For Art’s Sake!

The smoke machine in Jiwo Jiro now has a rival for being the most irritating device used at a show at this year’s Fringe Fest.

The “video screen”-cum-divider in Missing Statement.

I’m really not the type to nitpick a show to death and I’m cool enough to let go, but in this case, I was distracted by the flimsily made prop. Which, in my opinion, isn’t good since not only was it the only other thing you see onstage apart from the dancers, Albert Tiong and Melissa Quek, but it was, literally, a pivotal part of the entire project.

There I was thinking, “Good lord, it looks like a hospital curtain. It even squeaks like one.”

(I didn’t stay for tonight’s post-show talk so maybe it was intentional? Anybody?)

Anyways, Choreographer Susan Yeung explores the nature of duality in a number of ways. She initially juxtaposes the impact of (projected) still imagery and visceral onstage movement. E.g., images of a hand are flashed unto the hospit… erm, the video screen, Quek contemplates this and offers a hand gesture of her own. (Though not exactly original, it had its charms.)

Yeung later presents this dual-thingee as a moment of tension when we see Quek and Tiong taking turns peering across the divider (which they use to the max) for a glimpse of the other’s movements, with neither one really “breaking through” to the other side.

There is a whiff of mystery surrounding Missing Statement that I truly found intriguing. There were images of a clock and an unknown man with a suitcase, a kinda film noir-ish soundtrack, and particularly nice moment where, between flashes of light and darkness, the dancers’ movements were distilled into gestural tableaus, frozen in the act of… something.

For all the faults to be found in this rough-around-the-edges piece, I did feel a slight tinge of ache watching it, even if Missing Statement never completely convinced me.

It offered that sense of yearning and frustration at one’s inability to connect with another (whether it’s on the level of the Saussurean sign or just the sheer physicality of human contact, as was the point of the whole tug-of-war drama between the two dancers).

But I don’t think it was meant to push me to one side either.

I’m wondering if this missing emotional connection was due in part to the general lack of forceful energy from the performers, particularly Quek. (The concept’s there, the moves are there, but where’s the oomph? I want oomph!)

That doesn’t mean there weren’t any “oomph” moments, though. At one point, Tiong briefly burst into series of twitches that caught me pleasantly off guard. Like he was momentarily having seizures or something.

Hmmm, maybe those were meant to be hospital curtains after all…

Missing Statement has another show tomorrow (Jan 23), 8pm, at The Substation Theatre. Tickets at $19 from Sistic.

Tags: Albert Tiong, Melissa Quek, Missing Statement, Singapore dance, Singapore Fringe Festival, Susan Yeung

The M1 Singapore Fringe Festival kicks off in January with a theme so lofty, so majestic, so daunting it’s practically the size of City Hall.

The theme for 2010 is Art & The Law.

And one of the highlights for 2010 is…

katncadix2 – the cutesy band from Taiwan!

Yes, a bit unusual isn’t it. But apparently they’ve got “fringe” cred. They started off as buskers.

The organizers – folks from The Necessary Stage — just released the line-up this afternoon and I’m quite impressed by this Fringe edition’s eclectic nature.

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In true Singapore fashion, the figures first.

2 additional new venues: ION Orchard and Sculpture Square; 6 exhibits; 30 performances; 20 works; 12 countries – including rookies Iran, Slovakia, Burma (as the organizers refer to Myanmar) and Malaysia.

Malaysia?!

Remember their “Virgin” and “Veteran” ratings? This year they’ve got only 2 “Veteran” shows.

I think it’s a sign you should scrap the whole thing ey? Singaporeans need to be surprised once in a while, I think.

Forgot to ask about the budget. But hey, M1’s still around.

Kudos Mr Longtime Bigshot Supporter Of The Arts! How many years have you been sponsoring this indie fest? Since the dawn of time? Wah…

Now if you were only offering the iPhone… (UPDATE: Wow, apparently, they will be. Check out the “response” below.)

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Anyway, next gush point. The nice, nice festival programme.

My computer’s not reading my phone so I can’t upload the pics just yet, but you’ll probably find it around.

Basically, in keeping with the theme, it’s all worded in a rather formal way. Curiously, the layout also includes certain portions that have been “censored” by a black marker.

Pretty smart design. Although for the record, the folks at The Necessary Stage say there’s no work that strictly tackles the subject of censorship.

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And finally, the juicy line-up.

There’s a lot of “pop” stuff this year. Aside from katncadix2 (“It’d be nice to see teenyboppers at our shows,” quipped Haresh Sharma), there’s Theatre Group Gumbo from Japan who’ll do a kind of “game show/cabaret show” performance with a bit of otaku culture thrown in.

There’s also a spoken-word/hiphop flavoured show by Bryonn Bain from the US.

Also back and lending some continuity from the recent edition is visual artist Philip Toledano, who did that heartbreaking exhibition about his father at the Esplanade Tunnel.

This time, he’s setting up a quirky exhibit-cum-gift shop at ION Art Gallery featuring “products” based on George W Bush’s foreign policy. Hah.

All this is counter-balanced by the, erm, “serious” shows and exhibits that tackle, among others, Max Ernst, the Khmer Rouge, and a Burmese artist’s experience in a prison cell.

Local artists are also in the game, notably playwright/director Noor Effendy Ibrahim’s Bilik Ahmad Berdaki completing his trilogy and choreographer Albert Tiong’s The Passing.

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Everything looks interesting. But for the sake of those who scrolled all the way down looking for “picks”, okay lah, you can start with these.

1. Jiwo Jiro

TNS/Cake/Panggung Arts regular Najib Soiman directs again! From the previews I saw, this was the one that really got my attention.

Imagine a dwarf (is that more politically correct than midget?) in a wheelchair surrounded by a bunch of scruffy looking teens doing the dikir barat. I hope the rest of the piece is just as visually amazing.

2. ____ Can Change

TNS’ three-plays-in-one about how Singles, Homosexuals and Marxists can ____.

That last bit is inspired by Alvin Tan and Haresh Sharma’s life-changing experience back in the early `90s when a certain daily labeled them as Marxists.

They did a preview of the Homosexual part – with a troubled Rodney Oliveiro seeking advice from Siti Khalijah concerning his predicament, and the latter quoting passages from the Bible.

It looks brilliantly deadpan to me. I wonder how audiences will take it seeing as, from what I understood from Alvin, the plays are taking a morally upright stance.

3. A Guide to the Common Flora and Fauna of the World

A process-oriented exhibit involving the illegal smuggling of endangered geckos through hollowed-out-books by, ahem, The Institute of Critical Zoologists.

Some of you may know them as that universally-famous group of scientists who work closely with local photographer Zhao Renhui. As in very closely. (RAT adjusts his spectacles)

4. Last Meals

This photography exhibit by American Jonathan Kambouris has got a seriously heavy premise – mugshots of convicted killers juxtaposed with images of their last meal on earth. That’s the infamous Timothy McVeigh of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. He had ice cream.

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And what do you know, I’ve practically mentioned the entire line-up!

If you don’t believe me, check out the website here. Tickets are already on sale (with Early Bird discounts!) at Sistic.

But you’ve still got time. The fest runs from Jan 13 to 24.

Tags: Albert Tiong, Alvin Tan, art exhibit, Bilik Ahmad Berdaki, Bryonn Bain, Haresh Sharma, Institute of Critical Zoologists, ION Orchard, Jiwo Jiro, Jonathan Kambouris, katncadix2, Marxists, Najib Soiman, Noor Effendy Ibrahim, Philip Toledano, Rodney Oliveiro, Sculpture Square, Singapore Fringe Festival, Siti Khalijah, The Necessary Stage, The Passing, theatre, Theatre Group Gumbo, Timothy McVeigh, visual arts, Zao Renhui