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Forum Series: Restriction ▪ Repetition ▪ Result: Minimalist Approaches in Art and Music



Online at YSTCM’s YouTube channel 6 Apr 2021 (Tu) 5:30 PM

Adeline WONG, presenter Adrian GEORGE, presenter


Join Adrian and Adeline as they share insights on Minimalist approaches in Art and Music.

In the exhibition Minimalism: Space. Light. Object at ArtScience Museum in 2018, Adrian GEORGE proposed that what is now known as Minimalism was born out of ancient Vedic teachings that explore notions of emptiness, nothingness and the cycle of life. These ideas made their way to the West through the teachings of Buddhist scholars and Yogic gurus in the early 20th century. The fundamental tenets of Minimalism, established by art historians and critics in the 50s and 60s, included reference to bare materials, simple geometry and repetition – these were criteria for selecting many of the works in Adrian’s exhibition, and allowed him to include what was then a new composition (Herringbone for piano) by Adeline.


The emphasis on repetition found in certain minimalist and post-minimalist works of art spurred on Adeline WONG’s continued exploration and her application of the use of simple, limited materials in her own compositions. Rather than simply following the minimalist music tradition, Adeline delves deeper into some of the principles of Minimalism in order to create challenge, and in so doing break new ground and reach new conclusions in her music.


ABOUT THE PRESENTERS


Adeline WONG is a Senior Lecturer at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Her compositions have been performed by the Belgian National Orchestra, Orkest de ereprijs, the Netherlands, Bang on A Can USA, The Song Company, Australia, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also the President of the Malaysian Composers Collective, a platform that promotes Malaysian contemporary classical music. She was recently the artistic director of the Free Hand Festival – 1st Malaysian Contemporary Composers Piano Festival 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Adrian GEORGE is a curator, commissioner, writer and educator with over 20 years’ experience working in some of the most influential art institutions in the world including the New Museum, New York; Tate Modern; Tate Liverpool and the UK Government Art Collection, UK – that latter representing British visual culture in over 300 locations globally. He is currently Director of Exhibitions and Museum Services at ArtScience Museum, Singapore.


Adrian was a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, London, a National Advisor to the Arts Council of Wales and a selector for Wales in Venice (Venice Biennale) in 2017 and 2019. He was an advisor to the Board of the Bomb Factory Art Foundation, London and until November 2017 he was Representative at Court of the Royal College of Art. He now sits on the Academic Committee for the Ocean Flower Island Museum, Hainan, China.



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