Singaporean performance artist Amanda Heng presents 'A Pause' at 61st Venice Biennale

Held every two years, this edition of the biennale will run from May 9 to Nov 22.

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Sit, wait and watch. Walking into the Singapore Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale, performance artist Amanda Heng invites you to rest – in her exhibition titled “A Pause”.

In collaboration with curator Selene Yap, Heng transforms the space at the Arsenale’s Sale d’Armi with stepped wooden platforms of varying widths that blend into the existing architecture. Visitors can decide for themselves how they want to interact with the space – how and where to pause.

A dual-channel video follows everyday moments of Singapore and Venetian residents, showing how rest can be found in the mundane. Parts of My Body, a series of close-up photographs of Heng’s body first made in 1990, is exhibited in the pavilion as well.

A pioneer of contemporary arts in Singapore, Heng’s interdisciplinary practice has explored gender and societal issues, with well known works such as Let’s Walk and Let’s Chat.

The 74-year-old Singaporean artist, who emerged in the art scene in the late 1980s, is the oldest artist to have a solo presentation at the Singapore Pavilion. Alongside the exhibition is a publication titled Amanda Heng: On and On, a monograph on her practice over nearly four decades.

“My work comes from ordinary experience. A Pause looks at rest as something necessary and familiar to all of us. Moving beyond the physical forms, our bodies look inward to find the inner strength and stillness for resilience and renewal,” said Heng.

The Venice Biennale is a prestigious art event that brings together artists from around the world and sold 700,000 tickets in its previous edition in 2024. The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – with the theme In Minor Keys – will run from May 9 to Nov 22.

Heng’s exhibition was commissioned by the National Arts Council (NAC), supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and organised by Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

Chief executive officer and director of SAM Eugene Tan called Heng a “foundational figure in Singapore’s contemporary art history”.

“Her work, grounded in the gestures and rhythms of everyday life, has reshaped how we understand the relationship between art and the everyday, and it is meaningful to see this resonate on an international stage.”

NAC’s chief executive officer Elaine Ng said the presentation reflected the council’s commitment to supporting local artists at international platforms. 

This is Singapore’s 12th time participating in the Venice Biennale. Previously showcased artists include Robert Zhao, Shubigi Rao and Song-Ming Ang.

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo was in Venice for the opening of the Singapore Pavillion on Wednesday (May 6). 

He said that Singapore’s regular participation in the biennale reflects Singapore’s belief in “the power of the visual arts to deepen cross-cultural understanding”. 

“The visual arts create space for us to better understand ourselves and one another – who we are and what we stand for, individually and collectively. In doing so, they deepen the trust and cohesion that holds us together as communities and societies.”

He added that finding and building platforms that showcase Singaporean artists to the international arts community was an important part of developing visual arts talent.

“Fostering such exchange of ideas and creativity allows Singapore to connect ourselves as a vibrant and distinctive node within the wider global arts landscape.”

Besides the Singapore Pavillion, the works of other members of the Singapore arts scene can also be found elsewhere in Venice.

Director at National Gallery Singapore Lisa Horikawa is the co-curator for the Japan Pavilion. 

Curator Annie Kwan is organising the Asia Forum, bringing together artists and curators in a programme titled Minor Feelings.

Artist Ong Kian Peng takes part in Bangkok Art Biennale Foundation’s presentation of “The Spirits of Maritime Crossing”, an official collateral event of the biennale. 

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