A journey to a different world awaits visitors at the latest big contemporary art exhibition at the ArtScience Museum, “New Eden: Altered Scientific Fiction Myths.” Premiering globally on October 21, this exhibition will offer a fresh perspective on the science fiction genre by featuring 24 female artists and collectives from Asia whose works are inspired by the history and culture of the region.
Curated by the ArtScience Museum, “New Eden” blends the narratives found in Western literary and cinematic science fiction with ideas rooted in Eastern spiritual traditions that have evolved over thousands of years. This exhibition explores the harmony between speculative concepts in science fiction and ideas deeply ingrained in the spiritual frameworks of Asia, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism, and the diverse belief systems of Southeast Asia.
The exhibition also challenges the historically Western-dominated science fiction genre, which has often been male-dominated, by highlighting the diverse voices of women artists, including Cao Fei, Patty Chang, Lee Bul, Mariko Mori, Moon and Jeon, Sputniko!, and The House of Natural Fiber.
Featuring nearly 70 contemporary artworks, historical artifacts, and film excerpts, “New Eden” highlights the relationship between the imagination of science fiction and Asian philosophy and mythology. Drawing connections between popular science fiction concepts like parallel universes, interdimensional travel, and transcendence, which have strong roots in Asian philosophy, “New Eden” suggests that many science fiction metaphors may have originated in Asia.
“New Eden launches an exhibition at the ArtScience Museum that explores science fiction. While science fiction has been an intriguing topic in the art world in recent years, it is rarely approached from an Asian perspective and through the works of women. ‘New Eden’ changes this narrative. This exhibition is a large interdisciplinary exhibition that delves into the intersections between science fiction and Asian spiritual philosophy through the creative practices of Asian female artists and collectives. The exhibition moves between ancient mythology, contemporary art, and postmodern cinema, celebrating the dream worlds, future visions, and fantastic realities of Asian artists, showing that women and alternative aspirations call for a more inclusive future,” said Honor Harger, Vice President of the ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands.
Curated by Gail Chin, Joel Chin, Adrian George, and Honor Harger from the ArtScience Museum, “New Eden: Altered Scientific Fiction Myths” is organized into eight chapters.
