SINGAPORE PUBLIC ART - Temporary Works

Debbie Ding and Tan Pin Pin combine to record the works of the Yangtze Scribbler

Peter Schoppert — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:46:01 +0000

http://www.singaporememory.sg/showcases/20/contents

Debbie Ding is an artist, designer, technologist but above all, psychogeographer (and as such her work is highly relevant to publicart.sg). Tan Pin Pin is a filmmaker with a strong interest in landscape and the particular ways that individuals express themselves in Singapore. She's made a film (for the NLB's SingaporeMemory project) about Debbie's work, recording the works of the Yangtze Scribbler, a graffiti artist, loonie bird, translator of messages from the infinite beyond, maker of signs. It's a great documentation of an important film institution as well. Must see! Free online!

Press Once Can Already - sticker artist strikes

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:28:58 +0000

Great story in the ST, good photo from the Straits Times' Cheryl Faith Wee, too. Comments are running wildly in favor of the "prankster" and against the LTA for complaining...

Funny? The LTA not amused by 'Press Once Can Already' prank

Straits Times, November 21, 2011

While passers-by have mixed reactions to the sticker (above), the LTA warns that individuals who are caught pasting signs or illegal advertisements can be fined $300 for the first offence. -- ST PHOTO: CHERYL FAITH WEE

By Cheryl Faith Wee

Some prankster may have pushed the right buttons when it comes to capturing a famously Singaporean quirk.

At the pedestrian crossing in front of Rendezvous Hotel Singapore in Bras Basah Road, a button on the pedestrian crossing has been covered by a sticker which admonishes: 'Press Once Can Already' - a Singlish phrase reminding people that repeated pushing of the button in the hope that the Green Man will come on faster is futile.

But the Land Transport Authority (LTA), which manages street infrastructure such as traffic lights, is not amused by the prank.

It warns that individuals who are caught pasting signs or illegal advertisements on street infrastructure can be fined $300 for the first offence and $400 for a repeat offence. If prosecuted in court, they may be fined up to $2,000.

A spokesman for LTA said: 'We urge the public to refrain from pasting such signs or illegal advertisements on street infrastructure. We hope the public will help to do their part to keep our streets clean and beautiful.'

Passers-by had a more relaxed reaction to the sticker. Student Cass Lee, 21, could not help grinning when she saw the sticker.

She said: 'It's interesting, but I think people would just keep on pressing the button anyway.'

Ms Noelle Goh, a translator who is in her 30s, said: 'I find it funny and harmless.'

But Ms Rainy Lee, 27, a retail development manager, thought the sticker was a bit 'pointless'.

Ms Iris Teo, 31, an engineer, felt that the use of Singlish was 'quite appropriate'.

However, salesman Kamchand Hemanbas, who is in his 50s, was concerned that the sticker would baffle tourists because it is written in Singlish.

He said: 'Locals know what to do - we press the button so the Green Man comes on. But foreigners will not get it.'

Look, there's an elephant...

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:00:15 +0000

Baby Emily, by Sun Yu Li

Remember the craze for painted fiberglass animals as a sort of public art event? I covered it in the old Public Art Blog on Nusantara.com - there have been several such manifestations in Singapore over the years, including the bizarre horsehead shoes of 2009.

Well, they are back, this time as elephants. See http://elephantparade.com/cities/singapore-2011 for the full list of the Singapore show. Not too many Singapore artists involved, one or two how are have more permanent works on these pages, including Sun Yu Li and Victor Tan.

Story was also covered by the Straits Times,
http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_733148.html, at much less length than the 2004 story on the SingArt fibreglass lions.

The elephants parade effort dates back to 2007. The whole thing started in Chicago in 1999, with "Cows on Parade". Apparently the original cows carry on, with recent events in Austin Texas, Rio de Janeiro, etc.

Straits Times, Nov 14, 2011 - Elephant Parade Singapore statue hit by vandals

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:28:47 +0000

Other 'at risk' exhibits may be cordoned off

By Kimberly Spykerman
It looks like one of the 162 brightly painted baby elephant statues on display around town has already been vandalised, barely two days into their debut.

The organisers of Elephant Parade Singapore, an open-air art exhibition to raise awareness of the endangered Asian elephant, are considering cordoning off some of the statues.

The damaged one sits outside the Asian Civilisations Museum in Empress Place. Its 'skin', painted to look like a durian, has had a chunk of green paint stripped off its left flank, exposing the brown base.

This statue is the work of Malaysian artist Hamir Soib, 42, who has filed a complaint with the organisers. (article continues...)

The Kuala Lumpur-based artist told The Straits Times on Sunday that he had taken two friends to see his work when he noticed the damage.

He said: 'I used at least five layers of acrylic paint and coated it with a lot of varnish to protect it while it was being transported here. It would not have come off so easily... I believe it was scratched, and then peeled off.'

The strip of paint was found on the ground, a short distance away.

He said he had worked on the piece for three months, and that he had been inspired to create an elephant with a strong South-east Asian flavour.

The life-size statues, each 1.5m tall, were all painted by artists and celebrities.

They will be auctioned in January by Sotheby's after their display. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Asian Elephant Foundation, Wildlife Reserves Singapore and Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund.

The project manager of Elephant Parade Singapore Marieke De Zeeuw said preliminary investigations indicated that the statue was unlikely to have been damaged by rain, as all statues were given a protective coating upon arrival to protect them from graffiti and the weather.

'The elephant has, therefore, been well prepared to handle the heavy rain and strong sunshine typical of Singapore weather,' she said, noting that Mr Hamir had also applied a lot of protective coating to his statue.

His work will be removed by the end of the business day on Monday for damage assessment.

Ms De Zeeuw added that asking Mr Hamir to repair the paintwork was the first option, but that a professional team was on hand if he was unable to do so.

Regular inspections of the other elephants are being carried out, and other 'at risk' statues may be cordoned off, Ms De Zeeuw said.

The one at One Fullerton, painted to look like a three-dimensional durian, is an example. She said children have been seen swinging themselves on the 'stem' near the elephant's head. She said statues made of fabric or are embellished may also be cordoned off.

Elephant Parade was founded in 2006 by the father-and-son pair Marc and Mike Spits, who were moved to do something for a thinly funded hospital for elephants in Thailand.

The exhibition has been hit by vandalism in the past. It has graced cities such as Milan, Amsterdam, London and Antwerp; this year's parade here is its first Asian instalment.

Mr Hamir said he will touch up the paintwork - if he gets answers as to how his statue came to be mutilated.

It has been disheartening for the artist, who is exhibiting his work in an outdoor show for the first time.

He said: 'It's a shame this had to happen here - and to my elephant. I just can't believe it.'

He added: 'This is not just about what happened to my work. I don't want this to happen to other people in future.'

Keep Merlion as Singapore icon (ST, Oct 22, 2011)

admin — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 02:21:28 +0000

Letters in Life!

I write in response to Merlion Boring? (LifeStyle, Oct 16). I am very disappointed that some Singaporeans are suggesting that we retire the Merlion as the Singapore icon and replace it with Marina Bay Sands to reflect how far Singapore has progressed as a nation.

I refer to The Statue of Liberty in New York and The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, both of which are iconic attractions. The Statue of Liberty is highly regarded as the icon of freedom for the United States, while The Little Mermaid was moved to Shanghai and placed in the Danish Pavilion for the duration of the Expo 2010. Will Americans or Danes ever contemplate retiring their icons?

The fish body of the Merlion represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means 'sea town' in Javanese.

Its lion head represents Singapore's original name - Singapura - meaning 'lion city' or 'kota singa'. Tourists who are interested to know more about Singapore should find the Merlion more intriguing than the Marina Bay Sands. Skyscrapers can be superseded by other skyscrapers, but history is eternal.

- Harry Ng

Five Merlions are listed in an online travel guide at www.streetdirectory.com: two at Merlion Park, one on Sentosa, another at Mount Faber and one at the Singapore Tourism Board in Orchard Spring Lane.

I think it is a case of four Merlions too many and not enough explanation of Singapore's history. Let us concentrate on the larger Merlion in the Merlion Park as the one icon tourists must see. There are many replicas of the statue of David in Florence, but most tourists still make a beeline for the original. We should not retire the Merlion for the same reason we do not rename roads with colonial names. It is part of our history.

Perhaps we could shift the smaller Merlion nearer to the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles at the Singapore River to help explain some of the history of Singapore. Beside the Merlion, we could have a billboard with pictures to help explain the Merlion and its link to Temasek.

- Lim Poh Seng

The history behind the Merlion is too precious to consider discarding. We lived in Singapore for three years and took all of our visitors to see the Merlion. We still have Merlion replicas around our home in Huntsville, Alabama, and it depicts so much that was and is Singapore to us.

- Frank & Patricia Haag

It is worrying that some people think the Merlion should be retired as Singapore's icon just because it is dated and 'out of place on the new skyline'.

Singapore already remakes itself constantly by tearing down old buildings and constructing new ones in their place. However, new buildings hold no history and memories. We have lost a few old places, such as the National Library and Van Kleef Aquarium.

The Merlion might be old, but it has been a Singapore icon for so long. Just as one would not get rid of a grandparent just because he is old, the Merlion should remain standing proud.

- Tan LM

The Merlion is an icon of Singapore. It should not be removed. I feel the present Merlion is too small. I suggest building a bigger one at Marina Barrage which can be seen from afar, surrounded by a colourful musical fountain and a park.

- Ronald Teo

Singapore without the Merlion is like New York without The Statue of Liberty, London without Big Ben and Egypt without the pyramids.

Old as it may seem, and with just water spouting from its mouth, it is still Singapore's icon. The past must not be forgotten. Maybe to make it more interesting, information counters and a kiosk or museum could be set up in the vicinity to give an introduction to the Lion City and how it got its name.

- Gavin Chng

I have never understood why anyone would put up the ugly Merlion on Sentosa, a replica of the one at the mouth of the Singapore River. In the story of Sang Nila Utama's arrival in Temasek, the Sumatran prince saw a strange animal with a red body, black head and a white breast. It was a fine-looking animal and moved with great speed as it disappeared into the jungle.

He asked his chief minister what animal it was and was told that it was probably a lion. Pleased with this - he believed it to be a good omen - he decided to build his new city in Temasek and named it Singapura, meaning Lion City.

Can anyone explain how a half-mermaid and half-lion suddenly popped up? If this is not a total bastardisation of a national historic symbol, I do not know what is.

The correct national symbol, then, for Singapore is logically a lion with a red body, black head and white breast - definitely not some concocted half-fish with a lion's head.

- Jason Wang Yueh Ming

retire the Merlion

admin — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:06:54 +0000

Merlion boring?
Straits Times, October 16, 2011

By Huang Huifen

When senior public relations associate Sheena Sim, 26, showed her Australian friends around Singapore recently, she gave the water-spouting Merlion at One Fullerton a miss.

Instead, she took them to Marina Bay Sands and the Esplanade.

'The Merlion looks 'ancient' and does not show how Singapore has progressed over the years. So I took my friends to the Marina Bay Sands and the Esplanade as these places better portray what Singapore is today - modern and hip,' says Ms Sim.

And it appears that her carefully edited itinerary had worked. Ms Sim adds: 'My friends said Singapore is a modern and beautiful city.'
With the dramatic changes to the skyline, some like Ms Sim say the half-lion and half-fish sculpture has lost its roar. After all, it is dwarfed by the shiny triple towers of Marina Bay Sands, the futuristic Helix bridge and the piercing skyscrapers of the Marina Bay boulevard.

So, should the Merlion be retired as an icon of Singapore?

In one corner is the 'Yes' camp who thinks the Merlion is dated and looks out of place on the new skyline. On the other side stands the 'No' camp who thinks the Merlion is a symbol of Singapore that cannot be removed.

Salesman John Tan, 64, says: 'The Merlion is an anchor point of Singapore. It is part of our history and represents us. It may be old, but it is a significant landmark.'

Tourists such as Mr Yogesh Gupta, 47, from Delhi, feel that the Merlion should not be retired. 'When I think of Singapore, I think of the Merlion. The Marina Bay Sands is just a commercial building,' he says.

Mr Gevin Png, a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic's hospitality and tourism management programme, points out that it is not by accident that the Merlion Park is surrounded by newer and grander attractions. He says: 'The Marina Bay area was conceptualised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority as a 'necklace of attractions', with the Merlion Park as one of its attractions. These attractions are not usually marketed individually overseas and are meant to be complementary, not competitive.'

This involves a 3.5km waterfront loop linking attractions around the Bay, including Marina Bay Sands, Esplanade, Singapore Flyer, the Merlion Park and the upcoming Gardens by the Bay.

Australian tourist Luke Granleese, 26, appreciates this juxtaposition of the old and new. 'As a tourist, I came here to see the Merlion. And it is good that I get to see the modern buildings and the Merlion in one spot. The buildings or the Merlion will not look as good if they stand alone,' he says.

The Merlion, however, has seen better days. It was first designed as a logo by Mr Fraser Brunner, a curator of the now- defunct Van Kleef Aquarium, for the then-Singapore Tourist Promotion Board in 1964. To promote Singapore as a tourist destination, the 8.6m-tall concrete sculpture was created by late craftsman Lim Nang Seng and unveiled at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1972. In 2002, in a historical moment witnessed by thousands, the 70-tonne sculpture was moved from the mouth of the Singapore River to its present location because the new Esplanade Bridge blocked the view of it from the Marina Bay waterfront.

The creature continued to make splashes in the headlines when it got struck by lightning which damaged parts of its head. More recently, it attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to view a 'hotel' built around it as part of an art installation during the recent Singapore Biennale. But without the fanfare, the Merlion still holds its own weight. It was ranked among the top five free-access attractions and sites visited by tourists, along with Orchard Road, Chinatown, Little India and the Singapore River in a Singapore Tourism Board's 2009 tourism statistics report.

Travel agencies also say the Merlion is still a must-see for first-time visitors. A visit to the Merlion Park is part of a city tour that includes trips to Chinatown, Sentosa and the Marina Bay Sands. Chan Brothers Travel spokeman Jane Chang says: 'Customers are not exactly bubbling with excitement to view the Merlion compared to the snazzier sights of the Singapore Flyer, Universal Studios Singapore or MBS, but they do appreciate the history behind the attraction.'

Indeed, when LifeStyle visited the Merlion Park recently, the battered beast was still a stoic photography companion for throngs of tourists. Some enthusiastic ones even came up with innovative poses which positioned them in such a way that their mouths appeared to be catching the water spouting from the Merlion's mouth.

Australian tourist Bruce Phillips, 54, who was seen enjoying a popsicle while taking in the view of the Merlion, says: 'My daughter visited Singapore last year and told us that we had to see the Merlion because it is a symbol of Singapore. It does not look out of place at all, and it is nice to have a water feature, too.'

Old or new, majestic or dwarfed, a city's icon should not be determined by its modernity or size, says Mr Png of Temasek Polytechnic. 'The Statue of Liberty is huge, but it's not modern. The Little Mermaid of Copenhagen and The Pissing Boy in Brussels are small statues and clearly not modern, too. Yet these are icons. Whether the Merlion remains an icon depends on how Singaporeans see it as part of the national psyche,' he says.

Do you think the Merlion should be retired? Write to suntimes@sph.com.sg

Hey, who moved my sculpture? - Straits Times, 19 June, 2011

Peter Schoppert — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:22:45 +0000

HEY, WHO MOVED MY SCULPTURE?

Artists are irked that they aren’t informed when their public art pieces are moved. By Amelia Tan and Neo Wen Tong.

Missing: a Goddess of Happiness sculpture inside Orchard MRT station.

And it was none other than the sculptor herself who made the discovery – about five years ago.

Then, Ms Han Sai Por, the 1995 Cultural Medallion recipient, was taking a train at the station when she did a double take.

The grey marble sculpture which had stood in the station for close to two decades and which was commissioned by MRTC, the predecessor to SMRT Corporation, was missing.

Ms Han, 67, has since wondered where her first public sculpture was moved to.

An SMRT spokesman told The Sunday Times last week that the sculpture was removed from Orchard MRT station in 2006 due to building work on Ion Orchard.

It is now in the SMRT Clubhouse in Bishan. The spokesman added that SMRT is looking for a suitable location to publicly display it again.

The issue of public sculptures being moved surfaced when The Straits Times reported on June 8 that the Housing Board had told local sculptor Chua Boon Kee to move three of his six displays, located near Clementi Mall.

The HDB said the sculptures had to be moved because of concerns that the metal would heat up in the sun and singe people sitting on them. The HDB said it will relocate the pieces to s shadier area. Mr Chua said he wants to move them into the fountain.

The ST Forum Page then ran a letter by Mr Jeffrey Say, 46, the programme leader for the Master of Art History programme at Lasalle College of the Arts, he said the incident raises the larger issue of society’s attitude towards and regard for public sculptures.

“A public sculpture is created to be in a dialogue with the site and the environment. Relocating a sculpture compromises both the intent of the artist and the integrity of the work,” he wrote.

Nearly a dozen sculptors, artists and art academics contacted by The Sunday Times noted that rapid urbanization had led to public sculptures being removed. What irked them was that, not infrequently, the artists concerned had not been told about such actions.

Mr Say said his research showed that many pre- and post-war sculptures have disappeared and are untraceable.

The missing items include those by Italian sculptor Rudolfo Nolli, who created the sculptures for the Malayan Railway station in Tanjong Pagar.

Works by Mr Yeo Hwee Bin, a pioneer local sculptor, and Mr Vincent Hoisington, who has received numerous commissions from department stores like Robinsons, are missing too.

Mr C. K. Kum, who runs architectural firm Atelier Oasis and who is the president of the Sculpture Society (Singapore), said art pieces, whether placed on private or public land, belong to the organization or individual who commissioned and paid for them.

He said the owners have the right to remove or destroy the pieces without telling the artists and that is why many end up unaccounted for.

“While an artist owns the copyright, the physical product belongs to the one who paid for it. However, as artists we would appreciate it if the owners informed us,” said Mr Kum, 48, who was trained as an architect.

The National Heritage Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority encourage private individuals and organisations to commission, maintain and display public art through incentives like tax deductions.

However, art pieces that have come about through these schemes belong to the organisations or individuals who paid for them and not the government agencies.

Private companies and government agencies like the HDB and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said they commission sculptures with the intention of making them permanent art pieces.

They look at the reputation and the experience of the artists before deciding from whom to commission the work.

However, sculptures can be moved due to special circumstances and the organisations said they look at the best alternative locations in which to place them.

The STB said: “(The statues and sculptures) are an enduring legacy for the enjoyment of future generations, and the statues will be moved by the STB only in exceptional circumstances, such as when the Merlion was relocated to its new home to give it a more prominent and visible location in 2002.”

Artists contacted said the issue of the removal of their works boils down to a lack of appreciation and knowledge of the significance and value of art.

There is also a constant need to build, which in the process destroys art pieces that are a part of Singapore’s heritage, they said, adding that the removal of sculptures and other art pieces leads to another problem: the lack of recognizable and iconic pieces that resonate with Singaporeans.

The artists felt that more education on art was needed.

Ceramic artist Jessie Lim, 55, said: “There should be more education about public monuments; more information and education about art for the public.”

simply disappeared without any trace...

Peter Schoppert — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 07:42:07 +0000

Even without a trace on publicart.sg? Jeffrey, do let us know if there are any works that have disappeared without leaving a trace on these pages, and we'll update them. (It's true that we haven't put the Lim Nang Seng Dancing Lady up yet... but it *is* listed on our to-do list...

Straits Times, Forum Page, Jun 15, 2011

PRESERVING HERITAGE
Treat sculptures with greater care

I WAS disappointed to read that sculptor Chua Boon Kee was asked to relocate his stainless steel sculptures near Clementi Mall because of concern that the metal could potentially burn people ('Open-air sculptures feel the heat'; last Wednesday).

This raises the larger issue of our attitude towards and regard for public sculptures.

A public sculpture is created to be in dialogue with the site and the environment. Relocating a sculpture compromises both the intent of the artist and the integrity of the work.

Mr Chua was understandably 'unhappy' at the request to move his sculptures to a 'shadier area' as it would disrupt the aesthetic cohesion of the sculptures.

Public sculptures are meant to be seen and enjoyed. In the case of Mr Chua's sculptures, an advisory could have been put up to allay safety concerns.

My own research has found that a substantial number of public sculptures - from the pre-war period to the 1970s - simply disappeared without any trace, especially when a site or old building had to make way for a new development. Even sculptures done in the 1980s and later are now untraceable after being moved from their original locations.

Not too long ago, I was taken to view a long-forgotten sculpture in Tiong Bahru estate. The sculpture, titled Dancing Lady, was created by the late Lim Nang Seng, who also sculpted the Merlion. I realised that the sculpture had acquired a resonance among residents in the area.

Indeed, beyond their aesthetic and decorative value, public sculptures can be a source of civic and communal pride and identity.

I hope our existing and future public sculptures will be seen in this light and treated with more care and dignity. They are part of our artistic heritage.

Jeffrey Say

Straits Times: "Open air sculptures feel the heat"

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:04:02 +0000

The Straits Times of Wed June 8th leads its Home section with a piece titled "Open air sculptures feel the heat", with the following deck: "HDB asks sculptor to move displays, fearing people who sit on them could get burnt". The story is accompanied with pictures of the sculptures wrapped in blue tarp, of the sculptures unwrapped, and a portrait of the sculptor Chua Boon Kee.

The work, titled Water Bubbles (previously unknown to publicart.sg) was placed at Clementi Mall, and is commissioned by Surbana Corp for its patron, the Housing Development Board, and installed in January this year. Surbana is described by the ST as "a firm that provides planning, design and management of HDB projects". (It is the privatised design arm of HDB). However "feedback that the metal sculptures could get warm on hotter days" prompted HDB to ask the artist to relocate the works.

The work is made up of six pieces "made up to look like giant blobs of water" integrated with a fountain and placed in a public area. The work is planned as an integrated whole, with one shape in the fountain, two mounted on pillars, and two resting on the ground where they can easily be touched by the public (see photo).

The artist said he "was told last month to dismantle three sculptures and put them somewhere out of reach of the public". In the meantime they have been wrapped in tarpaulin. He he said to be "unhappy" by the newspaper, and is quoted saying "It will be a pity to break up the cohesion of the sculptures, as the water blobs on the ground and on the fountain are meant to complement one another aesthetically."

Given that the works were designed to be touched, even sat upon, the HDB and/or mall management would have had to consider how to prepare for any public complaints that come when people find the works hot to the touch. Of course it may be that the heat build up on a hot day is indeed very high, but the artist is quite experienced in working with metal, and certainly in the newspaper story does not admit that the works are in any way dangerous, even on the hottest of days. The newspaper story does give some additional context, that "Last month, a 10-year-old girl suffered second-degree burns to her left cheek and limbs when she fell on a metal sheet that had been heated by the sun after it was left on the ground during construction work." Perhaps this story moved the HDB to think safety first.

Actually, that graffiti wasn't so bad...

Peter Schoppert — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 07:06:30 +0000

Check out the letter "Why not liven up MRT cabins legally" by Yee Jenn Jong.

It asks for more street art, pre-approved of course. Met with fairly common cynicism by the online commentariat.

"Those who have seen the recent graffiti on SMRT train cabins seemed to agree on one thing - that it was done artistically. Even SMRT staff thought it was an advertisement and so did not report it immediately."

A Singapore MRT train is tagged by McKoy Banos

admin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:02:41 +0000

or is that McKoy and Banos? Or by people pretending to be McKoy and/or Banos? One man arrested, another named. Here's the train in question:

Should we consider Singapore's home-designed playgrounds public art?

Peter Schoppert — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:39:17 +0000

They are certainly on the borderline... fulfilling many of the functions of public art, in particular their ability to evoke and enhance a sense of place. And of course the move towards functionality and providing pleasure to the public has always been an important pull on public art. Many public artists have designed their work specifically for children's play. In this case, by working specifically to incorporate local imagery, the designers of these playground amenities moved in the direction of public art as well.

And certainly these tiled pieces show a much better sense of design than the many hideous decorative gateways that adorn our HDB estates and are meant to give a sense of place and local identity to individual areas within estates.

Excellent article from Justin Zhuang.

Nature Borne at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Peter Schoppert — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:55:00 +0000

We've been pretty hard on some of NParks' new acquisitions, so it's a pleasure to relate news of what looks like an interesting and thoughtful show at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, called Nature Borne. The exhibition features works from five Singaporean and five Korean artists.

CNA has a write up and a link to a video (they don't allow us to embed or even perma-link the video unfortunately...). The video features interview with Korea's Lee Soo Hong and Singapore's Michael Lee. I haven't been able to see a full list of participating artists, but other Singaporeans include Jason Lim, Jason Wee, and Vertical Submarine.

I'm looking forward to checking it out, and here's hoping this heralds a more positive approach to public art from NParks.

Public art on the cover of IS Magazine

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:55:20 +0000

A thoughtful piece in their Out of the Box section, also their cover story. By Zaki Jufri, very nice piece.

I get the almost last word, agreeing with Justin Loke of Vertical Submarine:

"Peter Schoppert agrees: 'I would love to see more thoughtful and careful interventions involving art in public spaces. Some of that could be in the form of big expensive sculptures or screens in public places, but there are lots of other possibilities, including temporary installations, flash mob interventions, more gardens and plants, stickers and other clever kinds of urban graphic art that is respectful of property and safety.

'And if we do put more expensive sculptures and screens in, I hope that people commissioning works devote more thought to the process, involving people, including artists and curators, involving the architects, and really having a robust conversation about art in public places.'

Bottom line is, each sculpture should of course enliven its surrounding, but if it can also open up a vein of interaction between the artist, the exhibition space and the public, then it becomes a true masterpiece."

Thanks Zaki - hope IS will continue to keep its eye on Singapore's public art.

Have you ever wondered what Singapore would be like, if positive thinking and encouragement were part of the national psyche?

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:47:01 +0000

Read Common People's fascinating interview with low-profile, legal graffiti public artist and national cheerer-upper JJ. A wonderful intervention into Singapore's public space, whether its taxi interiors or lift-lobbies. The project is a bit like Bookcrossing, in that people receiving these post-it messages can go to JJ's blog to report on their impact. Well spotted CommonPeople (as usual).

Who is Romero Britto?

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:11:38 +0000

Good Girl

Originally uploaded by chooyutshing

A Brazilian pop artist having a great commercial run in Miami - some of his small sculptural works have been placed on Orchard Rd outside ION Orchard (as of end September 2009). He's capable of interesting public art interventions (the Pyramid project, London for example, or some projections he's been doing). It's big loud commercial work, and in the right setting and at the right scale can be fun in a loud sort of way. But these small sculptures don't work as public art. They are 2d works produced in editions of 50. They can't compete with the buzz of Orchard Rd, and just look out of place on their big white plinths.

STB is supporting this effort from Opera Gallery, and has given them plenty of space on their streetlight banners, maybe because the artist also has a line of portraits of F1 drivers.... But as public art this is a dud, and a missed opportunity given the artist's own abilities. For public art to work we need to put a bit more thought into it.

Singas Gathering

Peter Schoppert — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:44:48 +0000

Singas Gathering

Originally uploaded by chooyutshing

Don't ask too many questions... just enjoy! Singa the Lion is the mascot of the Singapore Kindness Movement (if I remember correctly), anyway the character dates back to the days of the Singapore Courtesy Campaigns. Still a creature of the Ministry of the Information, Communication and the Arts, lately Singa's have taken to wearing surgical masks, as part of the communications around H1N1.

Thanks to intrepid photographer chooyutshing for this nice capture!

Merlion covered up for repairs...

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 04:02:39 +0000

Merlion covered up for repairs...

Originally uploaded by keropokman

The Merlion was struck by lightning on 28th February, during an afternoon thunderstorm. Parts of the top of the sculpture were damaged, as was the new glass sculpture base, in the shape of waves. (which replaced the original mosaic tile waves of Merlion artist Lim Nang Seng). See the news report: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao82w-_GEC0

As of March 15, the Merlion still is surrounded by scaffolding.

We like this capture by Keropok Man, with the profiles of Marina Sands coming up in the background. As befitting a national icon, there have been some consumer media responses posted online, including a video reconstruction of the incident and a couple of nice sketches here and here of the post-strike Merlion.

Graffiti in the Botanical Gardens

Peter Schoppert — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 14:13:33 +0000

Singapore

Originally uploaded by mintimage

reminds me of a work by Simryn Gill... nice capture

The Ultimate Koonsian Trophy - Balloon Flower

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 07:57:58 +0000

Balloon Flower

Originally uploaded by chooyutshing

It's not the Balloon Flower, by Jeff Koons, it's an inflatable replica or signpost for Koons' work, without the mirror finish, or the "aura" of being an original (if such a thing could be said to apply to Koons' work). The original, "the ultimate Koonsian trophy" according to Christies, is also owned by the Daimler collection. It sits in Berlin's Potsdamer Platz.

The work is outside the front of the Singapore Art Museum from late November 2008 to early March, 2009.

little protest graffiti

Peter Schoppert — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:41:18 +0000

Suffer Well
Originally uploaded by hs4ever

and we mean little... Not sure where this is exactly in Singapore, but it definitely has to be *in* Singapore.