The Making of the New Silk Roads

About the Photographer

Ho, Tzu Nyen

Singaporean, b. 1965

Ho Tzu Nyen’s interdisciplinary practice reexamines myth and history, particularly that of his home country of Singapore. Ho Tzu Nyen questions the veracity of history and its role in the construction of a collective cultural identity in the present. Singapore has a complex past, having only been an independent nation since 1965, with many years of occupation since its believed discovery in the 14th century. Ho addresses important turning points in the story of Singapore, oscillating between theatrical and immersive works.

His video, “The Making of New Silk Roads” (2009), was created for the Symposium of the same name presented by ArtHub Asia. The aim of the symposium was to bring together international artists, scholars, and experts in the field of art and culture to discuss the recent rapid development across Asia and how it affects the cultural landscape of the continent. The organizers see the ancient trading route of the Silk Road as a metaphor for the cross cultural dialogues occurring across Asia. Each participant, including Ho Tzu Nyen, presented an artwork during the course of the symposium addressing the idea of Asian cultural circulation.

Ho Tzu Nyen completed a BA in Creative Arts from Victorian College of the Arts at the University of Melbourne (2001) and an MA in South East Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore (2007). Ho Tzu Nyen has shown his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. Solo exhibitions include: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan (2012); 54th Venice Biennale, Italy (2011); Contemporary Art Center of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia (2007). Selected group exhibitions include: the Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA (2013); Hong Kong Arts Center, Hong Kong (2012); Art Metropole, Toronto, Canada (2012); National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan (2012); Tate Modern, London, U.K. (2010); Center Pompidou, Paris, France (2007); Singapore Biennale, Singapore (2006); Institute of Contemporary Art, London, U.K. (2005).