Dreaming With: Song-Ming Ang

In the lead up to the Triennial opening, our Dreaming With Q&A series provides an exclusive glimpse into the artists’ lives and studios.

Where have you been during the lockdown?
Mostly at home in Berlin. I also took many walks with my 2-year-old daughter searching for dandelions.

Is there anything you have found yourself cooking a lot of, and if so, would you be open to sharing the recipe with our readers?
Here’s a simple one you can do in 30 minutes—stir fry a chopped leek with seafood and/or fried tofu with a bit of garlic. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Serve with jasmine rice cooked with butter and vegetable stock.

What are you reading?
A poetry collection titled Actual Air by David Berman (RIP) and various synthesizer manuals. Very geeky, I know.

What music are you listening to?
Fiona Apple’s latest album Fetch the Bolt Cutters is amazing stuff. Otherwise, lots of experimental/electronic music—Sarah Davachi, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Beatrice Dillon, Ka Baird, Kelly Moran, and Lyra Pramuk.

Have you seen any particularly good digital exhibitions in the past few months?
I love this website that my artist-friend Michikazu Matsune made. He invited various artists to contribute instructional exercises for people to do at home during lockdown: www.performance-homework.work

What do you find yourself working on most during quarantine?
Taking care of my daughter in the day and making music at night when she’s in bed.

How has your studio practice changed in recent months?
I didn’t go much to my studio during lockdown as we have a young daughter at home, and I’m very happy to be back in my studio now that childcare is available again.

Have you created any art in response to the pandemic?
Not directly, but I’m sure the effects of the pandemic and current state of the world will seep into my artistic output in some way.

What artists most inspire you?
I wouldn’t say that they’ve directly inspired me, but I very much admire the work of Pak Sheung Chuen, Lyota Yagi, Tetsuya Umeda, Charles Lim, and Tan Pin Pin.

What are you most looking forward to about participating in the upcoming inaugural Asia Society Triennial?
Seeing how New York has changed since the last time I was there, which was a very long time ago (2010).

What do you most want viewers to take away from experiencing your work in the Triennial?
Not too sure…I’m afraid it’s really not something I think about in general. Some people will like it, some people won’t—and it’s okay either way. At the end of the day, my work has to meet my own standards so I find it more productive to concentrate on how to make the best work I can.

Has your perspective as an artist changed in the midst of the pandemic?
To be very honest, it’s still something I’m grappling with, so yes, but I can’t exactly enunciate what it is yet.

Are there any fun facts about your practice you would like to share with readers?
I wish this wasn’t true, but I can’t draw or paint or sculpt to save my life.