On the 12th of January, having pre-booked tickets, I went to see the Minimalism: Space, Light, Object exhibition in Singapore which ends 14 April 2019. I’ve purchased the dual museum option. If you are stingy, and wondering whether you should spend that money on movies and popcorn instead of going, you are clearly skipping town. Because, you won’t regret it. EVER. In fact, you will pine for a sequel, after going through some life-changing magic (wondering about life and the universe). Consolation, you can get closing discounted tickets because the exhibition is ending, sob. There are single venue tickets where you can purchase tickets to visit National Gallery OR Art Science Museum separately. And BOTH (see below promo) at your preference. However, I recommend you choose both of these museums to cover everything there is to offer. IMPT: You need not be into design, art or a Minimalist to appreciate the Minimalism exhibition. It is for everybody. Anyone can enjoy and have a fun day out with family and friends. But please don’t be too loud.
Briefly, what the heck is this artsy Minimalism Exhibition all about? Foremost, it is about the manipulation of lights, spaces, and objects to accentuate the Minimal Art Form and its ability to induce powerful, probing mental states of perceiving and being in humans. This is performed through paintings, sculpture, installation, performance and music. It is a very telling movement, showing how Minimalism rose to prominence in 20th century art. By stripping away superfluous elements and unnecessary art processes down to the essential, these Minimalist artists strive to create a closer relationship between the audience and the artwork. So we can have direct cool conversations with the art pieces and their Minimalist masters setting out to lesser.
There are hundreds of work by various Western and Asian artists/composers influential in the Minimalism movement, spanning across both the National Gallery and Art Science museums for you to take in. This exhibition will shed light that the scientific idea of the Void itself - such as the cosmic void, which till today has tirelessly plagued metaphysics geek heads, is at best a very confusing hole of contemplation. The nature of the universe, although empty, isn’t truly empty. Somewhere along the walls in the museum, you will notice the overrated historical quote Albert Einstein would be hollering from his slumber six feet under in that ‘Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.’ I’m assuming it extends beyond mere Math equations he had to decipher when furiously mugging in his office.
hello, albert.
A further explanation to how the theory of science incorporates some sort of simplicity, that is to be simple but not simpler, where you would find the core principle of Minimalism is as follows:
“It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.” Albert Einstein
Right.
Before getting there, I had forecasted that the exhibition would be boring, solely because, it is about material subtraction. So what can I expect?
First stop. The National Gallery. Pretty much glared at exhibit after every exhibit, dumbfounded. At this point, I was thinking about my life. Wondering what had happened to my life up until now and if the emptiness will swallow me whole. Wondering about deeper messages and the infinity beyond. The air in the venue was different and even when people stood in the way of an artwork, I felt like the displays grew on me. Besides, I had not known that empty spaces could open up unfounded feelings. Heartily provoked, I came out of the venue like an awkward, displaced duck.
Somehow, the artful endeavours seem to be speaking (at times, screaming) about the quotidian. That had to be experienced in its vernacular, to be felt on its own ground. Not to be dismissed, there were myriad difficult emotions in the wave of a highly complex absence the Minimalist artists have successfully produced by meticulous work. And there and then, whenever I turned to view another exhibit, groupies would comment as they saunter past “OH, THAT IS SO SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN.” Well, it does look a little like that, but there’s something else.
Second stop. The Art Science Museum. The exact thing happened to me as it did at the National Gallery. Dumbstruck, I was reflecting on the starkness of Minimalism.
Here are some iconic unveilings you should look out for in Minimalism: Space, Light and Object:
This ASMR minimalist zen sand rotor. Perfect for zen gardens.
Organic stones in circular ritual formation. ARE THEY BLASTED out mini stone-henges?
High-brow, stylish ice cream scoops (bloody dung scoops too.)
The Dark void you enter at your own risk - soon you will ghost in. be very afraid.
This void, is quite possibly darker and deeper than it seem to be. Locking your eyes in into the pitch black ovate, you will wander off into the infinite galaxy of nothingness. Your senses will betray you, and you will lose all footing and control of your mind and body. Dead serious! You have to be there to feel. The manipulation of light, space, its angle and structure is divine Minimalist intervention. From Frederick De Wilde.
The only colour maze to get lost in the colour blinds. (Unlike me, you probably won’t be lost)
There was a maze of transparent coloured sheets. Color-tinted plastics. I got lost, and found myself at a dead-end slapped by a yellow plastic sheet. Turned around and I saw my friend from afar. Couldn’t call out to her and that was rather alienating and shameful. Although the sheets were kind of clear; you can peer out at people, but you can’t really see their faces. The colours had gone ahead and messed with spatial orientation. From Olafur Eliasson.
Moving light cubes to remind you squares aren’t so straitjacket. an Elite, hipster higher than high-school project.
A metal-plated egg to ward off Daenerys Targaryen’s rival gangs. (tales of fire and ice.)
A real time-capsule that encapsulates an artist’s time, hard work and sacrifice (weeping now..).
A superbly patient Artist does this task day by day, filling up the metal tubes in each needle-shaped borosilicate glass with finely milled metal powder. As if the time and effort spilled for this work is unjustly not rewarded, the time needle or capsule (pictured here) captures the essence of an Artist’s blood, sweat and tears, as time goes by. From Morgan Wong.
All the very enlightening museum labels (they have such elaborate stories).
Remember to read the explanations well so you really know what that they mean.
Well, were you expecting more? There are other featured highlights at the National Gallery & Art Science Museum in this exhibition which you have to explore and experience if you get the tickets before they close up. Every display had an important life lesson, at least to me it sure did? Something to think about when confronted head-on with sparsely decorated ornate installations. I had not discovered empty spaces to be so beautiful and hauntingly meditative. Now I really love an empty space and wish for a styled house to be quite empty.