SINGAPORE — Philip Seymour Hoffman’s face pops out on the screen, reminiscent of Jor-El, played by Marlon Brando in the movie. Superman Movie: Oracular but a little distorted.
Background: When Hoffman died before completing his term in 2014. hunger game In the film, the actors’ unfinished scenes were digitally recreated to complete them. However, this idea was ultimately rejected (reportedly because the idea made the filmmakers creepy). Staring at visitors at the second installment of the Singapore Art Museum’s (SAM) Proof of Personalhood show late last year was a virtual garbage man monologuing about his digital waste pals, including the pop star’s girlfriend Invisible Woman. ‘s avatar “Phil”. Some people find themselves in limbo online, including an agoraphobic YouTube celebrity. Naru or Heavensbee, that’s the question. Particularly chilling was the narration by a man whose deceased girlfriend still posts on Facebook and sends DMs. Poor lost technology souls. They appear in Cecil B. Evans’ thought-provoking video installation. Hyperlink or it wasn’tdoesn’t happen (2014). Elsewhere, a fake Justin Bieber autograph (with artwork by Ahn Sung-min) and a deepfake Taylor Swift (from Being Human by Christopher Clendlan Thomas and Annika Kuhlman) have become the modern It amplified stories about what it means to be ‘human’. Techno His Voodoo Era – all part of his SAM’s “Proof of Personalhood: Identity and Authenticity in the Face of Artificial Intelligence” exhibition.
“Remember, Alan Turing introduced the Turing Test in 1950, asking the question, “Can machines think?” And in 1996, Gary Kasparov won his series of six chess games against IBM’s Deep Blue supercomputer. So what’s going on now and what’s next? Well, artists have been asking these questions, and this exhibition continues that conversation,” explained June Yap, director of curation, collections and programs at SAM.
And do it creatively.
“Proof of Personalhood” depicts a world of chatbots, virtual assistants, AI-generated K-Pop groups, fake tunes, and virtual influencers. It is a portrait of the real and the synthetic, and a meditation on authenticity. The artists featured in the program encourage ideas and discussions about identity, originality, agency, and consciousness. Imagine a dark mirror showing the electric sheep Skynet playing the Imitation Game with the Alphaville soundtrack. forever young.
The show’s curator, Duncan Bass, said of Evans’ work: Throughout the video, “Phil” has the experience of being brought into this world with a very specific purpose, in this case to complete this movie, and is then robbed of that opportunity. Ultimately, this kind of discussion turns into a discussion of what it means to live as a non-human being without the ability to die. ”
Phil’s tragedy is that despite his immortality, he is robbed of his reason for existence. This theme is explored by great art then and now.
When the concept of personhood becomes even more of a subject of debate and negotiation… well, art says, “Hold your beer.” This is because art itself is venturing into unfamiliar territory, and its mutation is not yet complete. No wonder, art not only reflects social and psychological trends, but also anticipates the panics of our time. It’s not just cute, cartoon-like character paintings and sculptures and corresponding merchandise. Recognizing the fact that these are exciting times for the arts, with more high-tech types of visual aesthetics, techniques and methods becoming available to artists, the SAM Curator’s mission is to continually create challenging and boundary-blurring exhibitions. It’s about presenting.
Dr Eugene Tan, director of both SAM and the National Gallery of Singapore (NGS), said that NGS, which opened in November 2015, focuses on Southeast Asian art from modern to contemporary times, while the 1996 He talked about how SAM, which opened in 2016, is focusing on this. , take a more international look at art. The SAM building on Bras Basah Road and Queen Street has been closed since 2019 for redevelopment. SAM’s new space is located at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. “It’s very different from where we were,” Tan added.
“A much larger installation is possible here,” Yap said. “This is very flexible for our operations and I think our partners are looking to connect with the neighboring region as a port with a maritime history. We also consider the long history of the museum as an evolving space. I think it is.”
Singaporean artist Ho Zu Nyen has used the spaces in SAM’s Galleries 1 and 2 to meditate on time and, yes, tigers.
Ho’s mid-career survey exhibition, co-sponsored by SAM and Art Sungje Center (ASJC), runs until March 3 and features eight major installations, including a new commission titled “T for Time.” It will be exhibited. The artist represented Singapore at the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011.
Mr Tan, chief curator of Time and the Tiger, said: Molt if necessary. It avoids easy categorization and avoids categorization. But one thing is certain: in an age where complexity is reduced to sound bites, Ho’s art serves as a repository of reflection and criticism. Ho’s research and interest in the construction of history, particularly in the Southeast Asian region, aligns with SAM’s focus on highlighting how global and contemporary issues can be understood from a Southeast Asian perspective. We look forward to immersing audiences in the world and stories he has created over the past 20 years. ”
Tan detailed how artists challenge how we understand and perceive history.
“The Cloud of Unknowing” installation looks at how artists, writers and philosophers from East to West have represented the cloud, and its ephemeral presence reminds us that everything is always “on the brink of change.” is shown. “The Nameless” is a video installation that focuses on Lai Teck, a Chinese-Vietnamese man who was a triple agent for French, British, and Japanese intelligence agencies. Cut-up scenes by actor Tony Leung play an important role in this film. “One or Some Tigers” traces the appearance of tigers in various histories and myths of Southeast Asia.
In “T for Time: Timepieces,” a piece featuring 38 flat screens with apps and videos of varying lengths, Ho makes time “the main protagonist” through a collection of notes and speculations about the concept itself. ” and the artwork includes various elements. Topics range from symbols and concepts of time to the history of Asian timekeeping traditions.
the artist asked. “What is time after all?” It seems we can only explain it through metaphors — “time flies” or “time flows.” If time is a river, what are its banks? Is there ever a time for “just one”? If so, is it a master clock that controls or subordinates other clocks, or are there different temporalities, each with its own sovereignty?”
These are questions that only art, time, and perhaps in the near future, AI can answer.
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Part 2 of the article will focus on: “tropical” exhibition was held at the Singapore National Gallery. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Tate Anzur. Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is located at 39 Keppel Road, #03-07 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065. For more information, please visit: www.singaporeartmuseum.sg.