LUCY DAVIS


27 Gilstead road
Singapore 309071
Address in 2005


LUCY DAVIS: Editor: Forum On Contemporary Art & Society [focas]

focas, Forum on Contemporary Art and Society, is a biannual, non profit dialogue and publishing initiative that engages issues of contemporary art, politics and social change--primarily but not exclusively--in Singapore and Southeast Asia. focas is dedicated to interdisciplinary, critical exchange among scholars and practitioners. focas publications contain on-the-pulse analysis, debate and commentary of relevance to Asian Studies, Cultural Studies, and Interdisciplinary Arts Research.

Subscription Queries: www.nus.edu.sg/npu

 

Excerpt of Review of Focas, Issue 1 by Tracey Benson

For readers interested in these issues and other developments in contemporary art and culture from Singapore's region, Focas (Forum on Contemporary Art & Society) is definitely worth a look.

Published by "The Necessary Stage" and dedicated to "interdisciplinary exchange between scholars and practitioners", this collection of essays, reviews and transcription of forum discussions address many important issues relevant to the international arts community today. This first issue of Focas is divided into three sections: Who's afraid of representation - Fear of Representation or the Lack thereof; Imagined Boundaries - Community Arts and Public Interactions; and Transmedia Cockroach - the Arts and Singapore Press.

Editor
Lucy Davis states the publication arose out of a number of concerns, primarily "the need for a platform for writing on contemporary art and social change in Singapore".

 

The Substation presents "SeptFest 2004: Artists & Other Animals"
Visual Art Show, Forum & Fair

Regional Animalities Part I
Visual Art Show
The Substation Gallery
1-5 September 11am - 9pm daily
Free Admission
A five day, video, sound, performance and philosophical
exploration into our everyday relationships with meat
and the killing of animals for food
by Zai Kuning & Yuen Chee Wai.

Humanimal Forum
The Substation Guinness Theatre
Saturday 11 September: 3 topics/sessions
10am-12pm, 1pm-3pm, 4pm-6pm
Free Admission
A lively dialogue with over twenty invited scientists, artists, academics, activists, TV & media workers & public personalities in discussion of:
Captive Animals, Captive Audiences & Captive Imaginations
- Human-Animal relationships in Singapore & Southeast Asia.

Regional Animalities Part II
Visual Art Show
The Substation Gallery, Blue Room and Garden
11-26 September 11am - 9pm daily
Official Opening 7pm, 11 September
Free Admission
Artists from Singapore and Malaysia explore various aspects of
human-animal relationships. Besides raising awareness about
specific issues, they explore ways in which animals provide
raw materials for our symbolic order, our dreams
and urban imagination - putting pressure on the
boundaries between animals and humans.

Humanimal Fair & Small Animal Adoption Drive
Venue: The Substation Garden
11 September 3pm-7pm
Free Admission
Hang out in The Substation Garden with animal and conservation organizations to music by Zai Kuning, EMOT, Yee Chang Kang and UBlues. Animal adoption, conservation and environmental concerns, celebrity talk show, a durational tree-dwelling, orang utan nest-building performance, auctions, races for charity, elephant totems armbands, temporary animal tattoo, opening party of the Regional

In collaboration with focas, Forum on Contemporary Art & Society, this project seeks to initiate what is hoped will be an ongoing dialogue between environmentalists, animal groups, artists, theorists and interested public about the ways in which human-animal relationships are imagined, represented and performed in the region

Some of the input from this project will be published in a
forthcoming issue of the focas publication entitled Regional Animalities.




About focas: Publicity/ Fund Raising Event
Kinokuniya 11 May 2002 5-6 pm with Susie Lingham, Alfian Sa'at and Ivan Heng:

A performative panel event to promote and raise funds for the book
series Forum on Contemporary Art & Society.

focas, Forum on Contemporary Art and Society, is a biannual
publication that engages issues of contemporary art, politics and
social change--primarily but not exclusively--in Singapore and
Southeast Asia. focas is the only publication in Singapore--perhaps
in the region--that both documents and generates interdisciplinary,
critical exchange across a diverse range of perspectives from
artists, academics, critics, curators, cultural workers, state, NGO
and civil society actors. focas contains finger-on-the pulse
analysis, debate and commentary of relevance to Asian Studies,
Cultural Studies, and Interdisciplinary Arts Research.

Programme

Lucy Davis Editor: Introducing focas Forum on Contemporary Art & Society

Susie Lingham, Lucy Davis, Ivan Heng et al read Susie Lingham's
Navel "The Mark of the Vampire" from focas No 2

Alfian Sa'at reads "A Racist Apology", his most recent strategic
provocation, the ramifications of which will be further discussed in
focas No 4.

Lucy Davis interviews Ivan Heng and possibly invited Animals about
"our animals ourselves". (A forthcoming issue of focas will be on the
theme of Animals as Others)

The panel will be followed by Questions, Discussion and Feedback .

 

The Future of Imagination

The Substation
6 December 2003

Organized by Lee Wen and Kai Lam


Performance Art practice in Singapore has been marginalized over the last 10 years due to lack of support and lack of understanding for this form and have resulted in a dispersed practice without much critical understanding and discourse for this form. Despite all this, Singapore performance artists have persistently showcased their works in many international festivals and art events with critical acclaim. Some of the artists who patiently engaged their work in this form include Tang Dawu, Amanda Heng, Jason Lim, Lee Wen as well as various new generation artists, working individually or with groups such as the Artists Village and KYTV (Kill Your Television).

With the recent announcement that the National Arts Council will now allow funding of performance art after ten years of not funding, we would like to make an affirmative response by organizing this event to celebrate, acknowledge and welcome the pro-cultural move by the National Arts Council.

We also aspire to reinvigorate a positive situation for performance art practitioners in Singapore. This event aims to significantly re-define and to kindle interests to the practice of performance art. In doing so we hope this will raise a heightened awareness and appreciation for performance art as a legitimate art form in itself.

We appeal to seek out a more leveled understanding to this art form and to positively present it as a critical art practice along with the diverse cultural arenas in visual arts, theatre, dance, music and literature. The future of imagination” makes available a platform for the meeting of performance art practice, positive reception and discussion in Singapore.


Participants

Artists:
Agnes Yit
Andree Weschler
Felicia Low
Lee Sze-Chin
Jason Lim
Jeremy Hiah
Juliana Yasin
Rainer Geburzyk
Rizman Putra (aka Manic Jango)
Kai Lam (aka Lin Kai Lie)
Lee Wen

Writers:
Lucy Davis
Ho Tzu-Nyen
Cheo Chai-Hiang

Guest-of-Honour:
Mr. T.K. Sabapathy,
Director of Contemporary Asian Arts Centre (CAAC)
 

1999
The Necessary Stage launches its Associate Scheme, where selected
artists are given opportunities to create works presented by the Company,
as well as an honorarium. In three years, The Necessary Stage supported
Jeff Chen, Jean Ng and Natalie Hennedige (Associate Directors),
Alfian Sa'at and Chong Tze Chien (Associate Playwrights),
Lucy Davis
(Associate Artist), Dorothy Png (Associate Designer) and Serena Ho
(Associate Actor)



Arts critic Lucy Davis very succinctly pointed out during a press conference by the arts community following the release of CRC 2002, "Censorship manufactures its own consent."