Charles Lim Yi Yong, SEA STATE, 30 April - 10 July 2016, Exhibition View, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Courtesy of NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
Projects
SEA STATE
2005 - Present
Charles Lim Yi Yong, SEA STATE, 30 April - 10 July 2016. Exhibition View. Courtesy of NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
Charles Lim Yi Yong, SEA STATE, 30 April - 10 July 2016. Installation view, SEA STATE 2: as evil disappears (Sajahat Buoy), Encrusted navigational buoy in transit. Courtesy of NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
Charles Lim Yi Yong, SEA STATE, 30 April - 10 July 2016, Exhibition View, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Courtesy of NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
Charles Lim Yi Yong, SEA STATE, 30 April - 10 July 2016, Installation view, SEA STATE 3: inversion (2014), 3D sand print of the inverted seabed of Singapore based on various GSP1 charts published by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Charles Lim Yi Yong, SEA STATE, 30 April - 10 July 2016, Installation view, SEA STATE 2: as evil disappears (Pulau Sajahat) (2014), Framed GSP1 charts highlighting GRID 0124, 108.5cm x 760cm; and 123cm x 890cm. Courtesy of NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore.
From the artist:
"SEA State is a series of ten chapters which was initiated in 2005 with the premise of inverting perceptions of sea and land in the island city-state of Singapore.
It explores the biophysical, aspirational and cerebral contours of the Southeast Asian city through the visible and invisible lenses of the sea. Its structure is inspired by the World Meteorological Organization's code for measuring sea conditions, which numbers the varying states ranging from calm, to moderate, to the phenomenal.
Considered together, SEA STATE is an index of this extreme oscillation and a call to attention. Created by maritime trade, both colonial and modern, Singapore has found itself at the center of global debates surrounding resource use, climate change and territorial sovereignty. Its architectural solutions, from the reclamation of land from the sea to devising undersea caverns, form paradigmatic examples - absolutely singular yet potent prototypes for managing and navigating these challenges.
SEA STATE converges these debates into the transnational space of the sea as it incites responses, contexts and dilemmas, then, of this time, our time." [1]
Check out SEA STATE here.
[1] Charles Lim Yi Yong, “Seastate.sg,” seastate.sg, accessed February 22, 2024, https://www.seastate.sg/.
Biography
Charles Lim Yi Yong (b. 1973, Singapore) investigates the complex interplay between artificial infrastructures, environmental impact, and geopolitical dynamics, ultimately offering viewers a profound understanding of the multifaceted connections between humanity and the sea. His experience as a professional sailor brings a unique perspective to his artistic practice. After representing Singapore in the 1996 Olympics, Lim studied Fine Art in London and has since exhibited widely across Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Lim's early collaborative project, tsunamii.net, showcased at dOCUMENTA 11 in 2002, unveiled the hidden submarine infrastructure supporting global computer networks. The artist's interest in the relationship between the physical and virtual realms is evident in his piece, "Alpha 3.9: Silent Clap of the Status Quo" (2016), which explores the installation and repair of undersea telecommunications cables, crucial components facilitating global connectivity. Lim's exploration of the sea challenges cultural perceptions, highlighting its significance in the distribution of global resources and as a space subject to political and economic forces. His ongoing SEA STATE series, initiated in 2005, delves into the political, biophysical, and psychic dimensions of Singapore through the lens of the sea. This extensive project explores the impact of human activity on the maritime environment, examining the intersections of nature, technology, land, and sea. Lim's artistic endeavours extend beyond traditional mediums, incorporating film, installation, sound, text, drawing, and photography.
His films were screened in Rotterdam, Beijing, Tribeca and The Lincoln Centre. He won a ‘Special Mention’ award at the 68th Venice Film Festival in 2011. Lim participated at documenta 11, Kassel, Germany (2002); Manifesta 7, Trentino – Alto Adige, Italy (2008), Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai, China (2008); 20th Sydney Biennale, Sydney, Australia (2016); Aichi Triennale, Aichi, Japan (2016); EVA International, Limerick City, Ireland (2016) and the Busan Biennale, Busan, South Korea (2020). In 2015, Lim represented Singapore at the 56th Venice Biennale with SEA STATE 7.
Charles Lim. Photography by Toni Cuhadi. Image courtesy of STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.
Selected Exhibitions
Selected Solo/Duo Exhibitions
2024 Simryn Gill & Charles Lim Yi Yong: The Sea is a Field, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
2022 Charles Lim Yi Yong: Staggered Observations of a Coast, STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, Singapore
2016 SEA STATE, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, Singapore
2015 SEA STATE, Venice Biennale, Singapore Pavilion
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 SEA STATE, Istanbul Biennale
2020 SEA STATE 8: Polymath, Busan Biennale
2017 Gridded Currents, Kujke Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2016 20th Biennale of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Selected Awards
2011 Special Mention for "All The Lines Flow Out", Venice Film Festival
