Join artist Heman Chong and writer Daryl Qilin Yam as they delve into the intersections of visual art and literature, exploring themes such as the artist's dual role as writer and reader, the tactile presence of printed matter, and the intriguing process behind titling a work. Discover how literary undercurrents shape and enrich Heman and Daryl’s creative practices and what it means to work and live in Singapore.
This talk is held in conjunction with the exhibition, “This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy any particular standard for completeness"
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About the Speakers
Heman Chong is an artist whose work is located at the intersection between image, performance, situations and writing. Characterised by acerbic wit, Chong’s art address contemporary geopolitics and the infrastructural ironies of our data-driven and networked society. His practice can be read as an imagining, interrogation and sometimes intervention into infrastructure as an everyday medium of politics. His work has been the subject of institutional solo exhibitions at Singapore Art Museum, UCCA Dune, STPI, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Weserburg Museum, Jameel Arts Center, Swiss Institute New York, Art in General, Artsonje Center, Rockbund Art Museum, South London Gallery, NUS Museum, amongst many others. Chong is the co-director and founder (with Renée Staal) of The Library of Unread Books, a library made up of donated books previously unread by their owners. It was recently installed in the Serpentine Pavilion 2024, designed by Minsuk Cho and in 2025, installed for the summer at MOT, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
Daryl Qilin Yam is a writer, editor and arts organiser from Singapore. The author of two novels, a novella and the bestselling short story collection Be Your Own Bae (2024), he has been nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award and shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize and the SBPA’s Singapore Book Awards. He co-founded the literary charity Sing Lit Station, where he presently serves as the managing editor of its publishing arm AFTERIMAGE.
📍Venue: Level 1, The Engine Room, Singapore Art Museum
🏢 Address: 39 Keppel Rd, #01-02, Singapore 089065
🗓️ Date: Saturday, 5 July 2025
🕛 Time: 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm
🎟️ Admission: Free with registration
Register here: https://sam-talk-waysaroundwriting.peatix.com/view