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LIVE PERFORMANCE
175
July14
Though New Zealander HONOR HARGER arrived
just four months ago from her ten-year stint in
Europe – most recently, she was a curator in the
UK – she’s already made her mark on Singapore’s
arts and culture scene, as executive
director of the ArtScience Musuem
at Marina Bay Sands. Her first
task? Launching
Ar tScience
Late
, a programme that aims
to encourage interdisciplinary
exchanges between international
artists. We asked Honor what we
can expect from this collaborative
performance series.
What can museum-goers look forward to?
At the heart of ArtScience Late is a series of free, cutting-edge
performances by local and international artists who explore
art, science and technology in their works. From 7pm on one
Thursday every month, the public can unwind over drinks while
seeing the museum in a different light, as it’s transformed
into a buzzy, night-time destination; our galleries are also
open until 10pm, giving museum-goers the chance to see
exhibitions after-hours.
Over the course of the series, you’ll see artists from different
backgrounds performing together in new collaborations; for
instance, a beat boxer working with a VJ; a performance
artist working with a classical musician; a technologist
working with a choreographer; a spoken-word artist working
with interactive light technology, and so on. This month will
feature a groundbreaking performance by Elemento and
Wawi Navarroza of the Philippines. Together, they’ll play
original compositions using self-made musical instruments,
constructed from objects such as bicycle parts, kitchen
utensils, scrap metal and sensors.
What inspired the programme lineup, and how’d
you match up the artists?
We were inspired by the way that this generation of performers
are working at the confluence between art, science and
technology, and felt we were in an ideal position to share these
works with new audiences. We had a very clear idea of what
we wanted to achieve; the concept was to create a context
for interaction, collaboration and experimentation between
performers. Each performance explores the intersection
between two different disciplines – just as ArtScience Museum
explores the intersection between art and science.
We worked very closely with Singapore-based curator,
Vanini Belarmino, on the lineup of performers, as she’s
worked with a range of artists from different disciplines in
her career. One important consideration was the creative
energies that each artist brought and how their individual work
complemented one another. Also important was how well the
performances would work within our space, and several of the
nine performances were conceived specially to complement it.
We wanted to select artists whose practices we felt passionate
about; artists whom we knew would create genuinely exciting
live performances that push the boundaries of what’s possible
at the convergence of art and technology.
Sounds like an amazing gig. What’s your favourite
aspect of the job?
My favourite part is having the opportunity to work alongside
a fantastic team, interacting with outstanding local and
international artists and scientists, and being able to curate
works which exist at the intersection between art, science
and technology.
What do you think of Singapore’s arts scene?
Even in the short time I’ve been here, it’s been very evident to
me that the scene is thriving. The contemporary art ecosystem
here is particularly vibrant right now, with the new galleries
at Gillman Barracks sitting alongside national museums of
art, and the art fairs, all signposting Singapore as one of the
capitals of contemporary art in Asia. It’s a very exciting time
to be here, and I’m looking forward to positioning ArtScience
Museum at the heart of this ecosystem.
10 Bayfront Avenue. Upcoming dates: 24 July, 21 August,
11 September. For more on ArtScience Late and its line-up,
visit
marinabaysands.com/artsciencemuseum
.
After-Dark
By Amy Greenburg
Artistry