Singapore-based Gajah Gallery is presenting an extensive group exhibition showcasing prominent talents from their artist roster. Entitled “Archaeology of the Present,” the exhibition runs from July 23 through August 13.Curated by Kamiliah Bahdar, an independent curator, this exhibition is an ambitious project that brings together a wide range of sculptures and sculptural creations from the gallery’s collection. The showcase of these different artworks will reflect the richness of materials employed by artists today, examining current artistic trends in the region. Additionally, it will look into the use of such materials when transformed into artistic forms, touching upon varying subjects — from the personal to the quotidian and the historical. “Archaeology of the Present” promises to be an engaging and challenging exhibition, revealing an abundance of worldly ideas that may conflict with and differ from each other.According to a press release, this show is “an archaeology of the present that accepts the plurality of realities that coexist and are entangled.” The artists participating in this exhibition include Yunizar, Suzann Victor, Ashley Bickerton, Kumari Nahappan, Jason Lim, Handiwirman Saputra, Rudi Hendriatno, S. Nandagopal, Afdhal, Ugo Untoro, and Yusra Martunus.Kamiliah Bahdar is considered “South East Asia’s promising academic” — her thesis explored issues of identity politics and the politics of “adat” in post-Suharto Indonesia after the decentralization policies implemented in 2001. Recently, she joined the residency collective Bureau in Sculpture Square, and curated “Oversight: Where is the Public?” in 2013 and “OVERRIDE” in 2014. Both shows examined the relationship between people and sculptures in public spaces. Bahdar is currently pursuing an MA (Research) degree on curatorial spaces at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).“Archaeology of the Present” runs from July 23 through August 13 at Gajah Gallery, Singapore.
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