Monthly Archives: October 2015

Escaping Too Soon?

Right off the bat, here’s the final image of the first Hyperessay post so I guess it’s only right to start this project update with this image as a talking point. This image sparks some positive conversation last week and I agree that this image have so many layers and conspiracy theories to unfold but that’s for another paper. What I do what to emphasise is that the uncertainty and the mystification of this image is what makes people begin to interpret what they see and that is a work of a good art, which is to make people ask question, not about the art, but about themselves instead. I think this image is just a medium of expression for me but also for the audience.

With that being said, I believe the element of ‘escape’ speaks for itself and I don’t have to bring it up to talk about it. I feel the definition of Escape is so wide that everyone have their own interpretation of Escape and I do want to keep it that way actually. In my final broadcast, I have decided to play a mash up video of webcam footages/pre recoded videos, while I am present in the frame/space controlling what the audience is seeing. Similarly like the first image, all these different layers will be overlay each other to create a certain aesthetic. To control this, I have my Arturia Beatstep machine with me, as shown in the photograph below.

Arturia Beatstep

How it works is pretty simple. I will be using a max patch to do this. Each button and knob will control the diameter of an effect. So when I turn a knob, it will control the amount of hue or noise for example. Even colours can be manipulated. I will also use the effect from vizzie, to create these beautiful yet sophisticated visuals of Escape. I also hope the audience will be in a state of trance, I mean escape when they watch my broadcast. Below is an example of my patch so far. It’s pretty messy right now but my biggest worry is actually, the speed of the computer, lagging issues.

I have jit.record my sample video below. As you can see, I am playing live in front of the webcam, which adds another layer that I am being watched as well, technically.

This is just a sample process video which I make. If you realise, there will be instances where my image will be replace by beautiful giant bars that remind you of Rothko’s paintings. I was experimenting with the idea of the secondary frame which I can control as well, it create some kind of a break in the video to depict the concept of ‘Escape’.

From now onwards, I have to pick the right clip to show for the final broadcast. I believe there must be a flow in the video and I will work on the narrative as well.

Sources and Books

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I have found 3 books that is relevant in our project that can use as our sources.

Singapore Rubber Tree – an Economic Heritage by Peter W.C. Tan
The Rubber Industry, A Study in Competition & Monopoly by P. T. Bauer
Rubber In Malay 1876 – 1922, The Genesis of The Industry by John Drabble

I’ve peep at some pages of the books and they contained very parallel information that I have read online and scholarly articles.

With these more accurate books, we will constantly update our wall text and item description.

Since our project does not contain Artworks, we would need to pick 4 objects that we are able to write an item description.

Finalise Idea & Concept of Team 1

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Last week it was still rough and hazy in our ideation but after a meeting last friday, we decided on the idea and concept of the exhibition proposal. As our topic is on Singapore Botanic Garden, we decide to just look at Rubber Tree and expand the exhibition from there. Below is a rough fun poster and the description of our intended exhibition proposal. We want to tell the story of how the journey of the rubber tree come from Brazil and how it make its way here.

Exhibition Layout
We also have plan out a rough layout of how we are going to structure our project which in turn, is the layout of our exhibition proposal. We plan the exhibition to be a one direction way to allow our guests to learn about the rubber tree. Take a look at the layout below. The concept of the layout of the exhibition is inspired by the rubber tree bark, as if people are entering the rubber tree itself.

For the final exhibition, we would like to show an interactive gallery mimicking the concept of our layout. There are 2 methods we are going to explore, firstly using the augmented reality app, Junaio. Using their mobile devices, users are able to interact with 2D posters and turn it into a video. Below is a video of how the app work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkcHs_LIGvo

Second interactive aspect of our exhibition will make us of motion sensor. When a visitor is standing at the designated spot, a video will be played accordingly. This will capture their attention and at the same time, they are able to learn through the videos.

Bibliography

We will be using scholarly articles to show the narrative in the journey of the rubber tree. We will be updating the bibliography with new materials as we go through the project.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens and Rubber in Malaya, P.R. Wycherley. Article here.

Wall Text

If Joseph Hooker would have not commissioned Mr. H.A. Wickham to collect rubber seeds from Brazil, the rubber tree will not see the light in Malaya. Even there are stories stating these seeds were smuggled out of Brazil, these seeds and other exports were made with the goodwill and co-operation of the Brazilian government.

Moving these seeds is not an easy feat. Considering the long journey the seeds took from Brazil to the Kew Garden in England, special arrangements have to be made for the journey. Wardian cases were used to store these seeds to ensure they arrive in good condition.

In 1876, 50 of these seeds were shipped to Singapore but they arrived in poor condition, so in the following year, 22 plants were sent from Kew to Singapore again but this time they were successfully established by Mr J. H. Murton, the Superintendent of the Gardens. He established Hevea brasiliensis at the Singapore Botanic Gardens while Murton’s successor, Mr. N. Cantley & Mr. W. Fox found the Heava collection a home in the newly acquired Economic Garden in 1879.

I have a plan to escape from this world

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My first ever idea was born wanting to do something with the current traffic cameras showing the traffic of the Causeway and the Second link, which is the bridge that connect Singapore and Malaysia. Usually people uses this traffic camera to see how heavy is the traffic before they decide whether is it a good idea to cross the border. Broadcasting and juxtaposing this traffic camera with another video of another bridge (say Golden Gate Bridge) from another part of the world will be an interesting visual actually.

Then I realise I was fascinated with looking at the traffic was because I want to get away from Singapore and cross over to Malaysia. I am fortunate to given the opportunity to travel quite a few countries and every time I travel, what I particularly enjoy is to actually Escape from reality, from Singapore, from school, from assignments and of course, seeing the world. I feel that the idea of Escape is very relevant in my life given the restriction living in a strict country.

From the idea of the traffic camera, I begin to see patterns of escape. As I begin to look at more traffic cameras, I begin to put them side by side making a collage. Even though it is a still image, imaging all this are videos of real traffic cameras. It as if we are working at the road authority! This collage also reminds me of a journey of escape through the never ending roads.

I feel that the idea of Escape do not have to be a destination. It could be a temporary high or a continuous chain of events that never stop. The concept of Escape is related to the idea of letting go and letting the universe to take control. Even though I envision Escape in a very literal visual such as video of airplane taking off and ship sailing off, this a good way to start thinking of the idea of Escape.

The above video is some sort of a collage which I have compiled to visualise my idea of Escape. After this video, I feel that it can be improved through more actions and even colours. However, the sense of Escape can be sense through the different aspect of ‘escape’. The next process I did was to photograph what ‘Escape’ means to me.

Right after this process of documenting Escape with a SLR 30mm camera, I realise that Escape is not always about escaping from your troubles or restriction, sometimes it’s about embracing them instead. I also feel that I took some mediums of ‘escape’ for example the ladder or the tracks. Even practising one’s religion is an escape and I agree on this because when I am practising my religion, I do get a sense of calmness in me, spiritually, escaping from the reality for awhile. From this point onwards, I envision my project to be a mash up videos of all things ‘Escape’. I begin to look at different artists for inspiration and one particular artist that I was inspired was Nam June Paik, the pioneer of Video Art. The fact that he sees the television box as a sculpture is somehow very new for his time.

I remembered watching Good Morning Mr. Orwell in class and Randall telling me that Nam June Paik is behind the scene making this all happen. And he was responsible for the overlaying of images during some of the performances, particularly during the one with Charlotte Moorman. In Good Morning Mr. Orwell, Nam June Paik played the role of coordinator and was responsible for those live images the audiences see. As the show was broadcasted live, Nam June Paik would depend on the aesthetics of the live network and have little control if anything would have happen. In this work, I see Nam June Paik as someone who is actually performing in a sense. He was the main man behind the whole aesthetic of the programme and without his input, Good Morning Mr Orwell will not happen.

Good Morning, Mr Orwell, Nam June Paik

Another work that was inspired to me was the TV Garden. TV Garden is an installation mimicking a garden with plants and you know gardens but surrounded by television set. What inspired me was the visual content of the displayed, as shown below. It shows a very abstract visual which i find it very appealing.

Part of Nam June Paik’s ‘TV Garden’ at Tate Liverpool. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Christopher Thomond/Guardian

Combining these two aspect of his work and my initial idea, I have decided to hold the position of ‘performer’ in my final broadcast. In this new amalgamation of ideas, I will be manipulating real live video in real time using the Arturia Beatstep. By programming certain video editing style into my machine, I am able to control the aesthetic of my live broadcast. Moreover, a camera capturing me performing in real time will be overlay on the video as well. My act of performance in real time will be the metaphor of Escape, like how musicians playing live in front of thousands of people, they get the adrenaline rush and energy.

However, the final broadcast should not be just abstract forms and explosion of colours. I feel that it should have some kind of narrative to the idea of escape. The video could also be about my own definition of Escape and it could be about me as well. Thus, I have to decide if I should even be inside the final broadcast. Since my final broadcast have some element of randomness and glitch, I think it is also relevant if I could relate some of the technical aspect and compare it to Glitch Art.

4. Employ bends and breaks as metaphors for différance. Use the glitch as an exoskel- eton for progress.

-Glitch Studies Manifesto, Rosa Menkman

In my final broadcast, it will be many videos overlaying each other to the point where one won’t be able to recognise the scene. I am able to achieve this by using softwares that is able to bend and modify video clips. I believe with each bend and effect I apply, it should act as a metaphor in the final narrative that I am telling in the final broadcast.

Above is a screenshot of a test that I did which I imagine my visuals to be.

signing off.

regards,

Kamarul

Team 1: Updates on Final Project / Wall Text

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From the last meeting we had, Team 1 have decided on a topic.

In our project, we are proposing an exhibition that explores plants in a domestic setting vs plants in a economic settings. We realise however, both of them could be interconnected. We will feature 2 plants each from both setting.

In terms of the template of our exhibition, we thought of dividing the exhibition into two parts, Economic vs Domestic. The concept of the exhibition will take form of(yes you guessed it) of a Indoor Garden. We thought of making it interactive by allowing user to use the Oculus Rift to view the exact setting of the plants that we have chosen. We would need to test this new technology out and see if it is doable within the weeks to come.

Our Wall Text (First frame)

Singapore Botanical Garden almost didn’t get to be a UNESCO Heritage site. Right after Sir Stamford Raffles’s death, the Gardens fell out of favour with the colonial authorities even though the garden was successful in introducing cultivation of economic crops and served as a place for agricultural experimentation. The original location of the botanic garden which was located at Government Hill(Fort Canning Hill) was totally gone and the land being returned to the government in 1846.

Second Frame

In 1859, the Gardens reopen at its present site. It begin to organise flower shows and horticultural fetes, there was even a zoo in the gardens. But the garden only got serious when Henry James Murton took over in 1875. He set up a system of plant exchange with other botanical institutions worldwide, introduced a herbarium and library. This exchanges of knowledge and seed make the Singapore Botanical Garden a one of kind where it evolved from an experimental economic garden to a botanical institution with roles in research, education, conservation and recreation.

References:

https://www.sbg.org.sg/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=677&Itemid=247

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3408000121.html

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/singapore-botanic-gardens

Islamic Art Conference

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I got the chance to visit 3 of the events in conjunction of the Contemporary Islamic Art, Design and Architecture conference. Prof. Sujatha was there at all 3 as well apparently. *insert laugter*

I wouldn’t say that Islamic Art really interest me but after the conference, it really change my perspective on Islamic Art. You guys gotta wait(i’ll post below) for how different speaker define Islamic Art!

BAYU. 8th Oct

Iskandar with his opening speech

The first event was the opening of Bayu, an exhibition of contemporary islamic art in ADM. It was curated by Noor Iskandar and Javad. I really like the whole look of the exhibition. The mood was really dark and the spotlight light up the artworks perfectly. There’s a couple of artworks that capture my attention more than the others. The first one is by Inkten Sufina. Her real name is Nadhirah actually but anyway, she exhibit this work titled The Transitory. I know her instagram account and sometimes she will post work in progress and she post a photo on the process of this work.

Inkten’s Instagram post

It’s amazing sometimes to see artwork from the studio surrounded by so many stains and trash to make the artwork. Then after it is done, it is exhibited in the gallery. As an artist, I also enjoy this transition. It’s very cool actually. As Inkten is a graffiti artist, I like how she interpret islamic art with some of her background as well. The whole look as element of graffiti somehow I feel. Geometric forms have been associated with Islam and this is how she associate her work with islamic art.

Inkten Sufina The Transitory 2015

Next is by Izziyani Suhaimi. I got a chance to exhibit beside her in an exhibition about 3 years ago. She’s an incredible artist who stay true to her medium, which is embroidery which explore the notion of time and labour. In the exhibit she make the praying mat and the colours are very beautiful.

Izziyana Suhaimi Waiting for the Northwesterly Winds 2015

Lastly, Afiq Omar’s Ferroux. I am familiar with Afiq Omar’s photographs so I was looking forward for his work but I was disappointed with his exhibited work. He chose to show an old work dated 2013. Plus, to me, it’s not even related to Islamic Art. Maybe there are the element of the Wind which is the titled of the exhibition. I have attached a video below, so tell me what you guys think.

Afiq Omar Ferroux

Overall, it was a good exhibition overall, showing a wide range of mediums and style.

Lectures at National Design Centre. 9th Oct

I was there actually as a part of the work-study to help Prof. Gul to record the lecture session. So it was like killing two birds with one stone as it was also beneficial to me as I am able to listen as well. I’ve taken a lot of photographs, but I am only going to share some interesting ones. All of the speakers are professional in their art field so it was a wonderful opportunity being able to listen to them.

I can’t really remember all the names of the speakers as I wasn’t keeping track but what important is what they are showing. I thought this slide was interesting. I never really see all this purposes of art all in one slide so yeah, take a look!

The Purposes of Art

The next speaker was Prof. Nada Shabout, she’s the Director of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Initiative (CAMCSI). She shared some work of contemporary islamic art and this one from Kader Attia was really really nice! I have attached a photo from online and insert the explanation.

The medium and everything about this artwork is perfect actually!

Kader Attia. Ghost. In Ghost, a large installation of a group of Muslim women in prayer, Attia renders their bodies as vacant shells, empty hoods devoid of personhood or spirit. Made from tin foil – a domestic, throw away material – Attia’s figures become alien and futuristic, synthesising the abject and divine. Bowing in shimmering meditation, their ritual is equally seductive and hollow, questioning modern ideologies – from religion to nationalism and consumerism – in relation to individual identity, social perception, devotion and exclusion. Attia’s Ghost evokes contemplation of the human condition as vulnerable and mortal; his impoverished materials suggest alternative histories or understandings of the world, manifest in individual and temporal experience.

Another work that caught my eye was Super Oum by Fatima Mazmouz. As you can see in the image, is a pregnant woman in her bra and panties wearing a boot and mask. In western culture, the mask could be seen as a Ski mask but in eastern culture, the mask can be read also as a veil so I thought that was interesting in terms of understanding cultural symbols as well. Plus the artist is from the middle east, so people would automatically read the mask as a veil that muslim women wear.

Fatima Mazmouz, Super Oum, 2009

The next speaker was Iftikhar Dadi from Cornell University. I like his hair! He was one of other speakers who was defining Islamic Art. Below are the slides which direct towards the definition.I agree with his statement, it also relevant to some form of art as well.

Here’s Prof. Sujatha asking Prof. Dadi some question which I can’t really remember.

The next speaker was a very handsome man who I walk halfway through his presentation as it was already begin when I came back from my lunch and friday prayers. There’s this part where he shared how was religion, culture, art, architecture, ideas and a lot of other things was spread from one place to another through this 3 domain. Which was relevant to our art history studies in school.

Islamic artist such Nusret Colpan is known for his miniature painting style depicting cities around the world. It has this map look to it which my team did during our presentation about a month ago. As you can see, what Nusret did was to put the Kaabah in the centre of the map to show Islam as the central role of the world. Again, we learned in class that artist uses map to show their power and their ideas towards their belief and this is what Nusret did. I have upload a better picture below. Read more on him here.

Islamic World, Nusret Colpan

He also define Islamic Art and put Islamic art side by side with Religious art and secular art, which I thought that was interesting.

He also mention that some artist that uses provocative act in their artwork like the one above by Fatima Mazmouz has nothing to do with Islam as the religion but only uses it for an instrument for self promotion.

Overall the lecture at the National Design Centre was interesting and open up my eye. I only have this little knowledge on contemporary islamic art but after the lecture, I have known more artists and their artwork on contemporary islamic art. However, some of the talk were too complicated and too education to me that I was falling asleep.

Jameel Prize 3. 9th Oct.

Right after the lecture at the NDC, we all make our way to the opening of the Jameel Prize. The Jameel Prize is an international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. Its aim is to explore the relationship between Islamic traditions of art, craft and design and contemporary work as part of a wider debate about Islamic culture and its role today. I managed to enter the exhibit without anyone before its grand opening. It’s at the National Library level 10 by the way.

The space was huge and the exhibit was very well put maybe cause there’s a high budget on this one. Haha.

Before the opening ,everyone was gathering outside waiting for the minister, Dr Yaakob to arrive.

Dr Yaakob in pink and on his left is Mr Maidin Packer mohd, who was an PAP MP minister back then.

This artwork was the winner for the Jameel Prize 3. It’s an fashion garment by Dice Kayek. I think it does deserve the award as this work was inspired by the Hagia Sophia, which was build as a church then it became a mosque and now a museum. The work was interesting because the translation from architecture to fashion garment shows how islamic art can still transfer from one art form to another, as they did in the past.

Berita Harian, a malay newspaper was there to write some story and they told me to pose with Prof. Peer and the others.

If you want, you can read it here.

That’s all folks. I hope I can enter the Jameel Prize next time and bring home the £25,000.

Week 8: ACM

Week 7: My Own Room

The Great Escape

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Let’s recap: My idea for the final broadcast was the concept of the Escape. In my previous post, I juxtapose a video of a plane taking off and also a scene where the bus is at the Causeway. These two elements of escape in a sense that I am escaping from Singapore but figuratively, I also wish to escape from the reality of living in Singapore, the stress and the high expectation of living in a First world country. Then it makes sense, because the idea of broadcast ties in the idea of escapement. For example, watching movies in the cinema or any screen for that matter, is a temporary escape from reality and able to sit down and enjoy in a very control situation (happened in the movie), we forget about reality for 2 hours.

During my Skype meeting with Randall, we had a discussion on the direction my project is going and have asked me to do these few things, in order to progress in a progressive way. To sketch ideas of what escape means to me and to take elements of escape/flight in a photograph.

The bus is the vehicle for an escape.

I actually use a film camera to capture these below images. Some images I took based on my feeling towards the idea of ‘Escape’.

Escalators transport us to escape

This is the view when I lie down on my bed at home. An escape for me as well.

Train tracks is the medium to escape

Escape to the white light outside which brings uncertainties

The haze give an effect of the garden of eden

all you need is to climb to escape

A room to escape

that light at the end of the hallway is your only escape

the path to escape the world, will you take it?

again, the bus is the vehicle to escape, take a seat and enjoy the escapade

during raya haji at the mosque, a temporary escape for religion

when the prayers are done, everyone ‘escape’

that is a dead bee actually, i guess he ‘escaped’

Performing the Solat is a temporary escape to get closer to God

By taking these images and looking back at them, I think the next step is to take videos of flight or escape. My initial images of flight or escape was too literal for example, plane taking off, ships at sea or busses moving. I think if I take moving images which also represent escape and juxtapose it with a live broadcast video of me doing an action, I think it will be more interesting and also open for interpretation.

Randall also asked me to test out if I can link websites to max msp to do some effect and so i tried a thing or two.

I used the Jweb where basically I can open a browser on a max patch and then i uses jit.broadcast to actually show what my browser is showing and then alpha blender it with the webcam video.

For now it is just a experiment and it is still ongoing.

Regards,
Kamarul