Organised by Arts House Limited, Textures, the annual literary arts festival that celebrates Singapore literature (SingLit), returns once again from 19 – 28 January 2024 at The Arts House, in conjunction with the Light to Night Singapore Festival and Singapore Art Week. Featuring multidisciplinary SingLit-related programmes and showcases that respond to the theme ‘Reimagine,’ Textures transports all visitors to a world where words come alive against the backdrop of other artistic practices and disciplines, casting a spotlight on the literary works that are closest to home.
Marrying poetry, movement, and live music together, the 2024 edition of Textures presents Thank You For Holding, a multidisciplinary piece centering around the alternative experience of connecting to a phone operator at a call centre. Written and directed by by Marc Nair, choreographed by Sudhee Liao with performers Arunditha, Chan Hsin Yee and Jack Ng, and composed by Mantravine, the work is fused together by the spellbinding art direction of Audrey Ng and Low Zi Hao, and the performance is embellished with elements of audience interaction. Audiences are invited to be deeply immersed in the interactive theatre experience where diverse arts practices intersect and are encouraged to reimagine the boundaries of the literary arts, especially in such contemporary times.
Cherita Hantu: Horror Reimagined will also make its return to Textures as Hafidz Rahman presents a fresh take on his spine-chilling performance of five local horror stories. Audiences can prepare their hearts for a multisensory showcase that is sure to spook one’s socks off with the interactive use of smells and sounds that promise a literary twist!
Visitors looking to stock up for their next book-tok social media post can head down to Textures’ pop-up bookstore by Chio Books where book enthusiasts and casual readers alike can encounter a diverse spread of titles by both local and international authors across a myriad of genres. Those who prefer digital formats can check out Read At Home at the Level 1 corridor of The Arts House, which is decked out with e-Book titles on display. In partnership with the National Library Board (NLB), visitors can simply scan the corresponding QR codes to borrow their desired e-books.
Visitors can also expect a feast for their eyes with art installations and digital projections across The Arts House lawn and on its façade. Look forward to Singapore visual artist Justin Loke’s 8-Bit Word Cloud – an outdoor installation which serves as a throwback to early video game graphics and explores the relationship between digital pixels and letters, inviting viewers to reflect on the intersection of digital art and language within the context of classic video game aesthetics. For a different experience, attendees can immerse themselves in the mesmerising projection, Winter Sonata, Summer Mookata by Knuckles & Notch. This mind-bending display takes everyone into a surreal world inspired by anime aesthetics, prompting viewers to reconsider their established perceptions of the seemingly solid borders between the tangible reality and the abstract realms of their imaginations.
Website: https://artshouselimited.sg/tah-textures-2024
Venue: The Arts House
When: 19 - 28 Jan 2024,
By: The Arts House at the Old Parliament
