SINGAPORE, Jan 11 — An exhibition opening this weekend at the National Museum of Singapore will juxtapose artworks by the actress Lucy Liu — in her first museum show — with others by the Indian-born, Singapore-dwelling artist and writer Shubigi Rao.
Called “Unhomed Belongings,” the exhibition will be presented as a dialogue between the two artists, who, although they’d never met in person, became “visual penfriends” through an exploration of their respective works.
According to the non-profit, Singapore-based Ryan Foundation, which is co-presenting the show, Liu and Rao share an interest in “examining and dissecting cultures, histories, identities and relationships,” and both frequently repurpose found objects in their art — parallels that will be highlighted throughout the show.
Liu works in mediums including painting, sculpture, collage, silkscreen, video and found objects, addressing themes of security, salvation and “the long-term effects of personal relationships on our physical and emotional selves,” according to the Ryan Foundation.
A key artwork will be Liu’s installation Lost and Found, which consists of discarded objects Liu picks up on her travels, hidden in around 200 handmade books. Visitors can pick up the books, open them, and replace them anywhere within the installation, contributing to a cycle of rediscovery.
In the show, a parallel will be drawn between Lost and Found and Rao’s Stabbing at Immortality: Building a Better Jellyfish, as both works invite viewers to examine ordinary-seeming objects that appear more peculiar when observed close-up.
“Lucy Liu and Shubigi Rao: Unhomed Belongings“ will be open, free to the public, from January 12 to February 24 at the Stamford Gallery in the National Museum of Singapore. — AFP-Relaxnews
