onistudio

A Monologue for The Substation Garden

2011-03-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

Since 2006, Zai Kuning has been speaking passionately about the lost of the Substation Garden, which has been disconnected from the arts centre itself ever since Timbre Group opened its first food and beverage outlet. The arts community's response towards the lost of the iconic tree, the changing landscape around The Substation, and the community it used to gather varies from nostalgia, ambivalent pragmatism to resentment.

Commissioned for a work for the Singapore Biennale (SB) 2011, Zai proposed to close Timbre and return the garden to the arts community for the period of the Biennale. However, the proposal failed to materialise. Bearing in mind Kuo Pao Kun's words " great failure is more worthwhile than mediocre success', Zai conceived this exhibition and monologue as a response to the failed project, focusing on his personal experience and thoughts about the Garden, the Substation, and his conversation with Matthew Ngui (director of SB 2011).

More importantly, he would like to invite you to be part of this response to a sanctuary that the arts community have lost.

I want my garden back because I miss the tree
Its 4pm now but the garden is lock and the tree is as
lonely as me

I want my garden back because I miss the tree
And now they have turn the garden to be so ugly
Im feeling sad and angry for the garden and how we use
to play freely

- Zai Kuning's open letter to the artscommunity, 2006

Opening of the exhibition: 25th March 7.30pm
Speech by Zai Kuning - A Monologue for The Substation Garden

Singular Drone Box

2011-01-25T20:48:00.000-08:00

Footage of last week's Singular Drone Box by Amino Acid Orchestra.

This Thursday 27th January AAO will play with Zai Tang at 8pm, Substation Gallery. Tickets can be purchased at The Substation Box Office ($15)

The exhibition of Zai Kuning's sketches and drawing will run till Sunday.

Video credit: Ren Lee, Charmaine Mob
Photo Credit: Ujikaji Records

Gospel from a Strange Flower who Grows Stubbornly

2010-03-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

In October 2009, Zai went to Tokyo to attend Asian Meeting Festival, a sound art event organised by Otomo Yoshihide, whom Zai got to know back in 1994 during Flying Circus Project (TheatreWorks, Singapore). I remembered that both of them told me that they fought badly during that project, but
interestingly it was also because of the fight that they began to respect and like each other. The last I saw of Otomo was when he came to Singapore with Dickson Dee to work with Zai on Book from Hell in 2008.

Asian Meeting Festival saw the gathering of about 20 artists from Asia and it was held in both Asakusa Asahi Art Centre (Tokyo) and Tokuzo (Nagoya). Apart from playing a 20 minute solo set for each concert, Zai was also given the opportunity to collaborate and improvise with several fine musicians such as Yoshinori Tanagawa on guitar, Usui Yashuhiro on saxophone, Ko Ishikawa on tradition Japanese Sho, and Otomo on guitar and turn table.

Asahi Art Centre, Asakusa, Tokyo

Tokuzo, Nagoya

As usual, when Zai travels, he is hardly contactable; He doesn't carry a phone and wants to be free from the internet. The first email he sent to onistudio was already after he had finished four gigs in Tokyo and was performing in Nagoya. He said that one night in his dreams, he saw a cactus walking towards the
sea and as it went further and further, it transformed into a whale and swam away. Thus during his trip to Nagoya in the bullet train, he pondered on the dream and some new materials that he had discovered in Tokyo. That was when the words came to his mind. This was what he wrote,

"i am playing under a `tittle` - 'strange flower grow stubornly' and `stubborn flower grow strangely`. its my new work/piece. im excited. tomorow i got to go back to tokyo to do some recording which im glad to."

As I read these two titles, a myriad of images ran through my mind, one of the most vivid being the pitcher plant and a parasitic plant called the Dopper. Strange flower... Stubborn flower... I started to wonder, "am I a strange flower who grow stubbornly, or a stubborn flower who grow strangely?" And I wondered that about the people around me too.

So, with the help of Otomo, Zai went to one of the most legendary underground studio (GOKstudio) to record his material. The recording was done by Kondo Yoshiyaki, who was also the sound engineer for Book from Hell and one of the most respected and wanted man in Tokyo underground scene.

Kondo at GOKstudio

Some of us may probably remember that Zai used to say "I'm still alive and active performing, what's the point having my CD? Come to my gig!' But things have changed, mind has changed, and even if he had to eat his own words, Zai had for the first time attempted studio recording and true to his care-less nature which some people grew to love and some grew to hate, it was a one-take affair with no onverdubbing. According to Zai, he grew tired (and embarrassed) when he was asked for a collection of his stuff. He thought making a collection which is professionally recorded, mastered and produced might make some good friends happy and thus get it for someone's birthday or a nice-to-meet-you gift. One thing for sure, he has to now learn how to travel with 300 CDs in his luggage.

"You can consider me a traditional musician partly because I believe that real musicians are those who play musical instrument and sing their own songs; never mind if you so sucked up by what you got in the States or Europe."

Armed with three hours of live recording of the gigs and not including the above mentioned material, onistudio thus decided to release a CD compilation titled Gospel from A Strange Flower who Grow
Stubbornly. The word 'gospel' coming from Kondoh san, who classified the recording under that when he was saving the tracks.

When Zai returned to Singapore, he excitedly played the songs and let me into this new world. I remembered I was toasting some sandwiches to eat, but I had to put down whatever I was doing and just listened. Quite frankly speaking, the experience was like being struck repeatedly on the head, which made it impossible to multi-task while listening, like we usually do to easy-listening or ambient music. And ever since our friend Shah Tahir did some magic on the mastering a month ago, this pastor sounded even more polished, or should I say, rough? Like a gospel, you will love it or hate it, but either way, it is good for you. Haha!

Shortly after Zai returned, Kai Lam and Lee Wen invited him and Amino Acid Orchestra (together with Fuzz Lee and Shark Fung) to play at Rooted-In-The-Ephemeral-Speak, or R.I.T.E.S on Boxing Day. Other invited artists were Dennis Tan and Goh Lee Kwang.

mindfucking boy (on floor), shark fung, dennis tan, goh lee kwang

If you were there, you would have remembered the hot-bloodedness in the room, both literally and metaphorically speaking. Reminiscing that enjoyable and wonderful night at Post-Museum, onistudio will be launching 'Gospel from a Strange Flower who Grow Stubbornly' with Shark and Goh Lee Kwang (who is travelling from Ipoh to Singapore especially for this occasion). To top if off, Mindfuckingboy will also be playing. So put on your crazy hat and ear plugs for the night, it would be necessary.

photo credit: rumi zai

Date: 26th March (Friday) ; Time: 8pm ; Venue: Blackhole, 212 Syed Alwi Road

Entry: $8 + CD: $12 ; Advance Booking $16 Free Entry + CD

Please write to onistudio at houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg for advance booking. We cannot promise that it will be a mind-blowing, eyes-widening, hair-standing, and chest-tightening experience, but like all onistudio events, you will leave with your blood feeling as warm as good old wine.

See you my friends!

upcoming post: Zai tours Japan with Amino Acid Orchestra in May, kicking it off by a long awaited performance with one of his best friends, Tetsu Saitoh (contra-bass), and African dancer Jacki Job, and ending it by a performance with legendary underground and experimental sound artists Otomo Yoshihide and Keji Haino. In April, onistudio present a most unpredictable individual - Gertjan Zhuilhof - who has produced 100 sketches on all kinds of draft paper in the past one year. which he calls 'auto-cartoon'. Stay tuned.

Barahati

2010-02-24T20:42:00.000-08:00

Some people we are destined to meet; the rest of that friendship all depends on our effort.

In 2008, I visited Bali with my parents. Being our first time there, we stayed in Ubud and visited all the touristy places. On our last day, we went to Monkey Forest in the morning and decided to walk back to where we stayed. We grew a little sick of Balinese food (or tourist-Balinese food, complete with Gamelan music in the background) so we by-passed many eateries. Finally we came to a cafe which sold Japanese food, and I thought it would be a good change even though it seemed ridiculous to have Japanese food in Bali. So we settled down in this cafe called Ubud Raya and looking at the wooden furniture, coffee-beans and bookshelves, I thought 'Hmmm this may be a little like what onistudio may look like."

The man who served us was a very humourous-looking man who looked like he had just walked out from the set of Pirates of the Carribean, playing one of the pirates. He was a very polite man despite looking fierce and unfriendly, and so he reminded me of Zai. His wife was in-charge of the kitchen, she is Japanese. There and then, I text Zai "I want you to come to this cafe next time."

And so we did. In barely six months, I was back in Bali again, this time with Zai. We visited Ubud Raya and since that fateful meeting, I believed we had spend 3 out of 5 days sitting in the cafe. We got to know this pirate-looking man: Agoes, his wife: Toshiko, his daughter: Raras, his incredibly positive niece: Lani, and even his horny monkey: Tommy, his dog which stole a little girl's underwear: Pipi and a very quiet owl. We became friends, just like that.

One night as we ate and drank in Agoes cafe, he suddenly took out a blueprint of his 'dream'. It was a house by a river. He had wanted to build a house by the river to serve for artist residency. Agoes talked me through his aspirations, and I thought no one in Singapore had ever talked to me about his or her dream in that manner. I was touched by this man's openness and purity. Then he told me he has another dream - to have a painting exhibition in Singapore.

The next morning, I told Zai (who had fell asleep from exhaustion and missed out the conversation) about Agoes dream. Immediately, Zai said he would give up his slot in Jeremy Hiah's Your Mother Gallery in order to show Agoes' work. We went back to Agoes cafe that night and broke the news to him. I don't know how Agoes felt about our response, but perhaps you could ask him this Friday, because a year after that night, he is finally here in Singapore fulfilling his dream.

Agoes Djatmiko
BAHARATI - From Java to Bali Exploring Wayang
26 February 2010 (Fri)
Your Mother Gallery, Hindoo Road

In late 2009, I visited Bali for the third time. Befoe going to the airport, we went to Mediya to pack Japanese tofu and Umei shomen for Toshiko, since we found out that it was not easy to get high quality tofu in Bali. Upon reaching Denpasar, we saw the familiar face of Agoes waiting for us patiently and laughing good humouredly as usual. His car could not start that day, so he had to hire another driver to come and pick us up. We went straight to his cafe as if it were our hotel, and met all the familiar faces, watch the same Sumo wrestling on the TV, ate the not incredibly delectable but homely food - and it occured to Zai and I that we have a family in Bali now.

In that last trip to Bali, I feel terribly ill which was probably due to food poisoning somewhere or an aversion towards the amount of tourism, development and money-mindedness that engulfed the beautiful island. Yesterday we told Agoes that it would be difficult for us to return to Ubud Bali again and to our surprise, his 'river house' dream has took on a twist. He said that developers are interested to buy the plot of land beside the river in Ubud and with that money, perhaps he could really fulfill his dream but somewhere in the mountains.

Then quite abruptly in the middle of our conversation, he took out several thin t-shirts from his heavy luggage:

onistudio t-shirts! He took the photograph off our Facebook and printed t-shirts for us! That's what both of us had been supposed to do but was either too lazy or distracted to do. For the last two months, we had been busy with the disappointment of not being able to afford a real physical space for onistudio and forgot about litte things like this. So this t-shirt reminded me of onistudio motto again,

"Small is beautiful"

Every dream begins with a small step - just like how this incredible frienship we had with Agoes was forged. No matter how small each gesture is, more importantly, underlying all that we do, they all come from the heart. I guess in all attempts to translate 'Barahati', that's my intepretaion of the title of this exhibition.

Zai will be performing at 8pm. Please do come and have a look and another important thing, to hang out at Your Mother Gallery as it sprints towards its last lap and closes doors from June onwards.

See you there!

p/s: Email houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg for any enquiries

I'm abit tipsy+vertigo+stomach cramp+abit mad

2009-09-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Zai Kuning's Gone but Here with You
Fresh and Raw from the hospital

For seven long years, a man has not gone a day without whisky. Sometimes a dose, but more often than not a bottle. On 8th August 2009, he finally collapsed, and thus began his topsy-turvy, dizzy-fuzzy and painfully funny self discoverring adventure in the hospital.

Gone but Here with You is an intensely personal account of a man in struggle of finding sobriety in a dozy, fatigued, boorish and thankfully, morphine-equipped medical ward.

Some people are more drunk when they get a new handphone
Some people are more drunk than the drunken when they sell their art work
Some people are more drunk when they get a simple praise
Some people are more drunk when they are arrested
Some people are more drunk if they think they belong to some kind of thing hat shit
Some people are even more drunk when they get bad news of others
Some people get even more drunk when someone dies

I am afraid of people who are in love.
I am afraid of people whose heart are broke like fuck.
I am afraid of people who are blind searching without a stick.
I am afraid of people who are horny and dig something/anything.
I am afraid of people who want to be somebody.
I am afraid of people who are attention-seekers.
I am afraid of people who take shyness as a fashion.
I am afraid of people who are happy.
I am afraid of people who come to me and try to prove to me that they are better than me. Fucking assholes!
I am afraid of people who go around spreading news about humanity when they know only half of it
I am afraid of people who use their assets to suck up everything into them.
I am afraid of people who wear all black but their underwear white.
I am afraid of people who talk about doing good just so that others will see him as good.
I am afraid of people who try to convince me the way to be what I could be is their way to be.
I am afraid of people who suck up to something with no desire to be anything else but a sucker.
I am afraid of people who found religion and want to share that with me.
I am afraid of people who only want to be my friend because they think they can make use of me.

I am afraid of people who are so good at pretending nice.
I am afraid of women who want nothing but suck my dick.
I am afraid of women who think they are so fucking cool.
I am afraid of men who want to show how manly they are.
I am afraid of people who want to take care of children with little interest in education.

I am afraid of people who only know about money.
I am afraid and yes I have fear.
I have fear, I have fear not towards these people.
I have fear for my children, friend and family whom I could not protect.

I fear for them because I am a child.
Tell me who you afraid of?

"The Singaporean as a brave, outre, critical voice - what a rarity!" - X'ho

Zai Kuning, Gone but here with you
Paperback, photocopy, 104 pages
September 2009
$6 (including postage within Singapore)

Learning from previous mistakes, onistudio will be consolidating orders till the end of September and mail them all out at one go. Please write your orders to houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg, stating your address as well.

Some came with their heads in a bottle and left with their hearts under their soles

2009-05-24T09:25:00.001-07:00

More photographs of the opening can be found here
And a videolog of the works

The exhibition will close on 31 May, please catch it if you haven't.

Invitation

2009-04-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

post by shiyun

It is 11 p.m now.

I am sitting here revisiting memories of certain places, people and events that have happened to me. I have heard a monk said that if our mind were not so murky, we could visit the memories accumulated even before this life was born. This is all very good, but I think if this memory cannot make us admit our many mistakes and be thankful to those who are good to us, then it is completely useless even if we can remember all our past seven lives.

Village half-buried by volcanic ashes, Bali, Indonesia

I am also sitting here thinking how to be kind to children, whom we often bully by teaching them the proper things to do and getting angry with them when they can’t follow. Instead of sharing the sourness and sweetness of an orange, we teach them that it is round and o-r-a-n-g-e. Instead of realizing our own similar stubbornness, we get frustrated with them for being slow, uncooperative and refusing to learn.

Rocket Robot, Dongwook’s (10 years-old) creation for the coming exhibition

I am sitting here thinking about the sea, sand, mountain, rain and fields I floated through in Bali that day. I am thinking perhaps I should not bother living to a ripe, old age if my mind will cease to change from this moment. But I do apologise that my mind is like a boat drifting on a river.

Toyabungkah, Bali, Indonesia

You see when I was a child, I liked to destroy things. I tore papers, cut hair off my dolls, broke cups and wasted crayons on meaningless squiggles. When someone said “good”, I always said “bad”; when someone said “stop”, I never stopped. It was funny to see everything turned up-side down.

As I grew up, I learnt to make things. I put papers in clear plastic files, cleaned and dried my cups, ironed my clothes, combed my hair, and drew lines with a metal ruler. Because I was good at making things nice and perfect, many people liked me.

Then one day, as I was walking home, I saw an Oni. It was with a curious creature which had patches of colours on its body and resembled a cat. Although I did not know why, Oni and its cat followed me home that day. They came into the house and destroyed everything. The cat tore my wall paper, scratched my leather sofa and unrolled all the paper tissue rolls. While it was at that, Oni cut my bed into half.

I screamed “What are you doing? Nobody cuts a bed!”
It answered “Why not?”
Then it cut the legs of all my tables and chairs.
I screamed “Nobody does that!”
It answered “Why not?”
I cried “You’re destroying everything!”
It answered “No, I just want to make something beautiful.”

And so it did. I did not understand oni and the cat, but till this day I live with them. On certain days we annoyed one another, but we also laughed a lot.

cat and plant, onistudio

*** *** *** ***

SOME CAME WITH THEIR SOUL IN A BOTTLE
AND LEFT WITH THEIR HEARTS UNDER THEIR SOLES

Zai Kuning's solo exhibition

work in progress, onistudio

I could remember correctly, I thought the beginning of the process leading to the work started like this. One rainy night, around 2am, I was woken up by a constant knocking outside. My house is usually surrounded by noises of insects and birds, so I wondered if that was an unusually loud woodpecker. I opened the door, and to my surprise, I found Zai cutting a tree with a kitchen knife.

“What are you doing?” I asked, visibly irritated.
“I’m cutting this tree, it is sick!” he answered.
I said “But you’re killing the tree!”
Zai replied “No, I’m saving it!”
I asked “Ok, but can’t you do it tomorrow?” and he replied,
“No. Give me a minute and I will chase this devil away.”

Pencil drawing, Zai Kuning

And so he did. With his left hand holding onto an umbrella (which he eventually discarded), and right hand hacking the tree, the supposed sick tree was fell. The rain continued to fall and I collapsed back to sleep. I realized on the next day, that the tree was reduced to a termite hill. The termites were residing in that very sick tree. It was very puzzling experience.

Paisan and Zai, onistudio

Like I said, I thought that was the beginning of the work process. Thereafter , it was the visiting of Paisan from Thailand, who was here for his exhibition at Your Mother Gallery. He stayed in onistudio for three days and slept with the cat. He and Zai had fun playing with each other and it is also the first time I see Zai jamming with a brush instead of a guitar (or a kitchen knife).

With less than a week to the openeing, it is 1am now but there are still many busy souls in here working really hard.

Isa hard at work

Zai hard at work

to end off this note, onistudio warmly invites you to the opening reception of Zai’s solo exhibition

Some Came with Their Soul in a Bottle and
Left with Their Hearts Under Their Soles.

16 April. Thu. 7pm
Jendela (Visual Arts Space)
Level 2, Esplanade Mall

Haven't we not met for a long time? We hope to see you there.

A Bowl of Rice - Last Cycle

2008-10-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

As a final entry to conclude A Bowl of Rice, below is an excerpt of an extensive dialogue between art historian T.K Sabapathy (in italics) and Zai on the work.

Rice comes from intense labour and with various kinds of farming technology that have been devised, the production of rice is continuous and no more seasonal. Watching you deal with this material, I am wondering if consciously or unconsciously, you are emulating the intensity of labour in rice planting? The intensity of labour is also reflected in the nature of the drawing you have developed. The drawing is detailed, elaborate and almost fussy; it is also uncharacteristic of your art language.

I think in order to be able to talk about certain things, I need to put some effort in physical work, and also give time. So when I talk about them, I really know where they come from. For the case of this work, I only realized how much labour I need to put in while executing it - standing, sitting and squatting with all the blood rushes. I’m not a farmer, I’m a city-boy; My physical activities and conditions are just like any other city person. We don’t squat six or seven hours and our legs are not so strong. This project really provokes my physical condition.

I have also been asked why I want to explore design in this work. Most of my conceptual works are not interested with design. Take the exhibition A Tree in a Room in 2004, I simply brought a tree into Sculpture Square Chapel Gallery. Similarly, I can get 1000kg of rice and just pour it onto the gallery floor for people to look at. That’s contemporary work. But if that is so, then I don’t challenge myself enough. I try not to repeat that form of working because it’s too comfortable and there’s less tension. So I decided to explore something which I have been arrogant about, which is design.

A Tree in a Room, 2004

I am still thinking about what design means? What can designs do to our mind when we look at them at a massive scale? Must they have a wow-factor? Are designs simply just decorations? I’m not sure, I have to take my time to think about this. When you go into the some temples the designs seem too much, but when you go into a Turkish mosque, the designs are so intricate.

In fact I am re-visiting a habit of mine as a child, to draw very intricately. When I went to art school, I learnt about conceptual works which can be very minimal or even in opposition to certain techniques. You know it is like if I do this, I’m against that. But here I am doing intricate designs. Besides the labour involved, I’m also challenging my own arrogance or prejudice against craft or design. I need to understand craft and design because they are everywhere - in the house, on the t-shirt, in the books… It’s everywhere.

A Bowl of Rice, third cycle

You were a little surprised when I used the word symmetry when we spoke earlier. How can something be seen as symmetrical? Usually symmetry is something which you have pre-worked-out already. For A Bowl of Rice, you may have subconsciously worked something out but I doubt you have worked out the details of the whole drawing.

I didn’t.

And yet there were certain demands that you put on yourself as you developed it. Even as you finished one sector, you stood up and looked at the other sector, and decided how that sector was going to connect and relate to this sector. That’s how the order and relationship begin to emerge. This kind of ordered power is to me, so important here in this work. On the other hand, order in your past works were very much improvised. There was certain degree of randomness and the accidental, so although it made sense, the order was not overwhelming or commanding as it is here. And for me, Zai, this has a certain hypnotic quality because of the sheer extensiveness.

The space itself is big.

Yes you could feel as if you are drawn to it or drawn into it, even if we cannot go into it. And you also have a centre made up of nine gold coins, which is the beginning of all building techniques in Southeast Asia; That is the cosmic centre upon which everything is built up.

I think it is related to architecture, especially the older technique where they could spend a lot of time building. I think I should not be afraid to think about centre because most traditions, whether philosophical or religious, are based on the idea of having a center.

Absolutely.

What does a center mean? The center leads us to something quite constructive, unless you purposely want to make a center and have funny movements around it. That is just to express yourself. What I mean by center, is the higher form of expression. There is also difference in understanding the European sense of self-expression and expression. What is expression? How did the ancient people understand what expression is? I have to question that. Saba, I have told you for many years that I do not have anything to express because I don’t understand myself. If you want to express yourself, the question is how do you understand your self? If we get into the answer, actually we don’t have a self. So what is there to express and what is there to say?

I think the ancient method by using geometry, lines, circles and squares is to express something beyond the self. This brings people into something connected to something beyond the ego and leads them to something larger than the self; The self is not very important.

How interesting.

That’s what I was thinking: what does geometry mean? Some people did come into the gallery and said that the drawing is not geometrical, and it isn’t, in a mathematical sense. Actually I want to talk about how geometry influenced the minds of the people in the past, architecture, literature and all that. I think geometric designs really function quite powerfully and people find, a sort of, I can’t find the right word, peace? But it is not religious.

That’s the point. I know we are finding the word to describe this. Higher and larger, but not in any orthodox or symbolic ways at all. It is not pointing to a particular belief system.

You talk about humility; I’m quite taken up by that remark. Could you say something about that? How does this particular project, the medium of drawing and the discipline of drawing engender humility?

I have had some experiences with farmers in Bali and Malaysia, but I have worked more with fishermen. There are basically two communities of people who feed us: farmer and fisherman. They grow and hunt for food; We have money, and we buy from them. When I was studying under Sultan Takbir Alis Jahbana in 1989, we talked about rituals which are created by farmers and fishermen. They are the people who in many, many ways, need rituals because they depend on nature and they pray for rain, wind and so on. From this arises the practice of using materials from rice, tapioca leaves to cloth to make designs. They have been doing this for thousands of years and there is nothing new to create.

One of the areas which I am always very interested with ritual is that its process is directed towards humility. It is an act of surrendering and offering that brings one’s ego down . Humility is like a wind, not a stone which can stay permanently; You are not created as a humble person, yet mind is capable of being humble although it is always disturbed and destructive. We always search for humility so that we are not easily affected by anything. I use the word humility, not peace. I think that’s what ritual really does to people, because the act of surrendering and offering actually brings certain grounded feeling inside us.

When it comes to visual art installations, I think physicality is very important. From music to theatre to installation work, it is always very important for me to think about ritual. Ritual reminds people that we must be connected to something that is larger than our being; it is not so much about art. At least the ritualistic aspect of the work should make you remember for example, a paddy field, which some people may not have seen except on screen. I want to suggest people putting in some effort to find a paddy field; Look at the buffalo, see how big it is, and how it breathes. When you see the actual environment and production, then you can reconsider what you are eating and why you are eating.

The material, rice. There are so many issues about rice for the past few months so I thought I should just work with this as a material and find ways to understand many problems. I didn’t have a solution in mind when I decided to choose rice, it was just a gut feeling to get 500 or 1000kg of rice. Through the process of drawing, I learn something. It is a little bit different from some artists who make a proposal, full-stop, and do the work. They stop learning after the proposal is done. I think process work means you set off with a certain idea and you keep learning. In a way, I see that as humility: developing work and not just creating a concrete thing.

I was linking that with another aspect of what you are doing with A Bowl of Rice and that is the method, the scale, the material you are using, the way you have to arrange your body, and the kind of time that is required. I’m building up to this state of absorption which you have to be immersed in. And that total absorption and immersion can also be a way of arriving at humility. It is not that you are the master, but you are part of and inside the work. You can only see the little patch that you are bent over and the little bowl of rice you have in your hand. That’s it. It’s only when you get out that you can see the whole thing; But that whole thing happens only because of that single bowl of rice in your hand; From that alone, the rest has emerged. To me, this is also a sense of humility and you have to, while developing the work, think about whether the whole picture will work or not work. How is it going to expand? These are things that make you small, rather than make you big. Am I making sense of this in a way? This is my end of looking at it.

You described it in a wonderful way. Yes, the process doesn’t make me feel big but it makes me feel small in many, many ways.

Other entries on A Bowl of Rice:

Invitation Opening Work in Progress H.O.M.E Second Cycle

Book from Hell

2008-09-20T00:47:00.001-07:00

Post By Shiyun

The night Book from Hell ended, Zai and I saw the fuzzy moon through the dark foliage of the flame-of-the-forest.

It was a beautiful closure to the show.

Thanks to all the supporting friends and family members, the production came together with too much food, merry-making and laughter. Coming from several years in theatre-making and looking at the art scene as a voyeur, I must say that it is not easy to avoid fights, especially of selfishness and malicious gossiping. However in the case of this production, although there were disagreements in the process of making, there was always regard for one another and everyone almost always talked calmly. Regard for one another, I believe, is one of the most important spirit in any kind of relationship.

dickson, sharon, zai, kondoh, woan wen, otomo, shaiful

Here goes a list of thanks.

Firstly, I thank the front-of-house ladies (Sharon, Ji Seon and friend) whose presence had made my backstage crew and production coordinator stood at the front door until 1 minute before the show started. Thanks to Charmaine too, who graciously switched duties at the very last minute and took video for us. And I shouldn’t forget our favorite person, Donna Ong, who could not be with us but had taken trouble to look for helpers.

I think the next time we have a show, we will have many people coming just to see the front-of-house girls (and not the show). This is great, but I’m sorry I forgot to take photographs of them… ….

Shaiful and Jae

Then the production team. Thanks to Shaiful, for his very, very not-shy demeanor that has brought so much jest on and off the set. Too bad we didn’t get to see your underwear this time L Woan Wen, who seemed to take a lot of pleasure out of the only show where she can light very dimly without anyone nagging behind her back. Cho, our super-hero who spent his birthday (and we only knew because he mentioned that LKY birthday was a day before) driving me and Shai from Esplanade - Ayer Rajah - Bugis - Changi. And also KK, in Tien’s words ‘a very talented guy’, who came and did some rock-and-roll shots of the rehearsals.

cho

(I didn’t manage to take a clear picture of Woan Wen because of her paranoia of camera. She even swayed back and forth for a minute when I pointed the camera at her and I gave up)

The production wouldn’t have come together so well without sound engineer Kondoh san, in Otomo’s words ‘the best in the world’. His warped sense of humour (sending a photograph of him sleeping to introduce himself), precision in work (I’ve hardly seen a man who runs around in the theatre and keeps referring to his watch while working), fascination with lizards (to the point of climbing chairs to take photograph of them) and energy (turning dark-brown after traveling around Singapore hours before the show) simply amazed and amused us.

Kondoh at work

I also have to mention a special thanks to Kim Seng, our boss who made Book from Hell possible. All the Esplanade staff, who usually work 1 month in advance and so sorry that we are always late to give information. We can’t help it! It’s in our blood to improvise!

dickson, kondoh, otomo, kim seng at play

There were also friends and family who contributed to the instrument and set on stage. John Sharpley, who unreservedly lent us his 200-year-old Bidayu gong. Kai, who kept Zai’s very loud and noisy gong even after his cat has used it as a toilet bowl for many year. My father, who stayed up and made the metal frames at a very short notice without any fuss.

The artists. Otomo, whose name literally means ‘big friend’, has left such a deep impression being an incredibly humble yet critical person. Yes otomo-san I still remember that we have to bring you around Southeast Asia to swallow all the animals which can either fly, walk, swim or run. Erm, no artist fees!

Dickson, who has visited Singapore many times, is as accommodating as ever and has never kicked up a fuss about anything. I still can’t figure out the gadget you have that looks like you’ve trapped the spirits of tortured animals and robots in a clear box. Like Zai said, it’s attractive to girls. Very cute!

Zai. I’ll leave it to the interest of others to talk about Zai on their blogs. I can only say that you are always the life of the party and source of inspiration for everyone.

To the artists, I thank you for your professionalism and patience.

So what’s coming next? Bowl of Rice has ended in Sculpture Square. Book from Hell has ended in Esplanade. As a producer, I’m incredibly proud, and feel even more pressured to discover opportunities for these works to develop. The rest of the year should mark diligence in documenting, archiving past works, and planning the continuation of A Bowl of Rice and Book from Hell.

I will end this note with a rehearsal video clip of the very fine performance by Zai Kuning, Otomo Yoshihide and Dickson Dee.

Kepala Gong

2008-09-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Post by Zai Kuning

Early this year while I was pondering over past few years of work, I never thought that July will change something inside me. It was supposed to be the month in which I focused on promoting Melancholy of a Flowering Plant, a compilation of work between me and Koichi Shimizu.

It is a surprise for myself that for the first time, I agreed to be recorded in a recording studio (Bangkok) and later the materials will be ‘manipulated’ by Koichi to be used as sources for his own composition. Another surprise is that I agree to over dub some materials I have recorded/ played.

One of the reasons I don’t have a ‘properly’ released CD is simply because I hate studio recording. But after many years, more and more friends ask why don’t I have a CD. It’s funny that sometime listener want the music alone in their room, which mean they don’t want to see me at all. I suppose this is especially the case for me because my presence could be intimidating to some, even if I don’t move. In some strange way, music works differently on headphone or on a great sound system. So with a CD, I can leave my friends in their own silence together with my music.

Anyway I have always believed in live recording, but I have never been lucky partly because I can’t afford to get a sound engineer and I have the paranoia of having 1000 CDs collecting dust under my bed. One of my Cds, When I wake up I realize I am Dead, was recorded with cheap Video Camera. It was live in Bangkok.

For my solo concert in July, I was lucky that Mark volunteered to record it. After the gig I saw so many people smiling and shaking my hand while some said ‘got to release the concert’ so perhaps by end of this year you will see a new CD of my solo, thanks to Mark again.

During the BOWL OF RICE, I played my guitar for the opening and my family was there. My dad sat right in front of me like an old fan, looking at me earnestly. You see my dad had given up playing music for public due to the fact that most of his buddies have either died or ‘disappeared’ and he often played off key.

About 2 weeks later, I was knocked down and hospitalized for a few days. There was a lot of ‘drama’ going on but what seemed shocking to me was that my dad came and visited me and told me that he wanted to play with me. He said he could make a background sound for my music (that really shocked me. Background? How to turn your idol as your backup sound?)

It got me excited since I know he has always been critical of me and my music. I visited him with my angel with Birkenstock and here is what he demonstrated. So we might rehearse together and I think Tango, Waltz, Ghazal and a ‘pinch’ of flamenco air will be perfect.

While I am searching for a brand new accordion for Dad, here in my studio I am questioning some instruments which are kind of alien to me - gong and cymbals. I grew up listening to my dads combo, and as you all know, there is no cymbals or gong in Malay traditional music (I am speaking of a specific form of Malay traditional music my dad played. Of course there are other forms, like Mak Yong, which use gong but non of them that I know is elaborate, especially the music of Riau and those from Sumatra).

I am preparing for Book From Hell, a gig with Otomo Yoshihide and Dickson Dee.

Cymbals and Gong are one of the instruments which I have been thinking for a while. I have been playing Gong for many years but hardly for public performances. The last gong I played is a 200-year-old gong owned by John Sharpley. It’s from the Bidayu tribe from Sarawak.

Photo Credit: Yuen Chee Wai

When I first noticed it, there was dust all over it. I took it (very heavy gong indeed) and played for a while and I realized it’s a ‘real’ gong which was played for ‘real’ ceremony and I was told such ceremony are not in practiced anymore. Probably that is the reason why it ended up in an antique shop, where John discovered it. The reason why I said ‘real’ is because there are so many instruments in antique shop which are claimed to be real. But one should know tourism means and what it does to Asia. Many ‘treasures’ end up in the museum, antique shop or some kind of antic gangster and pirates. Tourism not only brings some fortune to many, but it also fabricated (bastardise) so-called antique. It’s a long story.

When I first tried/played Sumatran groove on the Bidayu gong in John’s house, the TV suddenly went on for few second then off. The second time I came to rehearse with John, the radio suddenly went on for a few second and off. John believes that the gong was speaking to me (and him) in its own way and I told him ‘yes and it does not lack a sense of humour’.

Since then it has become almost impossible for anyone to touch that Gong. Now John sees and lives with that gong as a human being, not an object. Which is right. When Shiyun called him and told him that I wanted to borrow the gong, John’s reply was ‘ I don’t usually let people touch the gong but I can completely trust Zai with it.”

I will receive the bidayu gong by end of this week and on top of that, I found a long lost friend who is also a gong, but it is not a bronze casted gong. It is made out of metal (or scrap metal) and is assembled with 3 pieces. The only part which is bronze is the heart (some call it the eye), which is at the centre of the body. I have this gong for about 8 years but forgot about it for about 3 years (those year I moved around as badly as a sea gypsies with their tattered boat.)

One day, Kai Lam told me that he has that gong in his studio. I quickly told him I needed it back. When I first got it back, it was rusty and Kai told me that his cat always peed on it and so most of the rust came from there. I have just finish cleaning and cleansing the gong but it has too much reverb now.

All these recollections of gong lead me to the idea for Book From Hell, which is to ‘look’ at some very old form of ritualistic music. We can start from instruments themselves.

This is what I told Otomo and Dickson (who are known to play really loud). When the 3 of us met in June (in Singapore) to rehearse in a cramp studio, Otomo and I ended up using the cymbals (which were there since it’s a jamming studio) and I was told that Otomo used to be a drummer (he played rock!) before he became ‘Omoto Yoshihide’ . As for me drumming is the first thing I knew before I was allowed to touch any other instruments. I played mainly malay traditional drum (Rebana) and groove. To add in another strange connection, my nickname as a kid was “Kepala Gong”, simply because my head was far much bigger than my body (this remains the same in some other ways - my head is always in argument with my body)

Being inspired now, Otomo asked for 3 cymbals, bass and Tom drum for this concert. Dickson remains the same in someway, but he made a strange looking gadget which made some funny sound. Otomo did ask him what is that is and jokingly I interrupted and answered ‘its to attract women’.

I will end this note with a clue of what we have rehearsed earlier in June, and what to expect for the show. Something quiet.

Melancholy of a Flowering Plant

2008-07-08T20:34:00.001-07:00

In 2007, Zai Kuning composed a series of meditative and melancholic music for the film Wonderful Town, directed by Thai director Aditya Assarat. Together with Koichi Shimizu, who focused on digital sound layering, this is Zai’s first attempt at film sound design.

The film, which a ‘lingering, hushed air of apprehension’ (Kelly Vance, San Francisco International Film Festival) runs prominently throughout, has won 2008 Rotterdam International Film Festival Tiger Award and screened in many film festivals such as the Pusan Film Festival and LA Film Festival.

At the Rotterdam Film Festival, Zai and Koichi were invited to play for the opening.

The soundtrack was then recorded as the album: Melancholy of a Flowering Plant. (click for soundtrack)

Seeing further development in his compositions, Zai continues to explore the evocative music from acoustics to folk punk. He has most recently played in an art gallery, Loop-Line, in Tokyo.

Date: 12th July.2008.Saturday
Time: 5pm, 8pm
Venue: Singapore Management University (SMU)
Arts and Culture Centre (Basement of School of Economics)
Entry: $6 or Free Admission with Purchase of Album (at the door sales)

2nd Cycle

2008-07-08T20:20:00.000-07:00

The second cycle sees a smaller drawing than the first, but a much more intricate design involving curves and the first pack of brown rice contributed by our friend, Tien.

Throughout the week, as visitors came with packs of rice, the rice amount has been raised close to 1000kg. To our surprise one day, Shiyun received a call from secondary three students from Jurong West Secondary School who wanted to be involved with the community. They decided to talk about this exhibition in their school and conduction a donation drive (of rice). The results will be known this Friday (11 July).

The highlight of the week was the performance by 50 women from H.O.M.E on Sunday afternoon (6th July). Bridget called on night before, saying that the women were rehearsing hard for their performance, which involved harvest dances. On Sunday afternoon, everyone was dressed to the occasion and even brought along props for their dances.

The hour-long performance was filled with enthusiasm from the women themselves, despite technical glitches with the sound system. Their performances may seem cliche to some, if one would look closer, some of the women actually had tears of joy in their eyes after the event.

The day was concluded by the usual ritual of rice clearing. This time, they used hands instead of any other tools.

Zai continues the third cycle of the work. The three-week long exhibition will end this Sunday, 13th July.

More pictures of the work-in-progress

Photo Credits: Vivian Lee, Lin Shiyun

A Bowl of Rice - Home

2008-07-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

The first cycle of A Bowl of Rice was completed last Friday, 27 June.

"On Sunday, I went to a gallery to see an exhibition. The rice used was 250kg and had 9 pieces of gold in the center. At first, the drawing was small. The artist used a rice bowl to make the patterns. Then it (the drawing) grew bigger day by day and covered the floor. It looks like a carpet.

After I left, I heard that some workers came and cleaned. The rice was packed and poor people took them. I like this exhibition because it helps poor people. But I think the rice will be dirty because it is on the floor."

response to A Bowl of Rice by Yang Seo Yeon, 10 (below)

Indeed, 8 women from H.O.M.E came to assist us in the clearing of the rice. From there, the rice has been distributed to H.O.M.E and Catholic Welfare Service Centre.

H.O.M.E is an independent organization started by an incredible lady, Bridget, and houses 120 women who are migrant domestic workers. Most of them are either abused by their employers or forced to work illegally in shops and were caught by the police. All are awaiting police cases, which take 3 to 6 months, even up to a year.

As I spoke to Bridget, she expressed great enthusiasm to bring the women down to be part of A Bowl of Rice. One concern that she has is that these women have gone through traumatic periods, and positive activities are important to help them take their minds off their misfortune, not to mention recover their trust and confidence in people. The result is a very empowering session where the women cleared the rice, and Zai played drums.

Despite running the shelter for 4 years, Bridget still gets questioned by her friends. “Why are you not helping Singaporeans, but helping foreigners?” To that question, she smiles and responded “It’s almost like we are living in the dark ages... For Singaporeans, there are already organisations helping them, and they have their families with them. These migrant workers… they have nobody here and no where to go to.”

As we got to know more about H.O.M.E, Zai and I decided to pay the centre a visit. It confounded us that a humble three-storey house could shelter 120 women. All in all, it requires about SGD 40,000 to run H.O.M.E per month, not including the men’s shelter which is now under renovation. Despite the fact the Ministry of Manpower refers migrant workers to H.O.M.E for shelter, the organization does not get any governmental funding. Neither does the society at large know about the existence of this organization.

When we were at the centre, the ladies choir sang their hearts out to us and when we asked if they would like to perform in the gallery this coming Sunday (6 July) everybody shouted “Yes!” Bridget emphasised that having such an event gives them something to look forward to, and put aside their troubles for a brief moment. Right now, I believe some of them are already practicing their traditional harvest songs and dance in the centre.

Hence, we to appeal you and your friends to come to the exhibition with a humble rice contribution.

Sunday (6 July) , 2.30pm

Sculpture Square

along Waterloo Street/Middle Road (Map)

Your presence is not only to witness the second cycle of the artwork, but also lend your spiritual and, or, financial support, to all these ladies - strong women who took risks to travel around the world to support their own families, while taking care of ours.

Note: Zai is working in the gallery everyday to complete the drawing. After the 2nd drawing is cleared, he will continue working on the 3rd drawing till 13 July. Gallery opening hours are 11am-6pm

Video Credits: Vincent Yap, Zai Kuning

Photo Credits: Vivian Lee, Lin Shiyun

Work in progress

2008-06-26T21:23:00.001-07:00

On the preview and opening of The Bowl of Rice, some visitors have expressed some dissapointment about the scale of the rice drawing - that it is too small. In fact, the opening is only the start of a three-week process during which Zai will keep making drawings which cover the entire chapel gallery floor.

A Bowl of Rice is an organic process which slowly finds its form day by day. Hence, Zai also invited the audience to make an effort to revisit the gallery to see how the drawing has changed and evolved.

Since Sunday (22 June), the work has expanded to cover the whole of the chapel gallery floor.

Click for larger image

On coming Sunday (29 June) 2pm, this drawing will be cleared to ensure that the rice are still edible and delectable for our beneficiaries. One of them, H.O.M.E, an independent organization which provides shelters for enstranged migrant workers, will come to Sculpture Square to help us re-pack and distribute the rice.

In the 2nd week of the exhibition, Zai will be opening new bags of rice and creating a new drawing. The work will also further develop towards collaborating with our beneficiaries to raise public awareness of their activities.

You are welcome to join us on Sunday, or simply walk in the next two days to enjoy the work and the serenity of the chapel.

More photographs on work processes

A Bowl of Rice Opening

2008-06-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

What is a bowl of rice?

If one looks at a bowl of rice in monetary terms, we can say that it is worth almost nothing. During the preparation for the work, we’ve learnt that the cost of 100kg of rice is alarmingly equivalent to a mere 30 grams of gold (SGD 150). On the other hand, if one looks at bowl of rice from the other end of the spectrum, it could be a source of comfort for an entire family, depending of the way of cooking.

On Sunday (22 June), friends and families have selflessly lent their support to the opening of the exhibition, A Bowl of Rice. Wonderful individuals have contributed their valuable time and efforts to this work, and as we receive these positive vibes, the significance of a bowl of rice gradually unfolds.

During the opening, we had the pleasure of tasting various kinds of food and drinks made from rice. These wouldn’t have been possible if not for friends and families who have either turn on the stove or rung up the stores immediately when we asked for help.

Korean rice cake, Song Peung

We have to thank the Korean ladies, who arrived with rice cakes and sweet rice drinks despite being late for their church services; Yuko, Ichiro, Ally and Mark, who prepared a hundred pieces of Japanese Dango at the last hour; Dudley, who went to at least two houses to find a working oven; Vani, who has taught us that a kitchen with the right pulses represents a whole solar system in working; our families, whose unspoken love is deeply heartfelt.

Ellimechai Chatham (Lime Rice)

It doesn’t matter if rice is served in a bowl, on a leaf, mashed into flour, baked as pudding, or fermented as drinks. It is a bowl of rice which reminds and unites us as people whose dietary habits and cultures have long depended on the cultivation of padi fields.

Japanese Dango

Malay Kueh Kueh

From 500kg of rice, we have accumulated up to 800kg from the donation on Sunday alone. Apart from Zai’s family who has contributed almost half of the donations, we like to thank thoughtful individuals who brought in their small bags of contributions. It is the thought that counts, and from a bowl of rice that we consume almost everyday, let us always remember those who need our help.

People of all ages and from all walks of life visited the opening on Sunday. As the visitors found their way to interact with rice and raised questions about the work, we are once again reminded that rice, as unassuming as it may seem, is not only a staple food source but also a grain that can inspire our sense of wonder and marvel.

At the end of the day, we’ve learn that a simple bowl of rice has the power to bring people together. Old friendship has been reinvigorated, new friendship has been forged.

Possibly, rice not only provides nourishment for our souls, but also rejuvenates our love for living.

What does a bowl of rice means to you?

More photographs
Photo Credits: Vivian Lee

A Bowl of Rice

2008-06-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

You are cordially invited to the opening of
A BOWL OF RICE
Sunday, 22 June 2008, 2pm
Sculpture Square, Chapel Gallery

A few months ago, Sculpture Square's curator, Alvin Khoo, contacted Zai Kuning about their 9th Anniversary exhibition. Sculpture Square is a modest building which sits quietly at the busy cross road between Middle Road (opposite Fortune Centre) and Waterloo Street (opposite Si Ma Lu Guan Yin Temple and Khrisna Temple)

While most of us know that a variety of religious sites (Chinese, Hindu, Christian/Catholic, Muslim and Jewish) and art-related spaces (Stamford Arts House, Young Musician’s Society , Action Theatre, Singapore Art Museum and so on) are located in the vicinity, not many people know that Sculpture Square once housed Singapore's first Straits Chinese Malay Methodist church in the 19th century. Almost a century and a half later, the space has been resurrected as the Chapel Gallery - the orange building you see above.

As with many buildings which are converted into spaces for either commercial, recreational or artistic purpose, we tend to forget what they were initially created for. Thus recalling the origins of the space's former glory and its purpose as a sanctuary for the mind and spirit, Zai has conceived a site-specific work as a homage to serenity and contemplation.

His work, A Bowl of Rice, will feature two geometric rice installations that occupy the entire floor space of the 195 sqm chapel gallery. Through continually renewing these over the exhibition period from 22 June–13July, Zai reverences the materiality of the grain and reprises its significance as precious seeds.

While most of us might fret over the rising price of rice as a commodity, we tend to forget the centrality of rice production and consumption in many Asian civilisations, and how this has shaped, and still continues to shape, ways and means of living, well being, festivities and symbolisms.

When was the last time we've eaten rice?

When was the first time we ate rice?

Not many of us in Singapore deal with or conceive rice beyond cooking and eating it We have little ideas about how rice is produced and probably, some of us may be better informed of the animal abuse in America’s farms than about the problems faced by rice farmers in the countries around us, much less the conditions under which they live and work

Yes, a lot of rice will be used in this exhibition. In fact, we have already 500kg of rice sitting in at the back of Sculpture Square.

At first thought, 500kg is a lot of rice, especially considering the food crisis facing us. According to the Catholic Welfare Society, an old folks home would consume that amount in a week. Buddhist Lodge, which practices giving free, uses up to ten times that amount in a month. Is 500kg a lot of rice? It isn't. However, it is disconcerting that we can take the integral presence of rice in our everyday desires so much for granted.

Throughout the exhibition, the installation will be recreated as the rice grain used in the work will be distributed to voluntary welfare organisations. Confirmed beneficiaries are

Catholic Welfare Service
Singapore (CWS) Darul Ihsan Orphanage
Singapore Kampung Senang Charity & Education Foundation
Marine Parade Family Service Centre
Food Not Bombs Singapore

Do you know of small charity organisations which are in need of rice donations? Please let us know.

Zai Kuning and onistudio invites you to participate in the ongoing installation cycle and commemorate Sculpture Square’s ninth anniversay with generous contributions of a bowl – or two – of rice for the needy.

Comments are welcome.

For rice donation and enquiry, please contact:
houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg

Homage to the New Skin

2006-10-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

HOMAGE TO THE NEW SKIN

is a collaboration between acclaimed musicians JOHN SHARPLEY and ZAI KUNING.

Both artists have dedicated decades of their musical career to creative explorations in vast diversities. JOHN is a composer, performer, lecturer and writer whose musical works and ideas span beyond geographic and cultural borders. ZAI is a multi-disciplinary artist maverick whose musical sojourn passes the realms of ritualistic folk, free improvisational music through acoustic and electronic sound.

This collaboration marks the beginning of an unusual musical encounter between two important yet distinctively different artists in a shared discovery of sound, music and essence of the human spirit.

Date: 3rd and 4th November 2006 (Friday and Saturday)
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Playden, The Arts House
Ticket Price: $24, $20*

*Concession for students and also Group booking of 5 tickets & above)
Email houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg or visit The Arts House box office for more booking and ticketing information

Sound Engineer: Shah Tahir
Production: onistudio with the support of The Arts House

Over the years I have met many great people here in Singapore.Some I dislike their work but love their character while some I like their work but dislike their character. Some of us go and some are still here lingering and wondering. Sometimes I wonder if we have become a ghost unnoticed.

I want to meet these people; I know their faces in this city. I know my way isn't many people's way and that's when we take the risk in a meeting. But I believe if we know above all things trivial we can meet not only to coexist but to create. Can't we?

There is one man I have been thinking for some time and sometimes he even enters my dream. I wonder why? And so i ask him "Should we play?" and here we are.

- Zai Kuning

As individuals, you are you, I am me, they are they. How does this individuality of self connect and communicate with others? Deep within our selves there are innate and immense capacities to listen and respond… to our selves, to each other, the immediate environment and to the cosmos. As with all our being and actions, this is what breathes life and meaning into music-making.

A profound and spontaneous aspect of music creation arises from the interaction of individuals. This interaction might further be expanded and enriched by improvisation.

I have known Zai Kuning since the early 90’s. However, our paths infrequently crossed. On the surface we seemed to inhabit and represent different and separate musical worlds. Nevertheless, I knew that there was soulfulness in his artistry.

As Zai and I collaborate, listen and respond to each other, a process of connection and communication through improvisation has begun. The world seems larger.

- John Sharpley

Why do people want to kill

2006-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

It is always the case that after few days of my gig someone will update me what I say and what I did or what I play. And each one has their own vivid memories of me on stage. Harold for example said

‘when you saw zai smile that was it'

and he laughed. I’m drunk basically well not exactly most of the time but like what koichi told some people in Taipei when we had a duo there, he said

‘he has no memory for night time.'

And it is scary that during open discussion gig I Have Escaped Even Myself where chee wai organized at 72-13 I was literally talking without myself there (or memory of it) and there it goes the punchline the guys use for sometime

‘if you listen to me (or add any noun or your fancy) for forty minutes, you will dieeeeeeeeee”.

And there I goes at HOME club standing on stage basically fucking drunk and struggling to stand straight because it felt like im carrying a drunk fat women not a guitar. In fact a couple of times I almost drop flat, luckily shaun was at my back to grab my hand and say ‘are you o.k are you o.k’ while I continue smiling.

Its horrible habit and it has become ‘that’s zai’ thing. It’s horrible and felt like a cursed to play the last set at 12am but this what I have to change. But while writing this confession, unrepentantly of course I am drinking that fucking whiskey who is like a whore I can’t live without it or like something stuck on your teeth that need operation..

I want to be kidnapped and possessed by the ghost of soberness though I know the essence of it is sheer boredom.

[Put on your earphones now and click play]

But to be honest I was all fine during tiramisu great set. Ok listen, there is only 15 paying audience with all the band girl friends, Engie our emcee with her fish net stocking which made some guy desire to bite and tear it which I will join in, fluxus and gang, cute waiter and a soso sound system which Terence, shaun and marc did some magic on it. (Oh and the Spore Biennale curator and director came too.)

I say that because the first time I saw a gig there I was horrified by the sound which sounded like a piece of shit being pushed to become peanut butter. Endless bassy feedback chocked me to death. You see since Shah Tahir took care of my sound in two of my gig I’m so bloody addicted with him which make me feel without him I will sound like some amateur who is basically wanking.

Anyway I salute tiramisu who perform as if there is a 300 pack audiences in HOME pub same goes to Engineered Beautiful Blood. Awesome set.

I once had an experience where basically nobody there and it’s Tokyo. I look at the sound man, light man, usher and I remembered some of my friend who is dead; few million dead bodies in a fridge ready for you to eat; old whore who knows its impossible to get customer but stand by the lamp post (no light of cos, haha) hoping for some stupid desperate man who is disillusioned by her thick make up; innocent children beated up by their drunken and sexually desperate father so on and on and I told myself tonight this is for my invisible lonely sad people, that is my audience.

After the performance everybody (6 people in the end) came to the stage and shake my hand as if they want to take it home and turn a stew out of it. That’s what performer will have to face and maybe not once and it is only us who can spoil the show. The common people language will sound like this:

‘If all you need is to jerk off, without women you still can jerk off.’

[We’ll getting hold of the band’s EP to rip some to put on this blog, return back for some great egopop yah]

That night I felt Samanta was abit ‘shocked’ that there wasn’t many people there and they seemed uninspired but I like what they play. So when there’s no audience that’s my advice jerk off if you lack imagination. By the way I have several years of street musician as life style in Tokyo. There is thousand of people passing by some stop and some don’t even notice you and after many years you don’t really need an audiences because you are playing for yourself or for the music sake and of cos when the coin drop the sound like honey drip on your sensitive organs waiting to be licked

I can’t talk about me, marc and shaun set not because I can’t remember but I can’t praise myself its very unhealthy ya, but I must tell you we had great great fun and until today we still don’t know what to call ourselves.

We need the name not because it’s in to have name but to put three name is just fucking long. We did think about DARKVERTIGO as name because sometime ago after we went for jamming marc have to rush sharon (his girldfriend) to pick us up and speed up to hospital because I got my vertigo syndrome and we are all there in hospital. So bloody lame and my long lost brother LPG came to make fun of me.

But we think we need sometime to fine the right name and yes we are going to be a trio to inspire us as soloist. Hei Harold why don’t you suggest some name for us? By the way we are the only trio in the world who is multi-racial disharmonic noisy bastard.

We agree that playing alone can be really boring at time though I am very much an ‘egoistic’ musician who usually prefer to play alone. But playing with others bring me into another dimension and challenge which is not the same when I’m alone. I love this trio you have to watch us coming up more and more as a loveable vampire, ghost, weirdos or clown

I am also touched by Kelvin and HOME club owner who is genuinely supportive of the event who is not affected at all with the bareness of the floor, though look like nobody is making money that night. I try not to blame football or some other gig going on but I think this is one of those day … the mysterious day and we call this syndrome, ghost passing by day. Of cos publicity are not that great either with such a horrible design by me haha.

But from now on onistudio will continue doing event at HOME club because we like the people who run it except I personally think the sofa either make you feel like a bankrupt mafia or whore running out of business.. And I also like people who hang out at HOME pub with its all familiar face which JUICE mag did write ‘great music but where are the rest of the people?’ because it’s the same face in the morning, afternoon, night ‘ and probably nightmare too hahaha.

Last but not least Dj Kimus has always been our sweet darling who always have some surprise to cheer us up, and all those lonely ghosts on the ceiling while Chee Wai danced madly by himeself on the floor and Weinan slept, alone, on the couch.

kimus depeche mode mix

Kimus revealed his next mix could be Pet Shop Boys, haha.

So yeaa, thanks to all who come to support us especially all the musicians.

And I could not forget of course the world cup fanatics out there:

Fuck your balls

Croc

2006-05-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Click image to enlarge

Following our invasion of Armenian Street Kopitiam in April, onistudio is stepping our toes into The Riverwalk HOME club with our concoction STREET OF CROCODILES inspired by Brothers Quay's haunting yet visually enchanting animation of the same name.

We are proud to present live! the very performative TIRAMISU

very intense ENGINEERED BEAUTIFUL BLOOD

very mashed-up DJ KIMUS

very strutty egopop band SAMANTA

and a very mad noise orgy between

ZAI KUNING, MINDFUCKING BOY & THE ESCAPIST THEORIST

Date: 10th June 2006
Time: 9pm till laate
Venue: HOME club, 20 upper circular road The Riverwalk
Entry: $15 includes 1 drink

Street of Crocodiles

2006-05-29T05:24:00.000-07:00

Funny that some people thought that I am arrested for the controversial open letter concerning the garden recently. The management did file a complain against me but so far nothing happened and I understood they also think of suing me. How strange isn’t it? Very interesting indeed. For those who is curious/worry there’s nothing happening yet and I definitely have to boycott from going to the garden unless there’s really something important happening there.

I am still alive but only half alive because my greatest enemy now is the vertigo syndrome which comes once or twice a day and stays for several hours. It has been a struggle to get up and stay focus and try to do things because the effect of vertigo is a head spinning and it’s psychologically torturous which makes me think of suicide all the time. I can only describe it as a negative energy around me and I think my guidance angel is the one who took holiday.

The only thing I can do is watch some vcd/dvd and now seems like nothing much to rent from the shelf. For those who love manga I like Final Fantasy VII based on the playstation of the same name, its much better then many disney’s shit

By now I already cancel several things. My solo exhibition in Bangkok June is cancelled because I don’t really like my drawing’s and I cant put my act together in the studio. I also got to cancel my trip to KL and London for the PSI conferences. I really regret I can’t go to London because I have not been there. sigh

The doctor told me to relax and take it easy and it seem like I am told to take a holiday but without any dollar in my pocket. It’s funny that recently being broke and hook on whiskey for sometime already I wish I can drink my urine back and have the same effect or better.

I have stopped using the hand phone it does felt better and peaceful somehow and I don’t have to deal with the fucking charger. But some people already started complaining that its hard to get me. Maybe soon I will have to get back to civilization starting with handphone.

I also have to stop making too many promises because right now I can’t really function like what I use to. It felt like im having a new body and I don’t really know which button for what function and definitely this new body don’t really like the sun and it seems like I got to make a deal with the devil and live as vampire haha that sound rather fun though the fact is for several week I felt jaded and fucking lazy.

By the way 10 June is a promise of fun because onistudio is collaborating with HOME club and we give you

Dj Kimus
Escapist Theorist
Mindfuckingboy
Engineered Beautiful Blood
&
Tiramisu

Oh myself too. The event will be called

Street of Crocodiles

inspired by Brothers Quay fantastic animation ever. Highlight of the event includes a Chinese shaman to do some paper burning and tongue piercing to kick the butt off vertigo that has been screwing my head.

hahaha.

But before that on the 3rd of June I will be playing with koichi shimizu and Tim dwyer at Singapore Art Museum. More details refer to Hadaka C.

Zai

Photo: 1.Layla in black with zai 2. Scene from adventchildren 3. CURSE, 1985 (don't ask)

Depressed?

2006-05-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been quiet for the past almost two weeks. oni has been suffering from hyper-ventilation after the bird conference and trying to get out of bed has been an out-of-breath affair. On the other end of the studio, there is half-deaf vertigo zai trying to find the balance back into his spinning head. It's tough-luck down here, not to mention the persistently never-ending construction, noisy people and cars screeching in the streets.

it's 2am now and only oni's fishes are talking in the tank. it's finally quiet.

anyway we decided not to write too much in here lest we aggravate everybody's current state of depression. No, we know, the salary and lottery and progress package didn't help; you spent it all on alcohol and cigarettes and useless gadgets. The moon is bright but sky is so bleak and... you are depressed again.

But quietly and gently with our tortured ears and noses, we are working to lessen those grey clouds hovering above your head.

We are not actually doing anything, BUT, we are not lazy.
We promise a few surprises coming up for you.

Surprises, are like how nature can cheer us up even in the most boring climate:

Nature speaks beauty but we have to be quiet to hear it.

Talk to you guys again. love, oni.

Thank you

2006-05-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

For those who took part in Conferences of the birds we like to say thanks a big time. In all we think that the event went really well. Even though everyone was equally supportive in taking part of this event we must say that the punk are the best who make a full use of the space, even with a last minute gig deliverance which is truly fun.

Suhaili poetry reading

Seelan on acoustic and vocal

Ducky Star sound scape on laptop and effects

Our closing event was something that we loved to do since past 1 year when oni woke up from a long deep sleep. Though the turn up is small, after talking to everyone I realized its better to start this way because our interest is not business to begin with but we wanted to offer something nobody can do. Of cos without any sense of business we can’t continue this dream-turn-to-reality.

Mr Tai the owner of winfood kopitiam is a really open-minded Chinese businessman, whom I slowly realized is not as greedy as many Chinese businessman that I know of. He told us why not we do it every weekend. Wow that’s really cool but I don’t think we have enough energy to do it. We think once (or twice) a month is enough and another good news is Mr Tai has another kopitiam which he say better for such event. But its outdoor. We will check the new kopitiam but for now I think what make us feel so ‘cool’ is that we (and many other) been talking so much about doing things in winfood and now we make such dream come thru. It’s also because of substation. So for those who think Timber sucks and want something different for a pine of beer, your call is answered.

I have to talk about this night because the next one is coming next month and we want to do it regularly. Let me explain a little about the ‘DJ’ session with Kim, X’Ho, Chee Wai and leslie. At first I did use the words ‘DJ’ but after mingling and listen to the stuff they played I think its not about a ‘DJ’ its about people who listen to some good music and play it for us. Not that I go against any DJ but a DJ is someone who in a way has to play music that people like in partying, for that reason I find the whole set that the guys played seems because I get to learn about some music I don’t usually listen too.

Kim Seng is a new ‘spinner’ on laptop and he is one of my oldest friend on earth who have been supporting me for ages. It’s also the second time I heard his stuff and now Kim is recruited as Oni permanent face when we have event we will have Kim to open and close the event with me as a sound check spinner/cum pimp. So if you want to listen to what I spin you got to come early during a 1 hour sound checking or warming up.

Xho gave a pleasant surprise because (unlike when he’s in liquid room) it’s performative with statement and that is X’ho. Les and chee wai set is awesome nothing then that I can say because we really enjoy their selection and how they react to their listener… At first I do thought that they going to indulge in their own mood... But no they want to entertain you with a different mood and good feeling. Nobody get to emotional and cry, nobody get drunk and puking and nobody argue and fight. You may not be allowed to dance around because I think its purely about listening but if the music grooved you up dancing is never a sin.

Now we had small pleasant dilemma because several people already give opinion all with excitement for the success of the night. People already ask who is the next ‘DJ’? and what kind of music we should play etc. first I must say lets trust them whatever music they want to play depending on how they react to listeners vise versa and we definitely have Kim Seng, Leslie and chee wai. I already told some guys ‘im not going to let this guy go easily’ they have to spin in the next few month. So the 3 of them will be a regular face while we get another person as special guest and it got to be ladies next time. And probably next time you will see chee wai and leslie perform not only spinning.

Conceptually I think this could be one of the kind of ‘gig’ in kopitiam but next time I got to work hard to get different people to enjoy the night together with a perfect regulars on that night. And we try to provice different kinds of beer (sorry no whiskey, no license lah) with some munchies and food. really sorry about having only tiger beer that night. We were caught abit unprepared on several things to make the night warm and nice besides I’m having to deal with my always drowsy state of mind because I’m on medication but I’m already thinking about creating a mix as oni cocktail mainly for ladies.

Now about the space we mark history. Don’t forget it’s a kopitiam not pub or bar meaning that’s what the license say and kopitiam with ‘dj’ is not a sin because it as similar to having the tv on all the way. The timing is from 6 until 12 because that’s what the license sing too. I think its perfect timing so that after 12 you can go to your favourite zouk, MOS or Liquid. And lets not forget above winfood is a hotel so after 11 we got to bring the volume down little. What I like to maintain is that it remains as a kopitiam with good music and beer price is in between pub and kopitiam. So you pay more but at the same time you pay less. Its like the middle path haha and again it will not become or look like a pub.

Meanwhile keep throwing your ideas while I polish up mine

I got to mentioned people behind this event and I got to thank Hafiz, Hannah, fairul, Syamsir, Hasib, james, glen, mish and many more who have been very supportive and responsible taking care of the gallery and making it exciting. The silk screen demonstration was very open due to the fact the it did not try or pretend to demonstrate. The guy are just there casually and people respond to them immediately fom 4 till 9pm

Special thanks and big kisses to Shaiful, our favorite kepala for the conference.

Many also ask me what do I think of the whole thing. Basically I try to bring the punk and the sound artist together because I do find some similarity in them. But I think we are still not sure how to hangout and talk about our differences. But that’s not easy I think because its first time for all though I must say the punk is always there for all to chat with them while I hardly see the other half of the participant but again it’s the first time we did this so maybe we do it again and improve on our participation.

On behalf of onistudio I am very happy how excited everybody are and supportive of oni’s sentiment.

Thanks a lot all you guys!

Noise

2006-04-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Why Noise?

To use noise for musical composition is not a new thing. Way before electronic music enter our psyche, noise through repetitive banging on metal, wood and skin has been one of the most important aspect of ritualistic music because it is where the soul find possibilities of trance. The punk, metal and those with thick distortion must acknowledge that the soul seeks to be elevated thus the mind needs to be defeated through chaos.

On another level in the time when sound can be produced by a fallen leaf, there is a dialogue with silence, what we call whispers; The soul is lonely and weary of its existence. To reaffirm its existence in a silent landscape, sounds are made but not necessarily music. If we observe the wolf that wails in the middle of the night, it simply wants to express its existence. A reaffirming sound is made, while everybody else is provoked.

When you hear something provocative, it is not necessary noise.

Why Noise?
Open-discussion with Shah Tahir and Zai Kuning

29th April Saturday 4pm, The Substation Gallery

oni at winfood - Conference of the Birds Closing Party

29th April Saturday 7pm, kopitiam opposite The Substation

DJ Kim Seng, Leslie Low, Yuen Chee Wai & DJ Mentor X'ho spins

Conference of the Birds

2006-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:00

There are so many events happening in a single day that if you go for 1 you wil miss the other 9. So oni like to thank all who choose to come down for Conference of the Birds opening, we hope we didn't dissapoint you! Now for those who have plenty of reasons for not coming (got the wrong date, car accident, rehearsal, film festival, opening, lectures blah blah blah blah), here's a piece of graffiti in the gallery we like to present to you:

Before we go on a picture whoring, open this link for an excerpt of Dark Vertigo performed on the opening night by Tinniduos, Mindfucking Boy and The Escapist Theorist = Dark Vertigo

Tinniduos

Mindfucking boy

The Escapist Theorist

If you like them, the trio will play again soon in May. I let you guys do your own work to find out. Anyway that night the whole armenian street seemed to be on fire with these guys, hammering the ears on the audience, workers, innocent passers-by and attracting both unwanted complains and chaos gratification. The madness went on for almost an hour and on a very unexpected note that one of the performer had to pee, the gig ended. We talk about spontaneity huh. Then DJ Kim Seng provided us whole night of chill-out music and it almost seemed like Substation was alive again.

Many people asked what was the exhibition all about. oni repeat: it is not an exhibition, it is a space where many different individuals come and see what each other are doing. So when you come to the gallery don't ask "Eh where is the art work??" because it is everywhere, and you can pick up a marker and contribute to what is there, like this:

So Conference of the Birds is about graffiti? No. It is only because the guest star in this conference is the punk community that you will get your chance to fuck those holy white walls in the gallery. No gods, no master, no rules, remember?

But it's not only about drawing freely on the walls. It's also about reading and you know, buying, buying, buying. The punk brought a beautiful array of zines for browsing if you want to brush up on your punk vocab and social activism awareness and wear something not as lame as "You are beautiful", come to the gallery, 4 more days.

X'ho tees for sale

Punk zines for sale and browsing

http://onisstudio.blogspot.com/2006/05/thank-you.html

http://onisstudio.blogspot.com/2006/04/punk-as-fuck-fucked-as-you.html

http://onisstudio.blogspot.com/2006/04/noise.html

Punk as fuck, fucked as you

2006-04-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

What Punk ?

Kumjing Hla with graffiti in The Substation Gallery

Punk is often equated with chaos, perpetuated by decadence, wasted youth and other delinquents of society. It is the bane of society and is filled with social scumbags that are better off dead. It is useless, worthless and pointless. But that is what 'they' want you to believe. 'They' could be anyone from regular folks, religious zealots, capitalist scum, the media and MTV.

Reality check. Real hardcore punkrock is community based, stemming from social to artistic activism. It is a reaction to a withering world. It is and could be neither utopia nor doom. Contrary to popular opinion, punk is indeed productive and has served to be a life-saving outlet for many who don’t quite belong anywhere else.

silkscreen board featured in the gallery

Punk represents ideas as much as art imitates life.
So is it all about chaos and disorder? You decide.

local DIY punk community working in the gallery for Conference of the Birds

Punk Culture-What Punk ?
23rd April Sunday, The Substation Gallery

2pm

Silkscreen and woodblock printing

4pm

Open discussion with Shaiful (Prohibited Project) & Seelan(lioncity.diy) Moderated by Zai Kuning

As part of onistudio's feature event Conference of the Birds www.onistudio.net/2006.04.html

Conference of the Birds

2006-04-17T00:26:00.000-07:00

Conference of The Birds
2006.04.21 (This Friday)
The Substation Gallery 7pm

Dark Vertigo
Performance by Tinniduos, Mindfucking Boy, The Escapist Theorist

Featuring:
0- onistudio
1- X’ho
2- Shah Tahir
3- The Escapist Theorist
4- Kim Seng
5- Sporesac
6- The Observatory
7- Mindfuckingboy
8- Ferret
9- P-10
10- Flux –Us
11- LIONCITYDIY.com
12- Prohibited Projects
13- Thrash Steady Syndicate
14- Azadghei Records
15- Assassination High
16- Epidemic Records
17- My Precious

www.onistudio.net/2006.04.html

Sawadeekar/p

2006-04-10T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

We are back :-)

Bangkok has unleashed the vehemently lethal army that runs deep inside our body. On our supposed last day in the city Zai almost (almost) got defeated by these dark soldiers, but thanks to many unnamed spirits, he managed to fight back and win a victory.

And so we are back in Singapore but our corpses remain weak.

Nevertheless due to the beauty we have experienced (even in the event of sickness) this Bangkok trip cannot be left untold.Bangkok remained as the icon of life-li-ness for many of us and this trip was more significant because it was the period where ‘people power’ brought an acute change to ‘Thaksinomism’. Even though we didn’t make it to the demonstrations (hence cannot put up images to share) here are some flyers that went around in the sound performance that so::on orgainsed:

ok some information about so::on. The main person behind this collective is Koichi, whom you should be very familiar with by now. Koichi shares a very intimate relationship with the sound artists here in Singapore and hence exchange actively takes place between Bangkok and Singapore sound art scene. Last year Koichi brought The Observatory to a festival gig that So::on organized and this one that we just attended was to feature Chee Wai, Jazzkammer, Zai, a Thai punk rock band called LATE and Koichi’s own band Space Buccha.

So::on plays the role of a fervent organizer which pushes standard of sound event in Bangkok and from the features we gathered from magazine, they are really coming up strong. Oni and so::on have plans of collaborating so we wait and see what happens na.

Aboutcafe. This is a two storey building where exhibitions, forums, gigs take place. Apart from its unfortunate location of being sandwiched between busy roads, this is a place of envy for onistudio. Zai will write more about this place and oni’s ideas in a later post, for now I present you some picture whoring:

That’s Koichi in picture, setting up for sound checks.

Zai tired of waiting for his turn to play (he was sick btw)

John and Lasser checking out their gadget shopping for the day.

Chee Wai seemingly indifferent to their display of geekiness (Chee Wai had toured with Jazzkammer for a week and half also to Guangzhou, China)

Apart from Lasser’s trance spasm and John’s evil child-like grin during their incredibly loud noise performances, this trip, together with the last gig I Have Even Escaped Myself at 72-13, really got us to know our friends from Norway better. For one Lasser is never smokes nor drinks (even coffee) his entire life (Lasser you must be really sick of this comment) and John once had long waist-length rocker hair. Well, apart from these personal facts one of the most precious thing is the great spirits and madness towards noise-making they brought to us and vice-versa. Lasser and Chee Wai recorded a duet jamming and so did John and Zai. We advise tinniduos out there who constantly seek higher decibels to keep a keen look-out for the release.

The Show! (video is kind of fuzzy from the digital camera)

Really fun cross between metal and hardcore punk rock! Koichi and I love them.

Zai on acoustics banging his last might on the guitar.

It doesn't sound loud here but I could hear Chee Wai and Lasser from duck kway teow stall across the road.

Jazzkammer. This will probably just sound silly on our small speakers. Always go live!

Space Buccha. Noise, electric guitar, saxophone trio.

The guys were so jealous that so many girls were at the event. (sorry no pics but you can catch glimpses in the video) We’re not saying that there are no cute girls when we organise event in Singapore but hey seriously we have waay too many men! A striking difference in the crowd was that the Bangkok scene (from this event alone) consist of mainly 20-25s wheares in Sg our audience is older in their late 20s to early 30s. All these said means we have to work harder to make local alternatives a good and available choice for young people.

Anyway by the time the whole affair ended it was 1am and everybody’s pretty zonked.

That night we went to Silom for supper and back to the hotel. Zai went to a wrong room, knocked for a minute and a white guy wrapped in a white towel opened the door. We thought it would be the end of his manhood but luckily the man could still run in his drunken state.

So much for this post. We’ll tell you more about Shimizu shabu-shabu (which Chee Wai can give up a performance for), the beloved Aree neighbourhood which sells everything from umbrellas to underwear to umbilical cords (kidding) and Zai will personally recount his conversation with ‘death’ and himself.

Oh, kind of sensationalism huh.

Retreat

2006-03-29T06:24:00.000-08:00

oni's in a hide-out retreat till 3rd April !!!

here's somethings to fill the gap, plug in the earphones! :

Tom Waits for Nobody sound excerpt - www.onistudio.net/twfn01.wav
Tom Waits for Nobody video excerpt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93xGa-Ju-cY

we'll be back with golden feathers for Conference of the Birds.

ta-ta!

This egg will not corrupt me

2006-03-22T08:29:00.000-08:00

Right after Tom Waits for Nobody gig I saw myself in Tanah Merah ferry terminal the next day. There I have Ong Ken Seng, Vivian, Otobong, Ka5 and Vincent waiting for me. The trip was meant for OKS project (Diaspora) with Ka5 as the video artist documenting me and OKS dialogue (it's not an interview). Detail of what Diaspora is all about will surface sooner or later so I will not talk about it so much. I had a great length of conversation with OKS (which I can't put it all here) and it felt like a long lost professional and personal friendship, brotherhood. This is partly the reason why I agree with OKS to be part of this show. I know him since …perhaps 1987.

At first I rejected Diaspora because it is part of IMF meeting but later I decided this is a good chance to know how both of us work and think concerning many issues in the arts, history and humanity. So strangely I put together my sentiments of wanting to protest against IMF & WTO and of opening up myself to work with OKS at the same time...Recently, especially after I attended and received the Life! Theatre Awards and having onistudio's first gig in Arts House, I have a couple of people who said

‘Oh zai is not very underground any more. Not like before’.
or
‘Now Zai has been sucked by the system'
or
‘Once your work is accepted by LTA your work are not edgy anymore’.

These comments made me laugh and very much entertained.In fact when I appeared with X’ho in Art Central about two years ago where I ‘acted’ as his mentor teaching him what ‘performance art’ is, I am accused of being sell-out. Sell-out to whom? I don't really know. I will write more on this issue (my favorite) concerning the so-called underground and mainstream when the time is good. But I must make a blunt statement here that nobody in the art scene here can claim that they are underground artist because there is no such scene except for some performers who don’t usually have enough audiences. Why? Just fucking boring performer that’s all and that’s how it become underground and completely unappreciated.

In the first place when I started living as an artist I never considered myself as underground. At the most I would say that I'm under-estimated.Anyway let me tell you a story, I'll make it short. Once a Korean friend came by and put up at my place for a couple of days. I know him for some years and I had stayed with him (Munmak/seoul) last September for a collaborative project. He usually made a wonderful noodle late at nite after so much drinking which he called ‘monk noodle’.

I asked him why it was called 'monk noodle'. Well, he learnt it from a monk that's why. Like many other vegetarians, monks don’t eat 'hard food' and one of the way for them to enjoy ‘instant noodle’ is to cook them soggy. They also use 1 egg, by which the purpose is to bring the soggy noodle, the soup and spice together. So my friend ask the monk :

'Why do you eat egg when you are vegetarian?'

And he replied:

‘I'm already so old. This one egg will not corrupt me.'

I can reckon to that when you are very strong in your mind and spirit you may appear once in a while doing something rather contradictory. And thatcontradiction has always been my interest because it challenges the ‘norm’. Mine and others. With reference to the Diaspora project I don’t mean that OKS is the egg and I'm the monk.

I think the ‘money’ is the egg, in our case.

I'll talk more about Riau later and to all artists who are too busy and exhausted who can't even have time to meet their own selves.

I Have Escaped Even Myself

2006-03-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

I Have Escaped Even Myself
Presented by sporesac/Flux Us,
Supported by 72-13

Featuring
ZAI KUNING, EVAN TAN, GEORGE CHUA,
YUEN CHEE WAI, LASSE MARHAUG and JOHN HERGE

For more information
http://www.ferret.com.sg/sporesac/escapedFA2.jpg

Sending Off Toms

2006-03-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

onistudio wants to say thank you and bye bye to Koichi who's leaving Singapore today back to Bangkok.

Zai's off to Riau this morning for one week.
Chee Wai's preparing for his tour starting April 1st station Bangkok About Cafe.
Leslie's performing with The Observatory next week. (19th March 8pm, Art House Play Den)

This is the picture they took for The Straits Times Life!Music article :

(From left: Chee Wai, Zai, Koichi, Leslie)

Till we meet again.

Tom Waits For Nobody Soundtrack

2006-03-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Yes we spoilt you.
Here is the complete collection of the excerpts we have introduced the past two weeks for Tom Waits For Nobody.

Tomorrow/Today (FRIDAY) is the big day at The Art House (Playden, 8pm)

No we won't do it again until many many months later, so you come

www.onistudio.net/TWelecdrone.wav (latest. full ensemble in rehearsal)
www.onistudio.net/twaits.03.02.wav
www.onistudio.net/twaits.03.01.wav
www.onistudionet/twaits02.12.wav

Tom Waits For Nobody Poster

2006-03-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

Tom Waits For Nobody A2 poster is out (S$30.00) featuring
Khalil Gibran's writing from The Prophet.

Email houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg to make a purchase.
Only 100 prints available.

Tom Waits For Nobody is opening this Friday (one night show only).
onistudio is also pleased to offer a package consisting of

1 entrance, 1 poster & 1 T-shirt for $65 (U.P $85)

This package is only available through email to houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg, offer will not be available at the door.

No Talking On Monday

2006-03-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

O.k guys im back but still not very sober yet. I drink every night but since the fringe started I drink two times more. I’m very happy last 10 days meeting so many people and I felt the new energy among many people in the visual art scene and sound oriented people. It felt more ‘positive’ and people seem trying very hard to be more open to each other. I think that is the spirit of any kind festival. Like wedding people go with good intention and great spirit to hug each other well of course some people will still complain aiya the rice is abit hard the juice are not sweet enought the music is not happening etc etc. it’s just normal for wedding. There is always to bite about it.

Some people saw me hugging Jason lim and they ask have you guys patch up back…that’s funny as if we are long lost gay partner. Anyway yes we talk now.

It is unfortunate I can’t visit as many show as I could because im all loaded that even if I have the time I could not consume information and not to mentioned art work. My bottle is full if you pour it just drip out quickly and so some people find it weird that I sit a lot at foodplus drinking beer with chee wai while the show is going on. We both are just overloaded that we need to sit for beer though it look like we are an alchoholic. For those who know evan tan when he used to work at the Singapore archive, I think almost everyday he will tekan beer and occasionally he will ask me to come as his kaki. Now this landmark had gone because evan finally quit his job. Im certain everybody miss him the beer included.

And I did tell chee wai after he had said that he is tired…wow man I think im tired of telling people that im tired. I got to stop it before it become a habit and slowly nag and complain. Remember anti complain campaign I talk about? So I start from myself.

Well of course if you are tired means you are tired but the thing is when you always bum on people on the substation street ‘how are you’ is the first thing and ‘ahh tiredlah’ is the natural reply but after 10 reply… that too make me tired so i guess i have to find new line. im fine im fine and good. I think the same when you are happy about your work the more you say how happy you are the more you dig a grave for it. You kill it. SO the thing is i learn to keep it inside me.

The fringe Fest is about to finish soon but im already packed with load of goodies to unload. when im told that I can have the pink table and chair I do get a little panic because I don’t usually like pink as a colour. It’s too girly for me. But hei this is from Chumpon and Noi so how could I reject it? Well of course I ask for it and so now I have to deal with it.

Yesterday when I look at it again I begin to like it somehow maybe there is some girly part inside me hahaha. Next I got to challenge myself to wear labour sans frontiers tshirt Noi gave me. She must be wondering why I did not wear it. Gosh it’s pink man and im a punk! I have to wear it someday but unless there is cute girl’s opening I will do it but again im afraid all the young girl will think ‘is there anything wrong with Zai?’ and someone will reply on behalf of me ‘ there nothing right about Zai actually”

Then came Audrey hang out with us abit when we set up the pink table and chair next to the glass door and I suggested maybe once a month onistudio set up our ‘bar’ there. 'Yes can!' she say ‘make it an art project. It should be o.k’ and so Yes we sell beer and tit bit’s and now here is what I think. It will be

No Talking on Monday

There is no dj but we have myself, chee wai and leslie to play our kind of music. We don’t rent sound system but I will bring my house sound system. I try to get two more small set of table but chair I borrow from substation. I hope to get someone to show some drawings on the signboard which oni will terrorize it. We will cover it with big white paper and so there will be no information on Monday night at sub except for oni’s friends drawing’s. it is for sale.

I have not talked with Audrey but I think it should be fine.

Next is mrs chua.

For those who is not familiar with the term ‘no talking on Monday’ it means don’t talk cock too much when you are there. You can just be quiet for the music and beer or juice but you can also talk quietly with your friend. We are not telling you not to talk because in case you fall in love you can always chat. We will give more details about this but for now just look forward for tom waits for nobody, conference of the bird and more as for me its not going to be easy to keep quiet. i talk alot sometime and sometime to much.

the glass have lost its way to my lips. give me the bottle please.

This is a rush report soon long one on the way about the fringe experience with so many people and MONDAY

Tom Waits For Nobody

2006-03-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

The page has been updated featuring Zai's drawing and design by Ferret.
http://www.onistudio.net/2006.03.html

New uploads (you'll be wanting for more) from Jamming session 03.01
www.onistudio.net/twaits.03.01.wav (new)
www.onistudio.net/twaits02.12.wav

Leslie and Chee Wai will be on air tomorrow (Friday) at 5.30pm, WKRZ to talk about the show and more music excerpts will be aired too. Check out latest issue of IS magazine and next week's Straits Times for more articles on the gig.

The gig is on next Friday 8p.m, email houseofoni@yahoo.com.sg or visit The Art House to get your tickets.

We've also confirmed that the show will be kindly supported by d&b audiotechnik

Empower and Concrete House

2006-03-01T07:39:00.000-08:00

Chumpon and Noi Apisuk were invited by Zai to come to the island (driving all the way from Bangkok) to present their project Labour sans Frontiere as part of the Fringe Festival. The project deals with the issue of migrant rights.

On 26th March, both of them gave a session to talk about Thailand's only performance art venue, Concrete House, founded by Chumpon in 1993 and EMPOWER (Education Means Protection of Women Engaged in Re-creation) foundation, founded by Noi in the 1980s, to educate and empower Thailand's sex workers.

... art is always interested with people, we must have a method to deal with and understand the struggle of the society, knowing about the common folks. So when you say something about humanity it connects to your real feelings and thinking of the community. It is not necessary problem, but a kind of sentiment. Because idea is just a concept thing. In many case I see artists are not really connected to the issue they are talking about (...) So Chumpon and Noi have been doing that for many many years and I always wanted to learn from them but I don’t have much opportunity... -Zai Kuning

(they ask) Are you teaching English to promote prostitution?” we don’t really answer them but the women who come to our English class will put their questions and responses to British Council, AUA or Alliance Francise, that they officially teach language, are they promoting prostitution? And what matter the women if they can speak English? No matter who they are, what profession they are (in), they have the right to learn about how to speak English, or what the education means to the society. - Noi Apisuk

“ For me, I think it’s a problem when only the people doing business with sex are able to negotiate sex. What about people who are not doing business with sex, doing sex for free? (…) If you look at the other perspective, many housewives actually don’ know how to fight back with their husbands. Many of the good girls don’t have it.” - Chumpon Apisuk

Follow this link for full transcript of the forum

New tables and chairs!

2006-03-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

oni received our first funky table and chairs from chumpon and noi all the way from bangkok to singapore by land. some of you who went for Labour sans Frontiere may have seen it:

oni will be at substation once every month to sell keropok and play loud music at our pink station. it's not an art project and you can bring your ashtray, beer, ba chor mee, mee goreng from foodplus to join us (ok we know the table's not so big, but we know small is beautiful!)

see you at sub!

(the model in red is Alvin, who helped Zai at the substation during Fringe Festival)

Kumjing Hla

2006-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

Onistudio was fantasizing about keeping animals for sometimes until we received a lovely present this week from Chumpon and Noi who drove 2008km from Bangkok to K.L to Singapore. We adopted a beautiful lady.

This is her passport:

Hla has traveled with Chumpon and Noi hours by hours, borders to borders, from one country to another country to another country. She wants to see Singapore… Well she found onistudio; it cannot be that bad. Sometimes we ask her to clean the spider webs off our fridge but most of the time Hla sits at onistudio balcony enjoying Singapore’s hot afternoon and hokkien mat rock medley from our neighbours.

onistudio proudly present our new member,

Kumjing, Hla.

Interview (I)

2006-02-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

Please follow this link to hear excerpt of our upcoming show Tom Waits For Nobody (02.12 jamming session between Leslie, Zai and Chee Wai) and enjoy as the artists talks about their work, sound art and their 2006 plans.

Oni will be follow-up this interview next week.

In the meanwhile please post your comments/questions to the artists.

Oni wishes you a lovely week ahead.

Dehydrated Monsoon

2006-02-19T03:18:00.000-08:00

Last night, like many other night as I was drunk I went back to my old apartment and as I struggled to open the door I realized it’s my old apartment.

It woke me up like I have just been kicked on the ass.

The drunkenness was gone and quickly I ran out before someone called the police. It took about 10min later that I got back to the state of drunkenness and breath nicely… pheww I thought…I look at my watch it say 5.30am. Then after that I imagined what would happen if suddenly a beautiful lady open the door with silk pyjamas and nice curved cleavage… and told me ‘oh darling you come back so late’ and she too was drunk with half open eyes and red lipstick... then we went to the room and just before we sleep (or you know) her husband opened the door and saw me on his bed. On his right hand I noticed a plastic bag and I smelled char kuay teow. Tell me do I have a film waiting for me? (I mean nightmare right) And I also imagined the husband will look exactly like me. It’s something like being John Malkovic.

Anyway, I supposed to write about dance because friends like Fu Quan and Joe are telling me that they want to see my dance. To think of it I usually just say I got lazy about dance because my body is still far from good for dancing and at the other point I have Weng Choy telling me ‘I want to see you talk”. And I can also imagine Alfian Saat come to me and say ‘fuck all the gibberishes just talk!’ (in a good term for sure) but that’s not exactly my ‘style’ not that I don’t talk… its something like some guys like to make love while the high heel is still there on her nice feet.

Now I’m dying to wait for the time when I can be very isolated and get really quiet in the studio and do my drawing and its activity suck me deeper into ‘speechlessness’. And I must say I’m busy drinking with people around me not necessarily a ‘social gathering’ but because I need to get connected to some people I love their vibes and dream/vision etc

The last time I dance is not so long ago actually …Fringe Festival last year February. I have made up my mind I will only dance once a year and I think that’s a lot already. It has to be solo because I don’t really know anymore what to do with others body on stage with different story. Anyway the last danced is Erroism…it is for me to get into this hopeless mood… The post war hopeless mood…I did get into that hopelessness but hell know its not easy to dance with that inside you…for that reason if you ask me to do it again I would say I need a break from that mood for sometime before I can handle it ‘better’ so if I am planning any dance this year it will still about this search for an hopeless body and make it dance. To quote Tatsumi Hijikata

Butoh is a dead corpse dancing

And that’s what I want to do ‘dead corpse dancing’… many Butoh dancer see it in many different way about this statement ….the Malays have a saying rather close to that ‘hidup segan mati tak mahu’. (to live I’m embarrass, to die is not what I want)... well that’s my translation some people will translate it in different ways for sure.

This year I will dance and it is a tribute to Akiko Motofuji and Tatsumi Hijikata. It will be butoh. But I don’t know when as for now once I start drawing it also means I start dancing in and with it… so guys the next time you heard or read a poster saying I’m performing solo make sure you come because the next one will be another one year or one and a half.

It’s 3pm now and it says Sunday. I just come back from T.K Sabapathy house with Josef Ng. It is indeed a strange visit which I was supposed to do like 10 years ago. It is also strange feeling that I felt the guilt why I did not visit his house. It’s an old house and the kitchen is what I call stunning. It is a kind of house I want to live in. We go for the kitchen the rest is not very very important because like many islanders that I know kitchen is the centre of universe. That kitchen Saba and Dori had is really based on old ‘Kampung’ design I call it. You sit there and you just don’t want to move I wonder how many hours had saba and dori ‘wasted’ their time in their kitchen. Now I am waiting for next week because I want to eat Doris and Saba’s food. They cook and I’m sure they cook real well.

My neighbour is screaming... well she is singing and it’s those karaoke thing. We can’t complain because it’s Sunday anyway and so I’m going now probably for char kway teow with very very black soya sauce and sure beeeeeeer

saba and dori's kitchen

Tom Waits For Nobody

2006-02-09T00:38:00.001-08:00

onistudio presents

Tom Waits For Nobody

A Soundtrack For An Animated Film They Can't Afford It

2006.03.10 The Art House Playden 20:00

more information

2006-02-07T23:19:00.000-08:00

In less than 3 month I’m all charged up entertaining my dream café/ pub/ gallery/ with books, magazine, sneakers, posters, flyers etc,

onistudio

This year is a full and very pregnant year. I have plans for July to be the launch of my one and only CD documenting some of my old acoustics songs which I’ve been playing for the past 5 years. I’m organizing ‘Conference of the Birds” in April while March a gig with Chee Wai, Koichi and Leslie. These are all part of ONISTUDIO projects. I will have 3 exhibitions touring Bangkok and Fukuoka Japan in June and july. And the list goes really full and rather scary.

Besides all this I have been rather attached to some new friends who seem to be operating under the spirit of DIY culture. They are mostly musicians and half the age of mine… angry, kind, jovial, serious, ambitious and searching for direction in a creative lifestyle.

Yesterday I have a meeting with the Art house to talk about how ONISTUDIO and them can work together, then I saw some red writings on the wall.

After I had finished reading it surprised me that they’re an old friend Kuo Pao Kun’s words. After I read the first line I did not continue but I read it again and again and only after 7th time I continued reading it ends like this:

"I see this as the only possible future for us in Singapore; you have to find a process to temper yourself and you have to look beyond, to all the cultures and civilizations in the world”

The first line is

"I was thinking for quite a few years about how can we in Singapore, living quite comfortably, and more and more wealthily, how can we produce art?"

Once I heard a joke about Pao Kun something like he has been a little isolated and did not shave. When he went to the toilet one day somehow he noticed a mirror. Looking at the mirror he told himself

‘this man looks really familiar.’

While we were rehearsing Zero001 in 2000, I told him that the story is really funny and his reply was “Zai someday it will happen to you too” and I think this is the day it happened but with some differences. When I read the first line I thought the writing on the walls is mine.

I think that is what I have been asking myself since I started ONISTUDIO. There is some worry for me to think of artist operating with extreme consciousness (if not dependence) of grants and sponsors. Many I know are seemingly sucked up by the system willingly, thinking there isn’t any choice, it is impossible to function without support from the NAC or other institutions. While I agree that it’s a necessity, my point and worry remains

“How do we take care and protect our own process?”

Definitely what I realized through Pao Kun’s words is that I have to give these two years thinking positively as to how I can make some efforts working with younger or older people whose spirit I like and to work hard to present their work. I will propagate certain issues and most importantly about thinking small, independence and care for the process artists take in developing their works.

With this web, the journey for us has just begun. I hope you can truly understand this point of view which I believe is the most simplistic manner to bridge people from different practice in the arts, get the right attitude and support the local art scene, making it as vibrantly fearless.

Last night while I’m so drunk I thought of Anti-Bitching and Anti-Complain campaign.

Will that make life less exciting ?

Zai Kuning

2006 almanac

2006-02-05T20:13:00.000-08:00

This is onistudio current schedule for 2006, we'll still updating our line-up!

Click here for more information:

March
April