Sriwhana Spong in ‘Rituals of Perception’ at Tanoto Art Foundation, Singapore

Rituals of Perception gathers works born from intimate dialogues between body and matter, unfolding through slow, contemplative, and iterative processes. Against the backdrop of digital acceleration and collective disenchantment, the exhibition turns toward practices that reattune us to presence, where every gesture and touch becomes a quiet act of resistance against an increasingly dehumanised sense of time. Linking practices from over twenty international artists, the exhibition seeks a shared sensibility across geographies, especially in traditions where material history intertwines with personal stories and bodily knowledge.

At its core lies the notion of presentiment, an intuitive awareness that extends beyond rational understanding. Defined by philosopher Byung-Chul Han, presentiment does not concern only what is to come; it traverses the full expanse of temporality, revealing what already exists yet escapes articulation. Within this awareness, process and trace become vital, transforming abstract time into something both visible and felt. Through gestures of kneading, weaving, casting, folding, cutting, stitching, or even copying and pasting, the artists in Rituals of Perception embody the presentiment by dwelling within the temporal cyclicality of making. Their works invite viewers to pause, to linger, to inhabit a duration rather than move through it.

In these works, materials remember. Clay, cement, paper, and fibre—man-made or natural—are not inert substances but vessels of ancestral and societal histories. This awareness of material history invites a reimagining of perception. It asks us to consider how the body reads textures, weights, and atmospheres beyond cerebral functions, and how it recognises in plants or plastics something that precedes thought. Such recognitions become rituals that withstand the contemporary compulsion to perform and produce. In a world driven by speed, reflective perception is an act of reclamation.

Staged at Singapore’s New Bahru School Hall, the exhibition features works from the Tanoto Family Collection, loans and new commissions. Rituals of Perception is curated by Xiaoyu Weng, TAF Artistic Director. During the opening reception, artist Sriwhana Spong will present a new performance as part of her ongoing research, premiering in Singapore.

RSVP is required, please register here to attend.

Public Programmes

Opening performance: Sriwhana Spong, Bau-bau besom cling-clang (From out the sounding cells) with artist present
Wed, Jan 21, 5:00 p.m.

Docent tour
Sat, Jan 24, 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Sriwhana Spong, Bau-bau besom cling-clang (From out the sounding cells) with artist present
Sat, Jan 24, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Docent tour
Sat, Jan 31, 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Sriwhana Spong, Bau-bau besom cling-clang (From out the sounding cells) performed by Vivian Wang and local performers
Sat, Jan 31, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Sriwhana Spong, Bau-bau besom cling-clang (From out the sounding cells) performed by Vivian Wang and local performers
Sat, Feb 7, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Public programme on Sriwhana Spong
Sat, Feb 7, 4:00–5.30 p.m.

Docent tour
Sat, Feb 14, 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Sriwhana Spong, Bau-bau besom cling-clang (From out the sounding cells) performed by Vivian Wang and local performers
Sat, Feb 14, 3:00–4:00 p.m.

Docent tour
Sat, Feb 21, 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Closing event featuring multiple artists in conversation
Sat, Feb 28, 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Sriwhana Spong is represented in Aotearoa New Zealand by Michael Lett.

To find more exhibitions around the world by New Zealand artists, visit ArtNow.NZ