Lost & Found: Sea Chanty Project

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Lost & Found: Sea Chanty Project is the first pillar of Lost & Found, a multi-phased curatorial project by the Singapore Art Museum, exploring the significance of archival documentation and records through artistic practices.

By studying how artists collect what seems uncollectable, assemble that which resists assembly, and present that which defies visibility, Lost & Found engages with questions concerning the authoritative voice of archives and history.

The Sea Chanty Project expands the conventional understanding of work songs from maritime areas through contemporary interpretation. It draws inspiration from the synergy of action, collectivism and storytelling at the heart of this practice. The project consists of three commissioned music videos: Tirta Maya by Rosemainy Buang & Zachary Chan, Larung by Riar Rizaldi and Imprint of an imprint of an imprint by Vien Valencia. They re-envision various musical genres by employing contemporary audio-visual assemblage techniques and the popular format of short-form streaming videos. Engaging with the resonances between humans and non-humans, these music videos explore connections between water-based communities and the contemporary politics of labour. The videos evoke themes such as displacement, sonic politics and the poetics of memory. 

Tirta Maya by Rosemainy Buang & Zachary Chan

Forthcoming 15 June 2024

Tirta Maya (sacred or still waters in Javanese) is composed of three levels, each symbolising a distinct depth: the cosmic ocean, the womb and the underworld. Flow between the levels and navigate the video’s archipelagic landscape borne by an ocean. 

Larung by Riar Rizaldi

Forthcoming 15 July 2024

Larung focuses on the predicament of Indonesian seamen. Whilst larung means to float or cast something out to sea, it has also taken on a second meaning, that is commemorative funerals organised by a deceased’s colleagues. Drawing on the genre of Pop Melayu, Larung features a crooning, melancholic tune that recounts the sailors’ experiences of being marooned at sea and their deep longing for shore.

Imprint of an imprint of an imprint by Vien Valencia

Forthcoming 15 August 2024

A dam construction threatens the existence of the Tinipak River and the indigenous Dumagat-Remontado community in the Philippines. This multimedia experience captures the essence of the river, and the cultural and economic precarity of the community whose way of life is intimately intertwined with the river.

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Image Credit: Singapore Art Museum