Extraneous

TROMARAMA

Extraneous

2010 Installation with video and batik panels 1:19 min (loop) Collection of Arif Suherman

1. Do you recognise the symbols used on the panels? What are they usually used for?

The symbols used are recognizable binary code. They are usually used in computer programming.

2. Take a few steps back and look at the animation now. How does watching the animation make you feel?

It made me realised what technology had improved and developed into, changing into a visual language befitting our age.

Midnight Sea

TABAIMO
Midnight Sea 2006 / 2008
Video installation
4:42 min (loop)
Collection of the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art

1. Do you notice anything unusual or eerie about this animation of the sea?

Yes. The animation of the sea sometimes had forms that somehow looked like creatures from under the sea, yet i couldn't specify which aquatic living thing it is.

2. How does watching the animation make you feel? What is the atmosphere created by the artist in this work, and how has she created it?

I felt fascinated with how just by using line drawings, she could create such an unusual piece of artwork. She created a suspense and mysterious atmosphere with the darkness of the room.

3.
The artist is fascinated by the sea and the idea of what lies beneath its mysterious depths. What do you think the creatures lurking in the depths of the sea in this animation look like?

The creatures lurking in the depths of the sea in the animation look as if it is comprised of forms and organisms that look like corals or aquatic plants, as well as human organs and entrails. A jellyfish-like/a wig of white hair could be seen moving through the life-forms.

V

LI HUI
V
2011
Installation
Variable dimensions
Burger Collection


1. Why do you think the artist has titled this artwork V?

V is the shape of the laser beams that sculpt the space, thus the name 'V'.



2. The artist has described visitors’ encounters with his work as a ‘spiritual’ experience. Why do you think he has described it this way?

It is because the artwork suggest dizzing futurism of a science fiction worrld that lies ahead, as well as an experience that borders on the spiritual and subline.


3. This work has also been described as ‘the stuff of science fiction’. Why do you think this is so?

The Thomasites Were Here

ALFREDO ESQUILLO JR.
The Thomasites Were Here
2009
Oil on canvas
182.88 x 457.2 cm
Paulino and Hetty Que Collection

1. What can you tell from the three panels in this painting? What is the setting, and who do you think the people in the painting are?

It is based on old historical photographs of students at a Thomasite school. I could tell that the people in the painting are very disciplined as the students were all facing the front, sitting still. For the second panel, i believe it is a group of scouts, smartly dressed up in their uniform, proudly displaying their drums and American flags.


2. Which era, or period in history, do you think this painting depicts? Why do you think so?

It depicts the period of time when the American missionaries that came to Philippines in 1901, introducing a new education system which the artist believes led to the exclusion of native cultures and values. I think so by judging from the clothes they are attired in.


3. Do you notice about anything strange or disturbing about this painting? How has the artist used certain details to create this sense of strangeness?

Yes, i do notice something strange or disturbing about this painting. In the third panel of the painting, the children are painted without any facial features and the panel was painted in shades of black, grey and white, causing it to look eerie and a little scary.