Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore

The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) Singapore is the curatorial division of LASALLE College of the Arts, dedicated to supporting innovative and emerging creative practices. Focusing on art and design from the present, it provides an active site for contemporary culture in Singapore. It comprises five galleries that span a total of 1,500 square metres, one of the largest spaces devoted to contemporary art in Singapore. It engages local and international audiences in critical viewing and discussion through a diverse programme of exhibitions, projects, publications and events.

The ICA Singapore provides a cultural and educational tool for students and the wider public to advance their knowledge and appreciation of the contemporary local, regional and international arts.

History

The Dr Earl Lu Gallery was established by LASALLE College of the Arts in 1986,^[1] in recognition of a major contribution of artworks by philanthropist and artist Dr Earl Lu, it presented exhibitions of traditional and contemporary arts, often with a focus on practices from Asia.^[2] From 2001 to 2004, under the directorship of Binghui Huangfu, the gallery worked closely with LASALLE’s Contemporary Asian Art Centre, a research facility directed by T.K. Sabapathy that sought to advance knowledge and collaboration between artists across Asia through dialogue, research and publications. In 2004, Dr Earl Lu Gallery was renamed the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore and repositioned as a centre of Singapore and international contemporary art.^[3] In 2007, the institute moved along with LASALLE College of the Arts from the Goodman Road campus to a new campus on McNally Street, where it is based today.^[4]

Since its establishment, the ICA Singapore has presented exhibitions of international contemporary art. These include solo exhibitions by Yeo Hwee Bin (2000),^[5] On Kawara (2004), Antony Gormley (2005), Lim Tzay Chuen (2005),^[6] Roberto Chabet (2011),^[7] Ian Woo (2011),^[8] Jeremy Sharma (2012)^[9] Milenko Prvacki (2012),^[10] Shubigi Rao (2013),^[11] Tang Da Wu (2013),^[12] Jack Tan (2015),^[13] Marco Fusinato (2015)^[14] and Ana Prvački (2015–16).^[15] Group exhibitions include Text & Subtext: International Contemporary Asian Women Artists Exhibition (2000), Sight and Sight: Translating Cultures (2003),^[16] Lost to the Future: Contemporary Art from Central Asia (2013),^[17] Sound: Latitudes and Attitudes (2014),^[18] Countershadows (tactics in evasion) (2014),^[19] Artists Imagine a Nation: SG50: Pictures of People and Places from the Collections of Koh Seow Chuan and Friends (2015),^[20] Rendez-Vous (2015)^[21] and Sous la Lune/Beneath the Moon (2015–16).^[22]

Past directors of the ICA Singapore include Binghui Huangfu (1996–2003), Eugene Tan (2003–08) and Charles Merewether (2010–13). From 2013 to 2019 the director of ICA Singapore was Melbourne-born curator Bala Starr.^[23]

Controversies

In February 2016, two items that were part of the group show "Fault-lines: Disparate and desperate intimacies" were removed from artist Loo Zihan's installation "Queer objects: An archive for the future".^[24] This action was agreed after discussion between ICA Singapore staff, curator Wong Binghao, and Loo Zihan, and was due to the nature of the objects, which could potentially be considered offensive to some members of the public. The items were a penis sheath and a butt plug. The ICA Singapore, curator and artist emphasised that the decision was taken to make the exhibition accessible to all, including students of the LASALLE College of the Arts, half of whom are under 18 years old.^[25]

References

1. Yap, June (2016). "A Brief History of the Singapore Visual Arts Scene". Singapore's Visual Artists. Singapore: National Arts Council.
2. Yap, June (2016). "A Brief History of the Singapore Visual Arts Scene". Singapore's Visual Artists. Singapore: National Arts Council.
3. Tan, Eugene (July 2007). "Art in Singapore and the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore". Perspectives. Hong Kong: Asia Art Archive. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
4. "LASALLE College of the Arts". Mimoa: Mi Modern Architecture. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
5. "Yeo Hwee Bin: Pioneer Sculptor". Collection. Hong Kong: Asia Art Archive. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
6. Tan, Eugene (July 2007). "Art in Singapore and the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore". Perspectives. Hong Kong: Asia Art Archive. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
7. "Philippine Art off to a Rousing Start in Singapore for 2011". Embassy of the Philippines. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
8. "Ian Woo: Biography". Tomio Koyama Gallery. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
9. "Apropos: Jeremy Sharma". Arts Republic. Singapore. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
10. Huang, Lijie (2012). "Prvacki's Progress". The Straits Times. Singapore.
11. Chia, Adeline (21 March 2013). "Singapore Gallery Crawl: Shubigi Rao, Marina Cruz and Thukral & Tagra". Blouin Artinfo. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
12. Teh, David (2013). "Tang Da Wu". Artforum. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
13. "Jack Tan: How to do Things with Rules". Singapore Art Gallery Guide. 2015-04-15. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
14. "Marco Fusinato: Constellations". Noise Singapore. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
15. Wu, Daven (2015-12-11). "Finding comfort in an uncomfortable imagination: Ana Prvački at ICA Singapore". Wallpaper. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
16. Seng, Yu Jin (2009). "Reconnecting the Past / Notes on an Art Collection". The Next Chapter, Forays into LASALLE's Permanent Collection. Singapore: Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore.
17. Whittaker, Iona (9 January 2014). "Found for the Future?". Randian. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
18. "Sound: Latitudes and Attitudes". Muse. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
19. Quek, Bruce (13 November 2014). "Dust and Shadows". Randian. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
20. Martin, Mayo (17 February 2015). "First SG50 Visual Art Exhibition up at LASALLE". TODAY. Singapore. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
21. Said, Nabilah (16 June 2015). "Herbal Drink Jamu Featured in Exhibition Showcasing Emerging Artists". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
22. "Sous la Lune/Beneath the Moon: Extra Mural Project". Palais de Tokyo. Paris. Archived from the original on 18 January 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
23. Chandrasekaran, S (2014). "Exhibition-making is a Learning Environment" (PDF). Praxis Press. LASALLE College of the Arts. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
24. Lee, Jian Xuan (16 February 2016). "Sex objects removed from art show". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
25. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2016-02-19.