Art as Res Publicae (SIFA 2017)

ITI Director T. Sasitharan and Board Member Tan Tarn How were discussants for Singapore International Festival of Arts' opening forum, Art as Res Publicae. Sasi also provided the closing speech for the evening. Other speakers included Reverend Miak Siew, Choo Zheng Xi, Dr June Yap, Alfian Sa’at, Imran Taib and Dr Ad Maulod.

"The responsibilities of the artist are clear. The highest responsibility of the artist is often to be irresponsible, to speak truth to power, to give voice to the voiceless, to say that which we are afraid to say, to cast out doubt, to believe in the common humanity of all mankind.

...When has there ever been a revolution that was caused by art? When has art ever deposed a king or a tyrant or a government or even a corporation? It has never happened, because truly, art can change nothing unless the people can take it to heart. Art can change people. People can change the world.” 

— T. Sasitharan

Photo courtesy of Singapore International Festival Of Arts 2017, image by Jeannie Ho