MOMENT: 

LIFE-SPAN OF A BUBBLE:

A Curator Note of the “Moment: A collaboration of Ideas Exchange, UK-Myanmar Contemporary Art Workshop” 

3 December 2021 - 7 January 2022

’Time is a medium which is crucial to all types of art.’’

1. Time represents: measurement, degree, starting point, ending point, turning point and ups and downs of events and conditions. In addition, it also stores emotions, new experiences, new ideologies and unusual events in memories for our life. The changes which happened early in 2021 in Myan- mar, everyone was awakened. Following the blow of Covid-19 pandemic and political battles broke out successively. Injustice is here and there, now and then. But moment of now is not eternal.

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2. Shift in art ideologies: towards the age of Conceptual in the process of making art, the con- dition of a moment plays an important role. A work of art comes to life in the very moment when its viewer or participant collaborates with it. What’s more, the background of the time of a certain artwork acts not only for itself but for its artist. While this art workshop happened, I expe- rienced unexpected miseries crisis, by Covid-19 pandemic, by the flames of civil war and by the collapse of economy of the state. All these things had been threatening me all the time, and un- certainty had been frightening me all the time. These artworks might carry those worries too. The period of making art is of the past and the art work in front of the viewer is of another specific time. In contemporary media arts, we can see that the concept of the difference of time is created in a new means of esthetics. All these artworks are the examples of the changes of art in lacal scene. If the messages become the body of art and the time and the duration become the life-span of art.

It is hard to measure to what degree the impact of time (age) can change the art world. Howev- er, it is certain that the force of art can develop things quickly and effectively. It is less than two decades that the changes of media age start- ed in Myanmar. The country with less of develop- ing technology, and there, in the government art schools, was no experimental new media art. So, I was trying to study multimedia art for two years. And I aware that the young artists who outside of mainstream have developed quickly in the experimental new media art. Despite of some in- flurences of Modern art practices as expression- ism has still overwheling, but It might be some way the starting point of changes of new art.

3. The things depicted by this program:

In this workshop, young artists across the country were invited and collected. Mainly, this program focuses on how we experience, on how we react and on how we confront in this hard time. Also this program will analyses and asks what types of communities and what types of identities will have influence in the surviving future.

Resistances:

Kyaw Minn Htet’s inspired readymade idea of Marcel Duchamp is titled ‘’Hostile Objects’’. His artwork potrays the future of the Exclusive Brand- ed things as special identity. From his work of art, the viewer can experience its utility and essence at the same time. Similarly, it can be said to be ‘’deconstruction’’ and ‘’brave resistance’’, too.

Moe Myat May Zar Chi’s video installation titled ‘’Moon Landing (Ver 2.0 Longgyi)’’ is a metaphor of the power of woman as raised their dresses longyis high like flags, as a power and strength; She uses the images of NASA which raised flag on the Moon as reference. From her work, the viewer might experience both realistic metaphor and exaggerated metaphor.

Another work which uncovers the power of women is that of La Yaung Htun. His work is titled ‘’The Empress of Dragons’’ (Naga Thakinma in Burmese). It is based on the traditional theme, but it is a fashion design of special props. The work shows the ability of a woman to turn into a drakaina (female dragon according to Greek Mythology). The work has no plot of story but it could revel as a cultural imaginary which remakes the power and forces of women.

The work of comic artist FIO Dio expresses how to bear the miseries of dark-time crisis. The artist creates GIF files, using digital animation and ro- toscope. The pictures reflect how people react to what they experience today. He uses the Burmese expression of nightmare ‘’Belu see chin’’, meaning ‘’Wrestling with Ogre’’. The works create as GIF files on social media culture instead of using texts is a more effective and creative method of today.

Repetitions and curse of pain:

The work of Lin Htet Aung titled ’Me and My Coun- try-pornography’’ is a narrative work of art, also an experimental work mainly based on his own ex- periences of his country where he was born and grew up. Life and death are experimented by the artist himself just like the process of sex nature. A map which is looks like a traditional folk-painting is used as a background of time.

Artist Na Torah’s work from her series titled ‘’Gentle Lamb’’ is a metaphor for religion and social life which she experienced. It is a work of three nails. The lamb in offer to God is replaced with a pure girl. The three nails used in her artwork represent the realistic objects which portray pain. This is an experimental work of art which highlights purity and cruelty.

Artist Yadanar Aung created a video art titled ‘’I brew love potions for sad maidens’’, in which she herself performed. The artist developed this work from the text ‘’Sunflower smells’’. She tries to put her sufferings of social life, hatred, resentment and inner conflicts and social crisis onto the sun- flowers she cherished. In reality, she created a curse to solace and satisfy herself and to clear her doubt. She uses the texts from the epic poems of Innwa(Ava) period to symbolize ‘’the nature of sacrificing’’. It is intended for others and for herself.

Metaphor and Psychotherapy: A video artwork created by artist Thytar, who always makes mul- timedia and performance works of art. In this work titled ‘’Sustain’’, she likens her life to a fish (called Fighter). This work reflects several hardships and struggles in social life. Just like the other video works, this work can thoughtful to the viewers.

Zun May Oo’s work is a painting which looks like a puzzle game. It warns the viewers to be strong and to be resilient in the struggle of life. It is also a psychotherapy. She said that she inspired from the work created by a British contemporary artist Tracy Eman in Folkestone1, which warned the fact that the number of teenage pregnant girls in- creased. The work form a big painting with such tiny pieces, the figures in each tiny pieces of painting tell the viewers different stories.

A work of art therapy by Kyi Kyi Thar as dealing with mental problem she sees all around her encounters is created and controlled by other people. This artistic noticing on sunset pictures gave her complete freedom and became a way to relive ‘cherished moments.

4. Time is the proof of truth: Can be art the truth or illusions and cure our wounds and trauma? Or art will criticize and analyze things? Time will answer all these things. There is an epic poem written by an ancient minister to lessen the anger of the king- occurred to me: “A king’s own good fortune in golden palace lasts just a tiny moment like a bubble on the surface of an ocean” 2.

5. In brief, I have a firm belief that this program of art exchange and workshop might be a great help for the news pages of contemporary art in Myanmar and that this might show the degree of freedom of art as well. I believed if the gen- eration who is familiar with interdisciplinary can change the old ideologies of art in future. Critical learning and having wide knowledge is the value of contemporary art. It is certain that getting the chance to learning on UK artists’ way of thinking might be valuable, good experience.

My special thanks go to:

UK artist, art educator, art historians and the art teacher, Grace Adam and Nicolas Tana, who introduced us to happened this project and with British Council Yangon, which provided this program, along with the friends from art community of Yangon, British Council South-east Asia Department, especially the team of program coordinator and manager, translators, design team and SOCA friends who gave advices for catalogue, participant artists, the applicants, even though who were not chosen in open-call for this program and the art lovers who supported us via social media. Thank you all!

SoCA Project

2023