As We Were presents selected works, from the collection of Michelangelo and Lourdes Samson, which celebrate the diverse practices and conceptual concerns of artists in Southeast Asia. Although each artwork engages with specific contexts, the exhibition aims to present a broader narrative found in the thoughtful dialogues between materials, subject matter, and artistic processes. The works reflect different political and social landscapes, environmental issues, and varied spiritual ideas but also provide a glimpse into the shared humanity and similar lived experiences of the peoples who call this region home. In this expanded perspective, we are offered an insight into ourselves, expressed through the relationships we have with each other, with our physical environment, and with something greater than ourselves.
In her book, "The Year of Magical Thinking," Joan Didion wrote, "We are imperfect mortal beings, aware of that mortality even as we push it away, failed by our very complication, so wired that when we mourn our losses we also mourn, for better or for worse, ourselves. As we were. As we are no longer. As we will one day not be at all." We recognise in the passage of time the inevitability of change. And yet in such contemplations, there is a need to pause in order to recognise these changes. The pandemic seems to have offered us such a pause. Few have been left untouched by grief, loss, and anxiety during these dark days but we have also been given time to reflect on the world we inhabit and the lives we have led. This exhibition is thus offered as a contemplation of how much has changed, and how much still remains the same. As we were. Perhaps as we are still.
SCHEDULING YOUR VISIT
16 SEPTEMBER - 17 OCTOBER 2021
ArtSpace@HeluTrans, 39 Keppel Road, #01-05 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
1:00pm - 7:00pm Tuesday to Sunday, Closed Monday
FREE ADMISSION
