Things To Do In Singapore: A Transgender-Affirmative Exhibition & More
Our weekly edit of things to check out.
By Keng Yang Shuen,
This week, there are many new exhibitions to check out all across town that navigate pertinent issues such as queerness and gender in clothing, while those shopping for a Christmas gift would do well to visit Aeae Furniture's festive market. More details below.
To mark Transgender Awareness Week and Transgender Day of Remembrance, non-profit organisation TransBefrienders has teamed up with queer allies Rainbow Families and Heckin’ Unicorn to put on an exhibition titled Dysphoria/Euphoria. The exhibition showcases artworks by eight local transgender and gender-diverse artists – namely Marla Bendini, Aki Hassan, Andy Winter, Benedict Lim, Naaliyah Noor Daneen, Sida Chu, Stephanie Dogfoot and Worms Wav.
Alongside the artworks, there are also video interviews with local trans and nonbinary individuals, describing their experiences with gender dysphoria and their journey during transitioning, through to euphoria. Visitors are also encouraged to ask any of the volunteers if they have any questions about the art pieces or the stories displayed in the exhibition.
“We hope visitors will come with an open heart and mind. And through it all, learn that affirming support such as hormone replacement therapies and gender reassignment surgeries are not just cosmetic purposes, it is an essential part of a life-giving journey for us,” says Coen Teo, executive director of TransBefrienders.
And should you wish to take more direct action to support the community, there’s also a fund-raising effort to help enable TransBefrienders to expand and continue its ongoing programmes that benefit trans and gender-diverse youths. More details here.
On now till Nov 20, 1pm-8.30pm, at Projector X: Picturehouse, Level 5 The Cathay Studio 1914
Artist and photographer Devon Khusuma is the latest to show at independent fashion gallery Fashion On Display, with a show titled Fitting In. While narratives around the shifting roles of gender in fashion have increasingly been more visible in very recent years, it bears reminding that it does not necessarily hold true all over the world, particularly in conservative societies.
Growing up in a conservative Indonesian household, Khusuma's wardrobe reflects the evolution of his experiences with clothing and gender, and how gendered connotations of our clothes (from the placement of our buttons to the colours we choose to wear) are often overlooked and taken for granted.
The show presents 160 photographed garments alongside archival images from his home and his youth to trace his relationship with gender essentialism – in doing so, it deviates from the typical mold of most wardrobe studies, which tend to focus on multiple subjects. Instead, the exhibition adopts a more autobiographical perspective on how clothing can serve as expressions of masculinity, femininity, and the in-between.
Nov 19 to Dec 4 at Fashion On Display, #04-04D Heng Loong Building, 61 Bukit Batok Crescent
Aeae Furniture may be a relatively young player in the vintage furniture scene but it has quickly become a go-to for industry insiders and creative types with its artful curation. The founders are putting on a festive market this weekend, where you'll be able to browse handmade Christmas tree ornaments, unique Thai coffees from Common Man (where all drink proceeds will go to Mercy Relief), festive bakes from The Plain Jane cafe for pre-order, tie-dye pieces courtesy of local label Fassbender and Mellon Collie and cute plants from Soil Boy.
And from Aeae Furniture itself, you can expect to find things like clocks fashioned out of ceramic tiles, Gifu lanterns, Ikebana wares and more – in short, it's a one-stop shop where you're likely to find one-of-a-kind options for yourself or someone on your gifting list.
Nov 18 (5pm- 10pm), Nov 19 & Nov 20 (12pm-7pm), at #07-01 Ho Seng Lee Flatted Warehouse, 10C Jalan Ampas
You've read our interview with North East Social Club (NESC) – the collective behind some of the best indie music gigs in Singapore. Now they're back with their next show, Relevant Materials, which showcases a line-up full of rising names. Readers of the magazine will be familiar with glitch pop princess Cayenne (pictured), who will be accompanied by her producer, jorud, who will also be doing a highly anticipated DJ set with Cayenne.
Electronic artist and scene stalwart The Analog Girl will open the show with an ethereal electronic set featuring instrumental cuts from her latest release, followed by trip hop artist-producer Houg and the fast-rising rapper Mary Sue, the latter two being back by emo band Curb. The night’s programming will be rounded off with instrumental sets by producers Fauxe and fxrxzx, both of whom will be building their performances around the sampling capabilities of the Roland SP-404, a workstation noted for its influence on the lo-fi beats genre.
In addition to the performances, fans will be able to shop for mementos such as kimo-kawaii fashion accessories from Sarah Thursday, vinyls from Wildflower Wax Co and T-shirts featuring cult film-inspired designs from PLACATE THE GODS.
Get your tickets here.
Nov 19, from 8pm, at O School at GR.iD Singapore, 1 Selegie Road
Local fashion festival The Front Row is putting on an expansive new programme called FashionCONNECTS, which seeks to be a platform to showcase the voices of various designers from Singapore and around the region, guided by a framework that focuses on sustainability, eco-consciousness and inclusivity. The programme is fronted by creative director Daniel Boey and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, and highlights include a retail pop-up at Design Orchard featuring contemporary Singapore and Asia-based designers such as JUDE, the namesake fashion label of Melbourne-based Singaporean designer Jude Ng, who specialises in relaxed, gender-neutral tailoring.
In line with the festival's aim to be inclusive, there'll also be a fashion show curated by and will feature, fashion folks in their silver years, such as model (and now model booker) Pat Kraal, who formerly walked for brands like Givenchy and Dior in Paris during the '80s.
The various events will culminate in a final runway show to be held at the National Musuem of Singapore, where emerging names like Ther Yang (pictured), Jon Max Goh, Studio Vetyver, Syne Studio and Harper's Bazaar New Gen 2022 winner Serina Lee will be showcasing their works.
For more details, follow The Front Row's Instagram account here.
On now till Nov 27, various locations
We spotlighted young curator Moses Tan as one to watch out for in our Jan 2022 Art & Music edition this year, but he's also an emerging artist in his own right. Tan's multi-media practice explore queer theory and history, with melancholia and shame as points of reference.
His new show titled, Served with a Side of Cheek, is currently the inhabitant of independent art space I_S_L_A_N_D_S. He's transformed the space into a lush garden of wild textures and colours to explore tongue-in-cheek ideas of queerness and preoccupation with the physique through "text, body, botany and navigation".
On now till Nov 25, 8am-10pm, at #B1-07B Excelsior Shopping Centre