Less than six months until the opening of the SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now exhibition, the third pre-event was held on January 22nd and 29th with screenings of the Singaporean film Sandcastle (2010) and Malaysian film SEPET (2005). Multiple ethnicities, languages, and religions exist in both two countries which divided soon after their unification as a single country; differences that their inhabitants must face whether conscious or not. On the other hand, due to the different paths that each country has taken since their separation, the [social and personal] issues that have risen have taken different forms. The male and female protagonists in the two films are both around twenty years of age, a susceptible period in their lives, and their inevitable confrontation with issues of identity while threading their own stories of adolescence drew the audiences’ emotions. On the 22nd, a one-hour talk show was held that delved into topics surrounding art and performing arts using the films as an entrance. Mr. Takiguchi, one of the panelists, epitomized Sandcastle well, stating, “While watching the film, I could feel the difficulties that Singapore deals with; the burden of having to establish a nation by yourself, and of always having to establish your own identity.” This also applies to Malaysia, and it became clear from the discussion that these particular conditions permeated throughout various forms of [artistic] expression.

The SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now exhibition will include art from the ten ASEAN nations, and will be comprised of nine thematic chapters. Given the nature of the films, this screening program provided a reflection on Singaporean and Malaysian identities, raising the expectations for the exhibition itself.