“The feeling of being alive, of freedom and of empowerment that comes from dancing. The act of dancing freely in the fields of Tuscany was not really an act, it was a moment of my life, and the photography was simply a by-product.” - Tan Ngiap Heng, performing arts photographer
Dance
through the art gallery!
That
was my first thought as the poetic texts about dance and photographs of dancers
in movement led me through Body of Work.
Though
Body of Work is a photography
exhibition, I was charged with energy and the impulse to dance as I moved
through the still images as well as the multiple-screen installation of dance
video compilations. The powerful images of dancers and artists which unveiled
the histories and emotions behind the faces and bodies drew me into a series of
movements, memories, sensorial experiences and self-discoveries.
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| "Getting Lost Along The Way" (from the series "Dancing with Light") |
Ngiap
Heng, a dancer himself, captured the essence of dance and bodies in action,
with energy of each body/person/expression emitted strongly through each
photograph. The essence of dance was creatively captured through lines, curves,
shadows and shades in the photographs. “Dancing with Light” series captured the
energy of the dancer and the momentum of dance through the use of LED lights
attached to dancers. Traces of the dancers’ movements through space were thus
depicted through strokes that resembled calligraphy rendered in glowing white
ink. “Moonlight Sonata” showcased a series of self-portrait of the body interacting with nature. Both the movement of the body and flow of nature were captured. Through this,
Ngiap Heng explored and expressed what dance meant to him.
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| from the series "Moonlight Sonata" |
“I contemplate the histories that are stored in our bodies, the accumulations in time for us to be who we are.” - Tan Ngiap Heng
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| from the series “Portraits as History” |
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| from the series “Portraits as History” |
In
the “Portraits as History” series, images of personal history were projected
onto the body form to create captivating image of each individual. By doing so,
each portrait tells a story which carries with it complexities of background
and history. While going through the series, I started to ponder about what I
am constituted of, and who I am at the core of my being. “ARTiculate” series
featured visual artists, writers, dancers, theatre practitioners, musicians,
photographers and animators with their art works projected on them to
illustrate who they are.
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| from the series“ARTiculate” |
Among
all the wonderful series, my favorite is “Stealing Breath, Stopping Time”, a
dance video montage projected onto three screens. Viewers are free to move
through the screens, and to be part of the dance or to experience the dance at
close proximity. I especially liked how the subtlety and energy of dance were depicted in silence, with just the impulses, muscular and joint movements, and deep rhythmic
breaths of each dancer portrayed from different angles and presented on three
different screens. The different perspectives of movement, dance and body in motion
thus unfolded right in front of the viewers.
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| “Stealing Breath, Stopping Time” |
This
is a rare opportunity to catch a photography exhibition that is highly charged
with power, movement, vitality and life. Do drop by at ION, level 4 to
experience what it is like to feel energized in a gallery. The exhibition is on
at ION Art Gallery from 10am to 10pm daily, till 2 Nov. Admission Free.
