a taste of SAM

Thanks to emen, I went to look at the exhibits in the S'pore Art Museum for the first time in years. We went to an exhibition showcasing the catalan artist Antoni Tapies. I've never really managed to grasp the appreciation of abstract painting, so most of it really went over my head. But there were a few works - generally the larger ones - that I really liked, such as his 'No identity' (sorry couldn't find a picture of it online), which I thought captured the struggle to define oneself elegantly and perfectly. That was quite possibly the highlight of the exhibition for me.

More accessible was the Southeast Asian collection. A lot of the paintings reflect the events of the past decades: struggles for independence, the tension between modernity and tradition, foreign influence versus local customs, and so on. It was a whole lot easier to understand and appreciate than Tapies, mainly because the issues they grappled with were so much more immediate and obvious than abstract 'matter paintings'. Anyone with the slightest awareness of the history and politics of the region would have no problems figuring out what the artists were trying to express, sometimes in disturbingly graphic forms (like the Filipino series 'Happy Victims').

Apart from the irritatingly creaky floors, I was really quite pleased with what SAM had to offer. It was definitely way better than I expected, and for an admission fee of $3, it's an affordable diversion for a saturday afternoon. And best of all, it's not too crowded, except for the glass hall and auditorium, which may be used for wedding services. I think I may have just found another place to hang out.