The art of narrating geopolitics by Ho Tzu Nyen

Ho Tzu Nyen is a Singapore-born artist of great international fame. He works mainly with film, video and multimedia performances and installations. He is particularly interested in the theme of epic myths, in those moments in which contemporary figures imagine and invent the past to satisfy the needs of the present time. Drawing on existing footage, archival material and documentation, rearranged into abstract yet evocative images, his work makes palpable the complexities of Southeast Asian historical events, political ideologies, subjectivities and cultural identities. This latest exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo traces the trajectory of the artist's practice, presenting six film-based installations alongside one new work. The exhibition includes Ho Tzu Nyen's first video installation that challenges the modern narrative of Singapore's founding by tracing its pre-colonial origin to Sang Nila Utama, who is said to have named the land "Singapura" ("Lion City", in Sanskrit).