Two Week Wonderland (9/12 SOLO)
Ivan Ong
“Two Week Wonderland” by Singaporean artist Ivan Ong explores the idea of a wonderland experience in a temporal social context. From plain grass to a constructed amusement park, seemingly the idea of coming together to do an activity, to cohere at a central area is re-surfacing in the heartlands. These grassy areas, when barren, are often reserved with a sign that reads “STATE LAND,” followed by “This site for casual community and recreational use” or “Land used for future development.” Sites like these that are governed are now taken over by a waft of childhood memories with the installation of the amusement parks.
Through documenting these moments of installation, rides and de-installation of a temporal amusement park near Tampines last October, the artist wants to make such an experience relatable to himself through the people present at the site with him. For him, a realm has been effectively constructed, but strangely short-lived, even though he made himself present consistently for the entire duration of two weeks. “Two Week Wonderland” presents a state of dichotomy, caught in a cycle of imaginative permanence.
“Two Week Wonderland” is the ninth project of the exhibition series, [12 Solo] of Comma Space 逗号空间.
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Exhibition: 26 Dec 2020 – 3 Jan 2021
Conversation with artist and curator Wang Ruobing releases on 4pm, 2 Jan, 2021
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday (by appointment only [email protected]), Saturday and Sunday 1-6pm
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About the artist: Ivan Ong (b.1994, Singapore) is an artist who lives and works in Singapore. He loves on the everyday, in the commute, musings, and the mundane. Thus, he is best known for his ideas about the dealings of the everyday. Through his practice, he also hopes to push for the convergence of reality and the imaginary, a paradigm of both he believes can co-exists. His photographs have varied in tones, but have always been consistent in the idea of photographing spaces and objects that contain signature traces of households in corridor spaces. Moving forward, he is progressively taking his practice outward to look at interactions and installations within the city.
Ivan Ong (b. 1994, Singapore) has recently completed his BA Fine Arts studies from Lasalle College of the Arts (2020). He has also exhibited his works at UNTAPPED by Visual Arts Development Association Singapore (VADA) at Affordable Art Fair, Singapore (2019) and Tracking Status: Expedited, Alliance Française Singapore (2019).
About the curator: Dr. Wang Ruobing is an artist and curator who currently teaches at the LASALLE College of the Arts.
