Event

Art & Performing Arts

Ming Wong : Life of Imitation - Exhibition

Apr 22, 2010 - Aug 22, 2010
Singapore Art Museum

Daily: 10am – 7pm (extended hours on Friday till 9pm). Free admission after 6pm on Fridays; for children under 6 years; Senior Citizens above 60 years (Singaporeans and PR only); NHB member schools and on Open House days.

Price: Adults: S$10; Students (with valid student card): S$5; Senior Citizens (Foreign): S$5; 20% discount on admission fees for group of 20 pax or more and Family Packages (3 adults + 2 children) S$30 (up to 5 pax a family)

Description

In Life of Imitation, Ming Wong revisits the context of the Golden Age of Singapore cinema in the 1950s and 60s, an era of nation-building struggle and rapid modernisation.

Inspired by the rich legacy, he re-reads ‘national cinema’ constructed through language, roleplaying and identity, by re-interpreting films that are familiar to audiences spanning two generations, and which engage with performative notions of mis-casting and parroting. The first is a compendium of works by P. Ramlee, the wunderkind of Malay cinema. The second is the Hollywood melodrama ‘Imitation of Life’ (1959) by Douglas Sirk about a black mother and her ‘white’ daughter. The third is Wong Kar Wai’s ‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000) with actress Maggie Cheung rehearsing for a confrontation with her spouse about his infidelity.

Through these video interventions, the viewer is presented with questions related to roots, hybridity, and the politics of becoming. The exhibition also unveils cinema posters by Singapore’s last surviving billboard painter; rare screen memorabilia of a private collector; and documentaries by film-maker Sherman Ong. The Singapore Art Museum restages this awardwinning exhibition with a new design and additional exhibits.

The first presentation of this exhibition was at the Singapore Pavilion, 53rd Venice Biennale 2009 and it was awarded the Special Jury Mention by the Biennale. Ming Wong: Life of Imitation is curated by Guest Curator, Tang Fu Kuen.

Official Website: http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg

Venue

Singapore Art Museum

Organiser

Singapore Art Museum

http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg

0  like it