The Sixth Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

208 Ho Tzu Nyen H the Happy Robot 2009 H is a happy robot who was born in a cardboard factory. We follow the journey of his life as he undergoes education and discovers the meaning of life, death and life after death. All that remains is a disk containing his memories — which are in the form of a film. Perhaps all that remains is art. — Ho Tzu Nyen Artist and filmmaker Ho Tzu Nyen premieres his new film H the Happy Robot in Kids’ APT. The film is a modern fable about the nature of technology, and is centred on the life story of a cardboard robot called H, who lives in an imaginary Singapore. The film is screened in a theatre resembling an oversized cardboard box, inviting children to join H in his world. RS Ho Tzu Nyen Singapore b.1976 H the Happy Robot (stills) 2009 High-definition digital video, single channel, colour, sound, 6:42 minutes, ed. of 3 / Commissioned for APT6 / Supported by the National Arts Council and Singapore Film Commission / Images courtesy: The artist and Tzulogical Films Gonkar Gyatso Funky Buddhas 2009 Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso’s Funky Buddhas is a large-scale installation featuring a display of cast white seated Buddha sculptures. Set in a semicircle, the arrangement of the Buddhas recalls the environment of temple sculpture and highlights Gyatso’s interest in Buddhist iconography. Children are invited by the artist to apply a set of readymade ‘puffy’ stickers to the white surfaces of the Buddha sculptures. The ubiquitous sticker is a signature feature of Gyatso’s practice. The sticker designs — as specified by the artist — feature a range of popular and familiar subjects for children, ranging from toys and symbols of love and happiness to milkshakes, fruits and pets. Over the course of the exhibition, the stickers will eventually cover the sculptures’ surfaces, highlighting the visual interplay of the Buddhas with the bright, colourful imagery of the stickers, and referencing the artist’s interest in the ways that contemporary culture continually absorbs new images and commodifies ideas. KR Gonkar Gyatso Tibet/United Kingdom b.1961 Childrens’ workshop, Funky Buddhas 2009, Gallery of Modern Art Commissioned for APT6 / Courtesy: The artist / Photograph: Katie Bennett