Introduction

When the World Stops Turning

<When the World Stops Turning> explores mourning, commemorating, remembering, and recording death through artistic inquiry. The project evokes the pandemic, a time when the world seemingly stopped, while symbolizing the profound grief experienced by those who have lost loved ones.

Seventeen curators and artists from Korea and Singapore participated in this KOFICE-supported initiative in 2023. They addressed various forms of death, including the pandemic, focusing on human dignity and sharing ways to heal from loss and pain.

In 2024, exhibitions in Singapore and Seoul engaged audiences from both countries. The project aims to counter the exclusion, hostility, and alienation exacerbated by the pandemic and to propose alternative futures.

Participant

The Korea-Singapore Exchange Cooperation Group (KOR)

The Korea-Singapore Exchange Cooperation Group was established to implement the Korea Arts Council's International Arts Joint Funding Program [Korea-Singapore International Exchange Program] in 2020-2021. Kim Jyeong-yeon, the leader of the group, was selected as the chief facilitator of the ARKO side of the project and experimented with the possibilities of international exchange activities in the pandemic era with the cooperation of the Korea Arts Council and the National Arts Council of Singapore (NAC). The Korea-Singapore Exchange Cooperation Group presented the art and technology project "Invisible Cities" and participated in the NAC's project "Pluritopia".

Starch (SGP)

Starch is an artist-run space to encourage creativity, experimentation, and conversations. Since its inception in 2021, the space has become a hub for collaboration and exploration of various forms of exhibition-making. Starch was created to foster critical discussions, while also promoting care and support for artists and creative practitioners. Located in Tagore Lane, Starch has hosted numerous exhibitions and open studios, including after/party - which was a part of Singapore Art Week 2023 - and Inheritance of Parts, which featured the works of talented artists such as Irfan Kasban. The space has received recognition from various publications such as Financial Times UK, Monocle magazine, etc.