Challenging norms and provoking our thoughts on the public spaces we share and take for granted is The Substation’s new line-up of programmes. The third and final theme in a three-year artistic direction that examines our city, A Public Square, which runs from now till Mar 2020, focuses on how spaces are produced and contested.
Opening the year-long programme, comprising exhibits, parties, conferences and various other initiatives, is exhibition Space Oddities that goes on till Aug 4, helmed by artists Zhiyi Cao and Divaagar. Consisting of two smaller exhibits—Cao’s 2272 Open Report and Divaagar’s Singapore is for lovers—Space Oddities seeks to interpret the evolution of subcultures while providing some reflection about territories in today’s landscape.
Singapore is for lovers
Another highlight is the Parky McParkface Naming Competition, a tongue-in-cheek programme which invites the public to name a soon-to-be constructed park in front of The Substation that doesn’t belong to them, in a bid to reference naming initiatives done in Singapore previously. All are welcome to submit their entries via an online poll for a chance at winning $888 and then have it set in stone, literally, as a plaque.
Two additional exhibitions due to arrive later include Rejects (Aug 29-31), a celebration of rejection through artworks and proposals that have been refused by competitions and institutions; as well as Public Art Exhibition (January 2020), which is timed with Singapore Art Week 2020, will see interactive art installations and performances by international artists.
Also, in time for National Day, don’t forget to mark your calendars for State of Love and Trust and Stars (Aug 3), an alternative event that questions the very meaning and significance of the National Day Parade in all its music, dance and theatrical glory.
A Public Square runs from now till Mar 2020. More information will be released here.
