Singapore, September 2015 – ShanghART Gallery is pleased to present ‘No Boundary’ – a group exhibition in Singapore from 17th October to 15th November 2015. The exhibition revels artwork of diverse medium by 4 established and emerging Singaporean artists – Jason Lim, Joo Choon Lin, Robert Zhao Renhui and Vincent Leow. This includes ceramics, installations, oil paintings, photography and video works mostly created during artist residency programmes held overseas. This will be the very first time the artworks are exhibited publicly in Singapore.
Art has no boundary. Artists transcend geographical restrictions, creating oeuvres from multicultural influences; exploring boundless propositions, instead of adopting a singular approach or a particular artistic form. In this context, “No boundary” means to break shackles of minds, to gather and exchange, to expand and extend.
Titled ‘No Boundary’, the exhibition intends to delve into the theme of life and demise. Robert Zhao Renhui’s project chronicles the significant changes in Singapore’s natural and urban landscape. The pictures capture an ongoing dialogue between the city’s man-made infrastructure and its natural spaces and creatures. In Jason Lim’s ceramics works, it is a metaphor of a new life when the clay goes through a temperature of more than a thousand degree, finally transforming into the figurative shapes of their own. During Vincent Leow’s stay in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates from 2007 to 2013, a turn of events went through various parts of the Middle East such as war and uprising. The scene of the violence, torture, and assault to civilians, innocents are deplorable, which lead him to create these works. “INTESTINOLOGY Series” by Joo Choon Lin questions our ability of perception, discernment and digestion to “objects” of this world – where everything seemingly ends up like a murder, where suspicion is ever present.
Artist Introduction
Jason Lim (b.1966), regarded as Singapore’s master ceramist, Jason Lim’s artistic growth over the past decade has been remarkable. Also a performance artist, Jason combines skilled craftsmanship in sculpting with influences from performance art. The result is ceramic pieces that go beyond being merely objects of beauty, to subjects that provoke thought and interaction with the viewer. Jason’s first show was in Canterbury, England in 1992. He has since exhibited across the globe in Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Thailand and the Netherlands. Jason Lim was also part of the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007.
Joo Choon Lin (b. 1984) has been experimenting with a range of materials and media as a means to examine the relations between visual and tactile experiences. Underlying Joo’s practice is her philosophical interest in the nature of reality, which might be summarized in terms of the philosophers’ longstanding investigation into the relations between appearance and essence. Joo’s own investigation into these questions is also informed by her interest in technological developments: as the various technologies of representation devise new ways of capturing the likeness of things, so the quality of the surfaces of these things undergoes a transformation. Consequently, reality itself appears as if reconfigured. Joo has exhibited in Singapore and internationally. She has participated in exhibitions such as Paradise Sans Promesse, Frac de Pays de la Loire, Nantes, France (2015), Be Mysterious, Walter Phillips Gallery, The Banff Centre, Canada (2014), Your Eyes Are Stupid at Singapore Biennale (2013), Resolution of Reality at Third Floor Hermes, Singapore (2012), Roving Eye at Sorlandets Kunstmuseum, Norway (2011), 1st Aichi Triennale, Japan (2010),and
The 4th Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale, Japan (2009).
Robert Zhao Renhui (b.1983) is a multi-disciplinary Singapore artist. His practice investigates the different modes of the human zoological gaze, i.e., how people view animals. Renhui’s work is based on the concept of doubt and uncertainty and in his work, he tests to the limit the principles behind the dissemination of knowledge and acceptance of truths. A large part of his practice tries to resists the false naturalisation of beliefs and circumstances. He has had exhibitions at Singapore Art Museum; The Substation Gallery, Singapore; Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan; Institute of Contemporary Art, Singapore; Chapter Gallery, Wales; Photo- Levallois Festival, Paris; GoEun Museum of Photography, Korea; The Zabludowicz Collection, London; P.P.O.W Gallery, New York and ShanghART, Shanghai. He is the recipient of the 2011 Deutsche Bank Award in Photography (London) and The United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year Award (2009). In 2010, he was awarded The Young Artist Award by the Singapore National Arts Council.
Vincent Leow (b. 1961) is an artist and an art educator whose practice spans a wide range of genres from sculpture, installation, performance art to painting and mixed-media. He has exhibited internationally and regionally, his works has been collected and commissioned by various public institutions such as museums, corporate companies and private collections both locally and internationally. Vincent Leow was awarded the Culture Award (2002) by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry for his contribution to the arts in 2002. Leow represented Singapore in the 52nd Venice Biennale of contemporary art (2007), “9th Indian Triennial of contemporary art”, New Dehli, India (1997), “1st Asia Pacific Triennial of contemporary art”, Brisbane, Australia (1993).
