Singapore Art Museum’s inaugural exhibition, Everyday Practices, showcases the inventive ways artists have appropriated daily routines and experiences to express powerful statements
What do the words ‘everyday’, ‘repetition’ and ‘endurance’ mean to you? For Jerome Kugan, Htein Lin and 17 other Asian artists, they reflect on narratives of resilience in the face of adversity–a philosophy that Everyday Practices echoes. Ongoing from now till July 2025 at Singapore Art Museum (SAM) in Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Everyday Practices is a showcase of diverse contemporary artworks from artists of different generations across geographies in Asia. It draws inspiration from Tehching Hsieh’s One Year Performance 1978-1979, where he barricaded himself in a self-constructed holding cell within his studio, away from the outside world. In this self-confinement in solitude, Hsieh turned the banality of life and time passages into both a medium, as well as the subject, of his art.
This exhibition spotlights the SAM’s efforts in growing and presenting thoughtfully curated collection-focused art exhibitions for local and international audiences alike. “The showcase marks a significant milestone in our efforts to develop and showcase SAM’s critical collection of contemporary art,” shares Eugene Tan, chief executive officer and director of SAM. “By deepening research on and expanding the collection scope of artistic practices from the 2000s in Southeast Asia and beyond, SAM aims to draw out narratives and perspectives that highlight the region’s diversity and global connection.”
One of the many themes explored by Everyday Practices includes that of art serving as a tool in navigating challenges amid ongoing crises and global conflicts. Pictured above, Htein Lin’s Soap Blocked conveys a powerful message using everyday objects: hundreds of soap bars were arranged and hand-carved to form the map of his motherland, Myanmar, with red soap blocks indicating locations where political prisoners have been held. Step a bit closer and you’ll realise that each soap block encases a tiny hunched stickman-like figure trapped within its rectangular border. A small, but poignant, message to bear.
Admission to the exhibition at the new Gallery 4 at SAM is free up until 3 December 2024, after which general admission fees will apply.
