speaks fast, and in AS AN short sentences, which go straight to the point. “My life is chaotic, but it’s a controlled chaos. I’m the type who can’t just sit back ENTREPRENEUR, and watch TV. My mum was extremely hard working, so was my grandma. I grew up surrounded by strong women.” While her gaze YOU WORK FOR can be described by some as piercing, others may see it as pure, YOURSELF. YOU CAN’T with clear focus. But when she talks about her three children and husband, Robert Upton, a creative director in an advertising SLACK OFF, AND agency, she softens. Perhaps it was not so incidental that Ling ended up in fashion. Her parents were garment manufacturers, NEED TO BE and she grew up surrounded by sewing machines, cutting tables WORKING HARDER and oodles of pretty fabric and laces. She muses, “I guess it meant that I grew up familiar with all these THAN EVERYONE techniques. I used to cut up and customise my mum’s old clothes. These things never changed – customisation is still my thing.” ELSE YOU KNOW. And that appreciation for genuine, handcrafted quality feeds back into Ling Wu today. Looking relaxed and confident in her high heels and fitted dress, Ling describes herself as a graphic designer whose “aesthetics are the same – grungy chic, urban, just a touch of that imperfection.” Oddly enough, her life is a picture near perfect. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 75

Experimental artist Ruben Pang gets creative with metal canvases and defines his works with heavy music and an artist’s instinct.

ou could call Ruben Pang an overnight sensation – but the 21-year-old painter will probably shrug his shoulders and say, Y“It’s hype”. Tall, lanky and dressed head-to-toe in black, he appears nonplussed with the attention that gallerists and collectors are heaping on him. Since graduating with a diploma in Fine Arts from LASALLE in 2010, his works have been exhibited at the Singapore Art Museum and Chan Hampe Galleries, and was a finalist at the Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2011. His large paintings on metal sheets are “human-sized so the person looking at them can alternate between looking at an image and his own reflection”.

“My lecturer, Dr Ian Woo, told me this once: always remember you are nothing, there’s no better place from where to make art. I’ve kept this advice with me ever since,” says Ruben. He shares tales about the rise and fall of art stars and army generals; you get the sense of a young man trying to keep sure-footed and nimble in the frenzy of the art world.

His journey has been nothing short of whirlwind. When he was 16, the principal of his junior college noticed his art and told him he should pursue art. He wanted to be a journalist at first. Then decided, as his artist father told him, “to paint from your heart."

I TRY NOT TO THINK For the first time in his life, he found himself in art school, and surrounded by fellow artists. ABOUT SUCCESS. “I took nothing for granted. Art school was very much a playground, a comfort bubble. I felt very I JUST DO ONE much at home.”

PAINTING, AND There, at LASALLE, he found the space to hone his craft. “To paint, you need to believe in a ANOTHER, AND spirituality. It boils down to instinct. The natural impulse for a human being to make a mark,” he ANOTHER. muses.

“I don’t ever know what a painting will look like until I’m done with it. I’ve always loved the industrial feel of a metal canvas – I think it’s the heavy metal musician in me. That’s why I chose metal – plus it is a very forgiving surface; you can sand it down and start again.”

As he chats about his love for electronica, dreams of a studio in Berlin someday, and his intense, complex beliefs about art, you piece the picture of the young man behind these explosive, expressive, gothic paintings dominated by streaks of silver and blue-steel against black.

“I try not to think about success. I just do one painting, and another, and another. I think it keeps me in a healthy state. A lot of things are just out of your control.” Armed with a quiet confidence, and ambition, he navigates his way into greatness. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 77 SPOTTED!

ASHLEIGH RYAN FLEMMING RAYANN BA(Hons) Musical Theatre 2008 DAWSON CONDY BA(Hons) BA(Hons) Musical Theatre 2008 BOO Acting 2008 Rocked the UK stage in the JUNFENG production Sound of Music Made his West End debut at KIT CHAN BA(Hons) PAVANJEET London’s Dominion Theatre as he BA(Hons) Film 2009 took on three of the lead roles in the Performing Arts 2007 SINGH hit musical, We Will Rock You. BA(Hons) Won Singapore’s highest youth Acting 2009 Performed at the Grand Theatre accolade for outstanding HALIMAH at the Marina Bay Sands, in a achievements, the Singapore Youth three-night sold out concert. Award for Arts and Culture. Established a theatre company KYRGIOS specialising in staging BA(Hons) modern classics, ROSANNA Skinned Knee Productions. Musical Theatre 2011 HYLAND Pulled out all the stops in The BA(Hons) Musical Theatre 2008 HARRY HALIM ELNIE Production Company’s production, ENGIE HO Diploma Diploma Kismet in Melbourne, Australia. Bagged the lead role of Fiona in Theatre Arts 2005 Fashion Design 2005 SHUMASTRI a West End production production of BA(Hons) Drama 2003 RAYANN Shrek The Musical in London. SYLVIA TAN His 2011 Fall/Winter collection Diploma appeared on the main runway of Arts Management 2011 the 2011 Paris Fashion Week. Assumed the role of Artistic Director CONDY BA(Hons) and Director of Panggung Arts, an Acting 2008 HILDE HOLME ensemble of theatre practitioners BA(Hons) Struck out on their own to form that produces multi-lingual, Musical Theatre 2010 theatre company Sight Lines issue-based theatre TIM CARNEY Entertainment with veteran theatre Marked her directorial debut with BA (Hons) productions in Singapore. the daring and positively-received Musical Theatre 2008 practitioner Derrick Chew. Performed alongside famous production of Equus . Singaporean actors, Hossan Leong SABRINA and Robin Goh in NO REGRETS: Toured Australia playing the a tribute to Edith Piaf. GOH role of ‘Stingy’ in a production of Diploma Lazytown that aired on Fashion Design 2005 Television channels. YANG MING JAMES KHOO BA (Hons) Her parachute-inspired men’s BA(Hons) Technical Theatre 2011 Film 2011 collection walked down the runway LEANNE at the Men’s Fashion Week 2011 Debuted as a playwright for in Singapore. His short filmHentak Kaki won best ANSELL the play Jen's Homecoming. short film at the 24th Singapore BA(Hons) International Film Festival. Musical Theatre 2011

Starred in I love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change held at the National Library’s Drama Centre. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 79

ALAN BUTLER MA Fine Arts 2009

One of the five artists selected by JANE LEE the Royal Hibernian Academy in BA(Hons) Dublin to be a part of an exhibition ISKANDER Fine Arts 2005 Futures 11, the third instalment of a series of annual exhibitions. WALEN MA JAYESH Invited to showcase at the Fine Arts 2009 star-studded blockbuster art fair of the year, Art Stage, Singapore. SACHDEV Basked in the limelight as his BA(Hons) Design Communication 2005 EUGENIA YIP large-scale installation Love Bomb SIMA SALEHI BA(Hons) was exhibited at The Substation. BA(Hons) Music 2010 ERIC CHAN Performing Arts 2008 Diploma Exhibited at the Hutheesing Art Fine Arts (Painting) 1996 Centre, Ahmedabad, in a group Kick started the first free Her video Circle was part of Video, exhibition patronised by Mercedez performance held by the An Art, A History (1965-2010), an Held his 15th solo exhibition, Benz and Salvatorre Ferragamo. Singapore Writer’s Festival. exhibition displaying artworks from .ryf (MOHAMED Wanted: Possession and Rejection the Centre Pompidou in France at Chan Hampe Galleries, and the Singapore Art Museum ARIF BIN ZAINI) Singapore. ISABELLE BA(Hons) permanent collections. Interactive Art 2007 DESJEAUX MA Fine Arts 2011 SOMJAI SARA WEE His sculpture at Busan’s Sea Art BA(Hons) Jazz Performance 2007 Festival 2011 was a massive SATJATHAM six-metre fish located on the beach GENEVIEVE Selected as a finalist at Diploma just metres away from its The France + Singapore New ZAI KUNING Design Communication 1996 Her band, 53A, played at venues natural habitat. Generation Artists exhibition and BA(Hons) around Singapore including Timbre CHUA Fine Arts 1996 Diploma competition judged by prominent and CM-PB at Dempsey. They Fine Arts 2004 members of the arts community at Won Gold World Medal in the recently released their debut album Alliance Francaise de Singapour. GENEVIEVE 2011 New York Festivals, for Art Settle The Kettle. Direction of the Mint Museum Was one of five Asian artists CHUA of Toys campaign. Satjatham is selected to participate in at the BA(Hons) currently ranked #64 on Asia’s ASHLEY YEO BMW Young Asian Art Series III Fine Arts 2004 Top 100 Creatives list and is the BA(Hons) in Singapore. Regional Art Director Fine Arts 2011 at advertising agency, Selected as two of the nine Y&R, Singapore. Singaporean artists to take part in Encases her fantastical artwork, the Singapore Biennale 2011. Cessation, behind a glass wall at the Singapore Art Museum. RUBIN BACHTIAR BIN HASHIM MA Fine Arts 2010

Curated The Malay Allocution at The Substation Theatre.

CATALOGUE 83

ICAS

Over the past year of 2011, the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Singapore (ICAS) produced 49 exhibitions of which 22 were faculty-based, involving both students and members of staff, and 27 that were organised either by the ICAS, a guest curator or a travelling exhibition from different parts of Asia. These have been spread across the seven spaces of the ICAS: ICA Gallery 1&2, TriSpace, Brother Joseph McNally Gallery, Earl Lu Gallery and both Project and Praxis Spaces. There have been many highlights that have been achieved across these spaces and by distinct means.

1-3 (L to R) To be Continued was an extraordinary Singapore and Asia today. The exhibition programmes and publications so as to exhibition by major Filipino artist, included 47 paintings borrowed from provide greater space and opportunities Roberto Chabet. This was the first both museums and private collections. for reflection and critical discussion on exhibition of his plywood paintings 1400 visitors came to the month-long contemporary art practices. outside of the Philippines, which exhibition, which was was the highest received more than 1200 visitors. attendance we have received for an The ICAS oversees, manages and curates exhibition so far. the annual LASALLE show. It has also IAN WOO: Another interesting exhibition was held two exhibitions drawing upon its Chihiro Kabata: Fear, Flight and Fleeting Another outstanding group exhibition, permanent collection. The permanent A REVIEW that showcased ink paintings by the InkImage, was organised by the ICAS collection comprises some 600 works young Japanese artist, Chihiro Kabata. in collaboration with Lim Choon Jin, an from across Asia, especially South 1995-2011 The exhibition drew a large number of artist and Fine Arts lecturer at LASALLE. East Asia. It was built over 25 years 23 Sep – 30 Oct visitors, who were fascinated with the ICAS curated the exhibition; featuring (1984-2008) under the direction of ICAS artist’s painstaking method of ‘painting’ his works over the past decade, and Directors and advisory committees, with a ballpoint pen. that of 15 LASALLE students and recent receiving gifts alongside the purchase graduates. of works by visiting artists to LASALLE, We Who Saw Signs was a group staff artists and graduating students exhibition featuring works of eight On the musical front, the Sonorous of the college. This includes paintings, prominent artists; guest curated by Duration Festival was held in conjunction ceramics, watercolours and sculptures. writer and artist Guo-Liang Tan. The with Tim O’Dwyer, head of the School The ICAS has now restored, remounted 4 exhibition explored the language of of Contemporary Music. This festival and reframed a number of important 1 signs and visuals in contemporary offered a survey of group and individual works on paper, revised the collection Two Flags, (2011) practice, destabilising the audiences’ musicians working across the threshold inventory and built for the collection a Acrylic on Linen expectations when apprehending an of music, sound and installation in four permanent dehumidified storage. 2 image. The exhibition was an important ICAS spaces. Another collaborative Across the lake, (2005) Oil on canvas move in recognition of the complexity of effort between the Faculty of Media Arts Dr Charles Merewether fine arts practice today; specifically in and the Faculty of Fine Arts brought Director, ICAS 3 The Moving Finger, (2006) regard to the allusions buried within the us Foris, a sensory exhibition in which Oil on canvas language of signification. the audiences experienced the discreet The ICAS is the curatorial arm of LASALLE. It publishes an annual magazine called 4 encounter between the visual and oral. We Have Crossed The The exhibition, Ian Woo: A Review GLOSSARY. Lake, (2009) 1995-2011, was Ian Woo’s first review The direction of the ICAS is to strengthen Acrylic on linen exhibition showcasing his art pieces what we have already laid out – an 5 Warp, (2009) spanning 17 years of his art practice. artistic platform for all of Asia’s, and Acrylic on canvas Woo is a teacher at LASALLE, and international, artists. In addition, 6 one of the most respected painters in we are now boosting both our public Before I Give An Answer I See A Flower, (1995) 5-6 (L to R) Oil on canvas CATALOGUE 85

CHIHIRO KABATA: FEAR, FLIGHT AND FLEETING 9 Apr – 7 May

1 3

1 100 Light Years Diary, (2010) Ballpoint pen on acrylic

2 Super Position Square 1-7, (2008/2009) Oil on canvas/ ballpoint pen on inkjet paper

3 Event Horizon, (2010) Ballpoint pen on inkjet paper

4 Reply to Schwarz’s Child, (2009) Ballpoint pen on inkjet paper

5 Superposition, (2009) Ballpoint pen on 4 5-6 (L to R) inkjet paper

6 Unforgiven Dance Through The Night/ Mistaken Order by Exhaustion and Book #2, (2009) Ballpoint pen on Japanese paper 2 CATALOGUE 87

3

1 Huang Yifan Series 2: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta, (2008) Chinese ink on Xuan paper

2 Alexis Noakes Untitled II, (2011) Ink on rice paper

3 Koh Peichen Correspondence II & I, (2010) Chinese ink and colour pigment on Xuan paper 1 4 Lim Choon Jin Line’s Work #2, (2010) Chinese ink on Xuan paper

5 Yapp Poi Chee Untitled, (2010) Chinese ink and colour pigment INKIMAGE on Xuan paper 17 Nov – 7 Dec 6 Yapp Poi Chee System A, (2010) Chinese ink and colour pigment on Xuan paper 4

5

2 6 CATALOGUE 89

ROBERTO CHABET: TO BE CONTINUED 14 Jan – 12 Feb

1 Observatory 1, (2002/2010) Plywood, acrylic, photo paper with braille on clipboards, neon

2 Cargo and Decoy, (1989/2010) Plywood, acrylic, 3 wooden sawhorses

3 Piero, (1999) Plywood, acrylic, metal brackets, parachute, oil on panel

4 Observatory 2, (2002/2010) Plywood, acrylic, wooden board, neon, framed drawings 1

4

2 FOOD, ENJOYMENT AND THE POWER OF CONTROL Continued from page 65

For Anderson, an imagined community that it remains the other’s enjoyment. is one that is distinctive from an actual Does not the Other’s enjoyment exert community where members hold such a powerful fascination because in mental images of their affinity to their it we represent to ourselves our own nation. As Anderson puts it, a nation innermost relationship to enjoyment? “is imagined because the members The Lacanian thesis that enjoyment of even the smallest nation will never is ultimately always enjoyment of the know most of their fellow-members, Other, i.e. enjoyment supposed, imputed meet them, or even hear of them, yet to the Other, and that conversely, the in the minds of each lives the image of hatred of the Other’s enjoyment is always their communion.” There is no dynastic the hatred of one’s own enjoyment, is or political claim to authority over this perfectly exemplified by this logic of the mental image and such nations have ‘theft of enjoyment’.” “finite, if elastic boundaries, beyond which lie other nations." This produces My examples earlier underscore the connectivity through communications conundrum that leads to this theft of (e.g. internet, food, mass events), which enjoyment: defining oneself through does not require for the tacit claim to the gaze of the Other in rejecting their identity through knowing the other. Such proposition, e.g. laying claim to cuisines, a system transcends socio-economic, as in the Malaysian and Singaporean class hierarchies and geographies. It is gastronomic dilemma that arose out of a a “deep horizontal comradeship” which shared genealogy. sees countries sharpening knives for food. As you savour, enjoy and experience the foods that we present, think about your Anderson’s thinking finds resonance in thievery and perhaps the moments in French philosopher Jean Luc-Nancy’s which pleasure is in consuming without 1982 text, The Inoperative Community, the permission of the Other. Enjoy. where he locates the notion of community to concepts of experience, discourse and the individual, thereby relieving humans of the design of categories. He believes that the human attempt to organise people within the ambit of labels has led to social violence and political terror. This poses an important question for him as to how to move forward with the development of society, with this contradiction of individuals and the need to organise them constantly at odds.

Slavoj Zizek in his book, Tarrying with the Negative: Kant, Hegel and the Critique of Ideology (2000), has a beautiful essay entitled, Enjoy Your Nation As Yourself! He says, “A nation exists only as long as its specific enjoyment continues to be materialised in a set of social practices and transmitted through national myths that structure these practices.” Here taking a tour-de-force through Lacanian psychology, he purports that “enjoyment is good, on condition that it is not too close to us, on condition LASALLE DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES FROM AY 2012/2013 Design Communication Fashion Interior Design Product Design Fine Arts Animation Broadcast Media Audio Production Dance Music Performance Technical and Production Management

GOLDSMITHS-VALIDATED PROGRAMMES FROM AY 2012/13 BA(Hons) Design Communication Interior Design Product Design Fashion Design and Textiles Fashion Media and Industries Arts Management Fine Arts Film Animation Art Acting Musical Theatre Theatre+Performance Dance Music MA Arts & Cultural Management Art Therapy Asian Art Histories Fine Arts

LASALLE College of the Arts 1 McNally Street Singapore 187940 Main line: (+65) 64965000 Website: www.lasalle.edu.sg

PRODUCED BY Division of Public Affairs

IMAGES COURTESY OF Beth Harland, Charlotte Helen Dore, Crispian Chan, Darren Francis, Ken Cheong, King Kong Art Projects Unlimited, Louis Kwok, Marina Bay Sands, Mindy Tan, Nooraini Shah Binte Sikkander, Rupert Singleton, Ruben Pang, Shah Rizzal.

DESIGNED BY Hue & Ink