double / take (Sea Currents x Synchronicities)
6pm - 10pm on 22 September (Opening evening)
22 - 30 September 2020
12pm - 8pm daily (Closed on Mondays)
The Substation Gallery
45 Armenian Street
double / take is a portal and showcase of works by Jen Datu (WA) and Akai Chew (Singapore).
It is part of Sea Currents x Synchronicities (ScxS) a small arts festival taking place in Perth and Singapore over the 18th - 30th Sep. ScxS aims to explore and build on connections and synchronicities between the arts communities in Singapore and Perth.
SxcS is a collaborative series of events have been programmed exploring the future of creative work under the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the festival, we hope to activate Perth and Singaporean cultural connections, colonial histories, and provide a seed for future potential reimagining.
The portal is made possible in partnership with Cherish by her and beinthe.SPACE, The Substation (Singapore) and The Lobby (WA).
Credits: The exhibition is organized by Cherish by her with the support of The Lobby (WA) and the supported by The Substation’s sandbox platform, Seelan Palay, Program Manager, and Woon Tien Wei, Artistic Co-Director, The Substation.
Exhibition Setup
Isyraf bin Sabtu
Nur Aliff Osman
Azril bin Athni
Exhibition Floorplan
Akai Chew
Works
① _Archaeology of the Environs_, 2020
Sand, mixed media, video
Dimensions variable
② Pasir, 2020
Photography print on acrylic
③ Kuala Singhapura, 2020
Photography print on acrylic
④ Bukit Singhapura, 2020
Photography print on acrylic
Summary
Despite our obvious differences Singapore and Perth has a cultural similarity; both former British colonies and the current cultural hegemony is not the original cultures. Both of Singapore and Perth’s pre-colonial histories left very little physical remains, let alone large structures; in places heavily characterised by their post-colonial built heritage. From the Malay Annals of maritime Southeast Asia and songlines of the Whadjuk first nations, the pre-colonial histories lie largely in oral, practical, and textual traditions. In Singapore sometime in the past, a strong man threw a rock into the river; later, a prince saw white beaches across the sea; and after his death he was buried on a hill near the town. Today, those sites are a tiny forgotten landscaped area, a field of national significance, and a heavily romanticised hill park. A gleaming metropolis occupies the site of a Malay settlement, with the first colonial structures being built on the site of the residence of the Malay rulers.
Delving into the Malay Annals, stories are told about the region’s pre-colonial histories; presented in a poetic form. Through different transcriptions, translations and retellings over the centuries, the text had assumed a semi-mythological nature. Through the murky, poetic texts, one may ponder histories, and foundation mythologies. Text from the Annals in Malay (Boon Kheng Cheah; Abdul Rahman Haji Ismail, 2009) and English (CC Brown, 1970) are overlaid to amplify the ambiguity of the nature of the texts. The text is cut-out of romanticised contemporary photographs of the sites mentioned to ponder the mysterious and murky past. The distance and difference between pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial foundation mythologies are stark; yet each presents a certain tradition of romanticism. From the Malay Annal’s poetic nature, to the desire of colonists to present faraway lands as pieces of Europe, to contemporary placemaking and starchitecture. The prevailing foundation mythos of Perth and Singapore is still heavily euro-centric. Both cities, despite their long local histories oftentimes have their foundation dated to the age of establishment as British colonies. During the age of colonialism, the romantic picturesque are invoked in paintings to attract curiosity, settlement, political and financial patronage, and validate the act of colonialism. Faraway lands may be presented as little pieces of Europe, oftentimes with pictorial practices which would be considered questionable in today’s context.
In contemporary times, with the rapid production and consumption of imagery, the emergence of stock photography allows us to observe an act of contemporary romanticism, where such images may be used for commercial consumption. Often featuring landmarks, and are often heavily edited for maximum visual impact and recognisability, leading into the realm of kitsch.Picturesque paintings from the colonial era are paired with contemporary stock images taken from the closest angle or subject matter. The difference between pre-colonial and contemporary romanticism is observed; and its commonality in the desires of the promotion of prevailing agendas is evident. Under the layer of the spectacle, lies the truth. The act of erasure unveils the magnitude of untold or unknown histories.
Rationale
As Singapore has also experienced contested histories, migration and existing diasporas along with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the dialogue in this project seeks to synchronise the conversations of reclaiming self-identity and agency in Australia and Singapore . Acknowledging and looking to the pasts of both countries and the resulting effects of related circumstances, the creation of a portal between the two countries offers a Third Space between, which can suggest a future existence beyond the colonial discourse of binaries.
Bio
Akai Chew is an artist based in Singapore working with photography and mixed media. His interests include photography, cartography, psychogeography and urban exploring. He graduated with a Bachelor in Architecture and Built Environments from the University of Tasmania in 2019. During his time in Tasmania, he was made aware of the magnitude of hidden or contested histories any space may hold, and that the question of a sense of place is always murky and controversial. In Singapore he had exhibited at 8Q SAM, The Substation and VADA in Singapore. In Australia he had exhibited at Powerhouse Gallery in Launceston and Dark MOFO / Panopticon II in Hobart.
Jen Datu
Works
⑤ Untitled
Karaoke
Video Channel & Installation
2020
⑥ Untitled
Performance
Video Channel & Installation
2020
Summary
In postcolonial discourse, theorist Homi K. Bhabha posits hybridisation as a subversion of authority. Cultural hybridity can no longer be confined to a dualistic reading and there is an in-between space that disrupts colonial notions of self and Other. This space is described by Bhabha as the Third Space (Wolf, 2000).
As a first generation Filipino Australian, my experience of the effects of continuing colonialism in Australia has situated me as the Other. Examining Boorloo’s colonial history and the resulting displacement and erasure of peoples and culture, this project prompts a self reflection of identity on contested lands. By blurring the line between binaries of domestic and public space, and the categorical distinction of cultures, my project looks to inhabit the Third Space. Using the motif of the bicycle and exercise as practice, I question what transformations and expectations are made futile. The failure to perform in daily systems turns out to be a liberating disobedience. Through an amalgamation of John Denver, kung fu b-grade cinematography, Australian urbanised landscapes and Filipino brand karaoke, the work is situated on culturally ambiguous grounds, defying the categorisation of the colonial gaze. Humour seeps in through home video and b-grade film editing, and asks the viewer to engage and critique the everyday around them.
Bio
Jen Datu is a first generation Australian-Filipino working in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia, having recently graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) from Curtin University. Datu has exhibited with Propel Youth Arts (WA), Little Wing Corner Gallery and Cool Change Contemporary in various group shows. Their practice is informed by personal experiences and observations that arise from social engagements. Through performance and installation Datu utilises Fluxus principals to examine the systems and superstructures that lie below the surface of the everyday, curiously questioning and reflecting upon the use of body gestures and familiar forms. More recently, Datu has begun exploring environments of employment. By uncannily reconfiguring these spaces, they prompt the viewer to question their predetermined readings of spaces and culture, and how they critically affect how we perform and interact with one another. By highlighting power dynamics that are not mutually exclusive from them, Datu reveals the interconnectedness between art, the viewer, and daily life.
double / take (Sea Currents x Synchronicities) is a part of
A platform dedicated to a testing environment for the arts. They embody the spirit of the Substation where it is a Space to Experiment, Fail, Learn and Try Again. Artistic play and experimentation are essential to growing a healthy arts ecosystem.
Through sandbox, we provide spaces for a range of artistic projects (exhibitions, labs & jams) to take place. We encourage self-organising, collaborative processes and active engagement between art and audience.