Jason Lim, Duet with Light, 2012, Beijing, Giclée print on photo cotton rag, 30 x 45 inches

Jason Lim is one of Singapore’s most respected performance artists and a leading contemporary ceramist. From 22 August to 5 September, Gajah Gallery presents his 20-year survey exhibition, curated by Daniela Beltrani.

The curatorial core of this exhibition hinges on two complementary areas of focus: the first (Timeline), dynamic by nature, has a purely art historical, non-commercial approach and probes into Lim’s performance art practice from its very beginning to the present, considering his evolution and offering a meaningful context to the photos exhibited in the second section of the exhibition. The second section (Fine Art Photography) proposes a selection of photographs, as unintentional, distilled and sublimated moments extrapolated from the artist’s main series of performances in his more recent and mature phase.

The exhibition therefore unravels in two clear segments of time-journey from 1994 to 2014, complete with text, documentation (photos and videos) and ephemera (relics, catalogues, invites, etc) and an in-depth and focused presentation of selected performances from three series: Duet with Light, Duet with Thread, and Last Drop.

Lim’s abandonment of objects with inner associations or symbolic meanings and ultimately his direction towards essentiality has freed his performances from attachment to any cultural, religious, political, or social significance, making them potentially understood and appreciated by anybody.

The artist’s universal poetic language does not require any prior knowledge of art or even of him as a performance artist. It is a language immediately understood, because it taps into the deepest recesses of the best part of our humanity. And this poetic quality is perhaps what has secured his past and continuing success abroad and keeps him travelling to all sides of the Earth sharing his universal art with audiences from the most disparaged backgrounds.

Jason Lim was born in Singapore in 1966. He attained his Master of Fine Arts Degree from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Lasalle College of the Arts) in 2003. His repertoire of works encompasses ceramics, photography, video art, installation art and performance art. In 2007, he presented his work Walking Sticks at the 4th World Ceramics Biennale in Korea winning the Juror’s Prize. In the same year, he presented Just Dharma and Light Weight at the Singapore Pavilion at the 52nd Venice Biennale.

Exhibition:     Tempus Fugit (Time Flies)
Dates:     22 August – 05 September 2014
Tour:    Artist Talk & Curator’s Tour: Sat 23 Aug 2014, 2.30pm – 4pm
Venue:     Gajah Gallery, 140 Hill Street, Old Hill Street Police Station #01-08
Hours:     Mon – Fri 11am – 7pm, Sat, Sun & PH 12pm – 6pm
Info:    www.gajahgallery.com