On Friday night, Huanjie and Enid and myself went to the History Museum - how cool is that! - And we stumbled upon Eric's Khoo's film-screenings. It was part of the Asian Film Symposium.
Symposia have been happening everywhere. It is the latest happening of the elite artist-like crowd.
That night, we saw all the who's whos, or as H put it, the Khoo's whos. We sighted folks whom we saw at an earlier artsy symposium we went to - Arts in Education Now 2005. And of course, other folks who are naturally occurring the arts scene.
Well, we decided not to watch the show in the end - we had thought it was free, but, no. Not that we were being cheapo but we had initially thought it was free, so, cognitive dissonance and all that.
Anyway speaking of symposia, at the abovmentioned we last went, they mentioned that symposia were meant to be enjoyed with alcoholic indulgence while talking intellectually.
Currently I am reading Milan Kundera's 'Slowness', with great pleasure I might add, and he mentions symposia in the context of, a particular subject being highly suitable for one to be enjoyed among the various European literati.
I guess in his context, the symposium would hardly be boring.
In the book he broadcasts the concept, on behalf of someone he respects but who never publicised his viewpoint, that of politicians being like dancers. At that, I leapt in my heart. Because when I was reading HRM in uni, I chanced upon this concept of politicking being like dancing - making a show, looking good, narcissism at its pleasurable best. And when I wrote a piece of writing for my company website, I included this statement about the arts - dance like politicians. In our studio, there sits in our lounge, as part of our wall mural design, the same verse. It had finally come full circle. I found where that wonderful imagery came from.
Books are great. It is the one thing that will unite me with many I enjoy the company of.
We could have, symposia on books we love. With the alcoholic indulgence or without. Perhaps then, we shall call it, chilling out, a simple term, something that makes it sound less poser-ish, atas and dancer-like to the point of almost-nausea.
I feel that those who strive to relate to others through the medium of words should treasure simplicity and ordinary-ness as rare gems and constantly guard against being infected by poseurism and atas-ness.
ReplyDeleteAs Osamu Dazai wrote in one of his stories: "The artist is a friend to the weak. That's his first motivation and his ultimate goal."
One can hardly be a friend to the weak if one is trying so hard to be an aristocrat.
I guess it can't be helped sometimes, the elitist sort of behavioural tendencies these artists have.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the content of the arts, the intellectual nature, the sophistication.
Somehow talking about the arts makes anyone look like he were existing on a higher plane.
The effort these artists make in their work, like Eric Khoo's Be With Me, still warms my heart. I wonder If Eric is elitist. He looks all right. But personalities aside, I still love the arts that are being pushed by hard to the front by these folks.
Meanwhile, humble ones like you and i (how humble to make a claim like that, haha) will continue to a regular boy/girl who will live among regular folk, and hopefully our work will extend to the weak to bless and encourage wherever needed.