That was the super-burning question on the cover of a certain daily’s arts and lifestyle section. This oh-so-thought-provoking query loomed in all-caps over the art work in question: five life-sized casts of horses in various states of agony and collapse by Berlinde De Bruyckere. Titled In Flanders’ Fields, it’s inspired by images of horses that were killed or brought down during the First World War. It’s part of the National Museum’s new show A Story of the Image: Old and New Masters from Antwerp. Now I have no idea who thought up of that crap of an opening page teaser, but don’t you think it was a cheap shot? Here you have what I think is a pretty strong and moving piece of artwork. And then they go spoil the moment with such an outdated question. The moment I read it, I was like, Uh-oh, they’ve used up their “Is This Art?” headline quota for the year. I’m pretty sure every year they dig it out of their folder marked Cliché Headlines. Okay fine, I remember using the headline “Is This Dance?” in my story about Jerome Bel and Pichet Klunchun a couple of years ago. But hey, at that point the idea of dance performances with very little or no dancing at all was quite new in Singapore. But the same daily keeps posing the same question whenever they’re faced with an artwork that isn’t “pretty” or unconventional. Come on la, the same headline was used when Vincent Leow drank urine in front of people as part of his performance art many, many, many years ago. IS THIS ART? ARE YOU LIVING IN THE PAST?