PRIMALFORCES
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PrimalForces is a platform initiated by Michael Tan to promote interaction bewteen people who enjoys making imagination works. It represents the language of creative courage, passion and inspiration.

PrimalForces welcomes artists, architects, creatives, film makers, musicians, writers, thinkers, culture maker, technologist .... to explore, tease and push the boundaries that has kept us from going astray.

Unleash the primordial force in you and be a light chaser!

PrimalForces invites you.

To discuss creative collaboration or curatorial interest please contact Michael Tan, PrimalForces at michael@primalforces.net

 

 

THE EPHIPHANY SERIES
Digital Photography, 2006

'Rhythm enters into the lived; though that does not mean it enters into the known.' - Henri Lefebvre

As a continuation of my interest to excavate the everyday to question our sensibility towards the familiar, this body of work aims to highlight the notion of rhythm in everyday life. Drawing on French urban theorist Henri Lefebvre's Rhythmanalysis, this project is an interplay between sociological theory and conceptual photographic practice. In a larger context, the work is a reflexive exercise that examines the symbiotic and synergistic relation between visual art and sociology; it encourages imagination. View selection of work.

 

>2007.07

Michael will present his photo installation, "The impossibility of recovering a whole" at the Singapore Art Museum as part of the Singapore Art Exhibition. The Exhibition will run from 3 August till 3 September 2007.

Part of Michael's work from the "Fleeting" Series will be presented at Galerie Hunchentoot in Berlin.

Secret Garden was shown at 'Video Killed the Painting Star', The Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.

>2006.06

Michael's video works 'Vibrato' and 'Vapor' showing at Invisible City - 7th Manifestation Internationale Video and Art Electronique Montreal, 2006. Event runs from 20 September - 1 October 2006 at the Grande Bibliotheque, Montreal, Canada.

>2005.12

Michael's photographic work 'Turbid Series No. 1' nominated and featured at 'Singapore Art Awards 2005', NAFA Gallery, Singapore.

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>2005.11

Michael participates in 'Voices from Singapore: Urbanity-4 Takes' in conjunction with 2005 DAEJEON FAST, Yuseong Arts & Culture Center gallery, Daejeon, Korea. Organised by The Singapore Art Museum.

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>2005.10

Michael's video 'Secret garden' prsented at SIGHT/ SITE Video Festival 2005, Ginza SOMIDO, Tokyo, Japan.

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>2005.09

Michael invited to participate at 1 st Pocheon Asian Art Festival, Pocheon City, Korea

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>2005.07

Michael participated in Labculture Singapore 2005, a residency program joint organised by PVA Media lab, UK and The Substation, Singapore.

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>2005.06

Michael presents new work at 'Convergence 2005', Ho Chi Minh Fine Art Museum

Michael participates in 'Convergence Artist Workshop' in Ho Chi Minh City conducted by Bluespace Contemporary Art Center.

Eyes Can't See, A solo Exhibition by Michael opens at The Substation Gallery, Singapore. Exhibtion runs from 10 - 17 June 2005

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>2004.09

Michael's video artwork "Night Watch" goes to "Desert - 6th Manifestation Internationale Video et Art Electronic Montreal 2004", Canada.

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>2004.07

Michael takes onTaipei as an international artist in residence at the Taipei Artist village.

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>2004.01

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Animal Farm, a communtiy intervention opens at Woodlands Regional Library.

2nd ICECA Thailand New Media Art Festival has invited Michael to showcase Night Watch and Distant for the event. The artist will also present a lecture on the his perspective of the state of New Media Art in Singapore. Event isfrom 20-28 March 2004.

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>2003.09

Michael has been invited to propose an intervention for Woodland, an Art Project for the Woodlands Library, Singapore organised by Singapore Art Museum, National Heritage Board.

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"Parasite", a mobile phone poposal involving artifical life by Michael, is selected as one of the 5 shortlisted project proposal at WIRELESS ART COMPETITION at RESFEST KOREA 2003.

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Michael collaborates with fellow artist/ designer Kiat, to develop a conceptual urban intervention proposal for Design Idea Competition, organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Singapore.

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SECRET GARDEN
Digital Video Projection, 2005

Secret garden is a tapestry of poetry woven by the use of moving images, spoken words and sound. The work investigates the emotive and poetic quality of video experiences to resituate space, and to transport the viewer's state of mind. In this instance, the artist seeks to conjure and evoke senses of intimacy, sensuality and eroticism and invites you through this experience, to enter the 'secret garden'. Work currently hosted on PVA Media Lab UK

THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF RECOVERING A WHOLE
Photographic Installation, 2005

167 slippers were found during an afternoon walk on the beach of Mui Ke Ga, Vietnam. As I picked them up they seemed to say " I Miss You" to the other half that was lost. This piece of work was a site-reactive project conceived at The Convergence Artist Workshop 2005 in Vietnam. The work threads my interest to employ photography as a critical tool to examine our sensitivity towards the ordinary of the everyday. Strangely, in their frozen state, these images revealed songs and triggered imaginations, beckoning us to deepen our reflection on our relationship and understanding of the dismissible.

PROLOGUE SERIES
Digital Prints Installation, 2004

They exist among us, very often, above us.
But because we operate with great linearity, we often miss them,
or rather ignore them.Time becomes paint.
Time creates.
The artist reflects.

This body of work seeks to capture the work of Time, on shelter fixtures found in various locations around the world to reveal the painterly and poetics occurrence on these unnoticed urban canvases. The works point us to a world forgotten.