Tembusu College Inaugural Dinner

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At a gala dinner celebrating the inauguration of Tembusu College, our Rector, Prof Tommy Koh awarded the first Honorary Fellowship to noted philosopher and historian of science Prof Sir Geoffrey Lloyd.

Sir Geoffrey is the former Master of Darwin College, Cambridge University, and is currently Senior Scholar at Cambridge’s Needham Research Institute. At the dinner celebration, he gave a brief speech on the collegiate way of life, with advice for the success of the college based on his experience as a Master.

Besides Sir Geoffrey and Lady Lloyd of Cambridge University, other distinguished guests present at the event included the NUS senior management, fellows and staff members as well as the 50 students of the Tembusu College pilot programme.

Speaking at the event, NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan congratulated Tembusu College on its progress so far; and its Rector Prof Tommy Koh shared his hopes for the college’s future.

Master’s Tea with Dr. Rethy Chhem

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Dr. Rethy K. Chhem joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (of the United Nations) in November 2008. He is currently the Director of the Human Health Division (Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Medical Radiation Physics and Radio-oncology).

The division conducts hundreds of programmes in developing countries in the fields of radiology, nuclear medicine, medical physics, radio-oncology and nuclear sciences/nutrition. Dr. Chhem also serves on the Steering Committee of the IAEA/WHO joint programme for Cancer Control. He represents the IAEA at UNSCEAR (UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation)

Work In Progress Seminar with Dr. Catelijne Coopmans

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Topic: Eyes That Tell Stories

Speaker: Dr. Catelijne Coopmans

Abstract: Recently, the Red Dot Design Museum housed an exhibition called Eyes That Tell Stories. At its centre were fourteen artistically rendered iris scans of well-known Singaporeans, among whom Lee Kuan Yew, Gurmit Singh and Eunice Olsen. Visitors to the exhibition were invited to discover the ‘story’ behind each eye, and also to reflect on the importance of eye health and eye research. In my talk, I will share my analysis of this exhibition, and its relevance to my ongoing study of how eye researchers in Singapore provide clinical eye images with new uses and meanings. In particular, I will highlight how the exhibition demonstrates our collective investment in ‘seeing’ as a way of knowing and understanding – as well as some of the ironies that lie therein.

Fellow’s Tea with Mr. Kenny Png

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Tembusu College Fellow’s Tea

Speakers: Kenny Png

Date: Wednesday, 5th October 2011

Venue: Master’s Common Lounge,

Level 3, Residential Block

Time: 4pm

A chronic liar, Kenny Png has left his boot print in over 70 cities across 20 countries in his search for the ultimate wooden nose. His yarn spinning (mis)adventures include Megastructures (National Geographic Channel), Jewels Of The World (Discovery, 3D3Net) and Hidden Cities (History Channel) as well as nonsensical videos that have butchered the works of indie musicians like Sajid And The Lost Boys (India) and MC Sha Zhou (China).

Highly pretentious at heart, his cross-medium doodling has found unwitting audiences at exhibitions such as SFX Radio (Seoul) and Sexpressions (Hong Kong) while his attempts at musicality (as heard on album releases by bands such as Meltgsnow, In Each Hand A Cutlass and Chinese gothic punk band, La’ Dies) can best be described ear ringing dis-chord to say the least.

His latest triumph is to have been credited as co-author (with Jeremy Fernando) of On Happiness which he believes may help get him rich as a self-help guru.

Fellow’s Tea with Mr. David Medalla

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Tembusu College Fellow’s Tea

Mr. David Medalla

4pm, Thursday

3rd November 2011

Master’s Common Lounge,

Level 3, Residential Block

Refreshments will be served.

Only 30 seats available!

Please register at dev-tembusu-nus.pantheonsite.io

David Medalla is constantly shifting his strategies and media; when one thinks one has him pinned down as a situationist, a surrealist, or a conceptualist, one is stumped as he continues to endlessly conceive other fantastic, often unrealisable schemes. Fairly unknown to the forefront, he is an icon of an artist who has made no clear distinction between his art and his life. David Medalla’s work stretches back to the sixties when he co-founded Signals Gallery in London and presented international kinetic art, among other art forms. He initiated the “Exploding Galaxies” which mediated relationships between international artists and was a pioneer in participatory art, his work highly resonated with (was highly influential in) the works of Conceptual artists from Brazil (Tropicália/Tropicalismo movement with Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica) the Exploding Galaxies.

Aside from his deeply rooted underground core work on the avant-garde scene of London, he became increasingly known for a series of works he did entitled, “Cloud Canyons”: thick bubbles that slowly come from a central machine which produces random shapes that glisten like rainbows when perceived by light. His work was included in Harald Szeemann’s exhibition ‘Weiss auf Weiss’ (1966) and ‘Live in Your Head: When Attitudes Become Form’ (1969) and in the DOCUMENTA 5 exhibition in 1972 in Kassel. Marcel Duchamp honoured him with a ‘medallic’ object, as a tribute to his name. In 1997, he was a DAAD artist in Berlin. Very recently, he has exhibited at the New Museum in New York where the curator hailed his “Cloud Canyons No. 14” as an iconic sculpture in Contemporary Art.

To view Medalla’s works, see:
Mousse Magazine
Veneer Magazine

 

Work In Progress Seminar with Dr. John van Wyhe

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Topic: Apocalypse now! Evolution discovered in 1850s South East Asia
Speaker: Dr. John van Wyhe

Abstract:
I am writing a semi-pop book on A.R Wallace’s journey to Singapore and South East Asia, between 1854-1862, where he discovered evolution (independently of Darwin). I will discuss the outline of the book as I currently envision it and how the book continues to evolve and some sneak peaks at some new discoveries. The writing and research for the book are ongoing day by day so this is very much a work in progress!

Performance Art Workshop by Lynn Lu

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This performance art workshop by Lynn Lu with Tembusu students’ explored various themes of:

  • What does it mean “to be here, right now”?
  • What does it mean to inhabit this sentient body of ours, with all of its functions, impulses, rhythms, baggage, energies, and boundaries, and to share some rudimentary similarities with other sentient beings?
  • What are some pre-reflexive ways by which my body communicates with yours?

Most artworks come into being in the privacy of the artist’s studio and only appear to viewers as a finished product. Let’s explore how live art involves its audience from the first moment of manifestation, and in the very act of its creation.

Bio
Lynn Lu is a visual artist from Singapore. Trained in USA, France and Japan, she completed her PhD in Australia. Since 1997, Lynn has exhibited, performed, and lectured extensively throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Lynn is the recipient of numerous awards, commissions, and scholarships from Carnegie Mellon University, the Ucross Foundation, Singapore National Arts Council, the Lee Foundation, and the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Lynn lives and works in London, and is an Associate Lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London and Southampton Solent University.

Freshmen Orientation 2011

The first ever orientation held at NUS UTown, Tembusu Freshmen Orientation 2011 marked the beginning of the students’ residence at Tembusu College.

The orientation brought an estimated 200 freshmen, 70 seniors, and another 100 orientation group leaders (OGLs) together. The immersive orientation programme saw students participating in team-building activities and forging life-long friendships over the 4 days.