AT THE SAM

"Wish you were here." 

That's the overseas text message I sent Hubby when I visited the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) on my own last month. (See earlier post about it.) 

Headless Superman.
"No One Can Save Us." Mojoko + Eric Foenander

So when he came back from Manila, I made sure he'd see the wonderful SAM exhibits too. To me that's among the signs that you really love someone - you want everything to be shared experiences. 

We had a SAM date one Friday. Yes, I made sure Friday night (6-8pm) para free admission uli, yey!

Silly at the SAM
(Di kita pose ko.)

Amazing LED lights installation. 

"V" by Li Hui.

More from the Chimera exhibit.

From one of the Learning Galleries.

From the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize.

India's entry.

Korea's entry.

The winning entry from the Philippines -- Rodel Tapaya's Pinoy folklore mural.

At first glance this seems like an ordinary Persian rug right?

"Red Carpet," Rashid Rana (Chimera exhibit)

Up close, the artwork reveals photos of slaughtered animals.

Extreme close-up: Extremely bloody!

Now, for the piece that moved me the most. 

"Ash Color Mountains," by Aida Makoto of Japan. It's among the Jurors' Choice Awardees in The Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize.

"From afar, this monumental painting appears like a traditional Eastern landscape painting of the perennial misty mountains."

"However, the details reveal a different story altogether, for the mountains are composed of masses of office workers piled up high." 

"Like many of (the painter's) generation, he was a child of a 'salary man,' many of whom were often absent from the family because of the demands of work."

OMG. Major. Heartbreak. Moment.

Of course I remembered my Dad. He's been an OFW, one of the most talented Civil Engineers / Project Managers in the Middle East, almost all his professional life. We see him only once a year, for 45 days. Good thing we all make the effort to stay close. Snail mail, overseas calls, cassette tape recordings nung '80s!. Skype, Facebook and Face Time ngayon. So although we're physically apart, he's very much present in our lives. And we're close. Surprisingly even closer than some fathers and daughters who've lived under one roof all their lives. Good thing my Mom and Sister have been granted visas to move with him.

I also remembered all my mommy officemates. They'd always wish for more time with their kids. But like the men in the painting, they're forced to be away from the family because of the demands of work. 

Bilib ako sa artwork na ito. Ang tindi ng details! Pero ang mas matindi - the memories and emotions na hinugot niya from me. 

I tried so hard not to cry the first time I saw this. But it was just too powerful. 

We love museums.