Acts of Life

An interdisciplinary collaboration of NTU CCA Singapore and MCAD Manila commissioned by the Goethe-Institut.

Nature and Urbanity: Acts of Life is a critical research residency and presentation project that seeks to explore the relationship between environments and humankind in times of rapid urbanization and digitalization. The project is transdisciplinary in nature and lends itself to discussions between fields of art, culture, sociology, technology, philosophy and urbanism, amongst others. The project is a collaboration of NTU CCA Singapore und MCAD Manila, commissioned by the Goethe-Institut.

More about Acts of Life

Presentation

What role does historical, traditional or indigenous knowledge of nature and culture play in the future of the world making and acts of life in general? How have digital technologies and internet culture shaped contemporary interpretation and translation of the nature/culture complex in the arts? The residents present their results from 24 to 27 January 2019 in Singapore and from 21 to 23 February 2019 in Manila.

Residents' Research

Showcase Singapore

25.01.2019 (Fri) - 26.01.2019 (Sat)

Showcase Manila

21.02.2019 (Thu) - 23.02.2019 (Sat)

Courtesy of NTU CCA
Tour of ArtScience Museum by Honor Harger (Executive Director, Art Science Museum, Singapore), Singapore, 2018.
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Participant Nuriye Tohermes presenting her research during the residency, NTU CCA Singapore, 2018.
© Chimera Visions
Supervision with the Curatorial Advisory Board, De La Salle-College of Sait Benide, School of Design and Arts, Manila, Philippines, 2018. From left: Joselina Cruz (Curatorial Advisory Board, AoL), Nuriye Tohermes (participant, Germany)
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Workshop with Dr Welyne Jeffery Jehom (Senior Lecturer, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya), NTU CCA Singapore, 2018. From left: Nuriye Tohermes (participant, Germany), Dr Welyne Jeffery Jehom, Jennifer Katanyoutanant (participant, Thailand).
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Workshop at the Future Cities Lab with Aurel von Richthofen (Module Coordinator for Alternative Construction Materials, Future Cities Lab), Singapore, 2018.
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Participants on a guided tour of the Culture City. Culture Scape (Public Art Trail), at Mapletree Business City, Singapore, 2018.
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Participants on a Temple Trail of Wak Hai Cheng Bio, Chinese Temple, Singapore, 2018. From left: Nuriye Tohermes (participant, Germany), Jasyson C. Jimenez (participant, Philippines), Febie Babyrose (participant, Indonesia), Hung Duong (participant, Vietnam).
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Visitor at the Acts of Life Singapore presentation responding to AoL participant Roopesh Sitharan’s research experiment, “What is Wrong with Singapore.” NTU CCA Singapore, 2019.
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Visitors at Acts of Life Singapore presentation, NTU CCA Singapore, 2019.
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Visitors at Acts of Life Singapore presentation, NTU CCA Singapore, 2019.
Courtesy of NTU CCA
Lecture performance titled Black Swans, Butterflies and Elephants by participants Jayson C. Jimenez and Ida Roscher, NTU CCA Singapore, 2019.
Photo: Goethe-Institut Philippinen © Charlene Batulan
Photo: Goethe-Institut Philippinen © Charlene Batulan
Photo: Goethe-Institut Philippinen © Charlene Batulan
Photo: Goethe-Institut Philippinen © Charlene Batulan
Photo: Goethe-Institut Philippinen © Charlene Batulan

Critical Research Residency

Manila, 27 October to 11 November 2018
Singapore, 12 November to 14 November 2018

Various creative and interdisciplinary working scholars of related fields such as art, design, urbanism, humanities and digital sciences who live and work in Southeast Asia and/ or Germany joined the residencies in Singapore and Manila, starting on 28 October 2018. The participants worked on their respective fields of research, together with selected counterparts of their interest, deploying conceptual, terminological, or methodological research tools.

Residents

The Goethe-Institut selected 16 residents to participate in the residency.

Places

Over the 4 weeks of residency, the residents visited a variety of locations.

Four Key Questions

What is the impact of technology on the urban environment?
What is the impact of technology on the natural environment?
How have technological developments impacted the visual arts?
How have changes in technology altered contemporary senses of what it means to be human?

Commissioners & Partners

The Residency Nature and Urbanity: Acts of Life is commissioned by the Goethe-Institut Singapore and the Goethe-Institut Philippines with organising partners Nanyang Technological University Contemporary Arts Center (NTU CCA) and Museum of Contemporary Art + Design (MCAD) Manila.

Curatorial Committee

The curatorial committee consists of 5 members from NTU CCA and MCAD Manila.

Partners

The residency has been co-organised with NTU CCA and MCAD Manila.

A cooperation between

Top