STORIES THAT MATTER 2019
Unpacking the role mythic tradition plays in our lives
Objectifs presents Stories That Matter, an annual programme that looks at critical issues and trends in non-fiction visual storytelling. This year, the programme features the theme ‘Myths’. Myths are as old as human civilisation. They inform, obfuscate and empower our most deep seated beliefs. This edition of Stories That Matter unpacks the role that mythic tradition continues to play in our lives, through national, political and cultural narratives that shape our perception of the world.
Screening Schedule
Objectifs presents four feature-length documentaries that surface new ways of understanding how contemporary and traditional myths evolve and disrupt our ways of being. From a quasi-documentary about ethnocide in Brazil (Ex-Shaman) to an intimate portrait of a young man serving his nation (Army), these films bring to the fore the tensions and connections between reality and imagination, past and future, the individual and the collective.
Each screening will be followed by discussions with Singapore filmmakers and visual artists to further explore the ideas and concepts behind the films. Tickets at $10 / $8 concession per screening or $30 for season pass.
Exhibitions
ICONS by Cortis & Sonderegger
27 Feb to 21 Apr | Courtyard, Objectifs
ICONS is a long-term project that outwits and questions the documentary aspect of photography. Influential photographs from landmark events of the 20th and 21st century, that have been imprinted on our collective memory, are reconstructed as three-dimensional models – a meticulous bricolage of cardboard, sand, wood, fabric, cotton wool, plaster and glue. The reconstructions are again photographed in such a way that they come amazingly close to the original. But the illusion is always humorously broken by the studio atmosphere surrounding the familiar image.
About Jojakim Cortis & Adrian Sonderegger
Swiss artists Jojakim Cortis and Adrian Sonderegger began their collaborative work while studying photography at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK) in 2005. They conceive and manufacture surreal worlds in compositions of “staged” photography. They were awarded 2019 Photographer of the Year by the Swiss Photo Academy, and have also exhibited their works in festivals and galleries internationally.
The Land Archive by Robert Zhao Renhui
27 Feb to 21 Apr | Courtyard, Objectifs
The Land Archive manages an extensive archive of documents from private memoirs, historical maps and photographs, to oral history interviews and audio-visual materials, some of which date back to the early 19th century.
This series chronicles the significant changes in Singapore’s natural and urban landscape that have occurred over a 100-year period. The images have been carefully selected by researchers from The Land Archive to capture the changing face of this tropical island-state. They touch on issues of land reclamation, national boundaries, ecological changes, pollution, conservation and the ever-evolving skyline.
About Robert Zhao Renhui
Singaporean visual artist Robert Zhao Renhui works mainly with photography but often adopts a multi-disciplinary approach by presenting images together with documents and objects. His work includes textual and media analysis, video, photography and book projects. Robert’s works has been shown and published widely across the world, and his accolades include The Deutsche Bank Award in Photography (2011) by the University of the Arts London, The United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year Award (2009) Singapore, and The Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council.
Panel Discussions
PANEL DISCUSSION: MYTH-MAKING / ART-MAKING
Featuring Loo Zihan, Zarina Muhammad, Daniel Hui, Nurul Huda
Sat 2 Mar, 4.30pm to 6pm
Workshop Space, Objectifs
Admission: Free (RSVP via Peatix)
Join us for a robust discussion on how the investigation of myths takes on different forms in art-making, with four Singapore artists whose practices interrogate and disrupt existing paradigms within history, convention and folklore.
Featuring Robert Zhao Renhui and Ore Huiying, moderated by Tom White
Fri 8 Mar, 7.30pm to 9pm
Workshop Space, Objectifs
Admission: Free (RSVP via Peatix)
How and to what end images are constructed, and how does this affect our perceptions of the image and the stories they depict? Visual artist Robert Zhao and documentary photographer Ore Huiying tackle this question with references to their own photography practice.
Seminar: Constructing the 'Self' through Art by Kelvin Kyung Kun Park
Sat 2 Mar, 2pm to 3.30pm
Workshop Space, Objectifs
Seminar Fee: $15
Award-winning filmmaker and visual artist Kelvin Kyung Kun Park’s work frequently takes inspiration from the cultural anxieties, myths and narratives that inform South Korea’s identity. With close reference to his own career, he will discuss how in Asia, where the individual is often overlooked in favour of collective identity, art making is an opportunity to construct the “self” he never had. He will also share his experiences straddling the film world and the art world.