Platform x Pera in Istanbul

Back from Istanbul and finally found some time to write. Attended the ‘Singapore Unseen’ exhibition opening in Istanbul in early April. If you’ve read my previous entry, you’d know that this is one of the biggest, if not biggest!, overseas Singapore photography show ever, and it was one that I had the honour of planning alongside curator Kay Chin and my fellow production manager Juliana. 

It all started with a text message from Kay Chin inviting us to a meeting with renowned architect Tan Kay Ngee, who’s based in both Istanbul and Singapore. Working together with a stellar A*team in writers Yu-Mei Balasingamchow and Justin Zhuang, and advisors Lindy Poh and Tan Shir-Ee also made things a lot smoother. 

But the biggest deal for me was really seeing all these plans come to fruition. From Kay Chin’s makeshift styrofoam model of the museum space and our mini print outs to the real deal in Pera museum. The prints were stunning and the video projections added depth to the show. 

As much as we came on board as production managers for this show, Juliana and I also learnt a whole great deal from this process too. Prior to this show, I was one of the producers for Platform’s Twentyfifteen.sg exhibition at Esplanade. Still very green at that time but decided to dive into the deep end and embrace the steep learning curve. Came into this show a little more experienced but always something new to learn each time. And this is what I always remind my students too - that learning can and will happen anywhere as long as you’re opened to it. 

Not sure if and when we’ll have another Singapore photography show of this scale overseas so if you’re in Istanbul the next couple of weeks, swing by Pera museum and check it for what it’s worth. 

(Photos by Tay Kay Chin, Samuel He and myself)