Terms and Conditions

28 June 2013 to 8 September 2013, Singapore Art Museum

Mona Hatoum, Plotting Table, 1998, wood, MDF, UV lights and
fluorescent point. Image taken from Singapore Art Museum website

The phrase “terms & conditions” often refers to the fixed set of guidelines at the basis of any official contract or agreement. While these extensive specifications are sometimes overlooked in everyday practice, their implementation can powerfully dictate the representation and interaction between people, entities and countries, as well as set parameters that appear rigid over time. Yet, taken apart, the words “terms” and “conditions” convey fluid and precarious concepts that can, in actuality, be continually negotiated and modified. Many artists with roots in the Arab world work simultaneously across different geographic, physical and cultural contexts, making it difficult to define and constrain them to specific identities and representations. Their work is thus a result of a variety of techniques, which enables them to navigate and speak within multiple contexts.
Terms & Conditions presents an open-ended debate into how history and social realities are represented, with an emphasis on the Arab world. One of the first Southeast Asian surveys of contemporary art from this dynamic region, the exhibition showcases works by artists with roots in the Arab world. These artists work across different geographic and cultural contexts, and through a combination of techniques, to produce unique artworks that fluidly traverse and defy social identities and representations.

Co-organised by the Singapore Art Museum and Barjeel Art Foundation, and guest curated by Mandy Merzaban, Curator and Collections Manager of the Barjeel Art Foundation, Terms & Conditions draws upon seminal works from Barjeel Art Foundation, the Abraaj Group Art Prize Collection, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Musée national de l’histoire et des cultures de l’immigration, CNHI Paris, as well as the collections of private individuals and artists. (From Singapore Art Museum website)