Hope from chaos: An ArtScience Museum exhibition that reflects on the turmoil of living with Covid-19

After a period of turmoil, nothing is more important than taking time to reflect. A pause amidst the chaos, reflection offers a chance to untangle our thoughts, consider multiple viewpoints, and sometimes even heal.

As we hit the Covid-19 pandemic’ s second anniversary in Singapore, ArtScience Museum is exploring the science behind epidemics and reflecting on life during this seemingly never-ending global crisis.

From Feb 12 to July 3, 2022, science and art are coming together in the exhibition: Hope from Chaos: Pandemic Reflections. Through deeply evocative installations, films, and sculptures, visual artists from round the world explore how much our lives have changed, and what it’s truly like living in a post-pandemic world.

Think the pathology of the virus, the challenges of quarantine, and the prevention rituals that have become part of our daily lives. Here’s our rundown of the exhibition’s key highlights:

Reminisce about lockdown days

Circuit breaker started off great, until the reality of facing the same four walls for weeks started to set in. In Isle of Instability, take a peep into the lockdown life of artist Cao Fei in Singapore, documented through a multi-media installation.

This provocative collection of home videos, drawings, photographs, and sculptures takes us back to the collective confinement of the circuit breaker not so long ago, and the psychological repercussions of living under such extraordinary circumstances.

Alexa, queue the shape of you

When we try to imagine the Covid-19 virus, we often visualise a spherical fuzzball with spikes sticking out. As you roam around the exhibition, get up-close and personal with the shape of the devil that has taken over our lives.

Though only 23cm, Luke Jerram’s intricate glass sculpture of the Coronavirus – Covid-19  is a whopping two million times larger than the actual virus. While you’re there, don’t forget to catch a glimpse of the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccine sculpture, part of the artists’ Glass Microbiology series. Honouring the healthcare industry, the sculptures are made using the same techniques and materials as medical and scientific glassware.

Hazard tape takes on a new job description

Looking back at the past two years, hazard tape truly has gained a new job description: Reinforcing social distancing. Since ‘social distancing’ became part of our vocabulary, these tapes can be seen everywhere – on the floor, on park benches, on paintings… yep, you read that right.

In Circuit Breaker Paintings, Singapore-based artist Heman Chong painted the motif of hazard tape across the surface of some of his previous paintings. The result? A thought-provoking series of 56 paintings, re-examining the past 12 years’ worth of his work.

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Our daily protective gear

Masks are now an indispensable part of any post-pandemic outfit, and you can bet they take the spotlight at this exhibition too.

Presented by African artists Nonzuzo Gxekwa and Pierre Le Riche, The Mask Project transforms our everyday medical masks into vibrant, colourful pieces that showcase the resilience and creativity of African art during the pandemic. Incorporating decorative elements from African culture like bright textiles, the duo’s series of photographic portraits is nothing short of stunning.

Another mask-focused installation not to be missed is the prototype display of the nanotech antimicrobial mask by Nanyang Technological University. For the first time, this cutting-edge reusable ‘nanotech mask’ (KN95 mask) will be showcased to public, and is said to be capable of eliminating 99.9 per cent of bacteria, viruses, and particulates.

The mosaic of emotions

To say that the past two years have been filled with uncertainty and anxiety is an understatement, to say the least. Started in 2020, Diary of 2020 is a jaw-dropping 10-metre paper installation that documents Singapore/New York-based contemporary artist Eun Vivian Lee’s response to her uncertainty and fear during the pandemic.

A serene, ombre-hued piece made using pigment paint made from seashells, this installation comes with a short video documentary of Lee providing the inside scoop on her working process and her mental health during this time.

Hand-le with care

There’s nothing more endearing and calming than handwritten notes. A coping technique for pandemic anxiety and confusion, Tenderhands  is a series of daily handwritten instructions on Post-it® notes, produced by South Korean/Canadian interdisciplinary artist Ivetta Sunyoung Kang since the beginning of global lockdowns.

Since then, the series has evolved into different presentation formats such as an installation, Instagram live, video work and an email project. In Hope from Chaos, Tenderhands will be presented as a video performance where the artist shares some of her methods for soothing her mind, simply through the use of her hands.

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Addressing the elephant in the room: Mental health

Kicking off with Hope from Chaos, ArtScience Museum is also welcoming the Season of Mental Wellbeing throughout 2022.

Throughout this year-long campaign, you can look forward to exhibitions, educational activities, and public programmes that shed light on the social anxiety generated by the pandemic, as well as raise awareness for mental wellness. For many of us, Covid-19 has meant the deterioration of our mental health, and this campaign aims to create a much-needed environment of healing for the public.