I write this on Nov 24 while waiting for my flight. Unlike Hong Kong, I have much less energy because it is a much quicker trip. Zoomed in and out of Singapore.
Conference
Primarily here because of the
Imagining Pasts and Futures Conference organised by La Salle Singapore-University Arts Singapore and RMIT School of Arts. It was a rush-rush invitation. Urich Lau, one of the original Project Glocal artist, and who became one of my most fave human (cyborg?) on the whole planet, sent the invitation. Of course, I won't say no.
Additional bait was dropped, it is an all expense paid trip (in a hotel that I like!), and that I will be in the panel with friends-- Sau Bin Yap of Malaysia and Duto Hardono of Indonesia. How could I possibly said no?! 😅 Our panel was chaired by Dr. Woo Yen Yen. First time meeting her, but she's perfect, fit right in our little circle. She is so witty and sensible.
Actually the whole conference was so light. As I told Kristen Sharp, one of the organisers from RMIT, that the conference felt like an hangout in a faculty room-- the kind of hangout that I like, talking about what we do, what we think about what we do, trying to find sense of what we do vis-a-vis the planet's past, present and future, talking and thinking without being too careful because you know you are in conversation with like-minded people in search for sense, for a point, for enlightenment even; and not simply validation from a herd. There is no fear of being cancelled because this is something that is not done here. Cancelling is for petty people who lives in boxes too small, nobody else fits besides their ego (nah I'm not mad, just sayin' hehe!). But yea, my two days, powered by drugs (prescription meds hehe! I'm not that of a rockstar anymore) to stay vertical, mobile and cohesive, was all worth it. Like LA, it reminded me that I am a very tiny speck in a very vast universe, and I LOVE IT!
Art Hop
I couldn't do much going around because I felt ill most of the time. But Sau Bin was so kind to bring me to Singapore Art Museum to preview I-lann Yee's solo. Rare fan girling moment for me. Separate blog here.
Reunions
This is of course the bestest part. Although I didn't get to go around much, very lucky to have had a chance to break bread, drink coffee, or just bump into some good ol' friends in Singapore-- the TNAGS (NGS) ladies, Patrick Flores, and my peeps of the Southeast Asia-- besides Duto and Sau Bin, met with Fang Tze (who is technical Taiwanese, but one of "us"), Dharma and the beautiful Cheryl of Observatory, my brother from another bloodline Bani Haykal, and a blast from the Hong Kong past Kingsley Ng <3
