singapore biennale 2008

I took a while to take my Converse hightops off then slipped

on bedroom slippers and padded through the white tunnel.

I emerged into a white room and the view took my breath

away... really. I was pretty overwhelmed. The scene demanded

silence so i sat down quietly on the beanbags and just

looked out into the 'distance', mouth agape. It was AMAZING...

i didn't want to leave. An 18 metre long installation by

Hans Op de Beeck, housed inside Shigeru Ban's Containart Pavilion.

I had to dare myself to sit through the whole clip. I never liked

the idea of being in the middle of the sea in a boat... I sat alone

inside a container, watching it. The sound of water sloshing

was quite scary. Then the boat flipped and laid on its side,

vision was half above water, half below. I didn't like it one bit.

Anxious, scared... like i was struggling in the water, drowning.

Almost cried. The boat went bottom up next and it felt slightly

better cos it was quiet and calm underwater. When i lifted the

curtain to step outside, i was SO glad it was over.I was safe, safe

on dry land. Oh boy....

Floating, 2000 by Yuan Goang-Ming.

Never thought i'd dare to be so close to them... They were

SOOOOOO gross. Looking at them in pictures already grossed

me out, made my hair stand on end. Climbing the stairs to

the 3rd floor of city hall, i spotted a maggot. Braced myself for

more and yes, at the top of the stairs, a party of maggots...

twisting, turning... joyous munching... slime dripping...

knees went soft, almost gagged. Tried to bypass them to get

to the other side of the room. It was in vain..there was no other

way. Took a deep breath and stepped between them, praying

they wouldn't slime me. Oh man.... i was squirming so much

inside. But when i was on my way out, i didn't feel as bad. I

even let one of them suck on my shoe. A lady reached down to

pat one of them, but oh no, i wouldn't go so far.

Maggots, 2004 Pham Ngoc Duong

This is me on Woodlands Ave 12. I travelled across Singapore

in 5 sec. I stood on clouds, on the airstrip in Changi, the waters

off PSA. I should have labelled CEFC Woodlands. Didn't think

about that. Argh. Now i want to go back. A real, physical tagging

on a Google Earth map. Now how cool is that.

Singapore, 2008 Wit Pimkanchangapong