Portrait of a Wag (2006)

21 x 25 cm, watercolour, graphite and bubblejet photoprint on paper

Hori Family circa 1969 (2006)

21 x 25 cm, watercolour and bubblejet photoprint on paper

...

“An overseer’s eye fell on the cage one day and he asked the attendants why this perfectly good cage should be left standing there unused with dirty straw inside it; nobody knew, until one man, helped out by the notice board, remembered about the hunger artist. They poked into the straw with sticks and found him in it. “Are you still fasting?” asked the overseer, “when on earth do you mean to stop?” “Forgive me, everybody,” whispered the hunger artist; only the overseer, who had his ear to the bars, understood him. “Of course,” said the overseer, and tapped his forehead with a finger to let the attendants know what state the man was in, “we forgive you.” “I always wanted you to admire my fasting,” said the hunger artist. ”We do admire it,” said the overseer, affably. “But you shouldn’t admire it,” said the hunger artist. “Well then we don’t admire it,” said the overseer, “but why shouldn’t we admire it?” “Because I have to fast, I can’t help it,” said the hunger artist. “What a fellow you are,” said the overseer, “and why can’t you help it?” “Because,” said the hunger artist, lifting his head a little and speaking with his lips pursed, as if for a kiss, right into the overseer’s ear, so that no syllable might be lost, “because I couldn’t find the food I liked. If I had found it, believe me, I should have made no fuss and stuffed myself like you or anyone else.” These were his last words, but in his dimming eyes remained the firm though no longer proud persuasion that he was still continuing to fast.”

from A Hunger Artist (1922)
Franz Kafka

Teaching a Fish the Alphabet (abridged)

Performance video made to premiere at the Indonesia International Performance Art Event (IIPAE, Jakarta), 7-9 December 2006.

K & A (2006)

Illustrated view of K & A at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Singapore (ICA) commissioned for the New Contemporaries exhibition curated by June Yap. 'New Contemporaries: The Second Dance Song' was a satellite event of the Singapore Biennale 2006.



K & A is the second collaborative work between Ahmad Abu Bakar and myself. Each of these potraits were 3 x 3 metres in size and situated at the entrance of the gallery. A pink K & A neon sign was placed on a wall in the middle of the gallery and could be seen from outside of the glass door.

Badang (2005)

"When embarking on this project, Ahmad Abu Bakar and Khairuddin Hori sought a collaborative methodology that would move away from a mere presentation of a collection of their individual works. The result is this singular installation as the culmination of dialogues and conversations between two artists from different generations who share a friendship and thus, certain common grounds and points of references, such as being Malay.

The exhibition project quickly became an excuse to explore the furthest realms where their minds could meet and its title refers to this common ground, alluding to the Malay legend of Badang, a royal slave who attained super-human strength after eating the vomit of a beast. Here, Badang is playfully positioned as an allegory of being an artist.

This then is an exhibition where the objects are, at best, testaments, but otherwise, indexes to a communication process as artistic exchange.

A video interview of the two artists is also presented within the exhibition space and provides glimpses of the artistic negotiations and rationale behind mounting the exhibition."

The Great Art & Craft Swindle (performance, 2006)

Performance lecture at the Comparative Contemporaries Conference that took place in October 2006 at The Substation in Singapore. Tearing up and shredding of Channels & Confluences, A History of Singapore Art by Kwok Kian Chow, published in 1996 by National Heritage Board & Singapore Art Museum. On its sleeve, this book is described as "the first fully-illustrated historical survey of Singapore art" and "a valuable reference to the art collector and art students alike" while "also an inspiring resource for artists and those who appreciate the fine art heritage of Singapore". No other book with such claims and ambitions has been published in Singapore.

Open SEA (2006)

Work by Patiroop Chychookiat (Thailand)



Work by Lynn Lu (Singapore/Tokyo)



Work by Sharon Chin (Malaysia)


"Open SEA (Southeast Asia), the first of what is designed as series of presentations on contemporary young artists and curators from Southeast Asia, aspires to bridge the enervated network between young contemporary Southeast Asian artists, curators and its audiences by informing each other’s creative tendencies and developments. In this inaugural exhibition at The Substation curated by Singaporean artist Khairuddin Hori, Open SEA presents Lynn Lu, Sharon Chin and Patiroop Chychookiat.

Open SEA primarily introduces these emerging personalities of Southeast Asian contemporary art through a showcase of their bio data and creative potential above the discussion of any particular artwork/s itself. For this reason, accompanied by original artworks, the exhibition plans to showcase documentations of their encounters with art.

In a collateral event on 5th August, public members are invited to spend a ‘day-out’ with the artists at the Wunderspaze studio. This ‘open’ 5-hour event where extreme ‘up-close’ experiences could be expected, departs from traditional formats of artist talks, forums or workshops employed to acquaint the public to artists’ creative thoughts and processes. Here, artists and participants could choose to view and share their favourite films, cook, play games, take a trip around the neighbourhood or simply share their personal experiences with art."


Artists' Day Out

I Want My F-16 (2006)

Installation at Warong M Nasir on Killiney Road, Singapore. Yes, F-16 refers to the American made fighter jets and yes, the exhibition has to do with minority issues in Singapore...

Anti-Social Painting (series, 2005-06)

Oil on canvas, 120 x 160 cm
One is a series of paintings made between mid 2005 - early 2006.

Babeliographia, New Sensation (2006)

Performance at Future of Imagination 3 (FOI, Singapore's International Performance Art Event) at The Substation gallery.

Babeliographia, I am Singaporean (2006)

Performed at 'Satu Kali', Malaysia's first international performance art event in Kuala Lumpur.

Spritual Idols (2005)

Performance at Queen's Gallery, Bangkok
26 November 2005
for Asiatopia 7/2005
International Performance Art Festival

Action

Duskin wears a typical white Islamic skullcap; Khai wears a traditional Jewish headdress. Both artists (idols) are topless, wearing only blue jeans. Labels on the front of the pedestal provide audiences with information of the idols’ actual identities.

"Khairuddin bin Hori
Singaporean
Muslim

Duskin Drum
American
Jew"

The idols sit cross-legged on top of a flight of stairs, facing each other surrounded by 100 shot glasses filled with red wine combined with pure-gold leaf (becoming an elixir). A sign on one of the steps says: "Instruction: Put your hand towards an idol for a shot of elixir."

They feed each other with shots of the elixir. Members of audience will be provided with a shot of the elixir via a tray whenever they approach and put a hand out towards any one idol or whenever one of the idols serves a shot towards them.

When an idol stands, the other follows. After a brief moment of standing, they will walk away signifying the end of action. Performance ends when all shots of elixir are consumed or when either one of the idols stands up.

Emancikazee (documentation of 'live' performance, 2004)

'Live' performance at Asiatopia 6 in Bangkok and Chiang Mai (Thailand, 2004). In the performance, audiences were invited to whip the performer a total of 100 times. For each whip, the voluntary collaborator also gets a 20 Thai Baht bill and a thin, pink, leather ornament which could become adorned as a bodily accessory (like a bangle or necklace).

45 Armenian (documentation of 'live' performance, 2004)

Performance with Kai Lam, Rizman Putra, Isrizal and Zulkifle Mahmod at the public opening of 45 Armenian, my solo installation/performance project at The Substation, Singapore (2004). This edit focuses specifically on my performance.

God You Are A Fake (solitary performance, 2003)

Documentation of the destruction of 44 pieces of woodcut prints in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2003).