The shortlisted artists for the prestigious Benesse Art Prize were announced at the opening of the Singapore Biennale, and the award presentation will take place during Singapore Art Week 2017. Martha Atienza’s work is now on show at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).
Endless Hours at Sea is an exploration of the tempestuous emotional and psychological relationship humankind has with water. Seas and oceans have often been regarded as territories to be charted and conquered. Yet to actually voyage on watery expanses is to exist in a liminal space: always a ‘somewhere’ between leaving and arriving, and a ‘nowhere’ forever surrounded by ever-changing waters and weather conditions. This multimedia installation brings together material Atienza recorded from four oceanic journeys on cargo ships.
The work of Martha Atienza (1981, Manila, the Philippines) is sociological in nature, reflecting a keen observation of her immediate environment. She understands her surroundings as a landscape of people, first and foremost, and is currently investigating the usage of art as a tool for effecting social change and development. Atienza received her BFA from the AKI Academy of Art and Design in Enschede, the Netherlands in 2006.
Read more about the Singapore Biennale 2016
Website Martha Atienza
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Established at the Venice Biennale in 1995, the Benesse Prize aims to recognise the artistic activities of an outstanding artist (or artist collective) while supporting the winner’s future artistic practice. The winner will receive a commission to create a work to be exhibited at Benesse Art Site Naoshima and a cash prize of JPY 3,000,000 from Benesse.
