National Gallery presents Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia, a special exhibition that presents an extensive display of over 300 works from the mid-19th century until the present, all captured by photographers from across the region.
If a picture tells a thousand words, photographs tell even more. The stories behind every chosen format and the condition of each preserved photograph spell physical truths that inform of a time gone past — something we undoubtedly need to know more of to better ground ourselves in an increasingly digital world moves forward at an every-increasing speed.
Showcasing diverse mediums and modes of photography, 3D displays and engaging hands-on activities, the National Gallery’s latest exhibition presents the first-ever comprehensive look at photography in the Southeast Asian region across 150 years at its year-end special show – Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia.
G.R. Lambert Co. Harbour View. Late 1890s. Albumen print on paper, 21 × 27 cm. Collection of National Museum of Singapore, National Heritage Board, Singapore.
In an effort to encourage more critical thought about how photography affects our view of the world and ourselves, the show displays the history of today’s quick-snap mechanisms and applications to highlight not only technological advancement, but also the pervasiveness of a recording method that is both celebrated scientifically and artistically.
Dinh Q Lê. Crossing the Farther Shore. 2014. Found photographs, cotton thread, linen tape, steel rods, dimensions variable. Collection of National Gallery Singapore. Image Credit: Joseph Nair, West Memphis Pictures.
Structured chronologically and organised in five themes, the exhibition traces how photography started in Southeast Asia, and the evolving functions and influences of the compelling visual medium to provoke a rethinking of photography’s role in shaping Southeast Asia’s historical narratives and world views. Expect to see an array of colonial images, studio portraits and documentary photography to photo albums, photos meant for social media and works with modern interventions
Miti Ruangkritya. Detail of Thai Politics no. 2, vol. 1. 2010. Found photograph. Collection of the artist.
Extending into the digital realm, visitors will also encounter works on the Gallery’s Instagram account @nationalgallerysingapore and engage with four photographers (via Ask Me Anything sessions) notable for utilising social media for and in their work.
The photographers are Singapore-based photographer Nguan; Burmese artist Shwe Wutt Hmon; Veejay Villafranca from the Philippines; and Indonesian Agan Harahap – all of whom have some elements of their photography practices mirrored in the physical exhibition galleries and may attribute aspects of their popularity to social media.
Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia is open from 2 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 at the Singtel Special Exhibition Gallery. Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our November 2022 issue!
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