Documentation in art refers to the process of recording and preserving information about artworks, artistic practices, and creative processes for archival purposes. It can span many mediums, and alongside creating a visual record of the artwork provides insight into an artist’s process. Within fragile or temporary art forms like performance art, documentation is essential for preservation and later presentations. Southeast Asian contemporary visual art lacks enough useful published information with which to understand it. While available research and literature is growing, it remains difficult to find materials and texts of substance on the region’s contemporary art without deep research. At present, the information on the region’s contemporary art is often disparate and the challenges are heightened by the paucity of published journals that spotlight the region, as well as a scarcity of art historians and informed critics.
Source: AWDB team
AWDB highlighted artist: Svay Sareth.
AWDB speaks with Yen Hui Teng, curator and manager at Singapore Art Museum (SAM) in light of the ongoing exhibition ‘Everyday Practices’. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of contemporary art from Southeast Asia, bringing together both older and recent acquisitions from the museum’s extensive collection across many mediums.
IMAGE COURTESY OF SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM
