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Biljana Ciric: Can you tell me about the initiative of the Singapore Biennale as a part of the World of Opportunities project, IMF and World Bank group, as they exist under one umbrella? What does the Singapore Biennale, as an opportunity, really mean from local and global perspectives, and what are the challenges that you are facing? |
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First Singapore Biennale – Biljana Ciric interviews Fumio Nanjo
Biljana Ciric: Can you tell me about the initiative of the Singapore Biennale as a part of the World of Opportunities project, IMF and World Bank group, as they exist under one umbrella? What does the Singapore Biennale, as an opportunity, really mean from local and global perspectives, and what are the challenges that you are facing?
Fumio Nanjo: It is a good opportunity for this country to show their commitment to contemporary culture and art. They want to be recognized as an advanced country that is open to artistic and critical expression, although there is some limit.
For the local audience, it is a great opportunity to see a large-scale contemporary art event of high quality. If it becomes a big event, more people will come. If it is small, it is neglected and only professional people within the field will see it.
Another aspect of this biennale is that the split of the locations into 16 spots make it quite the public display. So, the art is inserted into the ordinary life of the people. In this way, we try to create a bridge between the people and the art.
In terms of the international audience, the more established artists will do site-specific works and, because this will be a completely unique presentation, we can say that, even if you know this artist, you have to come and see this one-of-a-kind installation here and only here.
But, more than half of the participants are new and emerging artists. So, we can also say to the art professionals that they must come and see these new artists since they may yet be uknowns. Thus, there are several layers to attracting audiences.
BC: As a curator that worked on the Yokohama Triennale, Taiwan Biennale and Singapore Biennale this year, what are the problems that biennales, and especially those within Asian regions, face and how should these problems be overcome this year?
FN: I think Asia has new audiences which are different from those in the West. Also, the infrastructure is different and even the sensibility in general. So, I think it is important to consider its own model rather than to follow a Western one—or any other model for that matter. For example, the Taipei Biennale was in a large museum, and was specifically designed for this space. But, Singapore does not have such big gallery spaces. From the beginning, therefore, I stressed the idea of splitting up the spaces. I think it’s valuable that some are very public, creating a close relationship between art and the public. Also, the works will be site-specific in that they correspond to these given and already existing public spaces.
BC: Regarding the curatorial team, what were your criteria for selection?
FN: It is, again, not all that simple. We have a theme for the biennale and we try to find the artists who fit this theme, but we also have to think about the space and the meaning of the location. So, the choice is complex.
Also, we are not given much time to research and so have to build up networks of curators in other parts of the world. In this way, and through our trust and belief in these colleagues from foreign countries, we get plenty of information based on the context of each of their cultures and societies. From there, we select from these colleague recommendations.
The three curators under me all know a little something about Asian art, but they are not just Asian specialists. They each studied in London for certain amount of time and know both Eastern and Western cultures very well.
So, I think they are all great assets for bridging any gaps between such different point of views. In a sense, this biennale is curated by Asian curators but pays a lot of attention to both the worlds of the West and East.
All these networks and ties between people will be the platform for the art of future Singapore Biennales.
BC: The Singapore Biennale is the first biennale in East South Asia°™the so-called equator region. What will be your focus in artist selection for the exhibition?
FN: There are lot of artists from this region and, more widely, from greater Asia, the Middle East and from Latin America.
But at the same time, we did not exclude Europe and the USA since, if we reject some part of the world, it will create another kind of ghetto rather than making for more communication between cultures.
CB: The theme of the Singapore Biennale is belief. How did you come up with the concept and question of belief nowdays? Does it have to do with the multi-cultural and multi-religional character of Singaporean society or with the South East Asian region? Can you elaborate on this question?
FN: This is what I wrote for the press: The world today is complex and diverse, fraught with war and terrorism. As Huntington suggested in his book, The Clash of Civilizations, is it really impossible for people with different values and faiths to live together peacefully? In this age of ever-diversifying and mixed value systems, what should people believe in and live by? To live “moment to moment” is also to make choices from multiple possibilities. What do we base these decisions to live by on? Some people believe in the absolute truth of religion, others believe in the rules of capitalism and economics, others in progress and development and yet others believe in the values of nature and the environment. Love and art can also become ways or pointers by which to live.
So, although Singapore is a small island nation, different faiths, languages and ethnic groups coexist without violent conflict. It is perhaps fitting, then, to reflect on the meaning of belief today in such a society. Through art, can we once again think about what binds us together as human beings? This seemingly straightforward yet potentially complex question underpins the first edition of the Singapore Biennale.
And, yes, this is based on the situation of Singapore and Southeast Asia.
CB: Singapore is a city-state with multi-cultural tolerance. In what form will multi-culture, as a concept, be involved in the exhibition?
FN: Through the choice of the artists, choice of the material, location and by way of publicity. We also have to work on several languages for TV and media.
CB: As far as I know, the Singapore Biennale will have around 19 different exhibition sites. Can you tell me more about the different venues of the Singapore Biennale and its connection with the theme? Is there anything like a main venue of biennale or not?
FN: The main venue will be city hall and Tangling Camp, but the religious site is very much related to the theme. Also, all the exhibition sites are inherently power centers since they symbolize the activity of human beings. For example, Tangling Camp was a military headquarter—a definite center of power. The religious site was a center of something else—a different vision of the world and its history. Orchard Road is a center of commercial power and the museum is a whole other power center for art.
CB: What is the budget for the Singapore Biennale this year? How many artists are taking part in Biennale?
FN: They said six million Singapore dollars, but we will add on it.
CB: What is the importance of the Singapore Biennale for the Singaporean local art scene? How many local artists are in the biennale? Do you expect any satellite shows during biennale?
FN: There are 11 among 95, so the number is not that high, but it is still the largest as a country. I think it is a good balance. They will be put on the same stage as the international artists and they will be able to look at their own works from a more objective point of view. In this way, they can improve or at least learn a more comprehensive vocabulary.
CB: As NAC is one of the main organizers of the Singapore Biennale and a main source of the funding of local artists projects, do you think that NAC will change its funding policy in future?
FN: That is not somehting that I can answer, but they should. Anyway, for any organization, improvement is important.
CB: Could you elaborate on the collaboration between the Shanghai, Gwangju and Singapore Biennales?
FN: Firstly we collaborated for the publicity by adjusting the date of the opening. Now also, we have arranged the tour for three venues. In this way, many people can see the three biennales easily.
CB: What is the main difference in the approach and future goals between the Singapore Biennale and the other two biennales that are happening at a similar time?
FN: Singapore is the first one, so the expectations are very high but they are also diverse. We have to cover such contradictory expectations more, but other biennales have already gone through this proccess several times and now the society seems to know what they are all about, which is difference.
CB: What are the expectations for the audience for Singapore Biennale?
FN: They should be surprised, full of enjoyment and, hopefully, moved. Then they should experience the fun of the art.
CB: In the rise of biennales around the world, many large scale shows face crises (take the example of Yokohama last year, and Taiwan). What are the reasons for these failures and what do you predict as the future of these big scale shows?
FN: They should discuss and sometimes argue about art. This is real culture. It is not just putting art somewhere, it is not about the market, it is instead what people think about and talk about. In this, culture is born.
CB: In one of your interviews, you mentioned that biennales and triennales increase the chance for local people to see contemporary art so that, as you said, people do not have to go to the museum to see it. The art institutions are also facing their own crises today. How do you see Asian contemporary art in future?
FN: I think each institution and event has its own role and agenda. Even auction houses, galleries, critics, journalisms have their own roles and responsibilities. So, I think each one should play that role properly and then art will grow roots in this society and will be prosperous.
