Time and History by Joshua Yang [2014]
[03.09.14 — 04.10.14]
Grey Projects is proud to present Time and History: Drawings Revolving Around Time, an exhibition by Joshua Yang.
Taking its title from Time and History, an essay written by contemporary philosopher Giorgio Agamben, this exhibition re-introduces the introspective and contemplative aspect of the act of viewing.
Revisiting the idea of drawing lines as a measure or experience of time, Yang visually interprets the nine concepts of time that are stated in Agamben’s essay: linear time, circular time, spiral time, discontinuous time, eternal time, and more. Overlaying these intricate, labyrinthine works are voice excerpts of the inspiration – selected passages from Agamben’s essay, as well as a musical soundtrack composed by Joe Ng will be played on loop.
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Joshua Yang was born in 1974 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 1994, he moved to Singapore and worked as a civil engineer in Tuas. In 2003, while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Fine Art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, he founded the art collective, Vertical Submarine, which has been active in the local and international art scene since.
In 2005, he won first prize in the UOB Painting of the Year for the Abstract category. Other awards include the coveted Credit Suisse Artist Residency Award 2009, The President’s Young Talents Award 2009 and the Singapore Art Show Judges’ Choice 2005. His drawings began to receive attention when he completed a 48-hour drawing marathon in 2007. His works, which are predominantly site-specific time-based drawings employing a single-continuous line, have been featured in local and regional Biennales, including the Singapore Biennale 2008 and the Dojima River Biennale 2009 (Osaka). He has received commissions from public institutions as well as private collectors for his work. These include the Bishop’s quarters in Malaysia, Marymount MRT station in Singapore and the Dojima Performing Arts Theatre in Japan.
A firm believer in education, he taught at the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science and has been lecturing at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts since 2009. Currently living and working in Singapore, he has completed projects in Spain, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, The Philippines, Mexico City, Australia, and Germany.