Ghosts and Spectres – Shadows of History features video installations and films by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand), Ho Tzu Nyen (Singapore), Nguyen Trinh Thi (Vietnam), and Park Chan-kyong (South Korea). The artists’ research into their own cultural and historical backgrounds gain shape through allegories that re-evaluate the social and political reforms in Post-War and Cold-War Asia. The cinematic works in the exhibition combine fact and fiction. They not only allude to rarely discussed subject-matters but also raise crucial questions about power and authority, construction of narratives, repression of identities, and collective trauma.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul (b. 1970, Thailand) is recognised for his distinctive voice in contemporary cinema. His films are non-linear and often invoke personal politics and social issues. His films and installations have won him widespread international recognition and numerous awards, including the Sharjah Biennial Prize, UAE (2013) and the Cannes Palme d’Or, France (2010).
Ho Tzu Nyen (b. 1976, Singapore) makes films, videos, and theatrical performances out of historical and philosophical texts and artefacts. His work has been presented at major museums and institutions worldwide including the Guggenheim Museum (Bilbao, 2015; New York, 2013), DAAD Galerie, Berlin (2015), Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2012), and Tate Modern, London (2010). In 2011, Ho represented Singapore at the Venice Biennale.
Nguyen Trinh Thi (b. 1973, Vietnam) is a Hanoi-based moving image artist. Her diverse practice, transcending the boundaries between cinema, documentary and performance, has consistently engaged with memory and history. Her works have been shown at international festivals and art exhibitions including Jeu de Paume, Paris (2015–16); CAPC muse d’art contemporain de Bordeaux (2015); the Lyon Biennale (2015); Asian Art Biennial, Taichung (2015); Fukuoka Asian Art Triennial (2014); and Singapore Biennale (2013). Nguyen is founder and director of Doclab, Hanoi, an independent centre for documentary and experimental films and video art.
Park Chan-kyong (b. 1965, South Korea) is a media artist, film director, and writer. His work often engages with histories and politics of representation by evoking traditional cultures and ritualistic practices. Park’s major works include Citizen’s Forest (2016), Manshin: Ten Thousand Spirits (2013), the award-winning Night Fishing (2011, co-directed with Park Chan-wook), Sindoan (2008), Power Passage (2004–07), and Sets (2000). Park served as Artistic Director of SeMA Biennale Mediacity Seoul in 2014.
Curated by:
Ute Meta Bauer, Founding Director, NTU CCA Singapore and Professor, School of Art, Design and Media, NTU
Khim Ong, Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes & Senior Curator, Exhibitions
Exhibition Opening: 31 August 2017, 7.00 – 9.00pm
Venue: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, Block 43 Malan Road, Singapore 109443
Exhibition hours: Tuesdays to Sundays: 12.00 – 7.00pm; Fridays: 12.00 – 9.00pm
When: 1 Sep - 19 Nov 2017,
By: NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (NTU CCA Singapore)
