Archemist Blog
This is a space for my own architectural related musings. Sometimes it is about a movie, a book, a show, or even something that I’ve come across online. Happy reading!
Eternity: Understanding the weight of the word - a film review
There is a lot to like in the film (for myself at least). The pacing, script writing and editing of the film has lovely changes between scenes. The biggest impact the film had on me was the noticeable colour change between earth and the junction. Eternity opens with Larry and Joan as a bickering elderly couple driving to their children’s gender reveal party. The first impression sets a mundane muted scene, and it is only when Larry dies that we notice a distinct colour shift of deep and moody warm tones(I’m willing to bet that the remainder of the film was shot on Kodak film).
Materialists – Tipping between the scales of the head and heart
Celine Song’s Materialists is inspired by Song’s brief experience as a matchmaker, a past life that she thoroughly enjoyed too much that she had to step away to concentrate on her professional pursuit in the film industry. Having consumed many interviews on the making of the film (Modern Love being one of my favourites), I eventually find myself sitting in an intimate cinema around three Fridays ago, anticipating how the story would unfold..
Hidden Meadow - A picturesque dreaming
Four years after its opening, I’ve found myself on a bus towards West Kowloon, which unfortunately is a site that is still surrounded by a sea of construction, scaffolding and hoarding. Despite this, the travel to the museum was a straightforward one – an open atmosphere paved with grey tiles. It’s only when I walked slowly towards the walls that I immediately understood the narrative and the cultural reference tided towards the building façade.
NGV 2024-5: Kusama 草間 – a revision of her artistry
NGV’s latest exhibition celebrates the life and career of well-known and arguably one of the most Instagrammable artists within the contemporary art world - Yayoi Kusama. Showcasing over 100 pieces of work that captures the early origins of her artwork to what we know as the sea of infinite dots – this exhibition presents a welcoming surprise to those who only know Kusama in the later years, while for some, may feel as a level of repetition of her other exhibition back in Brisbane’s Art Gallery during 2018.
Past Lives : Chasing Closure through the lenses of what if’s in nostalgia
Past Lives dives into the ‘what if’’ of almost relationships and closure that many people often sought after. In this narrative, we are surrounded by three main characters: the sweethearts Na Young (also known as Nora, played by Greta Lee), Hae Sung (played by Teo Yoo) and Na Young’s husband Arthur (played by John Magaro). The film is anchored by the blossoming romance between Nora and Hae Sung that is cut short by external forces, and after a considerable time in between their own lives, the two friends reunite and answer unsaid questions that must have haunted them during their absence in communication. These are answered through awkward conversations that almost feel like small talk, added the cultural difference between the two allows the audience to see the inevitability of the outcome of this friendship.
NGV Triennial III - An explosion of the artists' pallet
With the theme Magic, Matter and Memory being the anchor for the commissioned artists’ brief – NGV triumphantly returns with another Triennial Exhibition (and one I look forward to every three years!) that shouts bigger, better and awe. In this third instalment – the characteristic of the installation feels cohesive in comparison to the previous. The collection this time feels more vibrant and as always reflective on society’s cultural and zeitgeist shift in the past couple of years. In essence – it is resemblant to an insight of the explosive moments during the artist’s creative process.
Democratising in Design Part III : Are you sure about the Bot?
A few months ago, by coincidence, I was finally introduced to the world of ChatGPT – or in layman’s terms artificial intelligence. It was in a writing workshop, where our tutor who was running lessons on copywriting demonstrated how he uses the infamous function to assist with their writing. While many of us left the class with laughs, the humour quickly simmered down to a sombre tone when many of us pondered about our future in writing.
Barbie Movie - A Film that I Observed
Last week, eyes coated in hot pink and armed with three Barbies and one Ken, I became a part of the pink-cladded audience to watch Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated. After all the intense marketing from the franchise that included Architectural Digest’s coverage of the captivating Barbie set to the two hundred plus Barbie Pink collaborated everyday products – I was anticipating that this movie would rewrite Barbie’s political rhetoric that has continually evolved. However, I later found myself watching the film but with exhaustion…
Girls' Generation 'Forever1' MV - A Review
For a K-Pop enthusiast who was first introduced to Girls’ Generation (SNSD), I thought it’d be fitting to write about SNSD’s comeback video. After all – who wouldn’t like to celebrate and reminisce on some of their highlights while sneaking in a tiny review of my thoughts on this glittery video?
Diary Archived in 35mm
I came across film photography near the end of my secondary studies. At that point, while I was still aspiring to be a costume designer (possibly for the Australian Ballet), my friend had introduced me to the mechanics of film photography. Added with film portrayals of people taking their analogue SLR’s and reading Susie Salmon* taking that photo of her mother in the morning - I slowly dreamed about obtaining these mechanical wonders someday.
It would be right before I decided to move to Hong Kong for my first job that film (or 35mm) would properly cement itself as my constant hobby. After an impulse decision to visit Hong Kong as a graduation trip, I took my family’s latest point and shoot with me and dragged my friend to Choi Hung Estate to fulfil that particular Instagram Photo. It didn’t take long for me to become enamoured with the process, and soon after working in my first job in my hometown - and after the hasty purchase of my trusty Canon Ae-1, as well as constantly being asked to get out of the house to explore what the neon city has to offer, it didn’t take long for it to become my preferred photography method.