S'pore artists release Venice Biennale open letter!

Please reconsider Singapore’s participation in next year’s Venice Biennale. That’s the gist of this just-released open letter to MICA minister Dr Yaacob Ibrahim—signed by 200+ peeps from the arts community. You’ve got students, educators, collectors, gallerists, museum peeps, et cetera. And of course, the artists—including a great number of those who have taken part in past VBs, and Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients. They're not just from the visual arts scene but also from film, theatre, music and the literary arts. A pretty formidable, collective statement.

***

An open letter to Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister, Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts (Singapore)

Dear Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, The Venice Biennale is unequivocally the most highly visible and important international stage for contemporary artists at work today. Since 2001, the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has been an important platform for Singaporean artists to introduce and share their diverse and multifaceted practices to the world. An opportunity to present their work in Venice has spurred our artists to challenge themselves into conceptualising, developing and executing artworks of enduring critical, historical and global significance. We, the undersigned, are therefore writing to you to express our utter disappointment in the National Arts Council's (NAC) decision to withdraw Singapore's participation in the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013, and to formally request that this decision be reconsidered. Each subsequent edition of the Singapore Pavilion has borne witness to ever greater sensibility and sophistication in the quality of works that our artists have produced. Also of significance and no less important is the way in which Singaporean curators have learned to navigate and negotiate the process of communicating the work to a wider audience. While we recognise that Singapore's participation in Venice need not be the determination of artistic worth for Singaporean artists, the fact remains that it is one of the most important and invaluable channels through which Singaporean artists can connect with the international art world on our terms. There are also other important issues at stake beyond that of artistic excellence. While a country’s participation in an international event like Venice need not and must not be reduced to a matter of cultural representation, the visibility of participation in such a significant international art event affords us an indispensable channel through which to negotiate issues of how we represent ourselves to the world – something vital to our on-going national conversation about the direction and development of Singaporean identity. Just as we cannot afford to be parochial in our economic development, so too must we not allow culture and community to be interpreted in narrow provincial terms that preclude the engagement of Singaporean art with global movements and discourses. Indeed, greater community involvement in the arts does not, should not – and need not – be at the expense of artistic excellence. While we respect the NAC's decision to "critically re-assess Singapore’s long-term participation at this event to ensure optimal benefits to visual arts development", we are alarmed and perturbed by the sudden decision to withdraw from participation as a means of exercising this critical review. We seek to understand how the NAC arrived at this conclusion. The NAC has stated recently that it intends to pursue greater dialogue and engagement with artists, curators and the arts community in Singapore; this abrupt and unilateral decision to withdraw Singapore's participation in the 55th Venice Biennale is very much contrary to the spirit of consensus and engagement. It should be reconsidered. 1. Suzann Victor, Artist (Singapore Pavilion 2001) 2. Heman Chong, Artist, Curator and Writer (Singapore Pavilion 2003) 3. Francis Ng, Artist (Singapore Pavilion 2003) 4. Tang Da Wu, Artist (Singapore Pavilion 2007) 5. Vincent Leow, Artist (Singapore Pavilion 2007) 6. Zul Mahmod, Artist (Singapore Pavilion 2007) 7. Ming Wong, Artist (Singapore Pavilion 2009) 8. Ho Tzu Nyen, Artist and Filmmaker (Singapore Pavilion 2011) 9. Lindy Poh, Curator of Singapore Pavilion 2007, Venice Biennale 10. Tang Fukuen, Curator of Singapore Pavilion 2009, Venice Biennale 11. Emi Eu, Director, Singapore Tyler Print Institute 12. Ong Keng Sen, Artistic Director, Theatreworks 13. Tay Tong, Managing Director, TheatreWorks 14. Noor Effendy Ibrahim, Artistic Director, The Substation 15. Chew Kheng Chuan,  Chairman, The Substation Limited. 16. Graham Berry, Board Member, The Substation 17. Sabapathy Thiagarajan, Lecturer, History of Art 18. Peter Schoppert, Member, International Association of Art Critcs (AICA); Member of the Board, The Substation 19. Joselina Cruz, Co-Curator Singapore Biennale 2008 20. Russell Storer, Co-Curator Singapore Biennale 2011 21. Trevor Smith, Co-Curator Singapore Biennale 2011 22. Rudy Tseng, Collector 23. T. Sasitharan, Director, Intercultural Theatre Institute 24. Chong Tze Chien, Company Director, The Finger Players 25. Sean Tobin, Head of Theatre, School of the Arts, Singapore 26. Tan Wee Lit, Head of Visual Arts, School of the Arts, Singapore 27. Jacquelyn Soo, Artist and Chairperson, Singapore Contemporary Young Artists (SCYA) 28. Woon Tai Ho, Founder & Creative Director, The Green Orange 29. Aun Koh, Co-founder, The Ate Group; formerly Deputy Director Visual and Literary Arts, National Arts Council Singapore 30. Lim Qinyi, Curator, Para/site 31. Karen Lim Li-Ching, Asst. Director (Curatorial), NUS Museum 32. Lonce Wyse, Director, IDMI Arts and Creativity Lab, National University of Singapore 33. Dr Charles Merewether, Curator and writer 34. Professor Tony Godfrey, Director, Equator Art Projects 35. Lee Yew Leong, Editor-in-chief, Asymptote Journal 36. Suzzana Chew, Owner of Artitute.com 37. Amelia Abdullahsani, Gallery Owner, Lu Magnus 38. Valentine Willie, Gallery Owner, Valentine Willie Fine Art 39. Benjamin Hampe, Gallery Owner, Chan Hampe Galleries 40. Audrey Phng, Art Consultant, Asian Art Options 41. Wahyuni A. Hadi, Objectifs Centre for Photography & Filmmaking 42. Woon Tien Wei, Director, post-museum 43. Jennifer Teo, Director, post-museum 44. Amanda Heng Liang Ngim, Artist 45. Milenko Prvacki, Artist 46. Delia Prvacki, Artist 47. Ana Prvacki, Artist 48. Jimmy Ong, Artist 49. Michael Lee, Artist and Curator 50. Ang Song Ming, Artist 51. Charles Lim, Artist 52. Genevieve Chua, Artist 53. Ho Rui An, Artist and Writer 54. Alvin Pang, Writer 55. Choy Ka Fai , Artist 56. Robert Zhao Renhui, Artist 57. Donna Ong, Artist 58. Tan Kai Syng, Artist 59. John Clang, Artist 60. Erika Tan, Artist 61. Dana Lam, Artist 62. Tara Tan, Creative 63. Sherman Ong, Artist and Filmmaker (Singapore Pavilion 2009) 64. Tan Pin Pin, Filmmaker 65. Wee Li Lin, Filmmaker 66. Fran Borgia, Filmmaker 67. Jeremy Chua, filmmaker 68. Yeo Siew Hua, Filmmaker 69. Adelene Kwan, Producer 70. Sylvia Tan, Producer 71. Melanie Chua, Editor 72. Yuen Chee Wai, Musician 73. Susie Lingham, Writer and Artist 74. Alan Oei, Artist and Curator 75. Dr Lynn Lu, Artist and art educator 76. Tang Ling Nah, Artist, Curator and art Educator 77. Hazel Lim, Artist and art educator 78. Urich Lau, Artist and art educator 79. Debbie Ding, Artist, Archivist and Writer 80. Susie Wong, Artist 81. Vivian Lee, Artist 82. Yvonne Leow-Lee, Artist 83. Gilles Massot, Artist 84. Melinda Lauw, Artist 85. Jying Tan, Artist 86. Joel Ong, Artist 87. Lynette Tan, Artist 88. Brendan Goh, Artist 89. Tan Guo-Liang, Artist 90. Ang Song Nian, Artist 91. Kah Kit, Artist 92. Tay Bee Aye, Artist 93. Weixin Chong, Artist 94. Godwin Koay, Artist 95. Geralding Kang, artist 96. Samantha Tio, Artist 97. Cheong Sze-Yenn, Artist 98. Ho Zhen Ming, Artist 99. Kin Chui, Artist 100. Yen Phang, Artist 101. Regina De Rozario, Artist 102. Bruce Quek, Artist 103. Joshua Yang, Artist 104. Alecia Neo, Artist 105. Chan Sze-Wei, Artist 106. Vladimir Todorovic, Artist 107. Mike HJ Chang, Artist 108. George Wong Yung Choon, Artist 109. Liana Yang, Artist 110. Valerie Oliveiro, Artist 111. Kent Chan, Artist and Filmmaker 112. Daniel Kok Yik Leng, Choreographer and dancer 113. Joavien Ng, Choreographer and art educator 114. Lim How Ngean, Dramaturge 115. Lok Meng Chue, Theatre practitioner 116. Michelle Tan, Theatre practitioner 117. Jason Wee, Artist, Curator and Writer 118. Shubigi Rao, Visual artist and writer 119. Seah Sze Yunn, Artist and Designer 120. Jackson Tan, Artist and Designer 121. Sean Lee, Photographer 122. Jing Quek, Photographer 123. Ian Woo, Artist and Art Educator 124. Adeline Kueh, Artist and Art Educator 125. Jeremy Sharma, Artist and Art Educator 126. Betty Susiarjo, Art Educator 127. Karen Mitchell, Art Educator 128. Tan Peiling, Art Educator 129. Karen Yeh, Educator 130. Philip Holden, Educator 131. Shirley Soh, Art Educator 132. Ng Yun Sian, Educator 132. Dr C.J.W.-L. Wee, Academic 133. Dr Warren Liew, Academic 134. Dr Lilian Chee, Assistant Professor 135. Dr Margaret Tan, Fellow, Tembusu College, National University of Singapore 136. Jeremy Fernando, Jean Baudrillard Fellow at The European Graduate School 137. Jay Koh, Founding director, international Forum for InterMedia Art 138. Chu Chu Yuan, co-director, international Forum for InterMedia Art 139. Isabella Chen, Media Co-coordinator, United Nations 140. Jeremy Tiang 141. Jeannine Tang, Art historian, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College 142. Paul Khoo, Art Historian 143. Syed Muhd Hafiz Bin Syed Nasir, Curator and Writer 144. Joleen Loh, Curator and writer 145. Daniela Beltrani, Curator and artist 146. Eliza Tan, Curator 147. Josef Ng, Curator and Writer 148. Loredana Paracciani, Curator 149. Nurul Huda Binte Abdul Rashid, Assistant Curator, NUS Museum 150. Eva Ella McGovern, Curator, Valentine Willie Fine Art 151. Traslin Ong, Arts Administrator & Program curator 152. Ben Slater, Writer 153. Justin Zhuang, Writer 154. Teh Su Ching, Writer 155. Darryl Wee, Art Writer and Translator 156. Louis Ho, Writer and Critic 157. Raksha M., Writer and Editor 158. Joycelyn Ng, Producer and Writer 159. Yishan Lam, Design Researcher 160. Angelia Poon, Academic 161. Amanda Lee, Editor 162. Nazry Bahrawi, Critic 163. Apple Lee, Gallery manager, Valentine Willie Fine Art 164. Teng Yen Hui, Gallery assistant, Singapore Tyler Print Institute 165. Richard Lim, Registrar assistant, Singapore Tyler Print Institute 166. Mervyn Quek, Arts Manager, TheatreWorks 167. Hafiz Osman, Exhibition officer 168. Tan Li-Jen, Manager, Museum Programmes & Outreach, NUS Museum 169. Aishah Abu Bakar, Programming Manager, Moving Images, The Substation 170. Annabelle Felise Aw, Programme Manager, Visual Art, The Substation 171. Chelsea Chua, Marketing Manager, The Substation 172. Nur Khairiyah Bte Ramli, Programme Manager, The Substation 173. Chris Ong, Programme Manager, The Substation 174. Ann Mui Ling, Museum docent and art collector 175. Clifford D. Mallory 176. Kay Vasey 177. Jeremiah Choy 178. Meena Mylvaganam, Collector 179. Oon Shu An, Actor 180. Madelyn Yeo, Designer 181. Darel Seow, Illustrator 182. Jessica Anne Rahardjo, Arts Publications Executive 183. Tiara Johari, Arts Manager 184. Teresa Fu, Arts Manager 185. Nicole Ho, Arts manager 186. Low Zheng Yi, Admin Coordinator 187. Joyce Teo, Arts educator 188. Seah Tzi Yan, Arts organiser 189. Wirashery Fangiono, Arts freelancer 190. Jo-Anne Lee, Health Administrator 191. Jolovan Wham, Social Worker 192. Chris Williams, Manager 193. John Solomon, Graduate Student 194. Nigel Jon Sing, Student 195. Sarah Lee, Student 196. Au Yeong Yeen, Student 197. Kim Tay, Student 198. Wong Binghao, Student 199. Elvis Wang, Art Student 200. Ang Siew Ching, Student 201. Debrah Jiang, Student 202. Hajar Abdullah-Anjong, Student 203. Wesley Aroozoo, Student 204. Loe Chek Siang Kenneth 205. Joanna Ng Shuhui 206. Sarah Yap 207. Joscelin Chew 208. Justin Lebrun (The RAT has also been informed that if you also want to pledge or “sign” the open letter, you can do so on the comments section of the note here. More information here and here.)