Why I Collect
9 Sep 2023 - 12 Nov 2023
Andrea Büttner, Manon de Boer, Haegue Yang, Tarek Atoui, Tehching Hsieh, Wolfgang Tillmans
Exhibition Guide: Download Here
Inspired by Descartes’s famous dictum, “I think, therefore I am”, Why I Collect draws from the personal collection of the founder of Blank Canvas. It presents art works by six contemporary artists, with each work a representation of a major art form – film, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, sound. For this particular collector, collecting is a pathway to thinking. In this exhibition, he shows us what he collects, which gives us a glimpse of what and how he thinks.
Fittingly, the works shown in Why I Collect challenge the conventions of what these art forms are or should be. A painting that literally demands to be stepped on; a sculpture that is activated by the audience’s touch; a film which does not play; photographs which draw their power not only from the image itself but also from the manner in which they can be viewed; literal year-long performances captured in a single instance; a sound work which is as visual as it is auditory, as well as interactive.
These works upend, and extend, our conceptions of the different media of art. But beyond their ostensible manifestations and their questioning of form, these works also offer for contemplation other layers of issues about art, such as the preciousness (or not) of art works, the democratization of art, and the relationship between the art work and the audience. These works, as interrogations of form and issues, were collected in pursuit of understanding. By sharing these works with the public, the exhibition invites each visitor to Blank Canvas to also embark on their own journey of questioning and understanding.
Untitled (Painted Floor)
Andrea Büttner
2022
Yellow paint
Instruction piece, dimension variable
Blank Rotating Notes
Haegue Yang
2012
Powder-coated steel sheet, ball bearings, magnets, 6 parts
DIN A3: 46.6 x 34.6 cm
DIN A4: 32.6 x 24.3 cm
DIN A5: 23.4 x 17.3 cm
THE WHISPERERS / MODULE 7
Tarek Atoui
2021
Drum, portable turntable, vinyls, Hexbug Nano, stethoscope, mixing consoles, metal bucket, headphones, magnetic wood, beaker, hydrophones, brass bowl, transducer, amplifier, dropping funnel, cymbal, plastic box, water, timer, rotating table, micro piezo, bamboo, cables, carpet
Approx. 85 x 300 x 200 cm
One Year Performance
Tehching Hsieh
1978-1999
Posters and statements mounted on boards in 6 parts
55.9 x 66 cm each
Schulterblatt (a)
Wolfgang Tillmans
2010
Chromogenic print
44.5 x 34.3 cm
Anders (Brighton Arcimboldo)
Wolfgang Tillmans
2005
Chromogenic print
44.5 x 34.3 cm
Ushuaia Digitalis
Wolfgang Tillmans
2010
Chromogenic print
44.5 x 34.3 cm
Plant Life
Wolfgang Tillmans
2005
Chromogenic print
34.6 x 44.8 cm
Discussion: Why We Collect
10 September 2023, Sunday, 2:00pm
Moderator:
Nicholas Song
Panelist:
KY, Private Collector & Founder of Blank Canvas
Lee Khai, Private Collector & Chairman of Penang State Art Gallery
Adrian Jones, Founder of Witness Collection
The dialogue session brings together a group of collectors to share their personal journeys and reflections on collecting art. Each panelist begins with a brief introduction before moving into a conversation that explores how they first started collecting, the criteria that guide their choices, and how their approach has evolved over time. The discussion also touches on how their collections have changed, the challenges they face, and what lies ahead in their collecting practices. The session offers a closer look at the thoughts and considerations behind building a collection, from both personal and practical perspectives.
The Whisperer—Children Sound Workshop
29 October 2023, Sunday, 11am & 3pm
Mandarin, conducted by Nathan Ng
12 November 2023, Sunday, 11am & 3pm
English, conducted by Fish Lim
Children aged 5 to 10 participated in an engaging sound workshop inspired by Tarek Atoui’s sound installation The Whisperers / Module 7. The session offered a playful space for young minds to explore the flow of water, sound, and electricity through hands-on activities.
The workshop was conducted in separate time slots in both Mandarin and English to accommodate different language preferences.