Culture vulture

When I was describing why I wanted to go to Singapore, and what I wanted to do, to a friend, she asked, “Aren’t you going to any museums?”

Well, Singapore has them, of course, but I really mostly wanted to see things that were outside. However, several people had insisted that the ArtScience museum was a must-see, so I went.

Well.

Okay.

There was an exhibition of works by Australian artist Patricia Piccinni that took up one floor. As I walked in, the guy checking tickets advised, “This display includes nudity.”

I thought that was kind of odd—like PBS stations blurring out butt cracks or nipples because the audience might be offended. I just paid S$30 for a ticket, the time to warn my snowflakeness would have been at the point of purchase.

But when I got in, and saw what the nudity involved, well—I thought it was hysterical. Because Piccinni’s creatures are so weird, whether they have clothes on or not is not the most striking element.

I did like some of the bizarre fields of objects and the shadow patterns they cast, but otherwise, meh.

The other exhibit my S$30 entitled me to was the installation “Future World: Where Art Meets Science”, which mostly was light displays.

Now, what that ticket checker ought to have done was warn me, “There are scores of little children engaging in art-appreciation activities and they are not using their inside voices.” But he didn’t, and I found out for myself.

Now, this thing was cool: walking through a forest of crystals.

Thinking back on it, ArtScience is quintessentially Singaporean: both beautiful and high tech.

So—I did go to a museum.