Regina De Rozario: Notes, pictures, and other fragments

Tonight there must be people who are getting what they want.
I let my oars fall into the water.
Good for them. Good for them, getting what they want.

The night is so still that I forget to breathe.
The dark air is getting colder. Birds are leaving.

from Jennifer Michael Hecht's 'September'

There are two months in every year that I feel the need, more than in any other month, to sit still, eyes closed, with a blanket up to my chin and my arms around my knees. I find myself staring out of windows more often and, depending on the weather, examining the slants of light, the strands of rain.

I find myself in this place in March and now in September. I cannot recall exactly when I began my habit or from where if it was something I had learned. All I can say is that these months mark a beginning and an end for me, though not the beginning, or the end - More like a transitory period, a mood, phase, that if compressed, can be likened to the feeling of being on a plane that's about to take off or land.

Conventional wisdom dictates that we mark the beginning and end of every numbered year with January and December. If we live by nature's seasons in the Northern Hemisphere, the cycle begins with Spring which occurs around April. Being in Singapore, there is little variation beyond the 'sun in June to Aug', 'rain in Nov to Jan', and even that pattern has been thrown askew in the last few years. For me, March and September lie somewhere in the gaps of these patterns. They are the months of anticipation, of making plans, of watching the ground inch closer towards me.

So what is it, the weather, the stars, the sense of my own aging skin?

...

On a less melancholic note, I've been occupied with my MA research work, gallery visits, and meet-ups. We're having a short tutorial break, which means no campus sessions and teaching this fortnight.

Last month's ROJAK was quite an experience. A good mix of design, film, and art projects were showcased, some very intriguing (Laurence Abrahamson's 'Out-Lines' stood out for me), while others seemed like they needed either more work, or a more concise presentation.

There was a good crowd, and the Guinness Theatre proved to be the most conducive location I've had yet for a screening of 'Terminus'. I have no recollection of what I rambled on about (I spoke without a script and was nervous), but after speaking to a few people at the end of the event, I had a feeling that they enjoyed the work and would be looking out for more stuff from us.

The best part of the event for me was making a new friend, Chris Chua, who's currently finishing his degree in performance-based design at Central St Martin's. In our chat then, and a few days later over coffee, we discovered our shared interest in site-specific work and cross-disciplinary collaborations. I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with him.

...

The Singapore Biennale opens Sep 9. Either their website is sorely lacking in vital information (what time, where, and how can I get to the official opening), or it's there somewhere and I am too inept to dig it up. The exhibition opens in less than a week, but all I see here are loads of information on the history and descriptions of the various venues. Likewise, a table listing the participating artists, but no pictures of works we can expect.

Strange, that. An art biennale website with no images of art.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen any print brochures available to the public. Do they not want us to go see this event?