Patrick D. Flores on Singapore Biennale 2019's Geopoetic Reimagining of Southeast Asia
The Singapore Biennale 2019, themed 'Every Step in the Right Direction,' will be directed by Patrick D. Flores and is set to commence on 22 November, lasting until 22 March. The theme draws inspiration from Salud Algabre, a Filipina involved in the 1930s Sakdalista Uprising. As the curator at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum, Flores seeks to reinterpret Southeast Asia's geopolitical landscape through a geopoetic lens. The event features the Coordinates Project, which collaborates with multiple organizations to merge visual arts with performance. It also addresses colonial classifications in light of Singapore's bicentennial of British rule. Flores perceives the biennale as a fusion of festival and seminar, highlighting a sense of urgency and the need to reimagine the region's artistic landscape.
Key facts
- The Singapore Biennale 2019 runs from 22 November to 22 March.
- Patrick D. Flores is the artistic director and curator of the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center.
- The biennale's title 'Every Step in the Right Direction' comes from Salud Algabre, a Filipina rebel from the 1930s.
- It will be presented across ten sites in Singapore, moving beyond white-cube contexts.
- The curatorial methodology is influenced by Ray Albano's 1977 exhibition 'Roots, Basics and Beginnings.'
- The focus is on Southeast Asia, extended through the Pacific, South China Sea, and Indian Ocean.
- Collaborations include the Projector, Gelong, Indian Heritage Centre, and NUS Museum.
- Flores aims to distinguish geopolitical constructions of Southeast Asia from a geopoetic reworking.
Entities
Artists
- Patrick D. Flores
- Salud Algabre
- Ray Albano
Institutions
- Singapore Biennale 2019
- Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center
- University of the Philippines
- National Gallery Singapore
- Cultural Center of the Philippines
- ArtReview Asia
- Projector
- Gelong
- Indian Heritage Centre
- NUS Museum
- Battambang Circus
- ASEAN
Locations
- Singapore
- Quezon City
- Manila
- Philippines
- Southeast Asia
- Pacific Ocean
- South China Sea
- Indian Ocean
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Malaya