June 2015

155 286

ARTS PRE-FESTIVAL
155 June15
OPEN
The O.P.E.N. (Open, Participate, Enrich, Negotiate)
is the “pre-festival of ideas” for the Singapore
Festival of the Arts (SIFA). It was created as a
public engagement initiative aimed at connecting
audiences with themes and issues of the main
festival in a more casual, intimate setting. This year,
the 18-day event, held over June and July – two
months prior to the main festival – will dig deep
into the heart of SIFA’s theme, “POST-Empires”,
exploring it through a selection of screenings, talks
and exhibitions, together with concerts and other
performances. We asked The O.P.E.N. Director,
NOORLINAH MOHAMED, for a sneak peek.
What can we expect from this year’s The O.P.E.N.?
The arts have become the main conduit through which we
present ideas affecting the world today. Framed around a
central theme, The O.P.E.N. is a wonderful platform where
audiences are encouraged and enabled to engage with ideas
through the arts.
Last year, participants and attendees, mingled and had
lively exchanges. The 2014 pre-festival was held in one venue,
which created a congenial and convivial atmosphere where
many chose to stay frommorning until night – attending talks,
screenings and performances all in one day. A community
grew from it – its members present because of their shared
interest in talking about issues and ideas.
While that same vision continues, for 2015 we are
introducing five different O.P.E.N. platforms – film, concert,
exhibition, salon and performance – held at different venues.
So, though we will be in varied places, we hope the spirit of
the venue-hopping and interest in other platforms will still
generate a community – a “nomadic” one. There will be more
than 30 events, including a variety of international speakers
and artists from South America, Asia and Europe.
What is the importance of
the POST-Empires theme?
For me, it’s the excitement of
perspectives that POST-Empires
offers us. From the ideological
and political, to the economic
and commercial, this hyphenated
word directs me to reflect how the
past affects the present, and the
need for a change in the status
quo; nothing remains the same,
except the desire to find alternatives. Note the plural in “POST-
Empires”; the idea is to open pathways of engagement from
different perspectives and through different lenses.
Which highlights are you most excited about?
Two Asian premieres: The Imagination of the Future (Chile),
and the dances by Cristian Duarte from Brazil. Also on my
to-attend list is architect Toyo Ito’s keynote speech for the
O.P.E.N. Salon, and the two photographic exhibitions by Lu
Guang and Pushpamala N. There’s also an augmented reality
project I’m working on called 15 Stations at Tanjong Pagar
Railway Station; that’s going to be an interesting platform to
engage in with archival and historical material through app
development and digital technology.
What are you hoping the public comes away with?
Just be open and immersive, and dare to cross platforms. If
you’re keen on concerts, then get an O.P.E.N. Pass ($45) and
attend both concerts – but don’t stop there; venture beyond
concerts and attend a talk. Try to attend all the events, and
soak in the atmosphere; come have a cuppa, exchange
ideas and simply enjoy. We created the O.P.E.N. Pass to be
an affordable means of enjoying everything The O.P.E.N.
has to offer.
The O.P.E.N. runs from 16 June to 4 July. For schedules and
tickets, visit
Sesame
The Arrival of Vasco da
Gama by Pushpamala N
The Imagination of
the Future
By Amy Greenburg