Ben Loong
Singapore
 

Expanding his ongoing enquiry into material infrastructures, Ben Loong will spend his residency investigating the history of brick trade in Singapore and mapping out the networks underpinning the employment of this material in the local architectural landscape.

Ben Loong

3 April - 31 August 2023

Propelled by an interest in the conceptual frictions between art and craftsmanship, artistic and industrial labour, the artist intends to develop this research into a comparative study of masonry and ceramics, two techniques that have significant affinities in terms of materials but carry different class connotations. Focusing on existing sites such as local brick factories and heritage buildings made of bricks, he will also codify the schemas of bricklaying in an attempt to delineate different morphologies of brick architecture. This research will potentially culminate in a series of material experimentations and pictorial mappings of brick trade, bringing to the forefront the overlooked history of this material in the context of Singapore.

Images
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Ben Loong, EB, 2018, resinated drywall plaster on wood, 154cm x 120cm. Courtesy the artist.
Ben Loong, close-up of EB, 2018, resinated drywall plaster on wood. Courtesy the artist.
Ben Loong, EB, ECB, FB and SB, 2018, resinated drywall plaster on wood, installation view. Courtesy the artist.
Ben Loong, Aggregate, 2017, installation view. Courtesy the artist.
Ben Loong, Aggregate, 2017, installation view. Courtesy the artist.
Ben Loong, Squaring the Circle, 2017, installation view. Courtesy the artist.
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In this episode, curator Syed Muhammad Hafiz digs deep into the practice of Artist-in-Residence Ben Loong. We are pleased to bring the two of them back together since their last collaboration two years ago for Squaring the Circle, Ben’s solo exhibition curated by Hafiz. In this contemplative conversation, the two trace their concurrent professional growth over the years of collaboration and friendship, all while delving into Ben’s ever evolving artistic sensibilities and interests. They address the significance of the studio space for the development of a material-based practice and how the discipline necessary to upkeep such a space seeps into Ben’s everyday routine. Throughout the conversation, they also weave in discussions on the perennial question of form versus function, the future of ceramics in the current era of technological emphasis, as well as other core themes underlying Ben’s practice such as the value of labour, craftsmanship, and aesthetics in the art world.

 

 

Working at the intersection of painting and sculpture, Ben Loong explores themes and questions of utility within traditional craftsmanship. Through the manipulation of industrial and mass-produced materials and the observation of textures and patterns in the everyday, his practice attempts to challenge the value systems embedded in our material culture.

Syed Muhammad Hafiz is a curator and art historian based in Singapore. He has worked in the arts and in heritage museums over the past decade and also curated for galleries in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Besides curating exhibitions, he has also spoken at various symposiums and frequently contributes his writings to publications on Southeast Asian art.

Contributors: Ben Loong, Syed Muhammad Hafiz
Editor: Anna Lovecchio
Programme Manager: Nadia Amalina
Sound Engineer: Ashwin Menon
Intro & Outro Music: Zachary Chan
Cover Image & Design: Arabelle Zhuang, Kristine Tan

Contributors
Ben Loong
Ben Loong
Artist-in-Residence
Singapore

Working at the intersection of painting and sculpture, Ben Loong (b. 1988, Singapore) explores themes and questions of utility within traditional craftsmanship. Through the manipulation of industrial and mass-produced materials and the observation of textures and patterns in the everyday, his practice attempts to challenge the value systems embedded in our material culture. Ben has regularly presented in Singapore, in both solo and group exhibitions. His solo exhibitions include Squaring the Circle, Mizuma Gallery, Singapore (2021); MONO, S.E.A. Focus, Singapore (2020); and Aggregate, I_S_L_A_N_D_S, Singapore (2018). His group exhibitions include Ancient Future Myths, AC43 Gallery, Singapore (2021); FrictionaL and Lingering Manifestations, Pearl Lam Galleries, Singapore and River Stories, LASALLE’s Institute of Contemporary Art Singapore (both 2018); Untapped Emerging, Visual Arts Development Association, Chan + Hori Contemporary, Singapore (2017); Ends, Hart Lane Studios and Joyless Unity, Mori + Stein, both London, United Kingdom (2014 and 2013). He received the Highly Commended mention in the Established Artist Category at the UOB Painting of the Year Competition in 2018.