At STPI, Do Ho Suh, "Floor", detail

As it is in most cities, local galleries time their exhibits to coincide with the frenzy of art fair week.  In Singapore for Art Stage, I had time enough to catch three.

Lehmann Maupin Gallery At Singapore Tyler Print Institute

Ten years ago, the Singapore government acquired the equipment of master printer Kenneth Tyler.  The Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) seeks to elevate the art of printmaking by encouraging visiting artists to experiment with the  facilities that the institute makes available.  Extraordinary works on paper have been produced within STPI’s premises, allowing audiences in the region to appreciate the medium’s versatility.  Filipino artists who have been awarded residency grants include Bencab, Lyra Garcellano, Ronald Ventura, and Geraldine Javier (who is currently completing her stint as a visiting artist).

The heritage building that houses STPI stands alongside the river, in Robertson Quay.  The area comes alive in the evenings when crowds flock to its restaurants and bars.  The noonday sun, however, allows for the best view of Alkaff Bridge and its lively painted patterns courtesy of the late Filipino artist Pacita Abad.

This show with Lehmann Maupin felt like an extension of the gallery’s art fair space. They featured the same artists, Ashley Bickerton, Do Ho Suh, Teresita Fernandez, and Lee Bul.  All share the distinction of having had residencies at STPI, and the exhibit included work done during their time in the institute.

Definitely, these four have done other, more exciting pieces than those on view.  Although Do Ho Suh’s piece, Floor, well, floored me when I first saw it two years ago in Hong Kong, and I didn’t mind seeing it again sans the crowds that had hovered around it.  I also enjoyed the more subdued, less garish side of Ashley Bickerton evident in these works on paper.  The show focused on accessible works, more competitively priced.  It served as an apt vehicle to introduce the local audience to the works of these artists.

At STPI, exhibit installation view. At foreground, Do Ho Suh, "Floor"

Do Ho Suh, "Floor"

Do Ho Suh, "Floor", detail

Do Ho Suh, "Specimen Series"

Ashley Bickerton, "TBC-Girl"

Ashley Bickerton, "Green Reflecting Head Dave No. 3"

Ashley Bickerton, "Green Reflecting Head No. 2"

Ashley Bickerton, Graffitti Mountain No. 1"

Lee Bul, "Untitled Sculpture W5-1"

Lee Bun, "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum"

Teresita Hernandez, "Double Cameo", detail

Teresita Hernandez, "Night Writing (Tristan and Isolde)"

Teresita Fernandez, "Night Writing (Tropic of Equator)"

STPI Entrance

Alkaff Bridge painted by Pacita Abad

Requiem For The XX Century, Morimura Yasumasa, Self-Portraits in Motion at Ikkan Art Gallery

MONUMENTAL Southeast Asia, vwfa Singapore

Over at Helutrans, by the port, I hurried to catch two shows before rush hour made it even more difficult to hail a cab in an area notorious for its scarcity of public transportation.  I didn’t want to miss Morimura Yasumasa, not after Alwin Reamillo sent me information about the Japanese artist’s first solo exhibit in Singapore.

Yasumusa is a performance artist, and in this series, he transforms himself into famous personalities of the last century:  Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Hitler, Albert Einstein, even Marilyn Monroe and a soldier from the iconic photo of GI’s attempting to hoist the American flag in Iwo Jima during World War II.  The videos are in Japanese, but that does not stop the viewer from enjoying the amazing alterations to his persona.  The gallery had been sectioned off into mini theaters, and three films run simultaneously. At the foyer, HDTV’s project portraits in motion.

Upstairs, vwfa’s MONUMENTAL Southeast Asia adopted a formula that originated from their Philippine branch, Manila Contemporary.  Monumental refers to extremely large works, most of them paintings, completed by the most well-known names in the region.  I really came to see Winner Jumalon’s A Visit Home once again, his piece from 2009’s Thirteen Artists Awards at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.  Also worth the trek:  Malaysian artist Ahmad Zakii Anwar’s Warthog.

At Ikkan Gallery, Morimura Yasumasa, "A Requiem: Theater of Creativity/ Salvador Dali in Motion"

Morimura Yasumasa, "A Requiem: Theater of Creativity/ Andy Warhol in Motion"

Morimura Yasumase, "A Requiem: Laugh at the Dictator"

At MONUMENTAL Southeast Asia, Winner Jumalon, "A Visit Home"

Winner Jumalon, "A Visit Home", inside detail

Winner Jumalon, "A Visit Home", inside detail

Winner Jumalon, "A Visit Home", outside detail

Don Salubayba, "Radical Act-Acting Radical"

Ahmad Zakii Anwar, "Warthog"

Lehmann Maupin Gallery at Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) Featuring the works of Ashley Bickerton, Lee Bul, Teresita Fernandez, and Do Ho Suh runs from 11 January to 11 February 2012 at STPI, 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore 238236.  Phone (65) 6336-3663 or visit www.stpi.com.sg

Requiem For The XX Century, Morimura Yasumasa, Self-Portraits in Motion, runs from 11 January to 25 February 2012 at Ikkan Art Gallery Singapore, Artspace@Helutrans, #01-05, 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065 or visit www.ikan-art.com

MONUMENTAL Southeast Asia runs from 10 January to 26 February 2012 at vwfa (Valentine Willie Fine Art) Singapore, Artsapce@Helutrans, 2F, 39 Keppel Road, Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065 or visit www.vwfa.net/singapore