The Future of Us

Posted on January 26, 2016 by He Shuxin

I went to The Future of Us exhibition a week ago. It was promoted and shared on Facebook and there is a particular respond that prompted me to go book a ticket fast. Someone actually said,” The Future of Us shall stay but not the exhibition!” This statement pressed my urgency button and the next moment I was there all geared up ready to experience something great!

The Future of Us exhibition claimed multi sensory experience and in my understanding, it means it involves all our senses: see; touch; smell; hear; taste or more. For a while, I began to associate multi sensory experience to the likes of the Transformer Ride at the Universal Studio. The feeling is pretty awesome if you have taken that ride before. You experience 3-D imagery; movement; surround sound; vibration and even explosion in front of your face. That is the multi sensory experience that I know! Perhaps this is a bit off the map. Maybe something like the world you see in the movie Avatar would be equally impressive if our future environment looks like that. I wouldn’t mind if this is not the real deal.

The reality, however, is not anything like what I described but merely something similar to a polytechnic multimedia open house but just on a larger scale. The exhibition is more of a multimedia presentation at most combined with a touch of Science Center’s gadgets plus a few ‘high-tech’, mega size lookalike HDB flats that reminded you of visiting the HDB Hub! The content of the exhibition is not something alien or very futuristic that will send a ‘WoW’ here and there but gives you the impression that you don’t even have to step out of your house to work; play; learn; buy grocery or attend any function. Just imagine that our grandfathers who once lived in kampong and had embraced the ‘kampong spirit’, the future of us is the total opposite of this. Our future is ‘Ultimate Isolation’! The shopping malls are located not next, but within your apartment. You don’t have to attend a cooking class physically but your teacher will still mark your attendance because the projected hologram of yourself has attended the class. You can also experience the force of the Jedi! Raised your palm, the lights will turn on; palm facing downwards the light becomes dimmer; wave your hand in a circular motion and you hear classical music; do everything at combo and fast speed and you will see smoke coming out from the device (joking of course). These are just a few interesting example among others.

I may sound sarcastic but there is one that is worth praising. This is the best part. Nothing fanciful but plain swings for everyone to enjoy. That is the only place you see adults became a child and swinging happily away. There is a catch though. Everyone will need to swing as hard as they can to power up a generator that will puff out a foamy stuff! “ROAR” (sound) coming out from a constructed lion… Perhaps this is the multi sensory experience they are talking about!

The Future of Us exhibition is still worth a visit in my opinion. It is not all disappointment for me though it doesn’t live up to my expectation. I returned home feeling satisfied because I have gathered some potential ideas for my cartoon jokes. But seriously, is this the future for us? Do we really desire such a future? I don’t have the answer.

The Present Us

The Future of Us

Less Perfect World

Posted on January 21, 2016 by He Shuxin

Let say we all live in a perfect world. In the perfect world there are a perfect you and me and we are known as the perfect being. How does this sound to you? It sounds to me that we must be living in some sort of paradise that is without hated and sufferings.James Leong & Franken Doll’s Perfect World Today points towards Artificial Intelligence (AI) living with us. In The Future of Us exhibition, it seems that Singapore is moving towards this direction as well except that it (exhibition) is far away from anything perfect.

Start thinking now how is it like to be perfect then? Then think about the people you know who have a perfect career but may not have a perfect love-life; the perfect beauty may not have the perfect hubby and the list goes on. It is very hard to imagine the criteria to be perfect unless you have something to compare with. Maybe when we all lived in a perfect world one day, we won’t say the perfect word anymore!

Perfect Pet

Perfect Granny

Perfect Boss

Perfect Son

Perfect World Today

Posted on January 21, 2016 by He Shuxin

Authors: James Leong & Franken Doll

Perfect World Today is a series of 8 preludes, culminating in the epic Perfect World Saga. The story is about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays an important role in the human society. The authors viewed human being to be unreliable at times of need and the existence of an AI, whether they are in the form of a human or a software, makes peoples’ life manageable and breathable. The story reflects on peoples’ dependence on AI not just as a helper, but as a member of a family such as your granny, son, pet, boss and even your lover!

I bought this comic book from James Leong & Franken Doll during the January Panelgraph’s meet. I must admit there is an urge to support fellow artists in our comics industry but what really makes me open my wallet is the art on the cover page. I am curious. I am curious what is the story behind those lovingly, heart warming and peaceful images. Frankly speaking, the images on the cover page is ‘disturbing’ to me when I first look at it. I love the art, no question about that. What disturbed me is the peaceful look on the child’s face (it reminds me of the Buddha when he is a young boy then) and his connection with the animals. Is the boy the main character in the story? Is he having some form of power to control the animals? Or perhaps the animals are his friend? I just want to know if my speculation is correct but as expected, you never know until you read it.

Perfect World Today is not the usual comic book you see on the book shelf. If you expect something entertaining and thrill to read, this is not the book you are looking for. If you think this is a story about a few animal friends in the human world, I think that shall disappoint you as well. If you want some thought provoking story that is challenging to the brain, yes, you come in to the right store!

The story has a surreal touch which may throw you back into the nostalgic 50s/60s setting of the western world in my opinion. It do has a feel of futuristic content (if you are in the 50s/60s era) that is not so advance in our digital age. Perhaps this is the beauty of Perfect World Today. It makes me realised that there is a perfect world for each generation to come. Perfect World Today is James Leong & Franken Doll interpretation of their perfect generation. What is a Perfect World for us then? I am looking forward to an answer in their next book.

Motivation for the elderly

Posted on January 12, 2016 by He Shuxin

Recently, I met up with my insurance agent for a thorough review of my insurance policies. I asked him does I have enough coverage. He told me that when I reached the age of 60, I should have at least half a million dollars either in saving alone or together with the life plan that I bought, it should generate about that amount. Half a million dollars isn’t enough at all! He told me if I want to retire comfortably, I should have at least one million dollar by then! I was blanked for a while.

The question here is how much is enough? What is our need when we aged? Lots of Money, Health, Happiness, a Life…or a little of everything? Let says we have the money, then what are you going to do with your money? Imagine yourself in the shoe of a 80 years old man/woman. Would your motivation be travelling? Fulfilling your dream? Buying a big house for your grandchildren? Learning a skill or… Maybe we can ask around the next time we make friends with some elderly folks.

New Year Resolution 2016

Posted on January 6, 2016 by He Shuxin

My recent holiday retreats has allowed me to reflect on my life in these past years. What have I done? What have I missing out? As an art instructor teaching cartooning and fine arts, I am constantly aiming for mastery in the area of teaching (crafting and delivery of lesson) and has taken steps to upgrade myself. In the past years, I have enrolled in diploma and certificate courses that is related to art teaching such as Specialist Diploma in Art Education (NIE-NTU) as well as courses and talks that is related to teaching arts for special need chiildren (SSTI). Tonight I shall be attending a new course, Teaching The Arts in an Early Childhood Environment, conducted by Seed Institute.This is a three month certificate course that shall allow me to understand more on teaching arts to preschoolers between the age of 4 to 6 years old. Thank you NAC for the heavy fee subsidy in all the courses I have enrolled, without which, the course fees itself can piled up to an easy10K!

As an art educator, it is necessary for us to build our teaching portfolio and gain enough teaching experiences and knowledge in the field of art education. However mastery of skills in the area of fine arts and cartooning is also important. This is the second portfolio that teaching artists like us should have! These are the areas I need to work at and the year 2016 is the perfect time to do so. The direction is set and I have resolved most of my mental cluttered, what that is needed to be done is to DO IT.

Action is LOUDER than Words