9 September 2022 – Can Everybody See My Screen? at Singapore Art Museum
Here’s a first look at Can Everybody See My Screen? at Singapore Art Museum! True to its title, the exhibition touches on how our bodies relate to technology and the digital world.
There’s a solid selection of thought-provoking and fun, interactive works — including an artwork that takes the form of a claw machine! Scroll through the photos to have a look at some highlights.
The exhibition opens at Singapore Art Museum on 9 September 2022.
Here’s artist Rizman Putra from the collective Kill Your Television, in front of The P.O.P. Station Greatest Hits. The work features recordings of people singing and dancing in wacky, wonderful ways, echoing the performative nature of American Idol and the once-popular neoprint machines. This was way back in the 2000s before apps like TikTok and Instagram came along, so we definitely enjoyed that sense of nostalgia.
Artist Ulrich Lau (left) in front of his works Code File: Three Domes. You’ll see a set of three digital prints, each bearing a distorted image of domes from museums in Singapore, many of which are from the colonial era. He disrupted the image’s code to create the distortions, even cheekily inserting the National Arts Council’s mission into the code.
Inspired by live feeds, Lau’s ‘Live Circuit’ features goggles and a face mask made out of protective equipment. Lau explained that while one can still breathe and see while wearing the equipment, it isn’t easy – perhaps symbolising how technology can stifle our physical senses as we move through the world.
Drawing on the artist’s frustrations with online dating, Liana Yang’s ‘A Souvenir’ is a work that we won’t forget any time soon. The work takes the form of a claw machine — an arcade game that’s notorious for being difficult to win anything from — to reflect on how difficult it is to find genuine relationships on dating apps. You can even try your hand at getting a ball out of the machine to get a prize, but be warned, it is far from easy!
(Left) On a desk nearby are a laptop and a tablet under fluorescent purple lights. Sit down and play the game 2nd Puberty,’ crafted by artist Xafiér Yap. (Right) The game running on the tablet. It’s absurdly difficult to get through (with overpowered enemies constantly knocking you out), which is the point, as it reflects the queer artist’s difficulties in navigating the heteronormative world.
Head into a darkened room to catch Cao Fei’s i.Mirror, which was made with the online game Second Life. The excerpt follows Cao’s journey playing as her avatar China Tracy, who embarks on an online romance.
If your legs are tired, take a break at Muhammad Akbar’s Il Fait Bleu. Rest on the beanbags around the work and look up to face an illuminated patch of blue — which parallels the evening sky as well as a computer’s error screen
(Left) Don’t leave before interacting with Terra Bajraghosa’s Narcissus Pixelus. Recalling video games that allow you to create a digital avatar, you’re invited to make your very own avatar from pre-made palettes and walk away with a printed image of your creation. (Right) Here’s a printout of the avatar we designed!
