高行建

Sunday

Went to the Singapore Arts Museum to view the Gao Xing Jian Exhibition titled “ 有我之境，无我之境”. It’s the first time that I have been SAM since it was converted from the History Museum.

Intended to take the train but drove there as it was raining. Almost skidded outside Raffles City due to the metal plates covering the road leading to Raffles City Carpark. Sadly I am here typing this.

Luckily the NTUC building besides SAM provides a cheap parking of $2 per entry.

Spend the whole day in the museum till 1700hrs.

As the exhibition focus on

“….Chinese ink painting influences and European (partic. French and German) philosophical and literary ideas that influenced Gao’s thinking. Through the paintings, Gao’s thinkings and perception towards art e,g, his views about abstraction and realism. The notion of Without-ism which Gao advocates that bring out the other aspects on the various isms (e.g. cubism, abstract expressionalism, conceptual art) that has been, and still in discussions today.”

My intention was to use his philosophical intent in his ink paintings to stimulate my own philosophical mind so that I can come closer to giving up on this world. Needless to say, it is a futile effort as experience shared is never the same as the actual experience itself. Guess I must eat more rice.

Besides this exhibition, there are also other artistic works on display that makes my $3 more than worthwhile.

I cannot comment on Gao’s technique as I’m not an artistic kind of person. But as a philosopher, I feel sad for this guy whose essence is only in Black, White and Grey.

The Tiger's Whip - Part of a previous performance art.

“Limit your art and your art will limit you” – Jim Leong (1978 - 2005, hopefully).