4 X 4 - EPISODES OF SINGAPORE ART : EPISODE 2: CHEO CHAI HIANG – A THOUSAND SINGAPORE RIVERS

Cheo Chai Hiang's '5ft x 5ft (Singapore River)' (1972) can be said to mark the beginning of conceptual art in Singapore. It was essentially a set of instructions that Cheo mailed from the UK to the Modern Art Society in Singapore in 1972 for their annual exhibition. The fact that this work was rejected forms the spine of episode 2, in which two hosts take on the roles of employer and employee. The first has the privilege of accepting Cheo’s submission as a work of art. The other does not. The second episode deals with off-screen space in depth. Each time one of the hosts delves deeper into a problem, the camera opens up another off-screen space, occupied by another ensemble of figures who embody an idea or an argument.

NB: instead of episode 2, episode 4 is on view in the digital medialibrary, ending with half an hour of black.