‘An Exhibition About Art’, Queensway Television
By Ian Tee

A&M's Fresh Faces is where we profile an emerging artist from the region every month and speak to them about how they kick-started their career, how they continue to sustain their practice and what drives them as artists. Read our profile on Goh Chun Aik here.

Goh Chun Aik. Photo taken by Alfonse Chiu.

You graduated with a Bachelor's in psychology at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2017. How did you find your footing in the art scene? And what fuelled your interest to pursue a life in the arts?

I drew a lot when I was young and at one point dreamt of becoming an artist. Of course, my idea of an artist was very different back then, and I did not get the opportunity to learn more about the arts growing up.

In my final year at NUS, the idea of working in the arts somehow came back to my mind. I volunteered at several events and completed an internship at NUS Centre for the Arts before graduation. A couple of months after graduating, I started gallery-sitting part-time at an art gallery. It became a full-time job at the start of 2018, and I thought of trying it out for a year or two to gain some experience in the arts industry before deciding on my next move. Before I knew it, seven years had gone by and I am still working at the gallery.

Outside ShanghART Singapore, photo taken on 29 Sep 2017, on my second week of working as a part-time gallery sitter. Image courtesy of Goh Chun Aik.

What was one important piece of advice you were given?

I have been blessed with meeting many people who have generously shared their experiences with me, so it is not easy to pick just one to share here.

In a recent conversation with Taiwanese artist Joyce Ho, I mentioned that I have not had much time for my practice recently, and she responded that there is no rush, since it is a matter of a lifetime (不急，都是一辈子的事). That line struck me quite deeply as it helped put things into perspective. It is easy for us to feel the need to be productive and keep track of our progress, as we tend to only look at what is right ahead of us. But for something that we are certain to do for life, the road ahead is long and it is about going far and not going fast.

“It is easy for us to feel the need to be productive and keep track of our progress, as we tend to only look at what is right ahead of us. But for something that we are certain to do for life, the road ahead is long and it is about going far and not going fast.”

Goh Chun Aik, ‘I am an Artist (An Artist’s Practice)’, 2023, performative installation, documentation of opening performance at ‘An Exhibition about Art’. Art Outreach Singapore, 2023. Image courtesy of the artist.

Do you make a living completely off being an artist? If not, could you share what other types of work you take on to supplement your income? Do these activities also inform/ affect your practice?

I still work at the gallery for a regular income and this day job significantly informs my practice. It has shaped my perception and approach to art, and even contributed certain ideas.

These experiences led me to conceptualise a series of works over the last five years, which culminated in a solo exhibition at Art Outreach Singapore at the end of 2023.

What are approaches that have worked in managing your time between this job and your own practice?

This is something that I am still trying to figure out currently, since I only began practising in recent years, and am trying to do so more consistently. So far, my works are developed digitally, and rely less on physical making. I do wish to dedicate more time and headspace to physical production.

Much like many other artists trying to balance full time/freelance jobs with their practice, it takes a lot of dedication and many late nights. This is not sustainable in the long run, so I hope to eventually find a balance

Photo with Robert Zhao, at the Singapore Pavilion of 60th Venice Biennale, April 2024. Image courtesy of Goh Chun Aik.

Who has been a mentor or an important artistic influence? And why?

My bosses and colleagues at my workplace were the first people I had regular contact with from the artworld. I see working at the gallery akin to going through an art school, and I try to learn from everyone I interact with, from my co-workers to artists, fellow gallery workers, collectors, even visitors and art handlers.

The opportunity to work with established artists has been enriching. Robert Zhao, whom I had the fortune to work closely with, has guided and influenced me the most, in terms of artmaking, thinking and working as an artist, and generally what it means to be an artist. He has shown me how to believe in art, and I am grateful to have been able to work with and learn from him.

Goh Chun Aik, ‘An Exhibition about Art’, 2023, exhibition view at Art Outreach Singapore. Image courtesy of the artist.

3D mockup for ‘An Exhibition about Art’.

How did the opportunity for your first solo show ‘An Exhibition About Art’ (2023), at Art Outreach Singapore come about? Could you talk about the body of work presented as well as one challenge you faced preparing for it?

This was my third time submitting a proposal to Art Outreach Singapore’s Hearth Open Call. As I was brainstorming about a proposal for this cycle of application, it occurred to me that some of the ideas that I have been thinking about could go well together to form a cohesive presentation.

Most of the works in the exhibition were conceptualised over the last three to six years, but only realised for the show. I am fortunate that the jury panel for the open call afforded me the platform to present ‘An Exhibition About Art’. It seemed like the right time to do the show then, as I might not do it the same way now.

Despite my experience as a gallery worker in mounting shows, it was still a challenge to present a solo exhibition of my own works since I was still quite new as a practising artist. I would not have been able to do it without the conversations I had with artist friends, as well as the help of Lewis Choo and Arrvin in installing over a few nights, since I still had gallery work in the day.

Group photo taken during installation of ‘A Reservoir of Time’ at Objectifs Chapel Gallery, January 2024. From left to right: Ge Xiaocong, Hong Shu-ying, Ivan Ong, Goh Chun Aik; Lewis Choo (on ladder).

‘Reservoir of Time’, 2024, exhibition view at Objectifs Chapel Gallery, Singapore. Image courtesy of Goh Chun Aik.

In January this year, you also curated ‘A Reservoir of Time’ (2024) as part of the Curator Open Call programme at Objectifs – Centre for Photography & Film, Singapore. Tell us more about the exhibition premise and how you have benefitted from this programme.

The idea of curating and the role of a curator is something that I have wanted to explore. While I see myself primarily as an artist, curating is another channel for me to manifest my ideas.

The notion of time as an exhibition premise was something I had in mind for some time, but without any concrete ideas. One night, inspiration struck and I quickly wrote a short note about how the metaphor of timestream can be expanded upon, thus coming up with the idea of ‘A Reservoir of Time’ – an imagined site where the stream of time flows into and accumulates into a reservoir. I saw it as a poetic way to think about time, instead of what we are so used to with deadlines, anniversaries, and the minutes and hours we keep track of each day.

With these standardised measurements of time, I feel that we are trapped by a fixed notion of time, even though the sensation of time is subjective. It differs from person to person, across various external circumstances and internal emotional states. This informs my exhibition premise of creating a site where different timelines flow into one another, where overlapping perceptions and sensations of time hopefully prompt us to rethink how we experience time in both familiar and strange ways.

This is the first time I curated an exhibition within a physical space, and worked with artists to create new works. It is a valuable experience to be given a space and platform to realise my proposal and Objectifs was supportive throughout the whole journey. Getting to work with Dr Bridget Tracy Tan as my programme mentor fast-tracked my understanding of curating, ensuring that the exhibition could be realised to its full potential. I value what good mentorship can bring to emerging artists and curators.

Entrance to Queensway Television, an independent space dedicated to video art in Singapore.

Joshua Kon, ‘They Showed Me Their Hole’, 2024, installation view at Queensway Television. Image courtesy of the artist and Queensway Television.

You also co-founded Queensway Television (2024-ongoing), a space for presenting video art situated within a shopping mall unit in Singapore. What are your considerations/impetus for starting this project? And why video art?

The idea to start this project began when I caught up with a friend, Damien Ding, a Singaporean painter based in New York, when he was back visiting last year. He runs a space called D.D.D.D. Pictures in New York, but wanted to maintain a connection back at home as well. The medium of video art came as a natural choice as there are fewer logistical considerations, allowing us to present works from all parts of the world.

We wanted it to be a weird space that is out of place in an old shopping mall mainly known for sports apparel; where people can pop in and out, or also stay longer to watch the video in its entirety if they wish. The setup is kept simple. The space is carpeted all around with a TV screen and a 5.1 channel speaker system. We wanted to keep it focused and simply exist as an additional platform in Singapore dedicated to showing video art.

While a single screen may seem restrictive, we hope to show the possibilities of video art in terms of formats and approaches. It can be a filmed recording, an animated video, a non-linear narrative, a video collage, a conceptual exploration of the medium, or much more. Thus, we are also not limiting the programme to any particular themes, the experience level of the artists, or to whether the work is old or new.

At the same time, the nature of the space means that there are still certain considerations such as the duration of the video, and if the concept of the work would be able to stand as a single piece on show. We are still working things out as we go along, but I am learning to enjoy the process. I read a quote recently that goes something like, “if you focus too much on what you want to become, you risk missing out on the possibilities of what you can or need to become”. I try to keep that in mind as we strike a balance between letting the space grow organically and exploring what could be done to support artists making video art and promoting the appreciation of video art among the local audience.

Could you share your favourite art space or gallery in Singapore? Why are you drawn to that space and what does it offer to you/ your practice?

It is not a single space but I would pick Gillman Barracks. It is one of the first places I have encountered a wide range of contemporary art, and the place I have gone to work daily for the past seven years. It is where I have seen the most exciting, intriguing, fascinating, engaging, thought-provoking exhibitions from local and regional artists. It is where I have met many artists, gallerists, curators, collectors, and other art professionals whom I have forged valuable friendships with over the years, and with whom I have had many great conversations with.

Gillman Barracks has a certain magic that cannot be found in any other parts of Singapore, being a unique site with a colonial military history that now exists as an arts cluster amidst nature. The selection of galleries complements each other and offer a range of exhibitions that is not available anywhere else in Singapore.

What are your hopes for your own local art scene, and regionally as well?

I hope for a higher level of arts appreciation across the general audience, which I believe can only be achieved through an increase in active engagement with the arts. It is only through actively seeing art with a critical mind, and not being a passive audience, that we will be able to engage in more thoughtful conversations, to consciously live, to share each other’s perspectives better and have better understanding among individuals and communities.

Goh Chun Aik, ‘Don’t Leave Me Here/Please Take Me Home’, 2018-23, blown-up prints of collected press release and printed text on paper, dimensions variable, installation view at ‘Hidden Reflection: Works from Art Workers’, ShanghART M50, Shanghai, 2024. Image courtesy of the artist.

Are there any upcoming/ ongoing exhibitions or projects that you would like to share?

I am currently part of a group exhibition ‘Hidden Reflection’ in ShanghART M50. It is an exhibition of artworks made by over 50 art workers and professionals from the industry. I am presenting ‘Don’t Leave Me Here/Please Take Me Home’, which was previously shown in my first solo exhibition.

Another exciting event coming up is that I will be moving into a studio space soon, shared with artists Xiaocong Ge and Jiang Wenhuan. We are planning for an open studio after I am more settled in. I look forward to sharing what I have been working on and ideas I hope to realise sometime in the future.

Lastly, I will be in an exhibition presented as part of the Singapore International Photography Festival in October 2024. The exhibition explores the lost history of the site where DECK is situated.

‘Hidden Reflection: Works from Art Workers’ is on view at ShanghART M50, Shanghai, from 20 July to 14 September 2024.

‘Fragments of an Unknown Space’, presented as part of Singapore International Photography Festival 2024 opens on 18 October at DECK and runs through 24 November 2024.