NLB: NOISE - Bearfruit Documentary Photography Showcase

The last time we heard about NOISE - Bearfruit, they were holding an illustrative exhibit at the National Library, one which we thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated. Naturally we were excited to hear they were holding yet another exhibit at the same location, this time for photography, and made a note to visit it once we were back in Singapore.

NOISE - Bearfruit Documentary Photography Showcase
30 April - 26 June 

National Library Building, Level 7

"(The results of) a four-part workshop organized by documentary photographer Jean Loo in October and November 2010, the exhibition displays the final projects of the 14 workshop participants, each work dealing with topics close to the hearts and minds of their creators, ranging from folklore Taoism to environmental conservation at Singapore's only landfill."

The exhibition looked a lot smaller than the previous illustrative showcase, but I guess that was just due to the layout of the exhibition space. It didn't take too long to go through the entire showcase. Each "wall" had three to six photos on it, and most of the photos were accompanied by the photographer's name and a little caption detailing the respective photos.

One of the photos which caught my attention: "The Japanese Top View Ranchu are commonly displayed in white basins for viewers to admire their beauty and grace." - Photo by Titus Ong

...I hate to say it, but I honestly wasn't very impressed by this exhibit. Maybe I just had higher expectations for exhibitions from NOISE - Bearfruit after their previous illustration showcase, but nothing in the Documentary Photography showcase held my interest for long; many of the shots looked amateurishly-taken and more than anything else looked like pictures you would see pinned to a notice board outside a primary school's art club. The captions for some of the photos, while obviously meant to be insightful, deep and meaningful, merely revealed the opposite. For an exhibit that was meant to showcase "rich narratives through photographic images and words", I wasn't feeling it - most of the photographs were pictures taken at home, of family or relatives, or of mundane aspects of day-to-day life. 

Except maybe these couple of photos, taken by Jamie Chan of the Indian Thaipusam. Body piercing and walking on fire aren't really mudane stuff.

Maybe I'm talking too much since I'm no expert in photography (heck, I just shoot whatever hits my fancy), but I was definitely expecting something more creative or more heartfelt than what I saw. I left the exhibit feeling really disappointed, and by the looks of it Michi wasn't leaving feeling too thrilled either. 

...on a brighter and less critical note, Bearfruit is organizing a couple of workshops that will take place in the National Library! The upcoming ones will be a Pastel Art Workshop organized by Ms Janice Chin (in English) and Mr Siew Hock Meng (in Mandarin), and a Miniatures Creation Workshop organized by Ms Cindy Teh. Make sure to sign up in advance at the NLB website if you're interested because spaces are limited and going fast!