Southeast Asia’s enduring affection for the humble, ubiquitous chicken has gotten the museum treatment for Singapore’s National Gallery See Me, See You: Southeast Asia’s First Video Installation (until September 17). In the works of 1985 How to Explain Art to a Bangkok Rooster Thai artist Apinan Poshiananda, now artistic director of the Bangkok Biennale, explained the mona-lisa at a gathering of poultry.
The museum has partnered with animal welfare group Chicken Rescue Rehome to recreate the piece, including with live birds, over the opening weekend. There was indeed a lot of love for the feathered friends: The band’s William Lian gave a talk on the responsible care of urban chickens while the show also received support from the environmental nonprofit Ground -Up Initiative. Meanwhile, abandoned balcony chickens have recently overwhelmed shelters in Singapore.
Named after the work of Filipino artist Jean Marie Syjuco in 1996 See Me, See You (Revenge of the Giraffe), an interactive sculpture filming visitors, the exhibition is the first in a two-part series exploring the early years of experimental video installation by artists from Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. The second section will run from October 13 to February 4, 2024 and will feature artists such as Heri Dono and Kirsna Murti – and undetermined chickens (details on egg sac to be confirmed).
