'Recorder Rewrite' film at the Singapore Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2019. Music For Everyone: Variations on a Theme by artist Song-Ming Ang and curator Michelle Ho.
Credits: Photo by Olivia Kwok, courtesy of the artist

USP alum Song-Ming Ang (Literature + USP, Class of 2005) represents Singapore at the prestigious 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia for his presentation titled Music for Everyone: Variations on a Theme. The multidisciplinary presentation by Song-Ming and curated by Michelle Ho comprises film, works on paper, sculptures and banners.

Central to the presentation is a three-channel film installation titled Recorder Rewrite which spotlights the recorder, a musical instrument that has been part of Singapore’s music education curriculum since the 1970s. It shows children from different cultural and musical backgrounds performing a composition of their own, following a two-day recorder workshop. The presentation also includes a display of sculptures - whimsically assembled parts of recorders, which point to the unlimited creative potential of art.

Commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC) and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, the presentation is on display at the Arsenale’s Sale d’Armi building in Venice from 11 May to 24 November 2019.

Song-Ming, also a recipient of NAC’s Young Artist Award in 2011, commented that, “With all the artworks, my motivation is to think about what it means to make ‘music for everyone’ – how to be inclusive and open, culturally speaking. Any person or organisation in a position to think about this question is already in a position of power or privilege, to decide what ‘music’ is and who ‘everyone’ is. This message is at the core of this exhibition and threaded through each series of artworks presented as part of Music for Everyone: Variations on a Theme.”

He also has another art installation titled Chance Operations displayed at the National Gallery Singapore: Gallery Children’s Biennale from 25 May to 29 December 2019. Presenting his first installation made with children in mind, the display consists of more than 1000 aluminium pipes which visitors can use to create melodies by tossing ping pong balls.

We’re happy to hear that a lot of what he does as an artist – the interdisciplinary aspect as well as the critical thinking and focus on clarity – stems from USP. Congratulations to Song-Ming once again for being named Singapore’s representative at the 58th Venice Biennale!

Learn more about his works in these interviews – CNA Luxury and Singapore Tatler.

Recorder Sculptures at the Singapore Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2019.
Credits: Photo by Olivia Kwok, courtesy of the artist