The IB Art Exhibition is Here

This week the IB Art Exhibition has been set up at TISB. Starting from Monday morning and carrying on throughout the week, TISB’s 2021 batch of art students have, along with staff, been busy planning, moving big white boxes and material, hanging and placing out artwork along the corridor that wraps around the TISB main auditorium. We met up with Chanmin, the Grade 12 Art Prefects, to find out more about this year of art studies, and the impact of the global pandemic as well as distance learning. 

We loved and enjoyed viewers’ reactions and appreciation of our works – Chanmin, Grade 12 Art Prefect

The IB art exhibition has always been a dream goal for all of TISB’s art students. From past years, seeing their senior’s exhibitions, they have desired to make an exhibition that everyone would be amazed by. However, the 2020-2021 batch of 11 artists have had to deal with one, if not the most, unusual years for a TISB IB art student. This, of course, is because of the global Covid-19 pandemic, closure of the physical school and moving teaching and learning online. “In my personal opinion, I think art is one of the hardest subject to learn online”, says Chanmin who on the other hand thinks that they all have found ways to complete their tasks with tools that could be easily found at home, such as pen, pencils etc. 

Being an art prefect this year has been challenging, explains Chanmin, as she could not help students being right next to them and art often being a very hands-on subject. “Also, when an art competition was there, I did not enjoy looking at participants’ works through the screen, since I believe that the art work has greater impact when you actually observe them right with your eyes”, she explains, saying that she will try to do her best to conclude the year while being physically present in school. 

The pandemic became a very new, surprising and unexpected element for the art students – both in person and to their art works. “Personally, some of my art pieces are highly influenced by the situation and formed one complete art piece”, says Chanmin who thinks that despite of the struggle it might let them grow further as artists – allowing them to explore new fields and themes which relate to the pandemic.  

The exhibition has not been an easy work to get through. The students had to start by organising the space for everyone; putting up heavy art pieces, writing descriptions for each and every single piece, and figuring out which would be the best order for them to display their works in – creating the best synergy amongst each other. The best part, Chanmin explains, was that they got to present their skills and art pieces to public. “I am glad that we managed the exhibition this year despite of pandemic, so we can be very proud of ourselves”, she says, feeling that the exhibition is not just a simple event, but that it also concludes two years of effort and all the good memories it has given them.

This year’s batch of students are now being graded and are submitting their work to the International Baccalaureate Organisation. The artwork will remain in the art gallery for another week, and is open to students to come and view. A documentary, following process of preparations and curating of the exhibition, as well as individual presentations with the artists is on the way and will be published online soon.