Calendars (2020-2096)

Brief Description

“Calendars” is done during 2004 to 2010 and contains 1001 offset prints with matte lamination. Each print is 30cm x 30cm and represents a page of calendar with a photograph. All pages spread out according to the year and date on 3 walls.

Artist: Heman Chong

Heman Chong (b. 1977, Muar) is an artist, curator, and writer. he lives and works in Singapore.

Preliminary Read

The first impression of “Calendar” is I was overwhelmed by a massive and huge calendar with many details. When looking closer, I noticed the date and year of each calendar set to future time and there’s no human involved in any photo. Therefore, I thought the artist was raising a question on how environment been affected by human population through time being and empty space. But why it sets in the near future 2020 to 2096 confused me.

Secondary Read

As I read the description,  my initial impression is somehow related to Heman’s work. The project is experimenting with body of time, space and people. The brusque year let us step outside the current circumstance to get a better insight of our common dense spaces and how it influenced and change our identity.  As the description says, the exhibition itself has been recognised as another public space, which becomes another view of others.

It’d be interesting  if every photo has a location tag. So the contrast of uncanny atmosphere will be more amplified.

Endings

No Endings

Brief Description

“Endings” & “No Endings”  were done by Ringo Bunoan in 2013. “Endings” consists of variable size of framed book ending pages, whereas “No endings”  is a book installation, which showcases several books are stacked from the floor to the ceiling, leaning against the wall.

Artist: Ringo Bunoan

Ringo Bunoan (b. 1974, Manila) is an artist, curator, writer and researcher. She lives and works in Manila, Philippines.

Preliminary Read

It drew my attention as soon as I saw the last words in every frame, which obviously indicates the artist had torn down the ending section of some novels and framed them. I found it interesting in reading the ending, because beginning and ending are the most important and tricky parts in a book. And ending is alway about looking back and regretting what the main character has not done.  So I thought  the artist wants to teach us a lesson. In order to get a regretless and happy ending in life, we have to try our best to get there.

And for the stacked books beside, I didn’t link it to “Ending”. It seems to me like an individual installation with different concept from “Ending”.

Secondary Read

After reading the text, I got a different idea of what Ringo want to convey, which is many possible conclusions of , and in time. Ringo opens up a new way of reading, where audience are allowed to choose what to read and how to end a story. And ending pages are all removed from the books stacked against the wall. Intentionally the book spines are concealed to hide book’s name and author, which symbolises each story anonymous in more than one way. However, I would still suggest that letting audience read those novels will enhance the link between “Endings” and ” No Endings”.