Chinese New Year is a very special time. Christmas is magical, with pretty decorations and presents, it is a meaningful and happy time at the end of the year. But Chinese New Year is important. The year never really start until Chinese New Year. It has a significant place in the hearts of Chinese around the world. It is above all about Chinese customs and traditions. Known as the Spring Festival in China, it kicks off with the reunion dinner for families. So it is also about the family unit. And the extended family of relatives, and in business, partners and associates.

Chinese New Year, to me, is really a celebration of being Chinese. About who I am and where I am from. Which is why with each passing year, I celebrate it with more attention to its customs. Yet the Chinese New Year customs are complex and they have evolved with the times. While there are common threads among Chinese celebrating the Chinese New Year around the world, each Chinese society has its specialties and peculiarities. Yusheng, for example, is quite unique to Singapore. Red and more red are accepted as the common norm. There is a period of ‘spring cleaning’ leading up to the actual day when ‘out with the old and in with the new’ is the adage.

Celebrating Chinese New Year in the tropics can appear strange to someone in China, not unlike singing ‘White Christmas’ under the sun. We get a feel of the cold spring in China from some temperate climate plants and flowers. But they need special care. The Peach Blossoms needs ice and a lot of water to bloom. So, in addition to Ang Pows, oranges and feasting, there is also a ‘flora and fauna’ dimension to Chinese New Year. The sales of Chinese New Year plants and flowers have become a thriving business. The Chinese New Year equivalent of the Christmas Tree is the Kumquat Tree, with the bright orange fruits believed to bring luck and the tree itself believed to be auspicious for wealth in the New Year.

Each flower or plant has its own good luck meaning for the coming year. Kumquat, Tangerine and Narcissus bring good luck, Peonies bring wealth, Peach Blossoms bring romance, Gladiolus brings advancements in job and schoolwork, and Lucky Bamboos turn luck around for the household. Many Chinese use the ‘spring cleaning’ to ‘overhaul’ their wardrobe and house furnishing. Maybe I am just referring to myself. I do not shop much until before Chinese New Year. For a few weeks, I try to enjoy shopping for what I need in my daily life. As a child, Chinese New Year was about loud firecrackers, new clothes, special New Year food, snacks and Ang Pow money. As an adult it is about new beginnings.

This year, my sister Shirley is organising the reunion dinner at her brand new house. After dinner, I will proceed to watch the midnight fireworks with friends at the Marina Bay. Chinese New Year is now a timely reminder to count my blessings. This year, I am very blessed to be able to spend another Chinese New Year with my mother. Some friends are surprised how seriously I observe the Chinese New Year customs. My whole house is transformed. Each year it refines my practices for an important Chinese festivity. It makes me feel good about being Chinese in a multi-racial society. The New Year is also about starting a new cycle. While bracing myself for challenges, I am looking forward to more blessings and working towards being a blessing to others.

On behalf of the Yun household, my mother, our help Siti and I, here is wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Wealthy Dragon Year. Kong Ye Wuat Sai, our greeting in Hainanese. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I have an interesting relationship with the Dragon. When I was a child, I used to draw the Dragon and Phoenix. They were the two creatures I could draw by heart. Even in my teens when I was active in art, Dragons and Phoenixes were the subjects for my copper tooling and aluminum work. I even sold some of these artworks. Then sometime in my 20s, I was told the Dragon and the Dog were not compatible. In the year of the Dragon, those born in the year of the Dog like me would have a tough time. At some point, I started to distance myself from the Dragon. It seemed strangely dangerous. Because it is mythical, its perceived powers appeared even more threatening. I would remove a vase with a Dragon on it. I went to great lengths to ensure there were no sign or symbol of the Dragon within my household or place of work.

Yes, I am borderline superstitious about these things. Ok, maybe more than borderline. And it is going to be the year of the Dragon very soon. The last Dragon years were 1976, 1988 and 2000. I am trying to remember if those were really difficult years. Yet as the Dragon year nears, I find myself looking forward to it. This year of the metal Rabbit is supposed to be very good for the Dog but it has been one of the toughest years in my adult life. I am rekindling my childhood memories of the Dragon. I feel I have somehow been ‘separated’ from the Dragon and have been deprived of its mystic. I don’t want to fear the Dragon anymore. I want to embrace it. But in order to do so, I need to re-acquaint myself with the Dragon.

The Dragon is essentially a legendary creature. Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. It is also the only Chinese Zodiac sign that is mythical. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. There are two distinct cultural traditions of Dragons – the European Dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese Dragon, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries. Traditionally Dragons are referred to as the divine mythical creature that brings with it ultimate abundance, prosperity and good fortune. The Celestial Chinese Dragon is comparable as the symbol of the Chinese race itself. Chinese around the world proudly proclaim themselves ‘Descendent of the Dragon’.

As the emblem of the Emperor and the Imperial command, the legend of the Chinese Dragon permeates the ancient Chinese civilization and shapes their culture till today. Its benevolence signifies greatness, goodness and blessings. The Dragon is seen as masculine, as the Phoenix is feminine. A Dragon overcomes obstacles until success is his. He is energetic, decisive, optimistic and intelligent. Unlike the negative energies associated with Western Dragons, most Eastern Dragons are also beautiful, friendly, and wise. They are the angels of the Orient. They are loved and worshipped. Temples and shrines have been built to honor them, for they control the rain, rivers, lakes, and seas. Many Chinese cities have pagodas where people burn incense and pray to Dragons.

The Dragon Year will arrive on the 4th of February according to Chinese Astrology even though the Lunar New Year starts from the 23rd of January. This is the year of the Water Dragon. The colour of Water in the Five Elements system is related to Black. We can therefore say 2012 is a Black Water Dragon year. Folk tales speak of the Dragon having all the attributes of the other 11 creatures of the zodiac. This includes the whiskers of the Rat, the face and horns of the Ox, the claws and teeth of the Tiger, the belly of the Rabbit, the body of the Snake, the legs of the Horse, the beard of the Goat, the brain of the Monkey, the crest of the Rooster, the ears of a Dog, and the snout of the Pig. Historically, the Dragon was the symbol of the Emperor of China. In the Zhou Dynasty, the 5-clawed Dragon was assigned to the Son of Heaven, the 4-clawed Dragon to the nobles, and the 3-clawed Dragon to the ministers. In the Qin Dynasty, the 5-clawed Dragon was assigned to represent the Emperor while the 4-clawed and 3-clawed Dragons were assigned to the commoners.

Some sources have suggested the form of the Chinese Dragon came from the Snake, Fish and Crocodile. The Crocodile is known to be able to accurately sense changes in air pressure and the coming rain. This may have been the origin of the Dragon’s mythical attributes in controlling the weather, especially the rain. They are believed to be the rulers of moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or seas. In this capacity as the rulers of water and weather, the Dragon is more anthropomorphic in form, often depicted as a humanoid, dressed in a king’s costume, but with a Dragon head wearing a king’s head-dress. The association with the crocodile is also supported by the view in ancient times that large Crocodiles are a variety of Dragon. For example, in the Story of Zhou Chu, about the life of a Jin Dynasty warrior, he is said to have killed a ‘Dragon’ that infested the waters of his home village, which appears to have been a Crocodile.

The number nine is special in China as it is the largest possible single digit, and Chinese Dragons are frequently connected with it. For example, a Chinese Dragon is normally described in terms of nine attributes and usually has 117 (9×13) scales – 81 (9×9) Yang and 36 (9×4) Yin. This is also why there are nine forms of the Dragon and the Dragon has nine offsprings. The ‘Nine Dragon Wall’ is a screen wall with images of nine different dragons, and is found in imperial Chinese palaces and gardens. As nine was considered the number of the emperor, only the most senior officials were allowed to wear nine Dragons on their robes.

The Dragon is also the most popular Chinese Zodiac sign, hence there are more babies born in Dragon years than in any other animal years of the Zodiac. This Sunday night, after our reunion dinner, I have booked a table by the Marina Bay to watch the fireworks at midnight and to welcome the Dragon Year. I have never looked forward to a Dragon Year in the way I am looking forward to the Water Dragon this year. It will be like seeing an old friend again, someone I have, for various reasons I am starting to seriously rethink, been a stranger to.

I am fascinated with the Morning Glory. I cannot remember when my fascination started. I noticed them growing wildly on the fences of my secondary school. I had a vague idea the Morning Glory bloomed in the morning, then closed and shriveled up by noon. That the colour of its flower is purple was not something I took particular notice of. Or its bell shape. Like many around me, because it grows wildly in public places, I took it for a common flower.

When I started my first job in an advertising agency, for a short while, I stayed away from home in a friend’s flat. My friend grew Morning Glory. They were not doing well. I helped out by creating a wire fencing for them to crawl up. They started to do better, then before long, we were greeted each morning with bell-shaped flowers. I remember having breakfast by the balcony and looking out at a view framed by purple flowers. I think it was the start of my special relationship with the Morning Glory and the colour purple.

When I moved into my present house about 7 years ago, I knew exactly what to do with it. It would have the look of the black and white colonial houses but with fittings and furnishing which would reflect who I was and where I came from. I told my contractor, who was also part architect part designer, that I wanted to cover my fence with Morning Glory. He asked, “Where are we going to get the Morning Glory? The special breed with a strong purple, grow in temperate climate. I cannot guarantee they will grow here in Singapore.” I told him I wanted the very common Morning Glory.

We dug their roots from public fences and waited for them to grow and crawl up our fence. To my immense delight, they grew wildly and thrived. The Morning Glory in its pale shade of purple would cover my fence. In no time, they would greet me each morning with a sea of purple flowers. By a certain time in the morning, depending on how strong the sun is, or how heavy the rain is, the flowers will start to wither. Yet by late morning, we can also see the buds of new flowers that will bloom the next morning.

A friend was inspired by the Morning Glory on my fence and wrote a poem. He saw the Morning Glory as ‘Happy Optimists’. I never saw the Morning Glory as such. If anything, I see them as ‘Brave Optimists’. The Morning Glory reminds us how fast our moments of glory can fade. How transient our youth is. ‘Youth has its hour of glory… but too often it’s only a Morning Glory, the flower that fades before the sun is very high.’ I found this sad poem online.

A breath, of fresh air dusts
the fragility of the one
day wonder; Petals, as
a baby’s whisper, rustling
the proud head, of ‘Morning
Glory’, clawing her way,
reaching for the sun, to
drink it’s nectar of life;
Slender and statuesque,
with a carpet of soft
velvet leaves, hugging her stem,
as if supporting, if just
for the day; Sunset approaches,
as she hides her face,
never to see the morrow.

Like many things around us, we can take the beauty of the Morning Glory for granted. To me, the common Morning Glory in Singapore is not common at all. They are our pride and joy, a Singapore beauty. They greet us every morning without fail and colour our mornings with hope and joy. While their blooms last for a short time, each flower faces the sun with courage and determination. They bloom gloriously. As if telling us how blessed we are to have another glorious morning. This is a start of another year. We can see this period as the morning of the year. Each morning, before I drive off to work, I turn to take a look at the Morning Glory. To remind myself to make each day count. To glow and shine as brightly as I can.

We have all been doing it. I am doing it now. Reflecting on this year which will be history in a few hours. Remembering both our triumphs and missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt. The New Year is about getting another chance. A chance to do better, to do more, to give more. To stop worrying about what if and start embracing what can be. So at midnight, I want to remember to be kinder, more gracious and more loving. To do the right thing. Not just tonight but all year long.

This is my last post for the year. I am going to write candidly, capturing my thoughts and feelings. This year marks the beginning of a new decade. The year Singapore held two watershed elections, with a year-end MRT debacle. The year of Arab Spring, Osama, Gaddafi, Occupy Wall Street, Euro crisis, royal wedding, floods in Thailand, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. The year social media dramatically democratized societies and redefined politics. The year Steve Jobs, Liz Taylor and Kim Jong Il passed on. The year my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The year I arrived at a personal crossroads.

I woke up this morning specially to capture the last sunrise of 2011 from my balcony. This may not be the most stunning shot of a sunrise. But it is the real thing. From 6.30 to 7am I saw, with delight, the gradual but relentless transition of the sky. The street lamps were bright and then they were dim against the brightening daylight. The subtle yet persistent change of colour was breathtaking. This is the first time I registered and captured the passing of time. It is of course more momentous that this is the day before the dawn of a new year.

I didn’t have much time to watch as many movies as I would like to. When I saw ‘The Help’, it inspired me as a film producer. It was helmed by a first time feature director who was an actor. It deserves to be the breakout hit it is. The other major breakout is ‘You Are The Apple Of My Eye’, another director’s feature debut. Within minutes I was drawn into the world of a teenager and happily relived the innocence and joy of youth. ‘The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’ and ‘Mission Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol’ restored my faith in Hollywood sequels and remakes, while ‘Wuxia’ and ‘The Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate’ showed inventiveness and how the East is embracing new technology.

The breakout stars of 2011 are Adele, Ke Zhengdong, and in Singapore, Michelle Chong and Yam Ah Mee. Adele proved it would be impossible to find someone like her. Ke Zhengdong became the apple of our eyes. Michelle went from already famous to really famous. And Yam Ah Mee became the most unlikely online celebrity of the Singapore elections. The interesting thing about looking back on a year is how different somethings are at the beginning and at the end of the year. No one would expect the elections in Singapore to be such a wakeup call for the governing party. That Lee Kuan Yew would step down. That social media could be as bold as it is today in countries like China and here in Singapore.

What are the profound moments of 2011? When my mother was wheeled into the operation room, I felt a rush of emotions. I am still a little surprised how positive and how much faith I had in my mother’s courage and strength. This year I finally started practising having faith. In myself and in the universe. When I reach for the stars, to remind myself that the stars are deep within me. That only I can effect the change I need. Only I can be aware of my own limiting beliefs and my negative thought patterns. That change is an ongoing, re-learning undertaking that begins with disciplined action. And when I falter or fall, to have the confidence in who I am to pick myself up. I am slowly and bravely accepting my weaknesses and acknowledging my strengths. With enough courage to say, however difficult, ‘no’ and ‘yes’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘hello’. Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012!

This is the e-card we sent out to our business partners, associates and friends. Indeed, a new year is on the horizon. This is the time of the year when we all take a break from our routines and celebrate with our friends and families. A time to decorate. A time to buy and wrap presents for loved ones. A time to sit back, relax and enjoy. But it has been a most difficult year. What is there to celebrate? I was thinking if I should have a Christmas tree this year. If I had the energy to go through the whole celebration.

A voice in me said I should celebrate. That I should count my blessings. And celebrate them while looking forward to a new year. I got into my usual swift action plan. I decided on a blue and well lit Christmas tree. I worked on the concept of this e-card – that sometimes what you wish for can appear on your doorstep. Out of the blue. The look is inspired by the house by the sea in ‘Something’s Gotta Give’. I organised a series of dinners at home for friends and a lunch party at the office for business associates.

This year, I am thankful for my mother’s successful operation and that she has been well. Tonight we gathered for dinner with Tang Yuen for dessert. I am thankful I can celebrate this Dong Zhi festival with her. For Siti and her diligence in taking care of her. For the doctor who diagnosed her medical condition and the doctor who operated on her. For my health. For friends who stood by me and showed concern. For business partners who have been understanding. That I am still positive, that I still have a fight left in me.

It has been a difficult year but this is the best time of the year. I intend to enjoy this time. To catch up on the movies I missed. Spend some quality time with friends and family. Albert Einstein who thought of the thoery of relativity while riding his bicycle once said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” For my balance, I will stop cycling for a while. The Chinese call it Tong Mien, sleeping in the winter. To stand back, take stock, re-charge and plan for 2012. Merry Christmas!

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Cai Guo-Qaing’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East opened on the fifth of this month. Titled ‘Saraab’ at the Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar, it is curated by Wassan al-Khudhairi and features more than 50 works, including 17 newly commissioned pieces, 30 recent works and 9 documentary videos. His biggest exhibition since ‘I Want To Believe’ at the Guggenheim Museum in 2008, ‘Saraab’ showcases Cai’s diverse body of work, ranging from his signature gunpowder drawings to large-scale site-specific installations. It highlights the little known connection between the Asian and Middle Eastern cultures which date back to the ancient Silk Road.

Cai explores historical iconography from both regions presented on paper, canvas and porcelain works. The art pieces echo botanical patterns seen in Islamic decorative art and manuscripts, reflecting on their ancient symbols and traditions. The gunpowder drawings provide a sense of tension between destruction and creation, an idea that carries significance for both cultures. A documentary about the making of the commissioned works, including process videos of the sketches and renderings accompanies the show. ‘Saraab’ continues Mathaf’s commitment to present Arab perspective on modern and contemporary art as it turns Eastward to consider dynamics across Asia for the first time.

Works on display explores the seafaring culture of the Arabian Gulf as well as the Islamic history of Guanzhou. In keeping with its title, Mirage in Arabic, ‘Saraab’ questions whether there is something illusory or unobtainable about the process of cultural, temporal and geographic translation. Wassan al Khudhairi said, “This show is a journey of personal and artistic discovery that demonstrates the emotional breadth of Cai’s work, from the intimate to the spectacular.” Cai added, “For this exhibition, I was inspired by the ocean and the Arabian Gulf, which is a gateway to the rest of the world and which connects Qatar with my hometown, Guanzhou, China.”

The opening ceremony, the ‘Black Ceremony’, a progression of ten different scenes exploring themes of death and homecoming, exploded over a vast stretch of open land near Mathaf. The explosion event appeared like drops of ink splattered across the sky, instantaneously creating black blossoms, followed by thunderous noise. 8,300 shells embedded with computer microchips were ignited to form a black pyramid that stood above the earth, as if a wordless tombstone. ‘Black Ceremony’ took place near the museum and was open to the public. The video of ‘Black Ceremony’ is presented as part of the exhibition, alongside six other videos of previous explosion events.

Some other exhibits include ‘Endless’, ‘Fragile’, ‘Route’, ‘Ninety-Nine’, ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Al-Shaqab’. ‘Endless’ has three boats rock gently in contained water. Two are local Gulf-region vessels and the other a traditional fishing boat from Quanzhou. Their slight continuous swaying suggests an ambiguous state of possible travel or staying at rest. The three boats also allude to the historic maritime Silk Road that originated from Quanzhou. The room is enveloped in fog, creating the sense of distance. Together, they may suggest ways in which traditions and culture compare in different coastal regions of the world, or an individual state of mind.

‘Fragile’ is a 3 x 8 meter textured porcelain mural, marking the first time Cai has used gunpowder for calligraphy. Its title points to its physical properties – gunpowder exploded onto elaborately sculpted porcelain to form the Arabic word ‘hash’. This type of Dehua porcelain, manufactured near the artist’s hometown, was historically traded by sea to the Arab world, while gunpowder is a characteristically Chinese invention. The juxtaposition of gunpowder and porcelain suggests a fragility in human relationships, whether between individuals, nations or cultures.

‘Route’ uses gunpowder to draw a modern map in the format of ancient nautical charts. The rocks underneath, from outside Mathaf, render the surface smooth but uneven, an homage to the desert plains. With ink, the artist then adapts the destination coordinates, sailing time, and celestial navigation of the seventeenth-century Chinese map Haidao Zhinantu, ‘Seaway Compass Diagram’. Made to resemble a woodblock print describing the maritime Silk Road, ‘Route’ narrates the journey from Quanzhou to Doha.

‘Ninety-Nine’ features 99 small gold-leafed horses floating mid-air in front of a 4 x 8 meter gunpowder drawing. The illustration itself has Arabian horses galloping across the desert towards a searing sun. The number ninety-nine in Chinese culture symbolizes infinity, while in Muslim culture it recalls the ‘Ninety-Nine Names Of God’. The horse, too, is highly symbolic in distinct ways for both cultures. In this installation, some horses are drawn with gunpowder exploded onto the paper while others hang in front of them, galloping in space, and dappling the surface with shadows.

‘Homecoming’ is a series of granite rocks with Arabic inscriptions duplicated from historic Arab tombstones in Guanzhou, one of the messages being ‘whoever dies as a foreigner dies a martyr’. These rocks, specially selected from Guanzhou, wind their way from the museum’s courtyard into the atrium, symbolizing their homecoming. Incised with Arabic calligraphy before their arrival in Doha, they are installed along the visitors’ route into the museum. From these rocks, the artist creates a personal interpretation of the centuries-old Muslim community in Quanzhou. Arab ancestors who passed away in distant lands are welcomed home to the Arab Muslim world.

‘Al-Shaqab’ is a video installation imagined as an experience where all visitors may sit together in a traditional setting to consider how Arabian horses are viewed and valued as a cultural symbol. It explores ways in which different human cultures interact with animals. Shot on location at Al-Shaqab, Qatar, the film highlights how developing technology has advanced and changed horse breeding and husbandry.

Of his signature medium, Cai said, “The uncontrollability and spontaneity in gunpowder builds anxiety and expectation. I find this quality alluring, and the transformation of energy in gunpowder, the beauty and effect it creates cannot be replaced by other materials.”

Related post on Cai Guo-Qiang’s ‘Saraab’ – http://danielyunhx.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/cai-guo-qiangs-homecoming/

I cannot stop looking at this picture. It looks like someone breathed life into a Chinese painting. I grew up thinking such cranes, like the dragon and phoenix, were mythical. That they were not real. These birds have been the subjects of Chinese art since time immemorial. Their snow-white bodies appear whiter against shiny black feathers. To see these birds in the mountain snow, you will have to remind yourself you are indeed not in heaven. Art has a way of blurring the line between fantasy and reality. Coming face to face with a subject of art in real life is not unlike seeing a celluloid star in the flesh.

Classic Chinese art has used subjects perceived to be auspicious in the East. The tiger, horse, carp, gold-fish, lotus, peony, mountain and water were popular. Chinese calligraphy is another art form. The brush stroke has long defined Chinese art, but what was written was as much a part of the art. Hence, poets were organic to the evolution of Chinese art and for a long time, the message was the art. When Deng Xiaoping opened China to the world in 1978, the stage was set for an explosion in commerce. The art world set their sights heavenwards; the time had come for the most populous nation to push its art to the edge.

In the early 80s, Chinese artists eagerly experimented with Western techniques and daring political themes. Some addressed the damage of the Cultural Revolution, albeit cautiously. The movement was called ‘scar painting’ and ‘the art of the wounded’. Images of Mao Tsetung began to appear in dark and cynical hues. A Chinese Dada movement was founded, adopting the same esoteric philosophies which mystified the European art establishment before World War I. Artists started going beyond the norms of sculpturing and painting. Conceptual art found expressions in performances captured on photographs, installations and multi-media works. By the mid 80s, bolder and more experimental political works blossomed. Art critic Gao Minglu called this explosion of avant-garde art the ’85 Movement’. Its aim was nothing less than social and political change! Gao was the force behind the controversial 1989 exhibition in Beijing, ‘China Avant-Garde’.

One of the most remarkable pieces to emerge from the 85 Movement was Xu Bing’s exquisite art installation, ‘A Book from the Sky’. Xu and many other contemporary artists began to draw on traditional philosophies such as Taoism to create distinctly modern and distinctly Chinese political works. They also freely mixed traditional mediums such as ink painting and scrollwork with Western techniques. Another leading avant-garde artist is Huang Yong Ping, whose conceptual art was part of the “Inside Out: New Chinese Art” exhibition in New York. Huang put the two leading textbooks on Chinese art into a washing machine for two minutes and presented the pile of pulp on a table. Critics interpreted the work as expressing both Buddhist and Dada concepts of destruction before enlightenment. A third artist who gained fame in the 1980s was Cai Quo Qiang. He is best known for his ‘art happenings’ using the ancient Chinese invention, gunpowder. Photographs documented Cai’s performances. One titled ‘The Century with Mushroom Clouds:Projects for the 20th Century’, was a 1996 performance at a former nuclear test site in Nevada, where a man stood amid the rubble with a single threatening white cloud against the clear blue sky.

The avant-garde movement broke up after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. From the ashes, ‘Political Pop Art’ and ‘Cynical Realism’ emerged in the early 90s. Unlike the previous decade, the cutting edge artists were now based in the West. Those who remained were stuck in a Chinese society also referred to as ‘The Red Heaven’. In a post-ideological system, there was an abrupt move towards material consumption and free market. This sudden capitalism with unprecedented economic development created a schizophrenic generation which followed no ideology.’Waiting For The Sunshine’ was the basic theme of the new utopian vision. ‘What to Get’ seemed unclear, but ‘Escaping From The Sufferings’ was an absolute psychological requirement for survival.

At this point, the art was pulling in different directions. There was the urge to create pretty works to lure wealthy buyers. Or exoticisms of government oppression to appeal the Western collectors, galleries and international exhibitions. This conflicted angst manifested itself as the ‘Chinese Contemporary Art’ that took the world by storm at the turn of the century, forming the foundation for a Chinese contemporary art boom from 2005 till 2009. Zhang Xiaogang’s bloodline series used the traditional Chinese family portrait to show a lonely generation limited by the one-child policy; he would become the poster boy of Chinese contemporary art. Yue Minjun’s serial laughing man was part Lu Xun’s Ah Q and part self ironic defence to the spiritual vacuum and folly. Wang Guangyi’s blunt and literal fusing of Western commercial brands with Chinese revolutionary figures reflected how capitalism did not mix well with communist values. Fang Liyun’s bald-headed protagonists could barely keep their heads above water, showing the alienation and disenchantment of a lost generation.

Yang Jinsong’s most iconic works, showing a watermelon, a fish or a cat torn apart, were fitting, telling and ominous of the Chinese society today. As a country, China is an emerging world power. As a people, the Chinese are at a moral crossroads. A collage of images from the headlines shows a distressing picture. The bullet train crash, the two-year-old Yue Yue left to die on the street, fake milk powder and food, buried coal miners, and corrupt government officials are reminders of the moral decay of a country caught in a transition it is trying to understand and embrace.

Art in China has reflected its political, social and economic changes. The Chinese government is now bracing for social unrest as the economy slows down. There are fresh calls for the ‘return of the good Samaritan’ to provide the needed cohesion as the gap between the rich and poor widens further. During the Cultural Revolution, propaganda posters were the art of its day. They served both political and social functions. Today the Chinese society is going through changes in a digital age. The internet compounds issues and presents new problems with no ready solutions. In a country where oppression and censorship are widespread, the netizens are in turn more vocal and subversive. The time has come yet again for art in China to play a role, this time to mirror the moral landscape of a soul-searching society grabbling with opposing values.

I went out on Friday night. I have forgotten the free feeling of a Friday night out, meeting up with friends, chatting, catching up, just hanging out. Sashimi, wine and good company. No work the next day. My Fridays and weekends have been filled with work and meetings. Or just catching up with reading and sleep. This year I have led a dog’s life. I don’t think I can recall another year I have worked harder. Or have been more stressed by business. From mid-year, some business associates and friends told me they would not be reachable for a while because they were going on holiday. I saw their vacation photos posted on Facebook. I wondered when I would or could take a holiday. Should I take heart that the year is coming to an end?

A fortnight ago, my body finally collapsed. I was vomiting and for the first time, experienced vertigo. The doctor said I had stomach flu. I knew my body was just too weak to fight any virus attack. It succumbed to fatigue, stress and neglect. I have never felt this sick. I was too weak to walk to the toilet. I realised if I continued to take my health for granted, I could be in real trouble. I caught a glimpse of a not-too-distant future image – an old, sick and helpless man. I guess this is what it means to hit rock bottom. So this is how it feels like. Despair. Social disconnect. A recurring sense of failure. As I pick myself up and seek the positives in this most negative situation, it dawned on me that I have become more compassionate. No one wants to fail. No one wants to feel helpless. No one wants to think negative if they can help it.

My biggest takeaway from this period, which in turn helped me get out of this dark hole, is finally seeing and understanding something I thought I knew. That ‘nothing is random, nor will anything ever be’. We are all a small part of a much bigger whole. How I have lived my life until now is no accident. All my reflections, ‘if only I did this, maybe my life would have taken a different turn’, ‘if I sold my house half a year later, I would be richer’, ‘if I had studied art, if I had pursued a creative route’, ‘if only I had paid more attention to making and saving money’… these are doubts when we do not believe or trust ourselves enough. My life is my life. I don’t think I have lived it recklessly. Of course I know better, I am slightly wiser, and I understand myself more. But I did what I did. I should not have regrets. There is a wonderful order in the perceived randomness of the universe.

“How can this be? If nothing is random, and everything is predetermined, how can there be free will? The answer to that is simple. Nothing is predetermined; it is determined, or was determined, or will be determined. No matter, it all happened at once, in less than an instant, and time was invented because we cannot comprehend in one glance the enormous and detailed canvas that we have been given – so we track it, in linear fashion, piece by piece. Time, however, can be easily overcome; not by chasing light, but by standing back far enough to see it all at once. The universe is still and complete. Everything that ever was, is; everything that ever will be, is – and so on, in all possible combinations. Though in perceiving it we imagine that it is in motion, and unfinished, it is quite finished and quite astonishingly beautiful. In the end, or rather, as things really are, any event, no matter how small, is intimately and sensibly tied to all others. All rivers run full to the sea; those who are apart are brought together; the lost ones are redeemed; the dead come back to life; the perfectly blue days that have begun and ended in golden dimness continue, immobile and accessible; and, when all is perceived in such a way as to obviate time, justice becomes apparent not as something that will be, but as something that is.” – Mark Helprin, ‘Winter’s Tale’.

So we should just sit back and let things be? Not at all! Knowing there is a bigger scheme of things should fuel our faith in our existence. If we believe we exist for some purpose and meaning, we should follow our hearts. If we have basic faith that we will prevail, we should chase our dreams. But, most importantly, we should let the outcomes of our endeavours unfold naturally. Holding on to one outcome determined by our minds is a source of anxiety and self-doubt. Following our hearts and chasing our dreams and yet accepting the outcomes is to abandon our control and invite the forces of nature to compliment our lives. Internalizing this approach helps release tension from my body and ease friction in my mind. It also allows me to move on, with my passion for life intact.

‘Give life all you’ve got. And life will give all it has to you.’ I take heart in knowing that every dog has its day. My day in the sun will come.

Today is a holiday. The sun is out. A perfect excuse to visit the work-in-progress Bishan Park, about 10 minutes drive from home. I pass it everyday on my way to and from work. Some parts are covered up, but progressively I can see some interesting fixtures taking shape. It is reported to cost S$76 million and was in fact an election issue earlier this year. From afar, even as a layman, I can see why it is costly. It is a very long stretch of land and from the architectural drawings on the fence, it seems like a first-of-its-kind undertaking.

When I parked and moved around some parts of the still unfinished landscaped grounds, I realised I have chanced upon an amazing project. It has an inventive concept. It is bringing Kallang River into Bishan Park! There is a programme to transform an already green Singapore into a ‘City of Gardens and Water’. It is the ‘Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters’ or ‘ABC Waters’ programme by PUB. The flagship project of this programme is Bishan Park! A joint collaboration between PUB and NParks, it is called ‘ABC Waters@Kallang River-Bishan Park’. It will see the conversion of a concrete canal into a natural meandering river, seamlessly integrated with the park for the first time in Singapore.

There will be a ‘River Promenade’, as well as three new playgrounds, each with a distinctive theme. This new park will also be home to diverse wildlife with habitats created to encourage certain species to settle and thrive. A part of the ‘Bishan River Plains’ is open to the public. The river should be ready by the end of this year.’Bishan Park Pond Gardens’ is still undergoing construction, and will be open by the second quarter of next year.

To give the 3km man-made waterway the natural feel of a river, a system known as soil bio-engineering techniques, the use of plant materials and traditional engineering methods, are employed. It combines soil retention function with aesthetics and ecological considerations in the creation of a natural river with landscaped banks. This is the first time these techniques are applied in urbanised Singapore; a test bed was constructed earlier to check the various techniques in this tropical climate.

“As a strong new impulse for the future, an infrastructure that can be appreciated and accessed by citizens which at the same time respects the environment in a sustainable manner also brings about a subtle change in behaviour and thinking,” said a Mr Herbert Dreiseitl, who worked on the park and river design. “And it is through this change that we can begin to create places which are vibrant, healthy and full of socio-cultural liveliness. Bishan Park has already the beginnings of this, and bringing the river and water element back to the people, will further enhance the place.”

Mr Dreiseitl added, “To integrate the redesigned Kallang River with the park, the interface between the two zones between park and river, urban and nature is carefully considered and designed in a manner to commensurate with the naturalistic character of the river.”

The ‘ABC Waters’ design features also carefully select plants with natural cleansing properties to treat water. These features will beautify the surroundings as well as maintain the water quality of the ponds in the park and the river naturally without the use of chemicals. In addition, a portion of the water will be recycled for the use of the shallow water play in the ‘Water Playground’.

The structures of the river and streams are ready for the inflow of water from the Kallang River. All the plants will need to grow into their own. I can see the makings of another ‘Singapore Wonder’, but this time it is an oasis in the HDB heartland, created primarily for Singaporeans. A sprawling park with restaurants, playgrounds, dog-run, spa and in-line skates, it breaks through concrete monotony to provide needed serenity. It is different from other parks in Singapore in that it is organic to its environment in more ways than one. I look forward to the completed Bishan Park.

The National Museum of Singapore has done it. Creating a space in which a local or foreigner can be transported into another space. Something we dream about. Now it is a reality. I did not want to be caught up with all the formalities of the opening ceremony. Having to talk to friends and acquaintances when what I want is some quiet time to immerse myself in the art. Today, the start of a long weekend, I decided, the Saturday crowd notwithstanding, not to wait any longer. To come up close and personal with some of the most timeless and priceless works of art.

‘This exhibition comprises 145 paintings, drawings and photographs from the collection of the Musee d’Orsay. The works span the period of 1848 to 1914, a period of profound change and contrast for France and Europe. Torn between the past and modernity, artists tried to reconcile the radical transformations they were witnessing and to redefine themselves. While some artists embraced contemporary life, others sought refuge in a heroic past, evoking scenes from literature, music and mythology. In dealing with modernity, some artists also confronted its harshness through the realistic presentation of violent struggles, while others found solace in solitude, exploring the mind, imagination and dreams.’

I was most keen to see Van Gough’s ‘Starry Night’, Paul Cezanne’s ‘The Card Players’, Alexandre Cabanel’s ‘The Birth of Venus’ and Rene-Xavier Prinet’s ‘The Beach At Cabourg At High Tide’. I was also treated to ‘The Clown Cha-U-Kao’ by Toulouse-Lautrec, along with key works by forerunners of modern art including Claude Monet and Berthe Morisot. As I walked through the exhibition, I knew I would be back. There was just too much to take in.

Some people were looking at one painting without moving while others followed the curator’s tour. I have never seen such a crowd for an exhibition here. Families, groups, couples and singles. People are indeed interested. It was an education into a dream world of a reality from a different time. I was in the National Museum. But I was in a different time and a different country. At the turn of a different century when artists captured how men and women reacted to a new contemporary life.