In endless nights, part of his 2016 solo exhibition ifs, ands, or buts at rockbund art museum, stacks of blank newsprint cut to the same trim size as the singaporean daily publication the straits times were piled up in an unlit room. The man, in his thirties, broken and exhausted from a failed career as an artist. Apr 27, 2012 heman chong is an artist, curator and writer. With his latest deliberation on narrative, text, and the future, heman chong offers a handsome presentation of paintings, text pieces, and a found book in his new solo exhibition of indeterminate. Nov 18, 2018 heman chong, one of singapores most significant contemporary artists, says we must allow for all kinds of art to inform how we see the world good or bad. By breaking them down, chong reveals assumptions about the production and distribution of cultural content. Heman chong is a conceptually driven curator, artist and writer. It was the first time that they spent an uninterrupted amount of time together after a long span of being physically apart. Beginning in 2009 and consisting of more than 180 paintings to date, cover versions represents the core of heman chongs painting practice. The artist has developed solo exhibitions at ntu center for contemporary art singapore, rockbund art museum shanghai, south. Asia art archive in america, april 27 2012 transcribed by xiaofei mo, edited by daisley kramer. Historical fiction product categories the book cover. Folded sheets of newspaper in which news reports, gossip, and literary texts are juxtaposed with ads can make for a convincing work by heman chong.
With over 500 titles, the library of unread books is a living reference library that traces the perimeters of excess knowledge. If there is one thing that an exhibition by heman chong is likely to provoke, it is a massive, sprawling search engine binge. Cover versions is an ongoing series of paintings of book covers, currently numbering in the hundreds. His work continuously interrogates the many functions of the production of narratives in our everyday lives. His conceptuallycharged investigations into how individuals and communities imagine the future generates a multiplicity of objects, images, installations, situations and texts. Now on show at fost gallery, singapore, heman chongs latest exhibition follows up on many of the conceptual and formal concerns found in his first show of indeterminate time or occurrence in 2014, and his interest in. Hemen chongs solo project the sole proprietor and other stories curated by vitamin creative space reflects a lot on the conversations between heman chong,the novelist hu fang and the curator zhang wei who is also the founder of vitamin creative space. He is interested in interrogating the functions of producing narratives in our everyday lives.
He was inducted into the australian book designers hall of fame in 20. He is design director at text publishing chong is a founding member of abda australian book designers association. The library of unread books by heman chong singapore. With a keen interest in the processes of visual culture, he is often able to toss his works into different configurations to suit the particular conditions of each exhibitionpresentation. Jun 26, 20 beginning in 2009 and consisting of more than 180 paintings to date, cover versions represents the core of heman chongs painting practice. The cost of a lifetime membership to the library is the donation of a single unread book.
Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Correspondences, heman chong, jeanmichel meurice, jean. In his series of cover versions 2009ongoing, chong has simply made paintings with book titles. She is best known for her work as a graphic designer during the 1950s and 60s, having created over 150 designs for book covers and museum catalogs. Part of the group show the great ephemeral, chong s contribution involved visitors in memorizing a short story he.
Heman chongs latest exhibition portals, loopholes and other transgressions runs until 29 december 2016. Elaine lustig cohen march 6, 1927 october 4, 2016 was an american graphic designer, artist and archivist. A geode, half covered in glossy grey paint, contrasts with the many clocks, alarms and pocket watches, all in the palest shade of matte grey. Jul 20, 2016 singaporebased heman chong addresses timeless epistemological questions. Heman chong will launch his new longterm project entitled the library of unread books, a membersonly reference library made up of donated books that are unread by their previous owners. Of indeterminate time or occurrence solo exhibition by heman chong.
Presentation by heman chong asia art archive in america. Heman chong, an arm, a leg and other stories at south london. Theres a rothkoesque black square on the cover for the langoliers a novella by stephen king. Heman chong heman chong is an artist, curator and writer. We are left to wonder whether these are just new fictions that. It is an ongoing series of 18by24inch canvases using graphical interfaces as invented book covers. Charged with a conceptual drive, this research is then adapted into objects, images, installations, situations or texts. I would be living in another city for two or three months and then im back in singapore, in my studio, surrounded by. In heman chongs cover versions the artist uses the rectangular format of the paperback, creating a series of paintings that look like a vast array of book covers. Chongs approach is engagingly multidisciplinary, and for this new exhibition his work includes elements of sculpture and installation. The price for a lifetime membership to the library is the donation of a single unread book. The artist, heman chong, temporarily transformed the gallery into a functioning secondhand sciencefiction and fantasy bookshop indeed, you can come in and buy sff books for 1 pound and as such, become part of the installation.
Creating redesigned covers of sorts, chong poses questions about the forms of paintings and books. Identical geometric paintings, resembling untitled book covers, are propped between bookends, bound by a ribbon, or else stacked one atop the other. He is interested in interrogating the functions of producing. Nov 06, 2015 the conventions of genres are essential. Johnson, a psychologist with jungian training interprets the tale of parsifals departure from his mother, arrival at arthurs court, and search for the grail. Because, the night a second hand bookshop for insomniacs by. Heman chong has 3,426 photos and videos on their instagram profile. If you were in nyc last summer, you might have encountered the work of singaporean artist heman chong at the new museum.
Sep 20, 2017 because, the night a second hand bookshop for insomniacs heman chong. For viewers familiar with heman chongs art, the painterly aspects of some of his latest cover versions might have come as a surprise. The cost of a lifetime membership to the library is the donation of one unread book. Various media on readymade books, clothes pegs, clothes line. The cover of everything i possess with me by herta mueller is a mirror image of the one for. It is a membersonly reference library made up of donated books that are unread by their previous owners. In 2014, he cofounded stationary with christina li. He is interested in interrogating the functions of producing narratives our everyday lives. Chong is an artist and book designer based in melbourne, australia. His interest lies in illustrating a multitude of visions of the futureand the presentthrough a profusion of objects, ideas, texts and images. I would be living in another city for two or three months and then im back in singapore, in my studio, surrounded by all my books, my past work and all my shit. The redesign or reappropriation of book covers has been done so often, that here it seems lazy. May 04, 2014 for viewers familiar with heman chongs art, the painterly aspects of some of his latest cover versions might have come as a surprise.
Heman chongs latest works, shown at the rockbund art museum in shanghai, hint at the potential hybridities that exist within the contemporary chinese sphere through a diverse range of conceptual media. See more ideas about online art gallery, art gallery and artist. His work is located at the intersection between image, performance, situations and writing. Understanding masculine psychology, a deconstruction and interpretation of the grail story. Heman chong is an artist whose work is located at the intersection between image, performance, situations and writing.
Because, the night a second hand bookshop for insomniacs. You can also check and buy the artists canvasses, inspired by sff book covers. Covers that had any hint of a male were left alone, although the list creator may decide to remove books if the male is not featured enough. Every single book you find in the collection was once private property and has been donated by an individual who did not read it when it was in their possession. Chongs approach is engagingly multidisciplinary, and for this new exhibition his work includes elements of sculpture and installation, performance. Heman chong in collaboration with anthony marcellini. His art practice involves an investigation into the philosophies, reasons and methods of individuals and communities imagining the future. An interview with heman chong by jee leong koh january 7, 2016 art, interview leave a comment if you were in nyc last summer, you might have encountered the work of singaporean artist heman chong at the new museum. The perfect play by jaci burton, lover avenged by j.
Heman chong, an arm, a leg and other stories at south. Heman chong, one of singapores most significant contemporary artists, says we must allow for all kinds of art to inform how we see the world good or bad. I assume chong is choosing the covers he does because he has some connection with those titles too. The first iteration of a tenyearlong project, heman chongs the library of unread books develops from the artists deepseated longing for books. The manufactured, handmade and natural are juxtaposed. The library of unread books by heman chong and renee staal. Singaporebased heman chong addresses timeless epistemological questions. The library of unread books is heman chongs longterm project. Oct 15, 20 in heman chongs cover versions the artist uses the rectangular format of the paperback, creating a series of paintings that look like a vast array of book covers, complete with title and.
Portals, loopholes and other transgressions is heman chongs second solo exhibition at fost gallery, and follows up on many of this conceptual and formal concerns found in his first show of indeterminate time or occurrence in 2014. View of heman chongs of indeterminate time or occurrence, fost gallery, singapore, 2014. His conceptuallycharged investigations into how individuals and communities imagine the future generates a multiplicity. Heman chong is an observer, gatherer and presenter of ideas and images.
Born in malaysia, and currently based in singapore, an arm, a leg and other stories now showing at south london gallery is the first major showing of artist and writer heman chong in the united kingdom. Her work has played a significant role in the evolution of american modernist graphic design, integrating european avantgarde with. Since 2000 i had been away from singapore for long periods of time, but i had more or less decided that i would never leave singapore permanently. The library of unread books singapore library facebook. Heman chongs series of book cover paintings questions imagined boundaries separating life and art read more at. Heman chong, paintings from an untitled series of book cover designs, 2010ongoing, acrylic on canvas, each 46. With his latest deliberation on narrative, text, and the future, heman chong offers a handsome presentation of paintings, text pieces, and a found book in his new solo exhibition of indeterminate time or occurrence at singapores fost gallery. Based on a list of 50 books culled from a series of informal conversations touching on inequality, racism, homophobia, overpopulation, forced migration, exploitation of labor, overconsumption, climate change, etc with friends and strangers on facebook. Due to the million blackedout business cards that cover the floor in heman chongs exhibition, the south london gallery has enforced a new rule. The work builds upon chongs fascination with science fiction, seen best in his ongoing series of paintings of selfdesigned book covers for science fiction novels 2010, the most recent of which are on display in the space adjacent to the temporary bookshop. This is especially the case given that inclusions 2015, another new commission situated in the gallerys shop and involving the selling of selected second hand books, proves chong can treat the subject in more original ways. This is especially the case given that inclusions 2015, another new commission situated in the gallerys shop and involving the selling of selected second hand books, proves chong can treat the subject in. Cover versions is an ongoing series of paintings of book covers, currently numbering in.
Choose from hard or soft cases featuring superbright, highquality prints that wont fade. Shanghaibased art critic jacob dreyer takes a closer look at the singaporean artists first museum solo exhibition in china, ifs, ands, or buts, opened on 23 january 2016 at. Mar 26, 2018 heman chong, tthe straits times, thursday, september 16, 2010, cover, 2018. Each twofeettall, the canvases depict book covers for a wide range of literary titles. For viewers familiar with heman chong s art, the painterly aspects of some of his latest cover versions might have come as a surprise. Shown in his recent solo exhibition at fost gallery, of indeterminate time or occurrence, the paintings are part of an ongoing series that depict the imaginary covers of various books, all equal in size.