‘Too ambitious’ National Gallery Singapore exhibition on colonial and postcolonial experiences in Southeast Asia and Latin America still has its merits

The National Gallery Singapore is currently hosting an ambitious exhibition titled 'Tropical: Stories from Southeast Asia and Latin America'. This exhibition aims to explore the colonial and postcolonial experiences of these two vast regions. The exhibition begins with a recreation of Brazilian artist Hélio Oiticica’s 1967 installation Tropicália, a piece that subtly critiques the stereotype of Brazil as an idyllic beach paradise.

Shabbir Hussain Mustafa, the senior curator at the National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum, explains that the concept of the 'tropical' is not just about the exotic imagery of banana trees and natives living the good life. Instead, it represents a site for self-determination and a space to dream and build another world. The exhibition brings together more than 200 works by 23 artists from Latin America and 52 artists from Southeast Asia, spanning from the late 19th century to the present day.

The exhibition is divided into three sections, each named after texts by artists and thinkers. The first section, 'The Myth of the Lazy Native', critiques colonial prejudices. The second section, 'This Earth of Mankind', recreates one of Brazilian modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi’s experimental display structures. The final section, 'The Subversive', features a series of sculptural capes by Oiticica, called Parangolés. These capes, originally created in 1964 and remade in 2023, provide viewers with a respite in the otherwise densely packed exhibition.