Written and performed by Sean Cham
Once again working at intersections of visual art, performance, and situated practice, Sean Cham’s The Last Gap is a participatory learning journey that examines Singapore’s ‘war memory’ with an emphasis on the events that took place between the Allied and Japanese forces in February 1942 on Pasir Panjang Ridge, which is now NUS Kent Ridge Campus.
These events culminated in the surrender of the Allies and the beginning of 36 months of occupation by Japanese forces.
“Traces and signs of our colonial and imperial past have either been erased, or have gone through drastic adaptive reuse. What remains are bronze plaques commissioned by state agencies, and numerous museums and exhibitions to remember the war,” says the artist, describing his production as “a bid to remember, interrogate, and reclaim.”
Participants in the two-hour-long production will be guided through key locations, archives and exhibits from the conflict.
“The Last Gap isn’t just about the war, it’s about how we remember as individuals, as communities, as a state, and as a region,” says the artist. “It’s about what we choose to include and exclude from our memories, and how we curate these memories as histories for future generations. I have been learning, unlearning, and relearning through my research, and I hope that participants can join me in this learning process together.”
Already regarded as one of Singapore’s creative talents to watch, Sean’s creative focus circles urban development, collective memory and historiography. His prior works include This is Where (M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2019), First Storeys (The Future of Our Pasts Festival 2019).
Having recently completed his studies at Yale-NUS College, The Last Gap will be Sean’s final production before he moves to London to pursue a Master of Arts in Situated Practice at Bartlett School of Architecture.
The Last Gap is presented with thanks to the Yale-NUS College Fabrication Studios.
Venue: UCC Dance Studio, 50 Kent Ridge Cres, Singapore 119279
When: 6 - 8 Sep 2019, Various times
By: NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA)
