Singaporean artist Amanda Heng was honored with the 12th Benesse Prize, for her multidisciplinary project that explores memory and time. This multidisciplinary project involves participants in intimate conversations by revisiting Sheng’s seminal ‘Let’s Walk’ series first performed in 1999 – She uses walking as an act that generates reflections while testing her physical stamina limits and stamina limits while becoming aware of oneself through this physical practice.
The NUS Singapore History Prize recognizes works that deftly engage with Singapore’s history in an all-inclusive sense. It seeks to stimulate interest in this field among non-academic audiences and make Singapore’s rich historical legacy accessible and understandable for everyone.
This year’s ceremony took place at NTUC Center’s Stephen Riady Auditorium and was streamed live via social media. A jury comprised of publishing industry personalities and experts applauded each winner from poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction categories; Shelly Bryant who won poetry urged winning authors not to let victory slow them down or change their direction in writing.
She also applauded fiction writer Tan Wei Leng, for Gaze Back. This work she described as an important call for gender and linguistic reclamation while noting its “sassy confidence and universal appetite”.
As part of celebrating its sixth anniversary, this year’s NUS Singapore History Prize ceremony featured an increase in top-prize amount and introduction of a new Arts and Multimedia category that will alternate with Book category over six years. This will increase accessibility for more media forms that explore Singapore history more deeply.
Event attendees were also treated to an intimate video chat featuring Nobel laureates Steven Chu (physics), Angus Deaton (economics), Esther Duflo (economic sciences) and Serge Haroche (physics). This discussion, moderated by the founder and CEO of The Business Times, CGS International Securities Singapore and The Rice Company Limited, allowed Nobel laureates to share their personal accounts of life experiences and challenges they have overcome. Millenia Walk will host an exhibit of top prize winner artworks from October 8-30th and then auction them online to raise money for The Business Times Budding Artists Fund, which provides free art education programs for youth from low-income families. For more information about this year’s Prize and how it combines recognition with charity visit nussigprize.com.