I JUST DON'T GET MODERN ART!

Tang Da Wu appears in this video.

Try as I may, I just don't get modern art. Ever so often, I stumble on an art exhibition in whatever city, and that always piques my interest. MOMA, Tate Modern, JC Contemporary, MOCA, Queen's Gallery, you name it and I've spent hours in these over the years, and have always wondered. "What's it all about?" The latest stumbling took place back home in Jendela, Esplanade's biggest arts space. And these are the photos.

Entitled The Seminar - Don't Teach Art, it brings together works by Singaporean visual artist Tang Da Wu (born 1943), well-known as founder of The Artists Village during the 1980s at Ulu Sembawang. At 82, he still commands a loyal following among local visual artists but he has yet to receive the Cultural Medallion. NAC, what are you waiting for? It's probably his political leanings and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression that ruffled official feathers. In a way, receiving the CM might be a cop out of sorts, a sure sign of being accepted into the mainstream, and that is what true rebels and real artists try and avoid. 

 

The words in Chinese refer to an over-reliance
of machines to get things done.
So says a helpful exhibition guide.

The installations look imposing.

Perhaps dangerous to Ozempic users.

Is this some butcher's stall?

Bibi Netanyahu meets Kamala Harris.
The futility of politics.

We are constantly reminded of this year.
Not knowing is a sure sign of dementia.

What is this supposed to mean?

A man falls into a heap of bricks.
By the looks of it, he's doomed.

The Ascent of Otters.
They'll soon rule the world.

A Zen-like corner space.

No entry permitted, but the lock looks puny.

A pile of sticks. So what?

No idea what this means.

The glory of bubble wrap.

Ladder to nowhere.

Call this number if you are being scammed.

Absolutely no clue on this one.

This reminds me of the North Korean 
communist party symbol.

The exhibits bite. So beware.
Esplanade is not liable for injuries.

The Seminar – Don’t Teach Art - Esplanade

This exhibit runs till 1 February 2026.

Admission is free!

(Would you pay to look at this?)