Loo (Last Name, 罗 pinyin: luó)
Zihan (First Name, 子涵 pinyin: zĭ hán)

Zihan Loo is an artist and academic from Singapore based in New York City. He is completing a PhD in Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and MA from New York University.

His research examines durational gestures of unpragmatic resistance within restrictive conditions. These etiolated counter-conducts rely on transgenerational transference, and more-than-human sensitivities to persist differently. His practice emphasises the malleability of memory within the institutional archive through performance re-enactments and essay films. Zihan received the Young Artist Award (2015) from Singapore’s National Arts Council.

(100 words)

Zihan Loo is an artist and academic from Singapore based in New York City working at the intersections of critical theory, performance, and the moving image. His interdisciplinary approach bridges artistic practice and scholarly research, contributing to critical discussions around performance documentation, reenactments, and censorship in transnational and diasporic contexts.

He is completing a PhD in Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where his dissertation Etiolated Gestures: More-than-human Performativity with/in Singapore examines sustained gestures of unpragmatic resistance within restrictive conditions. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Studio Practice (Film, Video, New Media, and Animation) from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Masters of Arts in Performance Studies from New York University. Zihan was named valedictorian of the inaugural Bachelor of Fine Arts cohort at Nanyang Technological University's School of Art, Design and Media in 2009.

His research investigates durational forms of artistic resistance in Singaporean practice since the 1990s, drawing on Eve Sedgwick and Andrew Parker’s framework of queered performatives. These etiolated counter-conducts rely on transgenerational transference and more-than-human sensitivities to persist differently. This work analyzes how artists deploy camouflaged choreographies, parrhesiatic performativity, and transgenerational response-ability as forms of counter-conduct against surveillance and censorship.

His pedagogical methods include performance theory and embodied practice, time-based media arts and experimental film, post-dramatic dramaturgies, and moving image production and critique. His scholarly interests span queer embodiment and diasporic performance, censorship and artistic counter-conduct in Singapore and transnational contexts, ecological aesthetics, critical archival methodologies, fetish and pleasures of objecthood and gay Asian American sexuality.

His practice emphasizes the malleability of memory within institutional archives through performance re-enactments and essay films. A significant focus involved restaging Josef Ng's 1994 performance Brother Cane, which triggered Singapore's decade-long ban on performance art. Through re-enactments in Chicago and Singapore, alongside critical exhibitions, he developed methodologies for engaging censored cultural memories through embodied research.

His work has been commissioned by the M1-Singapore Fringe Festival, Singapore International Festival of Arts, and Esplanade Theatres on the Bay. He has presented internationally at Brisbane Festival, Asia Society in New York, and the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. His experimental films have screened at AFI Fest, Pusan International Film Festival, Newfest, and the London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. His co-directed debut feature received the Nuovo Sguardi award at the Turin GLBT Film Festival.

As an educator, Zihan has designed and taught courses at UC Berkeley, including Queerealia: Archives and the Pleasures of Objecthood and Come Again? Reenactments as Embodied Research. He received the Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award (2025). He also received the Young Artist Award (2015) and Arts Postgraduate Scholarship (2017) from Singapore's National Arts Council, along with merit scholarships and graduate fellowships supporting his studies in Chicago, New York, and Berkeley.

(462 words)

Authored Publications

Book Project - Etiolated Gestures: More-than-human Performativity with/in Singapore

My project examines unpragmatic and durational gestures of resistance in Singaporean artistic practice since the 1990s. Using Sedgwick and Parker's framework of etiolated and infelicitous performatives, I analyze how artists deploy camouflaged choreographies, parrhesiatic more-than-human performativity, and transgenerational response-ability as forms of counter-conduct against surveillance and censorship.

Peer-Reviews Article

Loo, Zihan. “Camouflaged Choreographies: Cruising Jason Wee’s Practice” Southeast of Now: Directions in Contemporary and Modern Art in Asia, special issue on Art and its Ecopolitics in Southeast Asia, edited by Louis Ho et al., forthcoming. (Peer-reviewed)

Book Chapters

Loo, Zihan. “Queer Objects: An Archive for the Future.” Queer Asia: Decolonising and Reimagining Sexuality and Gender, edited by J. Daniel Luther and Jennifer Ung Loh, Zed Books, 2019.

Loo, Zihan. "I am Paying Attention." Place.Labour.Capital, edited by Ute Meta Bauer and Anca Rujoiu, Mousse Publishing, 2018, pp. 254–261.

Loo, Zihan. “Within Ourselves: Starting Over.” 25 years of The Substation: Reflections on Singapore's first independent art centre, edited by Audrey Wong, The Substation and Ethos Books, 2015 pp. 134 - 142.

Book Reviews, Performance Criticism and Art Writing

Loo, Zihan. “A Mercurial Mirage: Seascapes as Event, Logic and Method: “The Chinese Atlantic: Seascapes and the Theatricality of Globalization” by Sean Metzger.” Performance Research, vol. 26, no. 4, 2021.

Loo, Zihan. “Book Review: “Retrospective: A Historiographical Aesthetic in Contemporary Singapore and Malaysia” by June Yap”, ArtsEquator, 11 January, 2018.

Loo, Zihan. “Performance Review: Daniel Kok and Luke George’s “xhe”: Caught Between a Square and an Octopus.” ArtsEquator, 18 October 2018.

Loo, Zihan. ‘For Words’, Archiving Cane, 2012

Loo, Zihan. 'Casting Stones' / '掷石', Drama Box eNewsletter, Volume 1, Issue 3, September 2012.

Exhibition Catalogs

Loo, Zihan, editor. Paradis Sans Promesse. Exhibition catalog. Frac des Pays de la Loire, 2016. designed by Åbäke.

Loo, Zihan and Louis Ho, editors. Archiving Cane. Exhibition catalog. The Substation, Singapore, 2012.

Scholarship on Artistic Practice

Bleeker, Maaike. “I Am LGB — The LGB Society of Mind.” Doing Dramaturgy: Thinking Through Practice, Palgrave Macmillan, 2023, pp. 271–285.

Magro, Aiden. “Exposing the State: Loo Zihan’s Queer Performance.” Southeast of Now, vol. 5, no. 1, 2021.

Si Xian, Lau. ‘Screening resistance: queering as a tactic in Singapore films 放映抵抗 ：新加坡影片中的酷儿化战术’, MA Thesis Paper, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 2018.

Curtin, Brian. 'The Terms of Visibility: Between Queer and LGBT in Curating Art in “Asia”', On Curating: Queer Curating, Issue 37, 2018.

Hsu, Fang-Tze. 'Queering My Remembrance: A Conversation with Loo Zihan 酷異我的悼念：一段關於羅子涵藝術實踐的對話(註1)', No Man's Land, Issue 36, 5 February, 2018.

Yap, June. 'Retrospective: A Historiographical Aesthetic In Contemporary Singapore and Malaysia', Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2016.

Ho, Louis. 'Loo Zihan and the Body Confessional', Contemporary Arts as Political Practice in Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, December 2016.

Wong, Melissa Wansin. 'Performing Singapore’s Queer Quandary: Walking the tightrope between sexual illegality and neoliberal-enabled subjectivity at Pink Dot and in Loo Zihan’s Cane', Queer Dramaturgies, Palgrave Macmillan, November 2015.

Ross, Oliver. 'Watching Solos in Singapore: Homosexuality, Surrealism and Queer Politics', Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Issue 38, August 2015.

Tan, E.K. 'A queer journey home in Solos, Rethinking kinship in Sinophone Singapore', Queer Sinophone Cultures, Routledge, 2014.

Ho, Rui An. 'Making Live Again', Archiving Cane, December 2012.

Chan, Kenneth. 'Impossible Presence: Toward a Queer Singapore Cinema, 1990s-2000s', Queer Singapore: Illiberal Citizenship and Mediated Cultures, Hong Kong University Press, 2012.

Huang, Madeline. ‘A Study of Loo Zihan’s experimental film Solos and its reconstruction of the image of the Singaporean mother and the homosexual identity 罗子涵的实验性电影〈单〉对新加坡母亲与同志身份的重构’, BA Thesis Paper, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 2010.

Performance Reviews, Press Coverage, and Other Texts

2019

Langenbach, Ray. ‘C(l)ocked: “Catamite” by Loo Zihan’, Arts Equator, 12 February, 2019.
Si Xian, Lau. ‘The Human Nature Embedded within Objects 物品蕴藏着的人性 —观“Catamite”’, Lianhe Zaobao, 9 February, 2019.
Nanda, Akshhita. ‘Catamite is an object lesson in history’, The Straits Times, 28 January, 2019.
Bakchormeeboy. ‘Catamite by Loo Zihan (Review)’, Bakchormeeboy.com, 27 January, 2019.

2018

Vincent, Simon. 'The Subversive Reenactor', The Naysayer's Book Club. Epigram Books, 2018.

2017

Yee, Marcus. 'Looking at Institutions Look at Themselves: NUS Museum & NTU CCA Singapore', Arts Equator, 17 May, 2017.
Martin, Mayo. 'Brother Cane is part of me', Channel NewsAsia, 7 May, 2017.
Tobin, Sean. 'Completely With: Remembering Paddy Chew, Reflecting on Loo Zihan', Arts Equator, 25 April, 2017.
Ng, Yi-Sheng. 'Review of ‘With/Out’: AIDS, Archives, Activism', Arts Equator, 20 April, 2017.
Ho, Olivia. 'Multimedia Magic', The Straits Times, 7 March, 2017.

2016

Tsui, Enid. 'Provocative shows at Singapore arts festival stretch boundaries of censorship', South China Morning Post, 20 September, 2016.
Yee, Marcus. 'Consider the Performer's Wig', Arts Equator, 27 August, 2016.
Yusof, Helmi. 'Radically Provocative Encounters', The Business Times, 26 August, 2016.
Ng, Yi-Sheng. 'I am LGB', SIFA Blog, 25 August, 2016.
Tan, Corrie. 'I am LGB', 20 August, 2016.
Nanda, Akshita. 'I am LGB is real escape game from Singapore', The Straits Times, 19 August, 2016.
Lee, Jian Xuan. 'Sex Objects Removed From Art Show', The Straits Times, 16 February, 2016.

2015

Martin, Mayo. 'Singapore Art: Top Picks for 2015', Today Online, 22 December, 2015.
Yusof, Helmi. 'A Journey of Self-Discovery Through Lindy Hop', The Business Times, 11 December, 2015.
Martin, Mayo. 'Art Review: President's Young Talents 2015', Today Online, 22 August, 2015.
Ui-Hoon, Cheah. 'Re-organising art museum's collection of 5,000 books', The Business Times, 21 August, 2015.
Shetty, Deepika. 'Dead Skin Collected for Art', The Straits Times, 19 August, 2015.
Vasko, Lydia. 'Barcelona, City of Tapas', The Sunday Times, 12 July, 2015.
Camps, Eudald. 'Loo Zihan, A Les Bernardes', 1 May, 2015.
Wong, Binghao. 'Slowness – A Response to Loo Zihan’s With/Out', Singaporepoetry.com, 26 March, 2015.
Tan, Corrie. 'Theatre review: With/Out pays a moving tribute to the late Paddy Chew', The Straits Times, 15 January, 2015.
Martin, Mayo. 'S’pore Fringe Fest 2015: The late Paddy Chew comes to life in With/Out', For Art's Sake, Today Online, 15 January, 2015.
Chia, Adeline. 'Late Vigil', Flying Inkpot Theatre Reviews, 14 January, 2015.
Koh, Jee Leong. 'Completely With/Out Character', Singaporepoetry.com, 5 January, 2015.
Martin, Mayo. 'Solo flight at the M1 S’pore Fringe Fest 2015', 4 January, 2015.
Boon Hau, Tan. 'Guardians of the Garden City', Art Republik, January 2015.

2014

Langenbach, Ray. 'Emancipatory Desires: What Do You Think Of ‘If The World Changed’?', Broadsheet 34.1, 2014.
Ting, Lisabel. 'Aids play about Singapore's first openly HIV-positive person to open M1 festival', The Straits Times, 21 October, 2014.
Martin, Mayo. 'Singapore Art: Top Picks for 2013', For Art's Sake', Today Online, 1 January, 2014.

2013

Wong, Marc. 'Significant Other', Art Republik, December 2013.
Ho, Louis. 'Ghost: The Body at the Turn of the Century', ArtAsiaPacific, December 2013.
Yusof, Helmi. 'The Best of 2013: Knock-out Contemporary Art Shows', The Business Times, 20 December, 2013.
Martin, Mayo. 'Visit Han Sai Por’s Black Forest, encounter Sculpture Square’s Ghost', For Art's Sake, Today Online, 19 December, 2013.
Martin, Mayo. 'S'pore Fringe Fest 2012! Cane! `Nuff said!' For Art's Sake, Today Online, 18 January, 2013.
Martin, Mayo. 'R.I.T.E.S.! Loo Zihan does a Josef Ng! And then some!' For Art's Sake, Today Online, 18 January, 2013

2012

Quek, Bruce. 'Real Meat', Archiving Cane, December 2012.
De Rozario, Tania. 'Interview: Loo Zihan', Time Out Singapore, 10 December 2012.
Phang, Yen. 'Of Memory and Power: “Archiving Cane” by Loo Zihan, at the Substation', 6 December, 2012.
Chia, Adeline. 'The Artistic Challenger', The Straits Times, 16 November 2012.
Taylor, Nora A. 'An Interview with Loo Zihan', DiAAAlogue, April 2012.
Teow, Yue Han. 'The (Digital) Future of Imagination?', First Quarter Notebook, 16 April, 2012.
Tan, Corrie. 'Smoking Exemption In Theatres Under Fire' The Straits Times, 2 March, 2012.
Chia, Adeline. 'Theatre Review: Cane Bound by Red Tape', The Straits Times, 21 February, 2012.
Tan, Corrie. 'Cane Re-enactment Draws Debate', The Straits Times, 16 February, 2012.
Wang, Yi-ming. '罗子涵在许可范围内创作 (Loo Zihan - Creating Within Boundaries)', Lianhe Zaobao, ZBnow, 2 February, 2012.
'Change Agent', August Man, February 2012.

Before 2012

Baran, Adam. 'Filmmaker and Part-time Go-Go Boy from Singapore has a new Boyfriend named Art', BUTT Magazine, 9 March, 2010.
Ng, How Wee. ‘当新加坡的大学生开始抗议 (Commentary: A University Student Protests)’, Lianhe Zaobao, 2 August, 2009.
‘Graduation Speech Became Protest’, AsiaOne Singapore, 24 July, 2009.
Chew, Boon Leong. '两栖三栖多栖 他们是 2.0时代艺术家 (Hybrid Artists: Version 2.0)’, Lianhe Zaobao, 14 July, 2009.
Ferber, Lawrence. ‘Silencing Singapore’, The Advocate, 4 June, 2009.
Chen Zi. ‘單刀直入 – 和羅子涵solo在都靈 (Interview with Loo Zihan in Turin)’, Fridae.com, 31 May, 2008.