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| Aida Makoto - Ash Color Mountains |
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| (detail) |
The 15 finalist art works shortlisted for the 2011 APB Foundation Signature Art Prize have been announced, selected from the 130 artworks which were nominated from 24 countries and territories. The works were chosen because of their strength of concept and execution, and many are extremely moving pieces - such as the one above by Japanse artist Aida Makoto. Taken collectively, the artworks demonstrate the thriving vibrancy of art-making in Asia Pacific today.
All 15 finalist artworks will be presented in The Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize 2011 Finalists Exhibition at SAM running November 11 to Mar 4, 2012.
On 17 November, five winners including one Grand Prize winner (SGD 45,000), three Jurors’ Choice Award winners (SGD 10,000 each) and one People’s Choice Award winner (SGD 10,000), will be announced . While the Grand Prize and Jurors’ Choice Awards will be conferred by the judging panel following a viewing of the installed works, the People’s Choice Award will be presented to the public’s most loved work. Supporters can nominate their favourite finalist work for the award online at www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/signatureartprize or cast their votes in person at the exhibition.
I especially like the work of Aida Makoto. From far away it looks like a peaceful, beautiful landscape , but the montain is actualky a heap of office workers, maybe washed off by a tsunami wave.
Another emotive work is that of Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, You who are my love and life's enemy too, which reminds of blood splats from far away, but are actually beautiful flowers and foliages.
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| Imran Qureshi You who are my love and my life’s enemy too |
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| (detail) |
Another of my favorite works is the more conceptual, Bomb Ponds by Cambodian artist Vandy Rattana, a photographs and video installation. The photos look deceptively simple, peaceful water ponds, but these ponds are actually ones made by American bombs during the Vietnam war and as the video shows farmers querrying why these happened one understand that the war still casts a long shadow.
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| Vandy Rattana - Bomb ponds |