art jamNanyang Technological University Cultural Activities Club

Jan - Mar 2009, Issue 17.

MICA (P) 275/01/2008FREE COPY

art jam

This is a Publication of Nanyang Technological University Cultural Activities ClubTo advertise with us or list your events in ART JAM, email us at cac_press@ntu.edu.sg

Publication Team

Editor’s Note

Editor-in-Chief

Gloria Ong

Editorial Assistant

Debbie Phua

WritersCarrie Lam Ai Wei

Lim Vera Audrey LimDebbie Phua

PhotographersCharmaine Pan

Graphic Designer

Natalie TuangXpress Print Pte Ltd

Tel: 6880 2881

Dear Readers,First and foremost, Happy 2009! The first issue of ArtJam this year promises to be an exciting read. We have includeda new section called ‘PostSecret’ where students of NTU express themselves by writing their secrets anonymously ona postcard. Check it out and don’t forget to submit your own postsecret at artjampostsecret.com!

We are also very privileged to have all time famous magicians J C Sum and Ning to be featured in our cover story.Be sure to catch their magic performance in school on 9th February 2009 (Monday) at Canopy K, outside LT 1A. I assure you that it will take your breath away. See you there!

Warmest regards,Gloria

Cover By Courtesy

contents

Where to find Art Jam• All Junior Colleges • All Polytechnics • Nayang Academy of Fine Arts • NTU • NIE • SMU • SIM • Alliance Francaise AGF Theatre • DBS Arts Centre • Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay • *scape Youth Centre • The ARTrium • The Substation • Victoria Concert Hall • Victoria Theatre • New Urban Male • Flesh Imp • 77th Street • Studio Wu • Attitude Dance Studio • Aspire Cafe • The Butter Factory • Virtuoso Arts• Home Club • library@esplanade • National Museum • The Garden Slug

Download the softcopy of ArtJam at http://www.ntucac.com

2NTU Press

6 It Is Not a Trick,

Just Magic

13 Nutcracker

14 Das Experiment: Black Box

16

On the Other Side of the Coin

18 the secrets of NTU students

22 NTU Cultural Activities Club Events Calendar

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Artist Name: Lee Jun Yi FDN Grp: 1 Acad Yr: 08/09 Title: Self-portraits Medium: Pastels & Charcoal Artist's Statement: These art pieces depict myself - they explore themes such as existentialism, identity, and psychology. Very often, we question our existence, and our identities; what differentiates us from the 6 billion other organisms from this gene pool.

Personally, I'm for the idea that we are who we think we are: not who others perceive us to be, or what others label us as. This series is a celebration of human individuality, and sentience. I will continue making more works for this series, perhaps for an indefinite amount of time.art jam

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Artist Name: Lee Jun Yi

FDN Grp: 1 Acad Yr: 08/09

Title: Cong Chong; Jason

Medium: Charcoal

Artist's Statement: These two drawings depict

my classmates; Cong Chong, and Jason,

respectively. Cong Chong is portrayed lying on the floor,

with his eyes wide open and browsing

through his iPod library. Jason, on the other

hand, is seated in an enclosed posture, with

his eyes closed.

Both of them have their roles seemingly

reversed; the lying man is awake, while the

seated, less comfortable man, is asleep.

This can be read as a kind of irony, and even

a social statement: while some people live

in luxury, getting to relax in their waking

moment; others are struggling with

life, unable to afford proper shelter, and

having to sleep under the harshest conditions.

Artist Name: Lee Jun Yi

FDN Grp: 1 Acad Yr: 08/09

Title: Reclining Skeletons

Medium: Charcoal on Brown Paper

Artist's Statement: This piece of work

visually describes a couple of skeletons in

acts of repose.

The skeletons represent human beings:

beneath layers of skin and flesh, we are

just calcium samples. "Reclining Skeletons"

also re-enacts the century-old idea of how

every waking moment we spent, is a moment

closer to death.

A viewer may perceive this particular

work as a tribute to life, and how we must

always live life to the fullest (Carpe Diem);

alternatively, it could be conveying a rather

depressing undertone, that whatever we do

(or do not), we are still going to end up with,

and in, oblivion.

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Artist Name: Lee Jun Yi FDN Grp: 1 Acad Yr: 08/09 Title: Landscapes Medium: Ink Artist's Statement: I have eternalized ephemeral moments on these pieces: they will always remain, no matter how much the original scene which they depict have changed. This piece is at once a tribute to the great masters, and also part of my development as artist.

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Title: VaseJorie Phey ADm yr 3

Concept: Using materials which come from things which were once living, and can be purchased from the supermarket, this piece of work highlights the impact of Consumerism in our lives.

NTU press

Denise Yap ADM year 2Title: Regeneration

From these strange ashes; A tender heart that understands pain and loss, A fresh pair of eyes to view the world with.

This work is a selection of a larger body of images that deals with my emotions after my mother’s premature death in 2005. Part of my frustration after her passing was that while talking about it helped me to overcome the sadness, almost everyone was afraid to talk freely about it. Thus, this series serves as a visual journal to bring my unspoken feelings into light. The three images here work as a linear triptych to portray my emotional journey with the ultimate goal of breaking out of the depression and stepping into regeneration.

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cover story

It is a fact that every person strives to be unique. Loving parents raise their children to be unique individuals. Educators encourage unique, independent thinking. People dress to set themselves apart from one another. Deep down, we all believe that we are unique individuals and it is true, indeed, that each person is special, one of a kind. But unlike many, magicians J C Sum and ‘Magic Babe’ Ning do not simply strive to be unique. They define their own sense of what is unique, setting the standard at a totally different level. Located at Singapore’s first permanent illusion show ‘Ultimate Magic’ in a club, The Arena, at Clarke Quay, this stunningly magical duo is the first to be equals, partners working together in the industry. One known as “The thinking man’s magician” and the other, “The sexiest woman in magic”, they redefine the common understanding of “Unique”.

Writer: Vera LimPhotos: Courtesy &

Charmaine Pan

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Beginning in 1989, from performing commercially at children’s parties to being the first local magician to perform at corporate events, J C has emerged as a ‘Master of Magic’, a world class illusionist and an acclaimed illusion designer. J C has indeed come a long way in the industry. Elaborated in his own website - www.jcsum.com – J C began as Singapore’s first magician “to have a regular Street Magic series on television, VCD and outdoor media”. He is a writer of 3 original books on illusion design and is also “a recipient of a ‘Master of Magic’ award from the International Festival of Magic (Bangladesh) and the

winner of 2 International Brotherhood of Magicians (U.S.A) ‘Linking Ring’ magic awards”. J C Sum “has staged over 2500 shows across Asia Pacific as well as in the Middle East, France and the US” and performed South East Asia’s First Mega Illusion: “The Impossible Teleportation” on 18 August 2007. “In this mega illusion, J C successfully teleported himself from street level while surrounded by more than 9,000 spectators and reappeared on the roof of a skyscraper, 50 floors above, within a ring of witnesses”. That’s not all, together with ‘Magic Babe’ Ning, the duo succeeded in another seemingly impossible performance: “The Impossible Journey” where they “teleported 3 people across the iconic Singapore River in 2.5 seconds in front of over 5000 people”. But as the duo would say, it’s not all about J C. ‘Magic Babe’ Ning has an unrivaled record of illusions performed and one of which is “The Impalement Cage” where she is chained in cage with spikes hanging above her head and successfully escapes in 90 seconds.

Being Singapore’s first and only professional female magician is not an easy task. Often mistaken as “just a pretty face”, ‘Magic Babe’ Ning had to work her way up the industry of the world’s second oldest profession just like any other magician. Before the show, ArtJam took some time to get to know ‘Magic Babe’ Ning up-close and personal with her mentor, J C Sum. When Ning walked in with a leather jacket and tight jeans, together with stunning facial features and a beautiful smile; one could obviously see why the world of magic is so taken by this lady. But this magical diva is not all about beauty, she’s backed with brains and even strong physicality to perform dangerous urban illusions, which got ARTJAM rather impressed.

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ARTJAM: Ning, how did you acquire your nickname? Was it given or did you choose it for yourself?

Ning: It began as a term of endearment that a friend from the past gave to me

and it stuck with me as I pursued my career in magic. This nickname evolved with me over the years and ‘Magic Babe’ has become an extension of me. She isn’t just appealing but she also has the physical ability to perform illusions that many magicians may find difficulty with.

ARTJAM: There are many acclaimed magicians in Singapore. Was it difficult for you, Ning, when you were starting out?

Ning: I started performing magic at the Children’s Cancer Association. But I’ve always wanted to perform illusions which are different from kid’s magic. Illusions are urban and it’s about making it your own, at the same time, I wanted to make magic relevant for the society today.

J C Sum: People often mistake ‘Magic Babe’ for “a pretty face”. But that is exactly what she is not. You see, magic has two aspects: presentation and technique. Being the second oldest profession in the world, it was not easy for people to accept Ning as a professional female magician. She had to step up her game by proving that she had a good stage act (presentation) and the physical ability (technique) to perform physically demanding illusions.

Ning: That’s correct. I studied in Ngee Ann Poly as a Film, Sound and Video student. So I know about theatrics. It’s not enough to have a pretty face and no substance, especially for a professional female magician. Without any substance, your act will just fall flat. ‘Magic Babe’ Ning is attractive but her attractiveness is backed up by her ability to do physically demanding illusions.

ARTJAM: Wow. Magic sounds complex, coming from you. But we are curious. What is magic to you?

Ning: To me, performing these urban illusions is not an ego-booster. It’s not about

making myself look good or making people see how skillful I am. It’s about the audience and most importantly, that they enjoy my performance.

ARTJAM: But we’ve spoken so much on ‘Magic Babe’. Could you tell us a little more about Ning?

Ning: There’s no big secret, really. I’m just a normal girl who actually likes normal things. People often think that girls with my physique eat cautiously. But I, for one, like beef. I like to drink Coke Light. I’m a cat person and one of my favourite breeds is the Ashera. Oh, and I like tattoos but that’s a story for another time. (smiles).

ARTJAM: J C, we understand that you are the brains behind the illusion design at The Arena. Was it difficult designing for such a small stage inside a club?

J C Sum: Yes. The size of the stage is one aspect that we had to work with. Furthermore, this is a permanent illusion show so whenever we wrap up, we had to keep away our materials so that the band that plays after us will not be affected by anything of ours. But I’m only the practical, technical side of the show. Ning is the creative side. She comes up with ideas for a new illusion and she will tell me about it. Then I’ll try to work out which part of her idea is feasible. For example, one of our illusions: Dreamscape – The Realm of Sandman, is her idea. She came up with idea that it should have a storyline to make it more sophisticated. The design for this illusion took one year to complete.

Ning: Yea. The idea for this illusion came from my interest in Neil Gaiman’s books and graphic novels. I try to get ideas for illusions from everywhere. When I have the time, I like to watch films and visit art galleries and sometimes, I get an inspiration and I will tell J C.

ARTJAM: The two of you seem to work pretty well together.

Ning: I think that’s because we both understand each other’s vision for our careers in magic. For instance, J C understands how I see ‘Magic Babe’. He understands that I see her as a Charlie’s Angel who can do magic but is human, just a little larger than life.

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J C Sum: Yes. And I think Ning understands that performing magic is, like she said, not an ego-booster. I created ConceptMagic by choice but out of necessity. It is my passion but also my bread & butter. Ning, being a professional magician, understands that as well.

ARTJAM: There’s always one question that we’ve always wanted to ask. Has being an illusionist changed your view of reality?

J C Sum: I would say yes. I’m not surprised by anything anymore. I’m not saying that I’ve become pessimistic. I’m just not easily taken by surprise but I still look and believe in greater better things in future. Also, you learn to see through people. You would know when one is being pretentious or being sincere.

Ning: That’s true. There was once I came across an old man at Waterloo Street who was trying to convince the people that he is a real medium. But I saw through his acts because I knew exactly what he was doing and I recognized some of the things he used to make himself look like the real deal and hence, believable. So yes, you do learn to see through people.

Speaking of seeing through people, ARTJAM is thankful that this stunning duo allowed us to see them through a personal lens. Though they are happy with the recognition they are receiving now, this dynamic pair are still striving for greater by bettering themselves, learning and understanding their audience as executive crowds, and constantly progressing in their work, already. Ning will be performing at a Magic Conference in UK soon and she will be the first ever Singaporean to be performing at such an event. J C will also be there to give talks and lectures on his expertise.

But even with their success, the duo stays true to home. J C and Ning are confident of Singapore’s approach to magic. As Ning says, “Singaporeans are nice” and she believes that Singapore is ready to receive some local magic. That’s not all. The magical pair is also optimistic about what magic can do for people. They believe that magic speaks of doing the impossible; with magic, anything is possible. Impossible is nothing. Sounds like an Adidas advertisement? Not quite. This lovely duo has a better way to do the impossible than, perhaps, even Adidas had – ‘Ultimate Magic’.

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Review

Writer: Audrey Lim Photos: Courtesy

The Nutcracker is a ballet performance by the Singapore Dance Theatre. It tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives a nutcracker toy. She leaves it under the Christmas tree in the village square but sneaks back out to retrieve it. It is then that she encounters a series of strange happenings, including a scene of a group of mice intimidating her. The scene presented little children performing as mice in costumes complete with tails and drew affection from the audience for being so adorable. Clara is eventually saved by the Nutcracker Prince and they travel to the Land of Snow.

The starting scene in the Land of Snow showed the ballet performers riding out in an exquisite swan sledge. The enchanting spectacle of a magical white forest, complete with the illusion of falling snow and mist, created the perfect atmosphere that captivated the audience. The ballerinas, dressed in an assortment of dazzling white costumes were a treat for the eye. Their abilities were not distracted by the beautiful costumes. Their movements were graceful and elegant, making the Land of Snow my favourite part of the performance.

Clara and the nutcracker prince then travel to the land of sweets. While the set was disappointing as compared to the Enchanted Forest, the assortment of dances made up for it. I especially loved The Russian Dance and The Waltz of Flowers. The pairing was flawless and the ballerina showed such gracefulness that could only be executed well by a strong dancer.

Chihiro Uchida, who played Clara was also especially graceful and translated her character realistically enough to make me forget that all of it was a performance. The Nutcracker fulfills every childhood fantasy about enchanted lands, magic and dreams.

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Writer: Debbie Phua Photos: By Courtesy of Sirius Arts

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As part of a psychological research project, 13 participants who had undergone rigorous psychological and physical testing and had been deemed as normal average emotional stable men were randomly divided into two groups of guards and prisoners. Each test participants were given $4000 to be placed in a penitentiary-like environment for duration of 14 days.

The 8 ‘prisoners’ were forced to wear hospital looking gowns, locked up in the mock prison and ordered to obey the rules; such as “Prisoners must address all prison guards as Officers.”, “Prisoners must not speak after ‘Light-out.’” , “Prisoners must only address each other by their prison numbers”, “Prisoners must obey every order given by the penitentiary officers”, etc. The 5 ‘guards’, dressed in security guards uniform and each given a wooden baton, were given strict instructions by the researchers to keep the inmates in order and to punish the prisoners for every violation.

The experiment, an easy way to make extra cash, seemed harmless at first. However, the line between role-play and reality was blurred quickly and within hours small conflicts and petty disputes force the participants to engage deeper into their roles.

As the play progresses, I found myself sitting at the edge of my seat, anticipating how the story unfold the different characters. The excellent acting skills of the whole production team, including some familiar faces such as Gerald Chew, whom you might have seen from the Mediacorp’s “@Moulmein High “, Jonathan Lim, and Edric Hsu, gave me a different light to the theater prospect in Singapore.

The excitement just continues to build up exponentially as I start to see the changes to the character and behaviour of the different roles. Some of the ‘prisoners’ start to change from one who is arrogant and loud to one that is timid and fear speaking up, surrendering to the brutal physical and emotional abuse of the ‘guards’. 4 of the ‘guards’ were even starting to enjoy power and authority as the time slowly ticks, and began to abuse the ‘prisoners’, both physically and emotionally. The ‘prisoners’ were put under tremendous stress and fear as the ‘guards’ turned from disgracing the ‘prisoners’ and emotionally abusing them, to physically beating them up. One of the ‘guards’ even brought in a pistol into the ‘mock prison, without the approval from the researchers of course, to use it to scare the ‘prisoners’. The weapon turned deadly when the situation in the ‘mock prison’ went out of control, causing the death of one of the research participant.

You might start to think “Hey, isn’t the researchers there to oversee the whole situation?” Well, the researchers themselves were so fascinated by the experiment results that their scientific curiosity overruled their humanity. The experiment was forced to call for a stop on Day 6, instead of the initial 14 days… but by that time, it was too late already.

It brought us, the silent observers, to start to think and ponder upon the responsibility of observers, and how the experiment can bring out not just the hidden personality of the research participants, but also those of the researchers themselves. A little exaggerated from the real life experiment conducted in 1971, Das Experiment: Black Box definitely still gave us an insight into Psychology and the human behaviour.

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review

PersonalityWriter: Joyce Chua

Photos: Courtesy

One would know him as the senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church. But together with his daughter, Priscilla, Lawrence and Priscilla Khong are more than leaders of a church. They are magicians; magicians who will be performing at Singapore’s 2009 Chingay Parade. This

father-daughter pair has even their own School of Magic where they conduct classes, teaching magic enthusiasts the art of illusions. But that’s not all. From their website, www.magicoflawrence.com, one receives an elaborate account of their work in the industry of magic:

“Lawrence is perhaps Singapore's first magician who brought world-class magic entertainment to our local theatres. His insatiable passion and enterprising spirit to experiment greater and grander magic coupled with a rich artistry in magic had translated into various fine mega-magic productions, namely 'Magic of Love', 'An Evening of Enchantment', 'The Spook Show', 'The Great Escape' and 'From Illusion to Reality'. Co-produced and directed with Priscilla under their father-daughter magic label, Magic of Lawrence & Priscilla, he has raised and set the bar for homegrown entertainment for musical and theatre goers. His ambitious, inspiring and inventive style of magic has also earned partnerships and nods from internationally acclaimed maestros of magic. One such

master illusionist is Jeff McBride, who started his close collaboration with Lawrence on 'Magic of Love'.

As the Creative Director, Priscilla passionately works on the development of each show from its inception to the actual performance. With a trained eye, she designs the visuals of each performance, making it sharper than before through crafting and refining each routine and finally threading it all together with complementary music and props that appeal to a global audience. Trained in dance forms such as jazz, hip hop and ballet, Priscilla is able to infuse choreography and precision of movement into each magic act, making the final performance an all sensory "MTV Magic" experience.”

Impressed with their achievements, ARTJAM decided to ask the Khong magicians how they came to where they were today. Though they are father and daughter, each illusionist has his and her distinctive style that came through the interview. Illusionist Lawrence shared with ARTJAM his experiences during his road to success while Priscilla, the shyer of the two, gave quick and crisp replies.

ARTJAM: Hi Lawrence, having read your biography, we understand that you first caught on to magic in Secondary One. But we're curious to know what, in that moment at the magic shop, sparked your passion in magic. Please share. :)

Lawrence: I have always been interested in magic since the age of 10. I remember borrowing books from the national library on the subject and making simple props to fool my parents and my siblings. So

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Personality

walking into a magic show is like a dream come true. I was determined to devour whatever I could learn by buying more magic books and props to feed my passion.

ARTJAM: What is it like performing with your daughter, Priscilla?

Lawrence: What changed my life is really working with Priscilla. It was an educational process. I discovered that I really don’t know my daughter and how young people think today. When we worked closer, I was shocked at how different young people today think as compared to where I came from. It took us a number of years before we really know each other. Today, we have a great relationship of love, mutual respect and concern for one another.Priscilla: In the beginning, working with my dad was tough. We didn’t get along very well. The process of working together has strengthened our relationship and has helped us to understand and communicate better with one another.

ARTJAM: Could please share with us, Lawrence: have you had any setbacks along the way? If yes, please inspire us on how you overcome those setbacks.

Lawrence: As a professional, I have learned that doing magic is more than doing tricks. It is beyond just accomplishing an effect, it is about showmanship and engaging the audience and making it an experience for the audience. Many of us magician do magic for ourselves. The setback I face is that certain effects which I think are really good just fall flat when performed. I have learned to hear feedback from others, test these effects before a live audience and then honing them to perfection before presenting them in a full performance. Another setback is to understand the importance of marketing. It is show business. The business aspect is just as important. It is not about doing just a great show. It is about bring the audience in to watch it. Otherwise, it is just a best kept secret. I have travelled around the world with my show. I have fallen flat in some places because I was too optimistic and did not pay attention enough to the marketing and the response of the market. For example in my first trip to the US, I was overly ambitious and went to 8 different places around US to mount the show. I discovered that I over stretched my marketing dollar and I did not get a good house. I learned from that the following year and just went to two different location and the shows were successful. I guess, we just have to keep trying and keep learning.

ARTJAM: Has magic changed your life? Does creating illusions on a regular basis changed the way you view reality?

Lawrence: I don’t think it has changed my life. Rather, it gives me an avenue to express my creativity that God has given me. I love to perform for people. I love to bring joy to them as I watch the delight on their faces. Being a professional, I have learned to be very demanding on myself and others in doing everything with a high level of excellence. I am more in touch with reality than others. I have learned that “things are not always what they seem”. What most people think as reality is not reality at all. A magician needs to work with that. We know we cannot pull off real magic. So we need to operate on the level of reality in a real concrete way and how to use real things to develop an unreal effect. This keeps a magician honest.

Priscilla: Magic has changed the way I trouble shoot problems.

ARTJAM: Priscilla, What is it like being a female magician since many magicians people know are males? Also, would you recommend young girls to try magic?

Priscilla: I feel that it is unique being a female magician. I am able to explore other performance styles and presentation. If young girls are interested, why not? The art of magic has a lot to offer to both boys and girls. It is definitely an interesting art form and with determination, they will be able to excel in it.

ARTJAM: Last but not least, please share with us some of your favourite illusions that we could look forward to?

Lawrence: I started magic by specializing in the art of manipulation. These are tricks that require a lot of skill in sleight of hands. In a sense, that is the cheapest way to start. We can use simple props like a billiard balls, cards and coins. That is how I started. One of my favourite illusions is “multiplying billiard balls”. I believe I am among the first or even the first in Singapore to produce 8 solid balls at my finger tips. Another is card manipulation. I am sure I am the first in Singapore to do a whole card production routine from bare hands on stage.

ARTJAM: Thank you Lawrence and Priscilla for taking time to speak with us. We look forward to your wonderful performance at Chingay 2009.

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Check out some of the secrets of NTU students! Send in your own postsecret at http://www.artjampostsecret.com today! This idea is inspired by http://postsecret.blogspot.com

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NTU Cultural Activities Club event Calendar

visit us at www.ntucac.com for more details

Janaury 2009Nanyang Arts Festival 13-Jan

February 2009Arts From The Heart 7-Feb

Impresario Semi-Finals 8-Feb

Art Jam Day 9-Feb

Concert: Jazz & Blues 13-Feb

Concert: Symphonic Band 21-Feb

Concert: Piano Ensemble 22-Feb

Concert: Piano Ensemble 23-Feb

Concert: Chinese Orchestra 27-Feb

Impresario Finals 28-Feb

March 2009Concert: Choir 7-Mar

5th Institutional Lion Dance Competition

TBC

Concert: String Orchestra 14-Mar

Joint Dance Concert 15-Mar

Concert: Guitar Ensemble 21-Mar

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