If you popped by Excelsior Shopping Centre lately, then you know that Dylan Chan’s solo My Best Friend has arrived at I_S_L_A_N_D_S. The showcase takes a personal turn as the artist reflects on his relationship with his partner, in relation to the dynamics of his personal and family life. Fellow artist Lizzie Wee also collaborated with Chan on the solo, coming aboard as the curator.
The show takes its title from how many queer people might introduce their partners as “my friend” out of safety and necessity. Chan expresses this sense of purposeful concealing by hanging curtains from the ceiling at the front of the space.
These curtains are imprinted with photographs of flower stalks and faceless bodies, though from certain angles you can catch a glimpse of what these curtains hide: a selection of tender photographs related to his partner.
Haunting and quietly poetic, we enjoyed how Chan played with physical and metaphorical layers to shed light on how he, and many members of the queer community, specifically navigate and present their relationships to the rest of society.
Have a look through our photos below to check out the show.
My Best Friend runs at I_S_L_A_N_D_S, 5 Coleman St, Excelsior Shopping Centre, B1-07B Singapore 179805 till 14 January 2023.
