Eleanor Yap
To raise awareness of the needs and concerns of caregivers, the Lien Foundation, in partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, has commissioned eight visual artists to create artworks inspired by the grit, challenges and rewards of ordinary caregivers looking after people with special needs, mental illness and the elderly.
According to the National Health Survey by the Ministry of Health in 2010, 8.1 percent of Singapore residents aged between 18 and 69 were caregivers. This means that in 2017, at least 236,000 people provided regular care or assistance to family and friends (based on national population figures).
On average, they provided around seven hours of care a day, which was like having a second job. As Singapore’s grapples with shrinking family sizes and an ageing population, caregiving will become an increasingly pressing societal concern. Singapore must embrace caregiving, not as the burden of a few, but as a responsibility for many.
The artworks will be shown in a group exhibition, entitled “Personally Speaking: The Art of Caregiving”. As the title suggests, the showcase melds the personal observations and experiences of the artists with those of caregivers who come from all walks of life. The project seeks to illuminate the joys and challenges of caregivers, while providing opportunities for visitors to reflect on their own caregiving journey, and the state of caregiving in Singapore. In some of the artworks, the caregivers are not just passive subjects, but co-creators too.
The exhibition features artworks by Alecia Neo (visual artist), James Teo of ampulets (design studio), Deanna Ng (photographer), Gwee Li Sui (poet/graphic artist/writer), Joseph Chiang (printmaker), Kray Chen (visual artist), Mary Bernadette Lee (visual artist), and Sun Koh (filmmaker).
The artists and caregivers worked on this project over the better part of a year. The projects range from films that draw on the artists’ personal caregiving stories, to ceramics and photographic prints that were created in collaboration with caregivers. For many of the caregivers, this was their first foray into the arts, which gave them a new way of expressing themselves.
Highlights from the project include:
- Yours Truly by Deanna Ng – Deanna worked with six caregivers who look after their children, who are young adults with moderate to severe autism. They used photography and craft materials to depict their views on caregiving. The stories vary from ones of hope to ones of equanimity and resignation, reflecting the anxieties these parents shoulder in caring for their children.
- You Can Take a Break by ampulets – ampulets founder James Teo drew on his own experience caring for his father, who has dementia and mobility issues. The result is an animated film and comic book that touches on caregivers’ guilt and the realities of managing eldercare with the help of a foreign domestic worker.
- Between Earth and Sky by Alecia Neo – Alecia worked with eight caregivers caring for those with mental illness to devise performances based on their caregiving journey. She documented the performances using photography and film for an art installation. This was the first time many of the caregivers had encountered performance art, and found the experience welcoming and cathartic.
- 3 Acts of Remembering by Kray Chen – Kray made weekly visits to three people with dementia in different care situations. Using their favourite activities (such as buying 4D, singing karaoke, and recalling past memories of being a fighter pilot) as a starting point, he documented his process of befriending them using film, and interviewed their caregivers to reveal their stories and relationships.
Personally Speaking will culminate in a public forum and panel discussion on December 1, 2018 that will feature artists and caregivers who have been involved in the showcase, and experts who will talk about how society can play a greater role in supporting caregivers. The exhibition and talk aim to inform, provoke thought and, above all, catalyse empathy and action in the form of more support services, be it by providers, companies or the community at large.
** Personally Speaking exhibition will be held at these locations:
Oct 8 – 14 @ Community Plaza, Oasis Terraces, 681 Punggol Drive
Opens daily from 10am to 9pm
Oct 15 – Nov 18 @ Jurong Regional Library, 21 Jurong East Central 1
Open daily from 10am to 9pm, closed on public holidays
Nov 22 – Dec 16 @ Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, 155 Middle Road
Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm – 7pm, Sunday, 12pm – 4pm, closed on Monday and public holidays
Panel Discussion, December 1, 3pm @ auditorium, National Design Centre
More information including registration will be available soon at www.objectifs.com.sg/personallyspeaking.
** PHOTO CREDIT: Mary Bernadette Lee
