"I will think about it" showcases photography and ink works of three young artists living in Singapore. To these artists, this country is a growing, living entity complete with its differing qualities, its quirks and hidden subtleties. Henceforth, their works are not positioned in a typical political artivist or overly patriotic standpoint, but from a place more personal and reflective; as evidences of a sincere contemplation. They train their gaze upon the mirror of Singapore in order to see themselves, their reflections shaped and molded according to the place they live in, and invite the audience to do the same; to take a pause, amidst the rush.
About the works
Chuck Reyes, who primarily photographs portraits, presents two series of works for the exhibition. The first, ‘Break,’ is a slideshow of portraits of young men newly enlisted in Singapore’s National Service, the country’s mandatory two-year military and community service for all male citizens reaching adulthood. Their quiet expressions and commonplace surroundings belie the drastic shifts and life changes experienced in this nationally-shared rite of passage.
Chuck’s second series in the exhibition, the descriptively titled ‘Old Men on the Bus,’ is a series of photographs of just that, old men riding Singapore’s bus service, but shot from behind so only their thinning hair and balding skin are the only indications of their identity. While it also addresses Singapore’s aging population, it’s also the artist’s reflection on his own existence, and how we are all ultimately headed in a certain similar direction.
Koh Pei Chen presents two sets of paintings. The first set, 'Between Points', draws reference to topographic symbols, mapping out the personal experiences and encounters of living in an organized and planned city-state like Singapore. The routine and repetitive movement from one side of the paper to the other does not simply conclude with a collection of straight lines, but rather, forms emerge from the encounters between the two points that make up each line. Collectively, from the lines emerge a shape organically; in parallel to the fact that routines may not be that flat and dry afterall.
The second set, 'Between Planes', sees Pei Chen peering at spaces between buildings in the city build-up areas. At first glance, the works may simply be various shapes at angles to each other, but as we step further away from the works, the depth of the planes emerge from the subtle tonal changes in the colour. With that, the images' scale and perspective are also disrupted - perhaps they may be close-ups, yet again, maybe optically compressed telephoto views from a distance, and then, maybe not.
Nah Yong En presents two series of works. The first series, titled ‘LUP green screen,’ is derived from the city state's ever-present upgrading. Behind the green netting that keeps debris at bay, he glances at HDB blocks, some to-be-upgraded, some already upgraded with lifts on every floor. The blocks present themselves almost in a dreamlike manner, seemingly contemplating their ever changing states.
Yong En’s second series, titled ‘Looking at no one,’ is a series of travelling on the MRT, where the people standing/sitting close-by are frequently strangers. The camera snatches a view from the (double image) reflection on the train windows and doors, allowing one to look at others without having to look at them. The artist looks at the commuters, us, in our own little worlds – on digital devices, reading, staring blankly, resting, almost seemingly assuming that nobody’s looking at anybody.
