Snobbish Esplanade?


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LOL ... I like the "white durian" ;)
 

Originally posted by Kit


Having met some of those management people the last time I came back, I must say I share her views.

Ok, I'm being a little judgemental here.

They even prohibit photography out in the OPEN SPACE within their compounds. Crap. Maybe I should reword my letter and resend it to ST.

Regards
CK
 

I think all these rules are good for the hardcore arts enthusiast. Don't you want to get your money's worth?
 

Originally posted by maddog
I think all these rules are good for the hardcore arts enthusiast. Don't you want to get your money's worth?

Erm...... don't you think spending 600 million on 2 durians just for the so called hardcore arts enthusiasts too extravagant?

That's beside the point. Who can be considered hardcore arts enthusiasts? Who would be qualified to classify anyone as hardcore arts enthusiasts in the first place? Should this place be only populated in by tuxedosams? I don't think so. Why can't I appreciate art in a pair of bermudas?

The management has said that this is the place for Singaporeans. That's a promise. Let's see how well they keep it?
 

u wdn't attend an evening function in berms and tees right? I think the reason for the durian is to create a high brow version of art.
erm to compare what's are the dress codes for the sydney pistacho shells?
 

I also don't see how allowing photgraphers in the area will compromise anything.

Let's face it, even before its open, they're already over-protecting and paranoid over 2 600 million durians.
 

You wanna wear bermudas? Go watch a movie at Lido. If you have high standards for taking photos why not have the same attitude for art. The noisy bags, beeping pagers doesn't do justice to a 600 million dollar establishment designed to delight audiences with its excellent acoustics. Why not start taking day shots with ISO 3200. :devil:
 

Originally posted by denizenx
u wdn't attend an evening function in berms and tees right? I think the reason for the durian is to create a high brow version of art.
erm to compare what's are the dress codes for the sydney pistacho shells?

Of course, if there's a dress code for a particular event, then it should and have to be followed. No dispute on that. However, is that the only function of the building? Just a 600 million piecs of hardware? If yes, then why do you need a 600 million building? The Bilbao museum costs much less and still does the job in promoting art. Even Federation Square costs less too considering an almost 3 year delay.

Buildings need occupation to bring out the life in them and to realise their potential to the fullest. An empty public building is a failure, no matter how much money you spend. What would you do when there's no performances? Close it down? I don't think so.
 

Originally posted by maddog
You wanna wear bermudas? Go watch a movie at Lido. If you have high standards for taking photos why not have the same attitude for art. The noisy bags, beeping pagers doesn't do justice to a 600 million dollar establishment designed to delight audiences with its excellent acoustics. Why not start taking day shots with ISO 3200. :devil:

I'm sorry but acquiring high standards for arts lies in the actual understanding of what art is all about and not the way you dress up. Its 2 very different thing.

Rules should be applied but ridiculously stupid restrictions will only see the demise of the 2 durians. Delight audiences? Well, you've got to actually have an audience to start with don't you?
 

Have you been to performances in Melbourne? If you notice, the audience do tend to dress up and do follow the rules. Its only in Singapore, that you need to state them explicitly.
 

where's bilbao museum and fed sq? orchard road? tampines? marina sq?
we are trying to start something high brow locally... admitted it's not very well planned. we want a world class place to promote high art. while the govt can spend 1 gazillion dollars and absorbing existent content/talent whatever, it cannot spearhead the art scene itself. Hence a nice Gucci suit in the hope that ah beng san will behave more gentlemanly.
But I believe your complaints stem only from not being allowed to take photographs.
I'm not sure but has anyone written in for an official tour + restricted photography/posters/postcards? AdamGoi? ;p
 

Originally posted by maddog
Have you been to performances in Melbourne? If you notice, the audience do tend to dress up and do follow the rules. Its only in Singapore, that you need to state them explicitly.

Actually it depends on who is organising. Som performances do allow pretty casual dressing.

Like I said, rules should be there but not stupid restrictions that put people off.
 

isn't dressing up a form of respect? i mean, if u were performing some classy performance, u wouldn't really want people to come in tshirts n berms n popcorn. u'd probably expect them to treat the performance as seriously as u do, coming in more formal attire. of course, your clothes doesn't show how much u are able to appreciate the music. but it's more a form of courtesy for the performers than anything else. hmm... courtesy... singapore... they don't seem to match very well
 

Originally posted by denizenx
where's bilbao museum and fed sq? orchard road? tampines? marina sq?
we are trying to start something high brow locally... admitted it's not very well planned. we want a world class place to promote high art. while the govt can spend 1 gazillion dollars and absorbing existent content/talent whatever, it cannot spearhead the art scene itself. Hence a nice Gucci suit in the hope that ah beng san will behave more gentlemanly.
But I believe your complaints stem only from not being allowed to take photographs.
I'm not sure but has anyone written in for an official tour + restricted photography/posters/postcards? AdamGoi? ;p

The Guggeheim Museum of Bilbao is in Spain. Federation Square is in Melbourne. Both cities which I dare to say have achieved higher standards in terms of arts than Singapore.

High brow? High art? That's a highly snobbish remark from somebody that has totally missed the point of having an arts facility here. You've got to understand that no amount of money spent on hardware is going to make Singapore more "artistic". Not even 600 million. I don't think the late Mr. Ong Teng Cheong had that in mind too when he proposed the project.

What makes you think that good art form has to be performed in good acoustically prepared durians? Why can't a street performer be considered an artist? The combined seating capacity of the 2 durians is less than 4000. Do you think the Esplanade can survive on that? Don't be naive.

How do you promote art? You don't build a monstrous building with the latest of eveything hoping that everything will get better. It will not. Promoting arts is about popularising art itself to the masses, irregardless of where, how and what, tuxedo or not. Of course, I'm not disputing the need for dress code for various events again.

What you see is as always, the surface of things. You don't look deep enough to see the reasoning as to why thing happen and in this case, do not happen. Of course, I'm looking this point as a photographer because I think by disallowing photos taken at a venue designed to promote arts is ironic and ridiculous and ironic. I also see this as an architectural student and question what the building is really about. Is it for the elite few? Then its doomed to fail. Like it or not.
 

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