Speech By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister Of State, Ministry Of Information, Communications And The Arts, And Health

Speech By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister Of State, Ministry Of Information, Communications And The Arts, And Health At The Opening Of The “From The Beginning” Photographic Exhibition Organised By The Photographic Society Of Singapore And The Embassy Of Israel On Thur, 15 December 2005, 7.20pm At Loke Wan Tho Gallery, Selegie Arts Centre

His Excellency Ilan Ben-Dov, Israeli Ambassador to Singapore
Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Honorary Chairman, Photographic Society of Singapore,
Mr David Tay; President, Photographic Society of Singapore,

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen

Good evening,

1. It is with great pleasure that I join you for the opening of “From the Beginning” photography exhibition. This evening’s event is especially significant, in that this is a first-time collaboration between the Photographic Society of Singapore and the Embassy of Israel.
   
   

   Photography as an Art Form

2. To me, photography is a unique form of art. Not many of us may find it natural to express ourselves through drawings or paintings, but many of us do so through photography. I think you will all agree with me that it does not require much training to operate a camera, at least for our everyday photographs. As some advertisements would proclaim, you only need to “point and shoot”. However, to be able to take a good picture is another matter all together. It definitely requires a very high level of artistry and imagination, as well as being at the right place at the right time.
3. As an art form, p hotography is widely recognised for its unique ability to capture and present aesthetic realism to viewers. Like other forms of artistic expression, photography is a powerful medium that is able to transcend social, cultural and language barriers. Thanks to the continued advancement of digital photography technology, which has been pivotal in accelerating the growth and excellence in the digital media field, photography is poised to become even more popular in future both in Singapore and the international arena.
   
   

   Photography in Singapore

4. Singapore 's photography scene has experienced strong growth, particularly in recent years. The number of photography exhibitions has doubled in the last four years. Societies such as yours – the Photographic Society of Singapore, have contributed significantly to this growth. Your society has played an active role in bringing photographic techniques and knowledge to your members while contributing to the “buzz” in Singapore , as we work towards becoming a Global City for the Arts. You, as a society, have gone one step further by engaging the diplomatic community, in this case the Israel Embassy, to bring the photography, as a form of art, even closer to the general public. This is a commendable effort.
5. Your Society’s recent photo book project “To Singapore With Love”, produced to commemorate our 40 th year of nation building, featured high-quality winning entries on life in Singapore by both amateur and professional photographers. This shows that we certainly have no lack of photography talents in Singapore . Through the Cultural Medallion award, the National Arts Council recognises the artistic accomplishments of our photography talents. For example, Mr Teo Bee Yen won the 2004 Cultural Medallion. We also have no lack of young photography talents – Mr Ken Seet Thiam Wui won the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award in 2003.
   
   

   “From the Beginning” Photography Exhibition

6. It leaves me to congratulate the Photographic Society of Singapore, Ambassador Ilan and the Embassy of Israel for organising this photo exhibition by internationally renowned Israeli photographer Ms Shai Ginott. I am sure all of us look forward to viewing her “From the Beginning” exhibition, and marveling in her stunning artistic creations, which capture spiritual landscapes and man’s encounter with nature. Today’s exhibition is also an excellent platform to promote both photographic art and intellectual exchange between the people of Israel and Singapore . It is said that “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Without further ado, I shall let you discover and be enthralled by Ms Ginott’s fine works, the artistry of which speak for themselves.
7. I am pleased to declare the exhibition officially open. Thank you.