Public art can take various forms, from 2D wall murals and 3D sculptures to performative and ephemeral manifestations of an artist’s creative process.
More importantly, the conception and premise of the artwork are rooted deeply in the public sphere where it is widely visible and freely accessible to all.
Central
2 X 2 II
By Antony Gormley, 2014
Material: Carrara marble
Location: CapitaGreen
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 1.9m x 0.6m x 0.4m eachThis pair of sculptures in Carrara marble tests the evolution of art in the age of mechanical reproduction, transforming bone, skin, and muscle into a finished work of crystalline geometric rigor not dissimilar to the structure of marble itself. The two standing human figures seem to be identical but are not, because of the way they are made – a mixture of drilling and laser-cutting technique by machine, and polishing and adjusting by human hands.
20 Tonnes
By Han Sai Por, 2002
Material: Granite
Location: National Museum of Singapore, Front Lawn
Duration: Permanent
Collection: National Museum of Singapore
Dimensions: 3.2 x 1.5 x 2 mCultural Medallion recipient Han Sai Por is renowned for sculpting and carving with the very challenging material of stone. In 20 Tonnes, Han displays her expertise with the material. This sculpture is inspired and constructed using the traditional techniques of breaking stone. You can feel the weight and mass of the sculpture just by walking by and through the six slabs of stone, which resemble the famous Stonehenge in its shape and form. Han’s practice deals with humanist ideals and values, taking a special interest in Nature.
24 Hours in Singapore
By Baet Yeok Kuan, 2015
Material: Stainless Steel
Location: Front lawn, Asian Civilisations Museum
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: Dimensions variable24 Hours in Singapore is an interactive audio sculpture installation that acts as an audio time capsule capturing the sounds of Singapore. With the passage of time, this sculpture will serve as a remembrance of the rich intangible heritage of our daily lives in Singapore circa 2015. The installation’s audio recordings feature familiar sounds of everyday people, places, and scenes, from the sounds of traffic in suburban heartlands and MRT trains to the daily chatter in wet markets and coffee shops.
A Great Emporium
By Malcolm Koh, 2002
Material: Bronze
Location: Singapore River, in front of the Asian Civilisations Museum
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Tourism Board
Dimensions: 3.6m x 3m (Approx. surface area)Sir Stamford Raffles wrote in 1819, ‘Our object is not territory but trade; a great commercial emporium.’ At the heart of the settlement’s trade was the Singapore River. Lighter craft crowded the banks of the River along Boat Quay, and merchants had offices and godowns either here or at Commercial Square (Raffles Place). Early trade was in silk, cotton, spices, and other exotic commodities. In the late 19th century, this shifted to rubber, tin, and copra.
A World United
By Huang Yifan, 2010
Material: Paint on Stainless steel
Location: Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 4m x 1.5m x 4mA World United is one of two commemorative sculptures that resulted from the CDL Singapore Sculpture Award for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010. The sculpture illustrates the unifying spirit of peace and sport through a stylized and dynamic depiction of sportsmen engaging in the 26 sports of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.
Above Below Beneath Above
By Olafur Eliasson, 2014
Material: Painted steel, stainless steel, colored glass
Location: CapitaGreen
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: Dimensions variableIn keeping with the theme of Nature around the CapitaGreen building, celebrated artist Olafur Eliasson’s above below beneath above evokes the image of ‘aerating roots’ that grow above rather than beneath the ground, hence the paradoxical title. To create this work, Eliasson surprisingly used 56 grey steel tubes to twist and turn between the floor and ceiling of the CapitaGreen office lobby. Walk between these unlikely ‘roots’ to interact with Eliasson’s abstract artwork and experience the awe of Nature’s majesty.
Ahoy-hoy!
By Lai Wei Min, 2018
Material: Wood, steel structure, convex road mirrors, and paint
Location: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration: Temporary
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: 2.8m x 5m x 4mAhoy-hoy! is part of Stop and Smell the Ang Mo Dan, a series of public artworks commissioned by the Public Art Trust that invite audiences to slow down and remember the history of Ang Mo Kio while taking a new look at the neighborhood. These fun and interactive sculptures invite residents and visitors to re-imagine everyday spaces around the neighborhood and celebrate life in the community.
All The Essentially Essential
By Tan Wee Lit, 2013
Material: Stainless Steel
Location: One Raffles Place (Outside of Raffles Place MRT station)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 0.6m x 0.31m x 0.3mThe extensive array of items on the giant toy kit that appears fresh from a box represents a spectrum of essential items (or components of these items) for work and play. From the keyboard to the briefcase to the wheels of a bicycle to the gym bag to the baby stroller – and even the pet dog – these are definitive items that reflect the work hard play hard environment of Singapore where we want to do everything or try to find time to do everything.
An Enclosure For A Swing
By Kelvin Lim Fun Kit, 2011
Material: Steel
Location: Recycle hill at Bishan – Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions : 6.8m x 2.2m x 4mInspired by the psychological privacy one enjoys within a swing, An Enclosure for a Swing lends a shape to this intimate space. The spatial expansion and contraction formed by the undulating steel ribbons trace out this movement to create a spatial cavity – a space that only Nature can enter. Seated within the sculpture, one can share a rare intimacy with Nature.
Artificial Rock #71 and #86
By Zhan Wang, 2010
Material: Stainless steel
Location: Marina Bay Sands, Lions Bridge
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 1.6m x 1.9m x 1.0m / 2.3m x 1.8m x 0.8mArtificial Rock #71 and #86 are abstract sculptures inspired by The Scholar’s Rock, which has for generations been held in high regard in China for its complexity and beauty. However, Zhan’s Artificial Rocks are highly reflective, allowing them to capture the rapid changes of their contemporary surroundings. Zhan’s mirror-like abstract rocks are not detached from the greenery, places of quiet contemplation, and modern buildings that surround them. In fact, their reflective surfaces embody the ever-changing views and developments around them.
A Visit to The Museum: Taking The Past Forward
By Chern Lian Shan 2000
Material: Bronze
Location: Peranakan Museum
Duration: Permanent
Collection: National Heritage Board
Dimensions: Dimensions variableTwo figures stand in front of the museum: an elderly man holding the hand of an eager young girl. If you look carefully, you can see a third figure: a woman in a modern dress standing on the second-floor balcony of the museum. The girl energetically gestures to the woman, generating dynamic interactions between the figures around the building’s façade. Chern’s sculpture demonstrates that the arts can be relevant to generations of Singaporeans both young and old, uniting our past, present, and future.
Big Bang
By Brother John Joseph McNally, 2000
Material: Cast silicon bronze
Location: Old Hill Street Police Station
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay SandsBig Bang reflects the late Brother McNally’s interest in religion, humanity, and mythology. As the title suggests, this sculpture represents the beginning of time and the wealth of possibilities that follow. It was unveiled in 2000, along with the then Ministry of Information and the Arts (MITA) Building. Similar to Ng Eng Teng’s The Explorer which was also created in 2000, Big Bang alludes to the infinite opportunities and excitement that await Singapore at the turn of the millennium.
Big Dream No. 4
By Gao Xiaowu, 2011
Material: Stainless steel
Location: Capital Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 1.82m x 2.38m x 2.51mFrom afar this sculpture looks like a balloon-shaped baby with a broad grin, but on closer examination, it is an adult male dressed in suit and tie. The person is flying but he has only a pair of tiny wings. How far will he go? Gao uses this artwork to spur us to think about the many big dreams of city folks and the realization of these dreams. Viewers and their dreams are reflected in the highly polished body of the work.
Blue Reflection Façade With Light Entry Passage
By James Carpenter, 2010
Material: Glass, stainless steel
Location: Marina Bay Sands Upper & Lower Casino Podium Wall (exterior)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 112m long x 17m tallJames Carpenter Design Associates Inc.’s artwork consists of a series of uniquely composed vertical glass and metal fin-like elements suspended in front of a reflective metal panel façade. The artwork is 112 meters long and 17 meters tall and features 80 stainless steel fins and over 200 glass fins. The floating fins accentuate the serpentine quality of the façade and capture a sense of the sky within the depth of the façade. As visitors pass by, the Blue Reflection Façade changes dynamically creating a visual layering that is luminous and reflective. Day and night, the shimmering façade provides viewers with a constantly changing experience of light.
Bond
By Jerome Ng and Zed Haan, 2021
Material :
Location : Ang Mo Kio Linear Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustAn emphatic cross between a sculpture and a pavilion, BOND is an experential exploration of the evolving interpersonal relationships and social bonds amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
One questions if social distancing has created more separations and divergences. In the physical sense, we have indeed spent more time apart from each other. Yet on another level, it can be discerned that we have also became much more intimate beings internally — the space afforded around us during this pandemic period has actually allowed many to feel the most genuine in the longest time.
Included in the artwork is a 4-part poem reflecting upon strength and solidarity. When read as a whole, BOND reveals fresh nuances of how we connect in daily life in light of the new normal.
Building People
By Kurt Laurenz Metzler, 2009
Material: Steel
Location: Capital Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 2.9m x 1.85m x 1.2mThe title of this unique steel sculpture happens to be the same as CapitaLand’s credo “Building People”, and the work is an amalgam of buildings and people in form. Standing almost 3m tall, the main figure has two parts: an upper body made up of building blocks of different shapes, and a lower body of stylized legs in trousers and feet in big shoes.
Breathe
By Edwin Cheong, 2010
Material: Green oxidized copper cups, black patina copper trunk
Location: Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 8m – 10m tallBreathe is one of two commemorative sculptures that resulted from the CDL Singapore Sculpture Award for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010. It symbolizes the peace and environmental consciousness shared by these nations and their united spirit for a truly sustainable global environment. The two finished sculptures were publicly unveiled by then-Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, prior to the start of the Youth Olympic Games.
Chinese procession
By Lim Leong Seng, 2001
Material: Bronze
Location: Telok Ayer Green
Duration: Permanent
Collection: National Parks BoardTwo of Singapore artist Lim Leong Seng’s bronze sculptures are located at Telok Ayer Green, a vibrant area of cuisine and culture. In Chinese Procession, Lim depicts Chinese immigrants who lived around Telok Ayer Street in the 19th Century. They are portrayed carrying decorative flags and banners in a lively street procession for the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival. They would also dress in colorful costumes and attract spectators with entertaining performances.
Chuan
By Brother John Joseph McNally, 2000
Material: Bronze
Location: Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall (Facing the bus stop)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Unknown“Chuan” is a calligraphic sculpture by the late Brother Joseph McNally, who was inspired by the brush strokes of Hong Zhu An. The sculpture was donated to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra by Siemens and unveiled by His Excellency S.R. Nathan, on 15 January 2008.
Circle of Life
By Coral Lowry, 2010
Material : Wall installation: Anodised aluminium, laminex and acrylic sheet. Pool and planter installation: Fibreglass, epoxy, resin, stainless steel, acrylic and LED lighting.
Location : Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : Various dimensionsCircle of Life comprises two rows of striped poles placed separately at the centre of a pool and in a planter, each set against the backdrop of wall pieces in shapes reminiscent of sea creatures such as molluscs and fish. Drawing inspiration from the intriguing forms found in and around coral atolls, the installation employs spirals, stripes and spots in the design of its various parts that collectively lend a sense of vibrancy to the space.
Cloud Nine: Raining
By Tan Wee Lit, 2015
Material: Perforated Stainless Steel, Glass Reinforced Polyurethane
Location: Singapore River (Waterfront steps, Queen Elizabeth Walk)
Duration: Temporary
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: 5.5 m x 2.8 m x 7 mCloud Nine: Raining is a contemporary artwork that appears to be floating above the water – defying gravity just as how Singapore has overcome its challenges over the years. The title reads like an oxymoron referencing both the sense of jubilation of being on Cloud Nine and an ominous forecast of rain. At the same time, the rainfall here symbolizes Singapore’s drive toward self-sustenance in water resources and constant self-renewal. Just as the nearby Victorian cast iron Tan Kim Seng Fountain celebrates the development of piped water to the town area, this ‘raining’ cloud sculpture is a visual celebration of Singapore’s progress towards a more secure future through water self-sufficiency.
Diaspora
By Unknown, 2012
Material: Springstone
Location: Gardens by the Bay (Chinese Garden)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions: 2.5m x 3.8mThis sculpture comes into view as visitors depart the Chinese Garden and walk towards the Malay Garden. Named Diaspora, or li xiang (离乡), which means “to leave one’s native place”, this two-piece sculpture pays homage to early Chinese immigrants who journeyed to Singapore in search of a better life. The first piece has a hollow center that frames the pond it is placed in front of, which represents the ocean, while the human figure that appears cut out of this stands at a distance away, near the Malay Garden.
Dragonfly Riders
By Elsie Yu, 2012
Material: Stainless steel, art glass
Location: Gardens by the Bay (Dragonfly Bridge / Colonial Garden)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions: 2 pieces, up to 5m x 3m eachA landmark within the tranquil Dragonfly Lake, these magnificent giant dragonfly sculptures feature casts of children riding on the creatures’ backs. The laser-cut mesh pattern used on the wings of the dragonflies encases colorful art glass. Their eyes – blue in one sculpture and red in the other – are made of hand-blown glass flecked with gold. A touch of human warmth amidst the grandiose garden, this sculpture of the child riders is an ode to the joys of childhood.
Drift
By Antony Gormley, 2010
Material: Steel
Location: Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 1 Atrium
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 40m x 23m x 15mDrift is a massive three-dimensional stainless steel polyhedral matrix of over 16,100 steel rods and more than 8,320 steel nodes. Measuring approximately 40 meters long, 23 meters high, and 15 meters wide, Drift is suspended cloud-like in the air between levels 5 and 12 of the atrium of Hotel Tower 1. The structure weighs 14.8 tons. The geometry of the art installation was generated using a process specifically developed for Antony Gormley’s sculptures by engineer Tristan Simmonds and involves the packing of spheres around a “seed” body form or shape. Due to the scale of the structure, it had to be fabricated off-site and subsequently broken down into eight horizontal “slices” approximately 3 meters tall to be transported to Marina Bay Sands. It took 60 workers with different expertise, from engineers to welders, to assemble it in the atrium.
Dual Universe
By Charles Perry, 1994
Material: Bronze
Location: Singapore Land Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: UnknownThis large abstract sculpture by American artist, Charles O. Perry, appears to resemble two figure “8” forms intertwining to become one. Devoid of any literal figurative form, Perry’s elegant and organic sculpture is in fact an abstract result of his close study of mathematics and art.
Elliptical Pavillion
By Dan Graham, 2017
Material : Two-way-mirror glass, stainless steel
Location : Mapletree Business City II
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 5.73(L) x 6.65(W) x 2.4(H) mElliptical Pavillion explores the relationship between artwork, viewer, and landscape. The two-way- mirror glass surface, a material which, relative to sunlight, is simultaneously reflective and transparent, superimposes images of the spectators and the landscape onto each other. The images merge and a “mirage” of overlapping bodies and landscape is created, making the pavilion both a device for a shared perceptual experience as well as a “fun-house.” Dan Graham’s glass and mirrored pavilions are instruments of reflection, both visual and cognitive, and highlight keen observations of elements of design in the built world. Poised between sculpture and architecture, the pavilions draw attention to buildings as instruments of expression, psychological strongholds, markers of social change, and prisms through which we view others and ourselves.
Endless Flow
By Tan Teng-Kee, 1980
Material: Brass
Location: At the junction of Orchard Road and Prinsep Street, opposite YMCA
Duration: Permanent
Collection: UnknownCommissioned by OCBC, the artwork symbolizes good fortune through the ‘endless flow’ of money and activity. Originally situated in front of the OCBC Bank building, this sculpture was moved to its current location at Dhoby Ghaut Green in 1983, underscoring the title’s reference to constant shifts and transformations. The artist, Tan Teng-Kee, is regarded as a pioneer of sculpture in Singapore and was one of the first to work with metal to create sculptures.
Encapsulation
By Brendan Neiland, 2009
Material: Acrylic on canvas
Location: Capital Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 1.5m x 2.1mThis piece is one of 12 photo-realist paintings commissioned by CapitaLand for Capital Tower before its completion. Artist Brendan Neiland had visited the building while it was under construction. He drew inspiration from it and its surroundings for painting the part-elevations of the skyscrapers in this part of downtown Singapore and of Capital Tower itself. The elevations – in stone, glass, and steel – are predominately geometrical, with the occasional palm trees giving relief to their regularity. What the artist wants to do is to bring the built forms and light, which are outside Capital Tower, into the building.
Endless Green
By Kum Chee Kiong, 2013
Material: Green and Corten Steel
Location: Fort Canning Park (Fort Canning Green)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: National Parks Board
Dimensions: 27m x 3mEndless Green is an installation to commemorate Singapore’s Green Heritage and the 50 years of Greening Singapore. It is located on the site of the first Botanical and Experimental Garden and installed on the 50 years of Greening Singapore. It is a poetic rendering of a Dual Green – local Siglap Grass (Zoysia Matrella) and foreign Cow Grass (Axonopus compressus) – to symbolize the symbiosis of local and foreign flora played in Green Singapore.
First Generation
By Chong Fah Cheong, 2000
Material: Bronze
Location: Singapore River, in front of The Fullerton Hotel
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Tourism BoardMade up of a group of five boys jumping into the Singapore River, the sculpture shows the lighter side of everyday life around the river in the past. This playful activity was a common sight in the early days of the river, now surrounded by luxury hotels and towering corporate buildings. Chong’s sculpture acts as a reminder of simple pleasures and shows how much daily life and surroundings in Singapore have changed over the years.
From Chettiars To Financiers
By Chern Lian Shan, 2002
Material: Bronze
Location: Singapore River, in front of the Asian Civilisations Museum
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Tourism BoardSingapore’s position as a center for entrepot trade led to the proliferation of financial institutions. The settlement’s first bank was the Bank of Calcutta, established in 1840. Financial business set up their offices near the Singapore River to be close to the area’s many trading houses.
From Little Things, Big things Grow
By Jane Cowie, 2010
Material : Kiln formed glass and stainless steel
Location : 10 Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : Wall installation: 17m (L) x 6m (H). Pond installation: 7m (W) x 13.7m (L).Located at the basement car park of Mapletree Business City (MBC), From Little Things, Big Things Grow is a glass and metal wall piece of a maple tree complete with falling leaves and a reflective pond. The maple leaf motif symbolises growth, longevity and renewal. Every year according to season, the maple foliage changes from green in spring and summer to orange, red and brown during autumn and winter. This artwork thus reminds one of nature’s seasons and effuses a bursting vitality of life.
The colourful maple leaves appear small when they are nearer to the tree base, and seem to grow larger when further away. This interesting perspective resonates with Mapletree’s own growth from a Singapore-based company to a leading real estate player.
Happy Family of Five
By Chua Boon Kee, 2012
Material: Forged Copper
Location: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Forecourt Garden
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Dimensions: Dimensions variableCommissioned in conjunction with Esplanade’s 10th Anniversary celebrations in 2012, the Happy Family of Five stands in the center, a place for families and friends to gather and enjoy a relaxing environment and wonderful views of the city. This artwork was kindly donated by Keppel Corporation.
Harmony
By Yu Yu Yang, 1993
Material: Metal (Chrome & Steel)
Location: Republic Plaza
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 2.48m x 1.28m x 1.28mThis reflective silver sculpture represents culture and identity through unlikely abstract motifs. The semi-circular elements on the top of the sculpture represent the Chinese character for Man “人” (ren). It is joined to the round sphere beneath which represents Earth. Together, the elements resemble the Chinese character for cooperation “合” (he). This image of Man joined to the Earth is thought to represent harmony and boundless energy. This sculpture also symbolizes a young dragon and phoenix joined together, embodying similar traits of fortune, elegance, and beauty.
Heading Home (Rickshaw)
By Lim Leong Seng, 2013
Material: Bronze
Location: China Square Central
Duration: Permanent
Collection: China Square
Dimensions: 1.9m x 3.3m x 1.35mRickshaws were a common form of transportation in the early days of Singapore’s development, favored by the well-to-do, British civil servants and government officials. It was hardly used by less wealthy people. In fact, rickshaw drivers were mostly poor immigrants who came from Hokkien in search of a better life in Singapore. This sculpture uses a realistic approach and aesthetic to depict a wealthy Peranakan lady setting off from home towards Jinrikisha Station, portraying the clear divide between the rich and poor in early Singapore.
Hello Stranger
By Dawn Ng, 2021
Material : Calcium silicate board folding with steel diagonal bracing and base plates
Location : Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustConceived as a lenticular billboard nestled within a lush pocket of the park, HELLO STRANGER starts off unassumingly as a static sculpture, but evolves as a physical performance of revelation as one uncovers its intended text by approaching from various directions and proximities.
The prose speaks to the longing of our current generation, who has everything yet is always missing something. It contemplates on what one is looking for in life — Could it be embedded right here within our surroundings all along? Could we all be seeking something intangible, yet authentic and real?
Read in the context of the post-Covid world, the artwork is thus a staging of a tender, surreal peekaboo encounter with words. At once intimate and universal, it seeks to connect with audiences and inspire reflection.
Humbly on Hills
By Lim Shing Ee, 2014
Material : Painted stainless steel
Location : 20 West Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : Various dimensions.Comprising a cluster of brightly coloured sculptures variously scattered across a pool, planter, and wall, Humbly on Hills portrays a reef intended to offer solace to its ‘swimming’ inhabitants – office workers and visitors to the Mapletree Business City towers. As individual objects, each represents a home or seed to a life form, accentuating the diversity of existence.
In the Eye of the Red Dot
By Yeo Chee Kiong, 2015
Material: Polished stainless steel
Location: National Museum of Singapore, Fort Canning Entrance (Level 2 Exit)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 4m x 3.6m x 4mDisplayed on the lawn at the Fort Canning entrance of the National Museum, In the Eye of the Red Dot is an SG50 co-commission by the National Museum of Singapore and City Developments Limited (CDL). Responding to the theme The Red Dot, ‘Today and Tomorrow’, Yeo’s sculpture represents the aspirations of a forward-thinking nation. It resembles a flower in bloom, symbolizing Singapore’s growing achievements over the past 50 years.
Indian Settlers
By Lim Leong Seng, 2001
Material: Bronze
Location: Telok Ayer Green
Duration: Permanent
Collection: National Parks Board
Dimensions: Dimensions variableIn the 19th Century, Indian and Chinese immigrants shared Telok Ayer Street. By placing these sculptures in close proximity, artist Lim Leong Seng mirrors Singapore’s present-day multicultural landscape. Lim uses figurative bronze sculptures to a similar effect, preserving the past and making it relevant to the present.
Jelly Baby Family
By Mauro Perucchetti, 2012
Material: Colour polyurethane resin on a granite base
Location: Plaza Singapura
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 3.4m x 2.4m x 1.1mThe Jelly Baby Family series is rooted in Perucchetti’s interest in cloning some years ago when he tried to capture the possible ambiguity and impersonality of a cloned human being. He later moved away from that concept and currently sees the Jelly Babies, with their childlike innocence, as an embodiment of the preciousness of family unity and the multicultural aspect of modern society.
Kingfisher Trio
By Eng Siak Loy, 2012
Material: Stainless steel
Location: Gardens by the Bay (Kingfisher Lake)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions: 4.5m x 5mComprising two kingfisher sculptures, one in a perching stance and the other in mid-flight, this artwork is given pride of place at the Kingfisher Lake, one of the more tranquil and relaxing spots in the Gardens. These large, impressive kingfisher sculptures serve as location markers and are a sight to behold as their metallic feathers catch the shifting rays of light on the lake surface. Sightings of nine species of kingfishers have been recorded in Singapore. Some of these, such as the White-throated Kingfisher and the Collared Kingfisher, are a familiar and welcome sight at the Gardens.
Large Reclining Figure
By Henry Moore, 1983
Material: Bronze
Location: OCBC Centre
Duration: Permanent
Collection: OCBC Bank
Dimensions: 9.45m x 4.24mThis sculpture blurs the line between abstraction and figuration. It is made by the famous sculptor, Henry Moore, whose work often features suggestive female figures in recline. Utilizing the play between positive and negative space, Moore distorts what looks to be a female figure, reducing it to a fluid form that reclines in quiet contemplation by the water. Measuring over 10 meters in length, it is one of the largest sculptures that Moore had ever created.
Living World Series
By Ju Ming, 2014
Material: Painted bronze
Location: CapitaGreen
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: Dimensions variableThe figures of the Living World Series represent the universal humanity that everyone is a part of. Standing as a group to convey a sense of mass, they also form clusters to give variety in spatial density. The playful portrayal of the figures’ apparel and accessories balances the overall composition, emphasizing the sense of movement from different perspectives, while the shades of colors accentuate the sense of layering.
Man on the Bench
By Kurt Laurenz Metzler, 2010
Material: Bronze
Location: Capital Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 1.5m x 2.75m x 1.5mMan on the Bench invites the passersby to sit on the bench and share a happy moment with him. He is a ‘cartoonish’ person with a small head, big body, and very large feet. Somewhat overdressed, he seems to be taking a break from his busy schedule to sit on the bench and read a book.
Makan Angin
By Lim Soo Ngee, 2014
Material: Bronze
Location: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Waterfront
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Esplanade – Theatres on the BayMakan Angin (literally, “eating wind” in Malay or “jiak hong” – “吃风” – in Hokkien) depicts a family of five enjoying a day out at the old Esplanade Waterfront. This commissioned public sculpture, made by notable local sculptor, Lim Soo Ngee, adds a touch of nostalgia to a promenade still beloved by locals and visitors alike. It reminds us that the simplest act of “eating wind” can be one of life’s greatest delights.
Moongate
By Chong Fah Cheong, 2016
Material : Bronze
Location : Gardens by the Bay (Waterfront promenade)
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions : 3.8m x 3.8mMoongate features a bronze ring with a uniquely textured inner surface modelled after abstract shapes that draw inspiration from the phenomena of our constantly changing natural world, such as shifting sands, tongues of flames, and the changing forms of clouds. Conceived as a portal that explores ideas of journeying and arriving, the ring suggests continuity, connectedness and a sense of community that is central to what it means to be Singaporean. In this way, Moongate invites viewers to imagine fresh narratives as we author the next chapter of Singaporean history together.
The sculpture is situated in a lush landscaped garden, with a variety of flowering plants and trees on one side and open vistas of the Marina waterfront on the other.
Mother & Child 36
By Han Meilin, 2009
Material: Bronze
Location: One George Street
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 0.7m x 1.45m x 0.54mNestled among the greenery on the pavement of One George Street is a gem of a sculpture by Chinese artist Han Meilin. It depicts a mother lying on her back with her child leaning against her body. The form is stylized; the mother’s lankiness contrasts with the child’s chubbiness. Care was taken in placing the sculpture atop a rock near a reflective pond as if mother and child had just gone for a dip and are now sunbathing. This sculpture presents a refreshing image of love amid the bustle of the city.
Motion
By Israel Hadany, 2012
Material: Glass, stone
Location: Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 1 Atrium
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 8.85m and 4.5m longMotion consists of two “islands,” unit A and unit B, made of glass and stone. Each unit is fabricated from amorphously shaped glass plates glued together to form large glass sections partly bordered by a Jura Beige stone bench. Placed at a distance from one another, Motion represents the movement of the river currents in relation to dry land and its intention is to introduce nature into the architectural space.
Nutmeg And Mace
By Kumari Nahappan, 2009
Material: Bronze
Location: ION Orchard
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 3.6m x 3.3m x 4.8mThis signature sculpture at ION Orchard connects the mall building site with its past as a nutmeg plantation – a reminder that present-day social spaces are enlivened and enriched with histories and collective memories. This two-tonne bronze sculpture is an interpretation of an opened nutmeg seed revealing its distinctive crimson mace – the unique lace-like covering.
Pedas Pedas
By Kumari Nahappan, 2006
Material: Bronze
Location: National Museum of Singapore, Fort Canning Entrance (Level 2 Exit)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: National Museum of SingaporeKnown for her iconic public sculptures, Kumari Nahappan works with playful themes such as food and nature. In this commission by the National Museum, the artist represents a common local ingredient: chili. This chili stands at almost four-meters tall! Its monumental size reflects the artist’s view that chilies store abundant vitality despite their modest size. The same can also be said of Singapore and our prolific achievements. The artist used chili as her inspiration as many Asian cultures incorporate it in their cuisines in different ways, reflecting Singapore’s multicultural landscape.
Pembungaan
By Kumari Nahappan, 2011
Material: Bronze
Location: OUE Bayfront
Duration: Permanent
Collection: OUEMeasuring over 45 meters, this work is the largest bronze mural in Singapore. Like Nahappan’s sculpture Pedas Pedas featured earlier, Pembungaan also illustrates Nahappan’s interest in representing local flora and fauna.
Pioneering Spirit
By Aw Tee Hong, 1987
Material: Copper, brass, iron
Location: Outside Raffl
Duration: Permanent
Collection: UnknownPioneering Spirit (Vitality of the Forerunner) depicts a ship that represents Singapore’s progression from a humble fishing village to a thriving metropolis. Echoing a recurring theme in many of the bronze works featured on this trail, Aw’s work honors Singapore’s pioneer generation whose efforts paved the way for our current developments and achievements.
Planet
By Marc Quinn, 2013
Material : White painted bronze, stainless steel
Location : Gardens by the Bay (The Meadow)
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions : 9m x 3mThis impressive bronze sculpture weighs a hefty 7 tonnes and is 9m long and 3m tall. It portrays an oversized reproduction of the artist’s own son, Lucas, as a baby. The sculpture’s weight is masterfully balanced on the infant’s right hand, creating the illusion that it is floating in the air. Created in 2008, the sculpture was first exhibited at the Beyond Limits exhibition of contemporary sculpture at Chatsworth House, then later as part of The Littoral Zone in 2012 at the Musee Oceanographique, Monaco. Planet is part of a trilogy of sculptures based on the early yeras of Marc Quinn’s son, which also includes Lucas (2003) and Innoscience (2004).
This sculpture was donated by Mr & Mrs Putra Masagung.
Points Of View
By Tony Cragg, 2012
Material: Bronze
Location: One Raffles Place
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Unknown
Dimensions: 10m x 1.9m x 1.4m / 8m x 2.2m x 2.3mThis 10-meter-tall sculpture comprises two blocks of irregular stacked shapes that offer a different view depending on which angle you are looking from. Cragg’s sculptures often take human profiles or familiar objects as a starting point. He then distorts these into abstract sculptures that encourage imagination and playful interactions. Take a walk around the sculpture and try to spot the changes in the artwork!
Progressive Flow
By Han Sai Por, 2004
Material: Granite
Location: NTUC Centre
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Unknown
Dimensions: Dimensions variableIn Progressive Flow, six curved sculptures in abstract shapes stretch across the NTUC Centre’s walkway. The dynamic forms and lines are symbolic of NTUC’s progress and contribution to the development of labor movements in Singapore. Despite being carved from solid granite and collectively weighing over 55 tonnes, the sculpture evokes an effortless fluidity of movement. It demonstrates Han’s expertise with her signature material of granite. Passers-by are encouraged to interact with the artwork, sit on the pieces or walk through the spaces in between.
Rain Oculus
By Ned Kahn, 2011
Material: Acrylic, stainless steel
Location: Marina Bay Sands Waterfront Promenade / Retail Mall
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 22m wideRain Oculus is a large acrylic and stainless steel structure located at the intersection of the retail mall and the waterfront promenade. It creates a whirlpool motion on the promenade level with the water falling one story through a hole in the center of the Oculus, creating a dynamic water skylight feature at the heart of the retail mall. It consists of a 22-meter diameter acrylic bowl mounted on top of a tubular stainless steel superstructure, which forms a “basket” to support the acrylic panels. The combined weight of the acrylic Oculus and steel superstructure is 90 tons. Water flows at 6,000 gallons per minute through the Oculus and the maximum weight of the water it can hold is 200 tons. The water is the art medium creating the sculptural effect in this installation.
Rain Tree
By Kim Jongku, 2010
Material : Stainless steel, painted stainless steel
Location : Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 3.6m x 4m x 5.25mA realistic tree forged from stainless steel, Rain Tree is a fountain sculpture that stands at the centre of a large water feature. Although a static structure, the fountain’s streams of water move with the wind, creating shifting spaces among its willowy forms that simulate the swaying of tree branches. The aptly-named sculpture has the appearance of producing literal ‘rain’, but also references a common species of tree seen around Singapore.
Reed Sculpture
By Peter Chen, 2006
Material: Bronze
Location: Along Robertson Quay, outside The Pier at Robertson
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 2m x 2m x 6mReed Sculpture is the winning work of the 1st CDL Singapore Sculpture Award in 2003. It signifies the reed’s boldness and strength in the face of harsh environmental conditions. The design was inspired by resilient reed plants often found standing tall in water or in dry places.
Reminiscing Old Ang Mo Kio
By Yip Yew Chong, 2018
Material: Enamel paint, wood (for temporary installations)
Location: Teck Ghee Court Market & Food Centre, Kebun Baru Market
Duration: Temporary
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: Various dimensionsThis series of mural paintings re-creates scenes from the past in spaces that gave Ang Mo Kio its distinct identity decades ago and are still enjoyed by its community today. Older generations of residents will recognize familiar sights such as kampong houses, the interior of an old kitchen, and the bird cages of Kebun Bahru’s bird singing clubs which still exist today. Situated near the markets, these evocative murals are accompanied by smaller site-specific interventions that together serve as nostalgic reminders of Ang Mo Kio’s rich heritage.
Rising Forest
By Zheng Chongbin, 2010
Material: Stoneware ceramic, wood
Location: Marina Bay Sands Hotel Atrium (Interior and exterior)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions : 3m tall, 1,200kg, 4,000sqmRising Forest is a ceramic sculpture composed of 83 massive, glazed, stoneware ceramic vessels occupying approximately 4,000 square meters in the Hotel Atrium. Each vessel weighs 1,200 kilograms and measures 3 meters tall. Every vessel holds a tree, creating a “canopy” of trees across the interior and exterior areas of the Hotel Atrium. The vessels are so large that the artist had to build a customized kiln the size of a small building. Ceramics of this size are rarely made and fired in one piece. The ceramic pieces were made in Yixing, China, known for their artistry and high-quality ceramics since the 11th century.
Samsui Women
By Liu Jilin, 1999
Material: Granite
Location: Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Building
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Urban Redevelopment AuthorityThe sculpture shows a trio of samsui women, identified by their characteristic hats and the loads they carry on their backs. Samsui women came to Singapore from the Sansui Province of China mostly between the 1920s and 1940s in search of jobs to support their families back home. The location of this sculpture outside the Urban Development Authority’s building is significant, as samsui women were mainly responsible for construction and industrial jobs during key development periods in Singapore’s history.
School Time Memories (Chapteh)
By Lim Leong Seng, 2013
Material: Bronze
Location: The Pavilion @ Far East Square
Duration: Permanent
Collection: China Square
Dimensions: 1.3m x 4.1m x 1.6mAmoy Street was once colloquially known as ‘Free School Street’ because of Cui Ying Free School, which was built in 1854. The first Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) was also established in one of the shophouses along this street in 1886. This sculpture depicts a scene from the past at Amoy Street, where school-going children indulged in their favorite pastime, chapter, with their friends after class. A traditional grame favored by many in Asia and Southeast Asia, chapteh requires players to keep a weighted shuttlecock in the air by using their feet or other parts of the body except for their hands. This chapteh shuttlecock could be made simply and cheaply by attaching feathers to a rubber sole.
Seed
By Han Sai Por, 1995
Material: Granite
Location: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Waterfront
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Dimensions: Dimensions VariableA plant’s life cycle begins with a seed. This contains an embryo that has the potential to grow. Once the seed is set in a place where it can merge with the elements of nature, germination takes place and the embryo, once dormant, comes to life. Seeds are a recurring subject matter for sculptor Han Sai Por. Located here at Esplanade’s Waterfront, Han’s four granite sculptures symbolize the germination of the arts on fertile ground. Cultural Medallion recipient Han Sai Por is best known for her stone sculptures inspired by shapes and organic forms from nature. She often uses granite and marble in her sculptural pieces as they are natural and yet hard materials that can withstand the test of time and forces of our environment, and are hence symbolic of the resilience of life.
This artwork was kindly donated by ST Engineering.
Sense Surround
By Anthony Poon, 2006
Material: Painted aluminum
Location: St. Regis Hotel
Duration: Permanent
Collection: St RegisSingaporean artist Anthony Poon’s sculpture Sense Surround was specially commissioned for St. Regis Hotel in 2006. It features geometric shapes and specific use of color that are highly characteristic of abstract art. Although the geometric shapes are repeated many times in this sculpture, there is a great deal of variety and difference in the way they appear to viewers. Playing with simple qualities like form, shape, and color, Poon’s abstract sculpture strikes a balance between being complex and universal.
Shimmering Pearls
By Han Sai Por, 1999
Material: Coloured glass
Location: Capital Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: Dimensions variableHan’s Shimmering Pearls a visible fixture in the Central Business District. This colorful, highly recognizable sculpture adds vibrancy to the concrete landscape. Installed in a pond, the fantastical ‘pearls’ of differing heights recall childhood memories of playing in spouting fountains. Han’s sculpture entices commuters and passers-by in its attempt to recreate a fountain’s charm and dynamic elements of play. Han’s whimsical pearls show that abstract art can actually be relevant and add joy to the everyday lives of Singaporeans.
Silver Lining
By Jason Lim, 2014
Material : Stainless steel
Location : 30 Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : Various dimensionsInspired by dramatic cloud formations and the English idiom, “every cloud has a silver lining”, this installation seeks to convey a message of optimism that we should never feel hopeless because difficult times always lead to better days.
Sky Mirror
By Anish Kapoor, 2010
Material: Stainless steel
Location: Lily pond at ArtScience Museum
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 2.9m wideSky Mirror, which depicts an “oculus in the space,” is a stainless steel reflective artwork by Anish Kapoor. Measuring 2.9 meters in diameter and weighing 1,800 kilograms, Sky Mirror appears to “bring the sky down to earth” creating an optical illusion that the sky and its surrounding are within reach. Positioned at an angle of 30-degrees, Sky Mirror captures the beauty of the sky and a portrait of the iconic lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum.
Sonic Pathway
By Zulkifle Mahmod, 2017
Material : Copper pipes, 512 solenoids, microcontrollers, speakers
Location : Mapletree Business City II
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 10(L) x 2.5(W) m; 9(L) x 4.5(W) m; 9(L) x 4.5(W) mSonic Pathway engages sound as a medium for representing urban conditions in flux. The installation consists of copper pipes and an orchestration of sound made by more than 500 pieces of solenoids (electromagnets that generate a controlled magnetic field) hitting on the pipes. Accompanied by ambient sound recorded and remixed by the artist, the resulting composition corresponds to the acoustic of the pathway, travelling from one end to the other. A kind of anonymity reverberates through the piece – it is a borderless territory designed for listening. Bodies and movements along the pathway intervenes the aural architecture, becoming both the transmitter and transmitted, creating a dialogue with the space. The passage becomes live and interactive.
Sound Like 19
By Chen Sai Hua Kuan, 2018
Material: PVC pipes and steel structure
Location: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration: Temporary
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: 2.8m x 6m x 3mConstructed using hollow pipes and metal joints, this interactive installation invites people to listen to the sound of their own voices traveling through its resonant tubes. Responding to the bustle of urban life in Singapore, the artwork offers city-dwellers a meditative experience that calls for greater awareness of one’s own thoughts and alludes to the public park’s role as a space that sustains the health of its community.
Spirit of Kallang
By Lim Leong Seng, 1998
Material: Stainless steel
Location: Kampong Bugis, Kallang Riverside Park
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Power
Dimensions: 3.5m x 1.5m x1.5mThis sculpture was officially unveiled by then-Minister for Information and the Arts and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Brigadier General (NS) George Yeo at the Official Retirement of Kallang Gasworks on 23 March 1998, from its inception in 1861. The Spirit of Kallang incorporates materials from Kallang Gasworks. Its design symbolizes the hardworking ethos and enduring spirit of the early pioneers of Singapore who worked tirelessly to establish a better life for future generations.
Stillness In Motion-3 Airborne Self-Assemblies
By Tomás Saraceno, 2017
Material : Steel frame, reflective panels, steel wire
Location : Mapletree Business City II
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 23.75(L) x 16(W) x 11.5(H) mTaking architecture as representation of human inhabitation, Stillness in Motion – 3 Airborne Self- Assemblies is a response to the growing inhabitability of the earth. Inspired by the structure and functionality of a spider web, the work “fosters imagination towards airborne living and habitats of the future.” These utopian trajectories, informed by the fields of art, architecture, and science, catch and redirect the visitors’ gaze towards a myriad of reflective patterns, mirroring and echoing the environment. With its airy feature and suspended character, reflective layers, and transparent components, the work aims to be a point of observatory where gazes of visitors and passers-by are caught and redirected towards a myriad of reflective patterns, mirroring and echoing the environment.
Struggle For Survival
By Aw Tee Hong 1988
Material: Copper, brass, iron
Location: Outside Raffl
Duration: Permanent
Collection: UnknownAnother sculpture resembling a ship awaits passers-by at the exit of Raffles Place MRT. It was also made by artist Aw Tee Hong. Both of his sculptures were installed to inaugurate Raffles Place MRT and symbolize the struggles and changes during Singapore’s urbanization from a fishing village to a modern metropolis.
Tall Tree In The Eye
By Anish Kapoor, 2013
Material: Stainless steel
Location: Ocean Financial Centre
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Keppel Corporation
Dimensions: 8m in height, variable widthThis monumental sculpture by acclaimed British artist, Anish Kapoor, comprises 29 polished stainless steel spheres that appear to float upwards. Measuring 8-metres tall and weighing over 6 tonnes, it is one of a handful of stainless steel works the artist has produced in the past decade. The sculpture resembles a house of mirrors that cheekily distorts reflections of passers-by. It creates a kaleidoscopic effect that also makes the surrounding buildings seemingly “disappear”, giving viewers a sense of fantasy and illusion.
Temusek
By Chong Fah Cheong, 1987
Location: SMRT Sports and Recreation Club
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 1.5m x 0.85m x 0.6m
The Cascade
By Nola Farman, 2010
Material : Painted stainless steel
Location : 10 Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 15 pieces, various dimensionsThe Cascade is a series of coloured arcs that spill down in five rows over the terraces of a water feature, reflecting the irrepressible power, abundance and hope evoked by the idea of flowing water. Australian artist Nola Farman drew inspiration from the dynamic play of light on water when creating this sculpture, which calls to mind shimmering rainbow hues produced as the two elements interact. The brightness of the colours and slim, tumbling form of the arcs stand in contrast to the solid mass and rigid lines of the office tower surroundings.
The Conch
By FARM, 2010
Material : Stainless steel
Location : Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 52m x 11.3m x 5m (88 stems, between 2.2 – 7.2m in height)Located in Mapletree Business City’s open plaza, The Conch is a large outdoor sculpture comprising 88 stems of elegant, trumpet-like sprouting forms that collectively form a wave-like sea of bells reminiscent of corals. One can imagine walking beneath the sculpture as though it were the canopy of a lush forest. Viewed from the office floors above, it appears as a singular organic shape, its multiplicity of parts playing out like the twirling polyps of a rich coral island.
The artwork draws inspiration from the idea of chancing upon a conch during a stroll along the beach and holding it to one’s ears to listen to the sounds of the sea. A poetic wind instrument, The Conch has stalks that are dotted with funnels where people can put their ears to and listen to the wind.
The Explorer
By Ng Eng Teng, 1999
Material: Ciment fondu, stainless steel, gold leaf
Location: Singapore Art Museum
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Art MuseumCultural Medallion recipient Ng Eng Teng is one of Singapore’s most important artists. An avid believer in education and creation, Ng’s artworks deal with aspirational humanist themes. With numerous globes stacked on top of one another, The Explorer ambitiously represents a desire for intergalactic exploration. Unsurprisingly, with such a grand theme, the sculpture was dedicated at the beginning of the millennium, with hopes for Singapore’s optimistic future and continued progress.
The Flight
By Etienne, 2013
Material: Bronze with patina
Location: Raffles City
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 2.3m x 6m x 3.9mSpecially commissioned by CapitaLand for Raffles City Singapore, this sculpture of a flight of seven birds spreading their wings in formation, speaks of liberty, peace, joy, and hope. Each bird is of a different size, with the four larger ones tilting their bodies dramatically and providing elegant visual contrast to the three smaller ones above them. This graceful sculpture on a pond exudes dreamy tranquility amid the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Magnificent Bull
By Walter Matia, 2011
Material: Bronze
Location: Gardens by the Bay (Golden Garden)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions: 3.5m x 2.7mSited at the Golden Garden, this bronze-cast bull sculpture by renowned American sculptor Walter Matia (b. 1953) displays strength and vigor that aptly depicts Singapore’s bullish economy. The artist’s passion for natural history serves as an inspiration to his impressive pieces. In Matia’s own words, he represents nature by “selecting shapes and organizing the masses, lines, and negative spaces into sculpture”.
The Melting Pot
By Kumari Nahappan, 2015
Material: Bronze
Location: Indian Heritage Centre
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Unknown
Dimensions: 1.8m x 1.0m x 1.0mThis sculpture is inspired by the kudam (Tamil: water pot) used for collecting water in South India. While the flowing lines represent ideas and trade networks, the rings of symbols allude to the cultural associations of the South Asian communities that migrated to Singapore.
The Meeting
By Etienne, 2014
Material: Bronze with patina
Location: CapitaGreen
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 3.5m x 2.4m x 1.28mOriginally titled La Rencontre in French, The Meeting is a sculpture depicting conversations, sharing, and exchange among neighbors, friends, or even strangers. The three figures, linked by one unique body in the artist’s signature style of incomplete anatomic parts, express the importance of human relationships built through constructive meetings. A flight of birds cutting across the composition symbolizes the beauty and liberty of their thoughts.
The Merlion
By Lim Nang Seng 1972
Material: Cement, porcelain plates, red teacups
Location: Merlion Park, Marina Bay Waterfront
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Tourism Board
Dimensions: 8mThe Merlion is a well-known icon of Singapore, conceived as a mythical creature with a lion’s head and a fish’s body. The fish alludes to Singapore’s beginnings as a fishing village, while the lion refers to the sighting of a lion in Temasek by Sang Nila Utama, leading him to rename the island Singapura (“lion city” in Sanskrit). The Merlion thus depicts both Singapore’s origin story and its fantastical transformations. Over the years, Singaporeans have affectionately adopted it as our mascot and national icon.
The Rising Moon
By Han Sai Por and Kum Chee Kiong, 2015
Material: Granite Stone, Corten Steel, Boulders
Location : Esplanade Park
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: 42.5m x 3.9m x 2mThe Rising Moon is an artistic reinterpretation of our national symbols – the five stars and crescent moon, the artwork is a reflection of the notion of nationhood and our timeless core values. It is also a tribute to the history and cultural memories that the river has played in Singapore’s progress as a maritime nation.
The River Merchants
By Aw Tee Hong, 2002
Material: Bronze
Location: Singapore River, in front of Maybank Tower
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Singapore Tourism Board
Dimensions: Dimensions variableThis sculpture depicts the daily routines of merchants and laborers conducting business around the Singapore River in the 19th Century. Comprising two sets of figures, it features prominent merchant Alexander Laurie Johnston mediating between a Malay chief and a Chinese trader on one side, and coolies loading sacks onto a bullock cart on the other. These activities are probably unfathomable around Singapore’s modern-day Central Business District, where smartly-dressed professionals go to work in high-rise buildings. However, these forms of labor and transaction were a common sight around the river as trade expanded over two centuries ago.
The Sound Of Nature
By Lim Leong Seng, 2012
Material: Bronze
Location: Greenwich V
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Far East Organisation
Dimensions : 3.0m x 4.8m x 3.5mThis collection of sculptures celebrates the rich heritage and unique character of Seletar. The Seletar area is home to many iconic Singapore landmarks, such as the RAF Seletar, built-in 1928, Singapore’s first international airport. The Seletar precinct also exudes a unique rustic charm, with its abundant flora and fauna, and its history as the former site of plentiful rubber estates, which lined Yio Chu Kang Road and Jalan Kayu.
The Time Tree
By Robert Zhao Renhui, 2019
Material : Polyurethane with matt finish, metal frame, LED lights
Location : Various
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustModelled after the dimensions of the Changi Tree – what is believed to be Singapore’s tallest recorded tree, The Time Tree imagines what a tree older than 200 years might look like.
Reflecting on Singapore’s pre-modern history and the plurality of narratives, it draws attention to a longer, more meditative concept of history – one that is measured in the life of botany as opposed to human markers such as founding dates. The form of a stump is deliberate, embodying power, vulnerability, regeneration, and infinite possibilities.
At night, the tree is illuminated with light emanating through the gaps and cracks, adding to a sense of mystery and unknowability. The Time Tree is one of the largest public artworks in Singapore created using 3D printing technology.
The Time Tree is currently on view at Fort Canning Park until October 2019, after which it will travel to Jurong Lake Gardens from November to December 2019, then to Raffles Place Park in January 2020.
The work is a commission by the National Arts Council’s Public Art Trust in commemoration of the Singapore Bicentennial in 2019.
The Wind, Her Rain, And A Cloud Meet A Tree In The Monsoon Season
By Yeo Chee Kiong, 2009
Material: Stainless steel
Location: City Green (Urban park) at City Square Mall
Duration: Permanent
Collection: City Developments Limited (CDL)
Dimensions: 3.5m x 3.5m x 6mThis artwork was the winning work of the 2nd CDL Singapore Sculpture Award in 2005. It illustrates the interactions between the tree, wind, rain, and cloud which symbolizes the dynamic and natural cycle of a tropical rainforest. It uses the coherence of various organic shapes to connote nature’s transferability and its tenuous relationship between Nature and Man. The display of this artwork is in accordance with MOU terms with NParks.
This Time
By Perception3, 2021
Material : 5mm solid white acrylic sheets with heavy duty cable ties
Location : Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustConceptualized during the ‘circuit breaker’ period in 2020, This Time reflects on our heightened sensitivities toward time, distances and proximities. The artwork features two sets of texts on both sides of the bridge:
THIS TIME APART / THIS DISTANCE TOGETHER
LONGING FOR THE SKY / REACHING FOR THE SEAWhen read in the context of the pandemic, the texts direct our attention to this ‘moment’ in time where we are held apart, yet share a sense of longing together. Looking beyond the current situation, the texts are a reminder of life’s constant uncertainties, desires, and hopes.
As a site-responsive artwork, the texts are also in dialogue with the elements of the surrounding environment, such as the apartment blocks, the river, sky, and trees. When encountered together, they suggest a dynamic and perpetual connection to the rest of the city and beyond.
Tipping Wall
By Ned Kahn, 2011
Material: Polycarbonate
Location: Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 3
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 29m x 15 mTipping Wall, located at the cooling tower adjacent to the southern end of the hotel, features 7,000 mechanical polycarbonate tipping water channels on a large glass-reinforced concrete wall about the size of a basketball court. Water running down the glass-reinforced concrete wall splashes out and animates the white tipping channels, which are supported by stainless steel pins. As each channel fills with water, it tips left or right like a seesaw and spills water into either of the two channels below it. Water is recovered at the catchment area below the tippers and re-circulated to the distribution trough.
Tropical Leaf
By Han Sai Por, 2012
Material: Marble
Location: One Raffles Quay
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Unknown
Dimensions: 2m x 2.4m x 1.8mSingapore artist, Han Sai Por, is drawn to Nature and her artworks are often inspired by natural themes and forms. The outdoor setting of One Raffles Quay is home to another of Han’s artworks, Tropical Leaf. This pristine marble sculpture captures the essence of tropical flora and fauna in an urban environment like the Central Business District.
Urban People
By Kurt Laurenz Metzler, 2009
Material: Aluminium
Location: ION Orchard
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: Dimensions variableSpecially commissioned for ION Orchard, this set of six caricatured urbanites each in a bright color – red, green, purple, lime, rose and purple – adds much vibrancy to the steps in front of one of the entrances to the mall. The sculptures invite the passersby or shoppers to interact with them, be it holding their hands or putting an arm around them to take a picture.
Wall Drawing #915, Arcs, Circle and Irregular bands
By Sol LeWitt, 1999
Material: Acrylic paint
Location: Underground pedestrian network connecting Marina Bay Sands to Bayfront MRT
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: 3.96m x 16.76mThe bold, colorful geometric design that comprises Wall Drawing #917, Arcs and Circles, and Wall Drawing #915, Arcs, Circle and Irregular bands were drawn by two artists from the Lewitt Estate, Takeshi Arita and Gabriel Hunter, who worked with LeWitt for many years before he died. They were assisted by a select group of four local artists chosen through the Singapore Tyler Print Institute.
Wall Drawing #917, Arcs and Circles
By Sol LeWitt, 1999
Material: Acrylic paint
Location: Marina Bay Sands Hotel Tower 1 Reception
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions : 4.34m x 20.32mSol LeWitt’s (1928–2007) wall drawings redefined traditional concepts about discreet works of art. His innovation was two-fold: that the idea was the artwork, and that someone other than the artist could execute the work and it would still be a work by the artist. Wall drawings painstakingly follow Mr. LeWitt’s directions, and while a drawing may be installed many times, it may vary only slightly in size and never in format. Each drawing is accompanied by directions and a signed certificate that authenticates the work. The wall drawings are hand-painted and due to their scale, they require the execution and supervision of LeWitt-trained artists. The bold, colorful geometric design that comprises Wall Drawing #917, Arcs and Circles was drawn by two artists from the Lewitt Estate, Takeshi Arita and Gabriel Hunter, who worked with LeWitt for many years before he died. They were assisted by a select group of four local artists chosen through the Singapore Tyler Print Institute.
Watching Clouds
By Paul Vanstone, 2015
Material : Marble
Location : Gardens by the Bay (Waterfront promenade, near Silver Garden)
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Gardens by the Bay
Dimensions : 1.5m x 2.1mThis sculpture shows the side profiles of two faces gazing at the sky. It is sculpted from marble, a material possessing the qualities of both hardness and reflectivity that the artist finds intriguing. Combining classical and contemporary techniques, Vanstone subtly expresses form and pattern using exotically sourced Carrara marble. Watching Clouds was previously showcased at On Form, the only exhibition in the UK dedicated to stone sculptures, before its installation at Gardens by the Bay.
Watching The World Go Round
By anGie seah, 2018
Material: Metal, wood, colored acrylic, and bicycle parts
Location: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration: Temporary
Collection: Public Art Trust
Dimensions: 2.5m x 3m x 3mWhimsical yet practical, Watching The World Go Round grew out of the artist’s love of cycling and her weekly visits to the park. The interactive carousel-like sculpture offers park visitors the opportunity to unwind, bond with family, and pause for introspection – all while getting a fitness workout.
Waterfall
By Troika, 2009
Material: Mixed media
Location: ION Orchard
Duration: Permanent
Collection: CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions: 12.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 mAn installation of two-and-a-half-story high and fixed onto one of the columns in an atrium of ION Orchard, this work by Troika uses flip dots controlled by a specially developed animation software to create the illusion of flowing water falling freely in two levels of cascades. The appearance of the work changes constantly throughout the day, their highly reflective surfaces catching and bouncing off light as they flip.
Wave
By Baet Yeok Kuan, 2010
Material : Stainless steel
Location : Mapletree Business City
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 16m x 5m x 3mWave embodies the interplay of strong and subtle forces commonly seen in the natural world, mimicking the concept of yin and yang in Chinese philosophy. Although a large sculpture spanning 16 metres in length, the elegant sinuous form of Wave lends it a sense of lightness that is reinforced by its mirrored surface and reflections in the pool water below.
Wind Arbor
By Ned Kahn, 2011
Material: Aluminium, steel
Location: Marina Bay Sands Hotel Atrium (exterior)
Duration: Permanent
Collection: Marina Bay Sands
Dimensions: North end: 15m tall; South end: 55m tall, 6,800sqmWind Arbor is the largest and most visible piece of Marina Bay Sands’ Art Path. It covers 6,800 square meters, equivalent to the surface area of five-and-a-half Olympic-sized swimming pools. The sculpture consists of 260,000 aluminum metal “flappers” covering the entire western façade of the Hotel Atrium facing the Central Business District and encircling the air-conditioning towers at the north end of the property. When the flappers move, they reflect light, creating a shimmering piece of art. It is 15 meters tall at the north end and increases to 55 meters tall at the southern entry. The flappers are mounted on hinges and hung from steel cable so they are free to move independently in reaction to wind movements.
Wind Sculpture I
By Yinka Shonibare MBE, 2013
Material : Steel armature with hand painted fiberglass resin cast
Location : Mapletree Business City II
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Mapletree
Dimensions : 3.4(L) x 8(W) x 6.1(H) mWind Sculpture I examines how history and trade influence culture but also how natural elements, such as wind, still have an impact on our activities. The fabric pattern used on the work has a complex history in its trade routes: originally designed as an Indonesian fabric and produced by the Dutch, it was sold by the British to the African market in the 19th and early 20th century, “a perfect metaphor for multi-layered identities.” The work, in the shape of the sails, captures the wind to produce something tangible out of the intangible. Here, “something as insignificant as a breeze is turned into something monumental, while a historical time period is made universally ambivalent,” alluding to the countless headless monuments that portray a larger historical moment.
With Dual Possibilties
By Vertical Submarine, 2021
Material : Encased LED neon lights, waterproof plywood and metal frame
Location : Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustThis installation draws reference to an extract from ‘Fan Fiction’, a poem within Singaporean writer Yong Shu Hoong’s publication Anatomy of a Wave (2021), about a generation of music lovers coming of age in the 80s to early 90s –
“…out of quarter- / life crisis, hurtling out of doldrums quickly / To grandly enter the dawn of the 90s…”
The line is imprinted onto a larger-than-life sculpture of an audio cassette, this time with key words redacted, inviting viewers to mentally fill in the blanks based on their imagination. On the B-side, the Chinese phrase “危险机会” utilises the device of code-switching and alludes to how opportunity is often embedded in crisis — akin to the complex times we live in today.
The artwork serves as a layered puzzle open to diverse permutations of decoding and interpretation, speaking volumes about the myriad of possibilities and uncertainties lying ahead.
East
間
By Cheryl Chiw, 2021
Material : Stainless Steel with polished finish, reinforced metal frame support structure and concrete base.
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustThis ideogrammatic artwork takes its entry point from how the traditional Chinese character ‘間’(jiān) is a composite of the sub-characters ‘⾨’(door) and ‘日 ’(sun or day). As a whole, the character ‘間’ also denotes space or realm.
Symbolishing a transition or passageway to a brand new world of possibilities, 間 explores how the COVID-19 pandemic had created a momentary pause in our fast-paced lives, opening up a precious interval to reflect on how we have lived and how we choose to live moving forward. Be it an opportunity for a new beginning or an obstacle for what lies ahead, the ideogram of ‘日’ (sun or day) depicts the passing of time in a relentless and unceasing cycle.
Crossing Shores
By Speak Cryptic, 2019
Material : Fibreglass
Location : Siglap Canal, East Coast Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustCrossing Shores pays homage to the diversity of early migrants who crossed Singapore’s shores in search of better futures, and eventually settled to build a new life and home together.
Multiple faces of different ethnicities and origins are clustered together to form a single figure, emerging from the water and bound for land. Collectively, they suggest an unending quest for prosperity and journeys from afar. The figue is clad in a garment fashioned after the clothes of indigenous people from the Malay Archipelago, the region in which Singapore – or Tumasik – was part of becoming a Crown Colony under the British empire.
Upon closer examination, the sea of faces, rendered in the artist’s evocative monochromatic illustrative style, are contemporary – speaking to the constant drift of migration we continue to experience till today.
Cycle Ink
By Chen-Sai Hua Kuan, 2019
Material : Metal, wood and acrylic
Location : Our Tampines Hub
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 10m (L) x 1m (W) x 2.1m (H)Walk alongside, and watch the cyclists travel with you. Try moving at different speeds!
Tampines was the first town in Singapore to have dedicated cycling paths, and an ongoing expansion of its network is set to further transform urban transportation here.
Inspired by the growing popularity of cycling as a means of commuting, Cycle Ink draws attention to how the sport has changed urban life. To create this artwork, photographs of cyclists in Tampines were used to make an optical illusion that plays with light and pattern to trick the eye into seeing movement where there is none.
Daisy
By Christian Moeller, 2007
Material : Fiberglass and robotic arm
Location : Terminal 3, Departure Hall Central (Stretches from Arrival to Departure Level)
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Changi Airport Group
Dimensions : 13 meters tallThis artwork is inspired by the transportive nature of Changi Airport – a world-class airport – and Singapore’s seaport which is a major harbour and nexus of international trade and commerce. This is portrayed playfully through a symbolic propeller which resembles a flower, underscoring the tropical richness of Singapore’s flora. The sculpture is also painted in Singapore’s national colours – red and white. With built-in sensors, the propeller moves in unpredictable patterns as it responds to the presence and movements of travellers in its immediate environment.
Distance Will Bring Me Closer To You
By Hanson Ho, 2021
Material : Wall Paint
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustDistance Will Bring Me Closer To You is a site-specific installation which reminds many of us of the ‘distant closeness’ which we may have experienced with a relative, friend or a loved one during the recent circuit breaker measures.
This may have taken the form of a rare phone call from a relative checking out how we are doing at home, an unexpected delivery of bubble tea couriered to us by friends and colleagues, or a Zoom conversation which proved to be more focused and memorable than a physical meetup which we often take for granted.
The textual mural, installed onto a 32-metre long wall at Punggol Waterway Park, uses its length and connectedness as an appropriate metaphor to echo the message of the artwork, while the surrounding flows of human traffic become a part of the installation.
Every Seed Carries Within It The dream & Blueprint Of The Whole
By Hunny & Lummy, 2021
Material : Hammocks and rattan
Location : Sengkang Riverside Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustThis art installation is a visual manifestation of a poignant line within Singapore author Alvin Pang’s publication What Gives Us Our Name (2011), which happens to also be the artwork title.
It draws upon the profound yet simple idea that there is a seed of hope, aspirations, dreams, power and strength implanted in every single individual that has the potential to grow into something great right now, especially as the world is going through a major reset due to COVID-19.
As regenerative spaces nestled amidst nature, the seed pods carve out room for weary souls to recharge and cancel out the stress in everyday life. In doing so, the experience amplifies the notion that even if one feels tiny and helpless like a seed, one contains the potential to pursue dreams and actualize a life that counts.
Ferry Benches
By Tawatchai Puntusawasdi, 2019
Material : Wood
Location : Tampines Central Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : VariableLook around the park. Do you spot anything askew?
Park benches are important public amenities: they allow people to spend more time outside and connect with others in their community. Drawing inspiration from this, Ferry Benches is a series of handcrafted benches which appear curiously warped, defying the bench’s conventional functiom as an object on which people remain still and rest.
By giving this humble furniture a playful twist, Tawatchai hopes to inject moments of fun into the lives of local residents – even during the simple act of sitting.
Five Stones
By Twardzik Ching Chor Leng, 2019
Material : PVC
Location : Various locations
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustFive Stones is a playful public art project comprising large-scale inflatables reminiscent of the familiar childhood game. Igniting personal memories, shared histories and a collective remembrance of gathering around simple play, each stone offers exciting new ways of experiencing art in the everyday, and invites all to engage in the spirit of communal play and openness once more.
The colourful inflatables will pop up at multiple locations in Singapore over a three-month journey: first in Punggol, then across the island in December 2019, before finally gathering in the Civic District for Singapore Art Week in January 2020. Echoing the tossing and gathering of five stones, the movement of the work through our landscape is an attempt to recapture the city’s imagination and inspire the individual through each chance encounter.
BATIK SERIES
Megamendung
Known as megamendung, the cloud motif is well-known in batik textile designs from the coastal city of Cirebon in Indonesia. Interestingy, its origins can be traced back to the arrival of ethnic Chinese there, along with ceramic wares and fabrics brought from China by ancient maritime trade. Clouds bring rain, and were often used in Chinese art as symbols of life and abundance. Megamendung thus alludes to the coming together of different ethnicities, religions and philosophies that is synonymous with the cultural fabric of Singapore.
Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim
The small triangular bags used for playing five stones are traditionally made with leftover off-cuts of batik cloth, which often portray floral designs. This work features hybrid orchid Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim, Singapore’s national flower – a symbol of our vibrancy, uniqueness and resilience.
Mynah and Frangipani
This design was inspired by the taman teratai (lotus garden) motif in Indonesian batik, which depicts herons in a lotus pond at sunset. The scene was common in Chinese paintings, which influenced Japanese visual culture and later became popular in Indonesia’s coastal cities through European magazines, when Japanese art was fashionable in the West. Herons and lotus ponds are relatively uncommon in Singapore, however. Here, the artist refreshes the scene with local images of the mynah and frangipani tree – alluding to the intermixing of cultures and influences that has come to define Singapore as a nation.
Butterfly
Have you seen Singapore’s national butterfly? Its black wings are strikingly patterned with red dots and white streaks that evoke the five stars and crescent moon of our national flag. The Common Rose Butterfly featured in this design was voted Singapore’s national butterfly in 2015.
Windows
This geometric print is inspired by vintage window and door grills that the artist remembers from growing up in a HDB estate durin the 1960s to 80s.
Flora Inspiration
By Han Sai Por, 2007
Material : Marble
Location : Terminal 3, Departure Hall Level 2, Near Crowne Plaza Entrance
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Changi Airport GroupA nod to our Garden City that continues to sprout and flourish, Han Sai Por’s Floral Inspirations resembles a cluster of larger-than-life seed pods. Their corrugated surfaces assume the naturalistic texture of botanical organisms.
Kinetic Rain
By ART+COM, 2012
Material : Lightweight aluminum, polished copper
Location : Terminal 1, Departure Hall
Duration : Permanent
Collection : Changi Airport Group
Dimensions : 9.8m x 4mKinetic Rain symbolizes the coming together of the thousands in the airport community to provide a positively surprising Changi Experience for passengers and visitors. It is the biggest and most complex kinetic sculpture of its kind in the world, located for the first time ever at Changi Airport.
This sculpture can form 16 different shapes ranging from abstract art forms to recognizable patterns including an aeroplane, a hot air balloon, a kite and even a dragon. The design element in each shape shows the movement of flight through slow, fluid movements.
Lucky Balls
By Kray Chen, 2019
Material : Mixed media
Location : Our Tampines Hub
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 3m (L) x 0.9m (W) x 2m (H)Press a button to set balls in motion, and watch as they journey through traps and obstacles!
Lucky Balls is an interactive artwork inspired by local lottery culture. It resembles an intricately designed Rube Goldberg machine, which refers to a device that is intentionally built to perform a simple task in an overly complicated way.
Once the artwork is activated, numbered ping pong balls will flood the system and whiz through its tracks. Only four, however, will arrive safely at the end. Lucky Balls aims to immerse viewers in the uncertain journey of the balls, creating a sense of curiosity and anticipation with its sounds and movements.
Marks In The Yellow Field
By Pok Chong Boon, 2019
Material : PVC balloons and wooden poles
Location : Tampines Central Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : VariableLook around and read a message or two. Do you feel the same?
Marks in the Yellow Field observes how people convey their feelings using the digital language of ’emoji’ A tiny image used in text messaging since the late 1990s, the emoji has profoundly changed how we express ourselves to others in technology-mediated communication with its intuitiveness and range.
Featuring 300 emojis and quotes collected from residents in Tampines, this artwork offers a glimpse into the minds of city dwellers within a particular time and space.
Mycelium Network III
By Joey.Spl, 2019
Material : Mixed media
Location : Our Tampines Hub
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 6m (L) x 3m (W) x 0.05m (H)Step on different parts of the network simultaneously. What do you see?
城市梦 – Mycelium Network III is an interactive light exploration modelled after networks of fungal threads called mycelia, which can grow to large sizes underground and help to enrich soil. Each strand in the artwork is made of LED lights that can be triggered by touch sensors.
Left untouched, the artwork simply shimmers. To illuminate it more fully, several parts of the network must be activated at the same time. Like a campfire, this artwork encourages people to engage with one another and create something beautiful through collective effort. Gather your friends, family or even strangers to light up the whole network!
Shopping With The Family
By Kim Gyung Min, 2014
Material : Bronze
Location : Bedok Mall
Duration : Permanent
Collection : CapitaLand LimitedSpecially commissioned for Bedok Mall, this set of sculptures by Korean pop artist, Kim Gyung Min, features a family of five happily going shopping together. The larger-than-life figures are deliberately distorted to give an effect of caricature. The elongated necks, big broad smiles, super long legs, oversized shoes – all exude a sense of fun. Their vibrant colours further add to the work’s overall cheerfulness.
Still travelling
By Laniakea Culture Collective, 2021
Material : Vinyl cut out, flagpoles
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustStill Travelling is an outdoor, site-specific art installation comprising a poem about migration, restlessness and refuge, accompanied by flags bearing the image of a barn swallow.
It is an experiential work that invites us to pause, view, walk and meditate. Who are we, really? Where have we come from? Where are we going? May this unexpected interlude in time evoke our empathy and aspirations.
May it strengthen our resolve to rise again.
Temporary Escapism
By Sam Lo, 2021
Material : Sheet aluminum, spray paint
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustEnvisioning the public space as our playground, Temporary Escapism instills little doses of human touch as a way of easing us into a new post-circuit breaker reality.
A helping hand and ‘pick-me-up’ as we transition into this deeply transformative rebirth of our time, the artwork seeks to remind us of our shared human experience through simple interactions with each other and our surroundings.
Yellow
By James Tan and Petrina Dawn Tan, 2021
Material : Yellow PVC, steel unistruts
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustAnd yet, some of your young opt out, niggling,
‘You are not green enough,’ They love, (you know),
Parks where spring contrives to give to green
A shine that does not yellow easily.
~
Few, few don’t know that green can be greener,
Or yellow, yellower. If we cannot choose,
Entirely, which flowers will grow wild on our soil,
We can, at least, graft blossoms for new homes.– Excerpt from Robert Yeo’s Poem Those in Urban Yellow (2012)
Inspired by the poem above, this immersive artwork is set against two different directions of the bridge. The first stanza of the poem lines the vantage point for dawn while the last stanza faces the direction of dusk.
The two sets of uni-PVC drapes, akin to “viewing curtains”, bathe the Punggol-Serangoon Reservoir skyline in a warm glow which intensifies and cools off at various timings of the day. Their gently undulating curvatures resemble an impression of nature silhouetted during sunrise and sunset. By nightfall, a subtle glow emanates from LED strip lights coloured with yellow lighting gels.
YELLOW poses an encouragement to people to look beyond today and anticipate a warm and positive post-pandemic future. Not only should we cherish the present, but also work hard to secure a future often perceived to be a given.
North
間
By Cheryl Chiw, 2021
Material : Stainless Steel with polished finish, reinforced metal frame support structure and concrete base.
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustThis ideogrammatic artwork takes its entry point from how the traditional Chinese character ‘間’(jiān) is a composite of the sub-characters ‘⾨’(door) and ‘日 ’(sun or day). As a whole, the character ‘間’ also denotes space or realm.
Symbolizing a transition or passageway to a brand new world of possibilities, 間 explores how the COVID-19 pandemic had created a momentary pause in our fast-paced lives, opening up a precious interval to reflect on how we have lived and how we choose to live moving forward. Be it an opportunity for a new beginning or an obstacle for what lies ahead, the ideogram of ‘日’ (sun or day) depicts the passing of time in a relentless and unceasing cycle.
Distance Will Bring Me Closer To You
By Hanson Ho, 2021
Material : Wall Paint
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustDistance Will Bring Me Closer To You is a site-specific installation which reminds many of us of the ‘distant closeness’ which we may have experienced with a relative, friend or a loved one during the recent circuit breaker measures.
This may have taken the form of a rare phone call from a relative checking out how we are doing at home, an unexpected delivery of bubble tea couriered to us by friends and colleagues, or a Zoom conversation which proved to be more focused and memorable than a physical meetup which we often take for granted.
The textual mural, installed onto a 32-metre long wall at Punggol Waterway Park, uses its length and connectedness as an appropriate metaphor to echo the message of the artwork, while the surrounding flows of human traffic become a part of the installation.
Every Seed Carries Within It The Dream & Blueprint Of The Whole
By Hunny & Lummy, 2021
Material : Hammocks and rattan
Location : Sengkang Riverside Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustThis art installation is a visual manifestation of a poignant line within Singapore author Alvin Pang’s publication What Gives Us Our Name (2011), which happens to also be the artwork title.
It draws upon the profound yet simple idea that there is a seed of hope, aspirations, dreams, power and strength implanted in every single individual that has the potential to grow into something great right now, especially as the world is going through a major reset due to COVID-19.
As regenerative spaces nestled amidst nature, the seed pods carve out room for weary souls to recharge and cancel out the stress in everyday life. In doing so, the experience amplifies the notion that even if one feels tiny and helpless like a seed, one contains the potential to pursue dreams and actualize a life that counts.
Five Stones
By Twardzik Ching Chor Leng, 2019
Material : PVC
Location : Various locations
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustFive Stones is a playful public art project comprising large-scale inflatables reminiscent of the familiar childhood game. Igniting personal memories, shared histories and a collective remembrance of gathering around simple play, each stone offers exciting new ways of experiencing art in the everyday, and invites all to engage in the spirit of communal play and openness once more.
The colourful inflatables will pop up at multiple locations in Singapore over a three-month journey: first in Punggol, then across the island in December 2019, before finally gathering in the Civic District for Singapore Art Week in January 2020. Echoing the tossing and gathering of five stones, the movement of the work through our landscape is an attempt to recapture the city’s imagination and inspire the individual through each chance encounter.
BATIK SERIES
Megamendung
Known as megamendung, the cloud motif is well-known in batik textile designs from the coastal city of Cirebon in Indonesia. Interestingy, its origins can be traced back to the arrival of ethnic Chinese there, along with ceramic wares and fabrics brought from China by ancient maritime trade. Clouds bring rain, and were often used in Chinese art as symbols of life and abundance. Megamendung thus alludes to the coming together of different ethnicities, religions and philosophies that is synonymous with the cultural fabric of Singapore.
Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim
The small triangular bags used for playing five stones are traditionally made with leftover off-cuts of batik cloth, which often portray floral designs. This work features hybrid orchid Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim, Singapore’s national flower – a symbol of our vibrancy, uniqueness and resilience.
Mynah and Frangipani
This design was inspired by the taman teratai (lotus garden) motif in Indonesian batik, which depicts herons in a lotus pond at sunset. The scene was common in Chinese paintings, which influenced Japanese visual culture and later became popular in Indonesia’s coastal cities through European magazines, when Japanese art was fashionable in the West. Herons and lotus ponds are relatively uncommon in Singapore, however. Here, the artist refreshes the scene with local images of the mynah and frangipani tree – alluding to the intermixing of cultures and influences that has come to define Singapore as a nation.
Butterfly
Have you seen Singapore’s national butterfly? Its black wings are strikingly patterned with red dots and white streaks that evoke the five stars and crescent moon of our national flag. The Common Rose Butterfly featured in this design was voted Singapore’s national butterfly in 2015.
Windows
This geometric print is inspired by vintage window and door grills that the artist remembers from growing up in a HDB estate durin the 1960s to 80s.
Hey, How Are You?
By Weimin Lai, 2021
Material : –
Location : Lower Seletar Reservoir Park & Luxus Hill Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustHey, How Are You? is a typographic work that plays on the fundamental greeting of asking well. Beyond a perfunctory conversation opener, what happens when we use it with genuine intentions to listen and connect?
A simple question paves the way for a deeper connection that enlightens and uplifts. Words are powerful and a force to be used constructively. They help to spell out emotional complexities, bringing about clarity and relief.
Accompanied with thematic works written by local writer Yasira Yusoff, the work hopes to serve as a reminder to reach out and embrace our shared humanity.
It Takes Time
By Adeline Loo and Cheong Yew Mun, 2021
Material : Treated acrylic string on aluminum frame
Location : Sengkang Riverside Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustWhen you change the way you look at things,
the things you look at changeAt the height of the global pandemic, two of the most frequently mentioned words were ‘anxiety’ and ‘courage’.
Drawing reference from this litmus test of the global emotional landscape, Anamorphic Vibes is a visual actualization of the need for a perspective shift in times of crisis. As viewers walk around the artwork, the artwork reveals the words ‘anxiety’ and ‘courage’’ from different angles, posing a timely reminder of how there will always be light in darkness, opportunities in setbacks.
Upon closer observation, one sees that the artwork is constituted by networks of multi-hued threads intricately strung together by hand — alluding to our shared vulnerabilities and interconnectedness, as well as the need to garner strength and walk on together.
Still Travelling
By Laniakea Culture Collective, 2021
Material : Vinyl cut out, flagpoles
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustStill Travelling is an outdoor, site-specific art installation comprising a poem about migration, restlessness and refuge, accompanied by flags bearing the image of a barn swallow.
It is an experiential work that invites us to pause, view, walk and meditate. Who are we, really? Where have we come from? Where are we going? May this unexpected interlude in time evoke our empathy and aspirations.
May it strengthen our resolve to rise again.
Temporary Escapism
By Sam Lo, 2021
Material : Sheet aluminum, spray paint
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustEnvisioning the public space as our playground, Temporary Escapism instills little doses of human touch as a way of easing us into a new post-circuit breaker reality.
A helping hand and ‘pick-me-up’ as we transition into this deeply transformative rebirth of our time, the artwork seeks to remind us of our shared human experience through simple interactions with each other and our surroundings.
Yellow
By James Tan and Petrina Dawn Tan, 2021
Material : Yellow PVC, steel unistruts
Location : Punggol Waterway Park
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustAnd yet, some of your young opt out, niggling,
‘You are not green enough,’ They love, (you know),
Parks where spring contrives to give to green
A shine that does not yellow easily.
~
Few, few don’t know that green can be greener,
Or yellow, yellower. If we cannot choose,
Entirely, which flowers will grow wild on our soil,
We can, at least, graft blossoms for new homes.– Excerpt from Robert Yeo’s Poem Those in Urban Yellow (2012)
Inspired by the poem above, this immersive artwork is set against two different directions of the bridge. The first stanza of the poem lines the vantage point for dawn while the last stanza faces the direction of dusk.
The two sets of uni-PVC drapes, akin to “viewing curtains”, bathe the Punggol-Serangoon Reservoir skyline in a warm glow which intensifies and cools off at various timings of the day. Their gently undulating curvatures resemble an impression of nature silhouetted during sunrise and sunset. By nightfall, a subtle glow emanates from LED strip lights coloured with yellow lighting gels.
YELLOW poses an encouragement to people to look beyond today and anticipate a warm and positive post-pandemic future. Not only should we cherish the present, but also work hard to secure a future often perceived to be a given.
West
Asian Symphony
By Ng Eng Teng, 1971
Material : Ciment fondu
Location : National University Health System, Tower Block
Duration : Permanent
Collection : National University of Singapore Museum
Dimensions : 1.83m x 9.14mAsian Symphony is a low relief mural of figurative forms surrounded by lush foliage and a variety of floral specimens. Made by Singapore sculptor Ng Eng Teng in 1971 for the Garden Hotel, it alludes to the harmonious intermingling of the three main ethnic groups within the peaceful, sunny and green paradise of Singapore. The commissioning of the piece and its theme may be viewed in the context of civic life and nation building in Singapore during the 1960s and 70s.
Contentment
By Ng Eng Teng, 1974
Material : Ciment fondu
Location : National University of Singapore, University Cultural Centre
Duration : Permanent
Collection : National University of Singapore Museum
Dimensions : 2.06m x 2.29m x 0.92mCommissioned by Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) in 1974 as two companion pieces, Wealth and Contentment were first displayed at the atrium of Plaza Singapura shopping centre alongside each other. They were both subsequently donated to the NUS in 1997, and today sit outside of the University Cultural Centre in NUS.
Wealth presents a female figure in a rested position, with hands placed gently over her stomach while Contentment lies on her stomach with arms folded. Strongly evocative of their titles, the figures suggest a kind of quiet contemplation, content and perhaps idleness that comes with material wealth.
Both Wealth and Contentment continue Ng’s practiced exploration of the female form, expressed particularly in the form of its suppleness. Supported by a concrete pedestal each of about 1.5 metre in height, the sensual curvature of the two sculptures also conveys a sense of weightlessness despite their sheer weight, as if defying their material mass.
Donated by DBS Land Ltd.
Drive
By Liyu Minzie, 2017
Material : Mixed media, metal and enamel paint
Location : Jurong East Central (Open Field beside Jurong Regional Library)
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 1.8m x 4.2m x 1.4mIn 1971, Cathay Organisation opened the Jurong Drive-In Cinema, Singapore’s first and only drive in theatre, with a capacity of 900 cars and 300 people. As the confines of the car provided a more romantic and private movie viewing experience than the usual theatres, the Drive-In proved to be a hit with young adults and couples. In this artwork, viewers are encouraged to imagine how it was like, or recall and share their memories of the Drive-In and the old films that they watched there.
DRIVE was commissioned as part of the Larger than Life: The Unspoken Histories of Jurong Neighbourhood public art showcase by the Public Art Trust in patnership with the National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood programme. The artwork was displayed from 9 November 2017 – 28 January 2018.
About the Artist
LIYU (b. 1972) attended art classes when he was young, painted signs, attempted comedy while peddling surgical instruments. He currently holds a day job that keeps him up at night. LIYU loves BBQ, computer games, crisp linen, and all things beautiful and delicious.
Hanging (Out) Garden
By Syndicate, 2017
Material : Power coated steel frame, Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish Moss)
Location : Jurong East Central (Open Field beside Jurong Regional Library)
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 5m x 4.2m x 3.5mJurong is not only a place of factories. In fact, the area has a rather extensive list of gardens and parks – Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Jurong Eco Garden, Pandan Gardens Leisure Park, Jurong Central Park, Jurong Hill, Taman Jurong Greens, Jurong Lake and so on. For this project, the multi-media sound collective Syndicate presents a series of music showcases, set against an extravagant stage of hanging gardens. The music sets were played by artists who grew up in Jurong, inspired by their childhood memories of the sights and sounds of the parks and gardens they used to hang out at. The music consisted of downtempo styled electronica tracks that feature sounds of industrial machines, the gardens, the lake mixed with retro pop songs etc. (Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil) to reflect Jurong’s multi-faceted landscape.
Hanging (Out) Garden was commissioned as part of the Larger than Life: The Unspoken Histories of Jurong Neighbourhood public art showcase by the Public Art Trust in patnership with the National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood programme. The artwork was displayed from 9 November 2017 – 28 January 2018.
About the Artist
Syndicate is Singapore’s foremost forward-thinking audio-visual collective and independent record label. With an ethos focused on experimentation and self-expression, Syndicate artists have presented a versatile range of works – from live electronic music showcases to architectural projection mapping, art installations and photography. Since its inception in 2010, the collective has represented Singapore in the US and Europe playing capacity crowds in intimate clubs and international music festivals.
It Takes Time
By Robert Zhao Renhui, 2021
Material : Lightboxes
Location : Jurong Lake Gardens
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustSome say that COVID-19 is a stark reminder of our maladaptive relationship with nature. If the pandemic is linked with nature, so should our recovery. Now, more than ever, we should learn to connect with nature and take a slower approach.
It Takes Time is a durational public art installation that tracks the development of a young tree at Jurong Lake Gardens over 11 months. One side bears a textual message while the other presents a sequence of photographs of a growing tree, one to be unveiled every month. The work celebrates the beauty and simplicity of small changes and documents them in a way that engages and uplifts viewers.
Each time, one may notice the illumination of a new light box, signifying a continuous process of growth and change, which is the hopeful message of this artwork. Nature has gone on before, is going on and will go on. We can find some comfort in that.
JTC Wind Chamber
By Lim Soo Ngee, 2017
Material : Bricks, wooden planks and PVC piping
Location : Jurong East Central (Open Field beside Jurong Regional Library)
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 2..8m x 1.3m x 1.3mJurong is often associated with its ever-developing industrial landscape. This development is not confined to only Jurong itself. It has also very much impacted the overall industrial estate development of the nation through agencies such as Jurong Town Corporation (JTC). Yet, behind the steel and concrete façade, there are many spots in the neighbourhood where nature could still be found. The Wind Chamber is an installation combining what is visual and experiential. In this chimney-like chamber, nature and industry are complementary, not opposing. The artist, Lim Soo Ngee, wants the viewers to listen to the sound of nature while at the same time, from each brick that pieces together the chamber, learn about the forgotten history of the brickwork industry and how it was the inspiration for the iconic old logo of JTC.
JTC Wind Chamber was commissioned as part of the Larger than Life: The Unspoken Histories of Jurong Neighbourhood public art showcase by the Public Art Trust in patnership with the National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood programme. The artwork was displayed from 9 November 2017 – 28 January 2018.
About the Artist
Lim Soo Ngee (b. 1962) is currently senior lecturer at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Singapore. He earned a Diploma in Fine Art (Sculpture) from NAFA in 1989 before continuing to pursue a Master of Fine Arts (Sculpture) from Edinburgh College of Art in 1997. Lim’s approach to sculpture is immensely intimate, musing over the different relationships between humanity, the environment and society. As such, his works usually present themselves as whimsical narratives that offer a commentary on the human condition.
One Cubic Jurong
By Yeo Chee Kiong, 2017
Material : Fibre-glass reinforced resin
Location : Jurong East Central (Open Field beside Jurong Regional Library)
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 1.8m x 1.8m x 1.8mOne Cubic Jurong invites 16 participants to be standing on a blue platform of a Chinese Calligraphic character ‘prosperous’ (pronounced as ‘Yu’, which is also the first of the two Chinese characters of Jurong ”裕廊”), to form a “perfect” cube by trying to achieve “equality” through negotiating their standing heights.
One Cubic Jurong was commissioned as part of the Larger than Life: The Unspoken Histories of Jurong Neighbourhood public art showcase by the Public Art Trust in patnership with the National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood programme. The artwork was displayed from 9 November 2017 – 28 January 2018.
About the Artist
Yeo Chee Kiong (b. 1970) is a contemporary sculptor and installation artist who is fascinated with the language and spatial relationship between object, space and authorship. His work destabilises the familiar notions of spatial proportions and perspectives, whilst examining the human conditions in the construction of an extended surreal world.
Rhapsody On Ice
By David Gerstein, 2013
Material : Steel
Location : Jcube
Duration : Permanent
Collection : CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 0.75m x 9m x 0.01mThree panels of wall sculptures representing ice skaters, ice hockey players and ice dancers form a 9m continuous piece. Painted with vibrant colours, it resonates with the energy of people enjoying ice rink activities, having fun and building relationships. You can even feel the music playing!
Song Song Gao Jurong
By Vertical Submarine, 2017
Material : Acrylic panel on steel frame and light bulbs
Location : Jurong East Central (Open Field beside Jurong Regional Library)
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art Trust
Dimensions : 4m x 2m x 0.2mSince it became a new town estate, Jurong East Central for decades has been recognized for the open field surrounding the area, such the library and Science Centre. If one were to arrive at the MRT station, the wide open space that stretches between the Interchange/MRT station to the town centre is a silent landmark to tell us that we have arrived at Jurong East. “Song Song Gao Jurong” is a Singlish catchphrase commonly known to many older Singaporeans, including Malays and Indians. Literally, it means ‘feeling satisfied until one arrives at Jurong’. This artwork is an extension of artist collective Vertical Submarine’s Hokkien Rhyme project.
Song Song Gao Jurong was commissioned as part of the Larger than Life: The Unspoken Histories of Jurong Neighbourhood public art showcase by the Public Art Trust in patnership with the National Arts Council’s Arts In Your Neighbourhood programme. The artwork was displayed from 9 November 2017 – 28 January 2018.
About the Artist
Vertical Submarine is a Singaporean art collective famous for injecting a sense of humour into their works. Their portfolio includes installations, drawings and paintings that involve text and storytelling. They have exhibited in Spain, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Turkey, Korea, The Philippines, Mexico City, Australia and Germany. Collectively, they have won several awards including the Celeste Prize 2011, the Credit Suisse Artist Residency Award 2009 and The President’s Young Talents Award (Singapore, 2009).
The Loudspeaker
By Dirk De Keyzer, 2013
Material : Bronze
Location : Westgate Mall, Level 1
Duration : Permanent
Collection : CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 2.2m x 0.6m x 0.5mOriginally titled in French as Le Haut Parleur, this piece by Belgium artist Dirk De Keyzer is one of three works located in the courtyards of Westgate. Capturing and reinterpreting snapshots of our everyday life, De Keyzer’s art is characterized by a subtle humour that makes us smile. This is, in part, achieved by distorting and exaggerating the human figures such that they take on the feel of caricatures. Here, a man with exaggerated facial features stands on top of a ladder, speaking through a big loudspeaker. How often do we want to make ourselves heard? And what do we want to convey?
The Panda Family
By Julien Marinetti, 2013
Material : Bronze
Location : Westgate Mall
Duration : Permanent
Collection : CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : Dimensions variableSpecially commissioned for Westgate mall, The Panda Family features four pandas in an identical sitting posture with the father at the head of the group and the mother and children looking at him with respect. The panda subject hints at CapitaLand’s sponsorship of the 10-year stay of two giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia in Singapore, and also at the proximity of Westgate to the Chinese Garden, whose pagoda and pavilions have long been prominent landmarks of Jurong.
Look carefully at the seemingly abstract paintings on the bodies of the children pandas and you will find references to these landmark buildings. Even the colours have meanings: orange and red for the sun, pagoda and pavilions; blue for water and sky; and green for nature.
The Tightrope Walker
By Dirk De Keyzer, 2013
Material : Bronze
Location : Westgate Mall, Level 1
Duration : Permanent
Collection : CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 1.8m x 1.1m x 0.6mOriginally titled in French as La Funambule, this piece is one of three works by Belgian artist Dirk De Keyzer located in the courtyards of Westgate. Capturing and reshaping snapshots of our everyday life, De Keyzer’s art is characterized by a subtle humour that makes us smile. This is, in part, achieved by distorting and exaggerating the human figures such that they take on the feel of caricatures.
Here, a tiny woman with a thin neck and elongated arms is playing the equilibrist over life or other situations that the artist enjoys twisting with a dash of mischief. Is this the artful dance of work-life balance that many city folks have to perform?
The Walk
By Dirk De Keyzer, 2013
Material : Bronze
Location : Westgate Mall, Level 1
Duration : Permanent
Collection : CapitaLand Limited
Dimensions : 1.2m x 3.2m x 0.3mOriginally titled in French as La Promenade, this piece by Belgian artist Dirk De Keyzer is one of three works located in the courtyards of Westgate. Capturing and reinterpreting snapshots of our everyday life, De Keyzer’s art is characterized by a subtle humour that makes us smile. This is, in part, achieved by distorting and exaggerating the human figures such that they take on the feel of caricatures.
Here, a woman, in a rather stiff posture, is led by her sprightly dog during their walk. Do we sometimes love our pets so much that they drive our lives?
Tree Of The Elements
By Brother John Joseph McNally, 1999
Material : Glass, copper, bronze and polyester resin
Location : National University of Singapore, Faculty of Science, Block S16
Duration : Permanent
Collection : National University of Singapore Museum
Dimensions : 3.40m x 1.22m x 1.22m“In Tree of Elements, I symbolise Chinese motifs. The form itself looks like an abstract tree or the element of wood. The base material however is the metal copper-bronze. The lower section I made to resemble a wooden piece now in the SAM (Singapore Art Museum) called “Animalhood” and which for me is a metaphor for earth. Above that is a fish form which stands for water. The fish seems to “kiss” a phoenix which in the West is the bird of fire.” – Brother Joseph McNally
Gift of Brother Joseph McNally.
Wealth
By Ng Eng Teng, 1974
Material : Ciment fondu
Location : National University of Singapore, University Cultural Centre
Duration : Permanent
Collection : National University of Singapore Museum
Dimensions : 2.06m x 2.59m x 0.92mCommissioned by Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) in 1974 as two companion pieces, Wealth and Contentment were first displayed at the atrium of Plaza Singapura shopping centre alongside each other. They were both subsequently donated to the NUS in 1997, and today sit outside of the University Cultural Centre in NUS.
Wealth presents a female figure in a rested position, with hands placed gently over her stomach while Contentment lies on her stomach with arms folded. Strongly evocative of their titles, the figures suggest a kind of quiet contemplation, content and perhaps idleness that comes with material wealth.
Both Wealth and Contentment continue Ng’s practiced exploration of the female form, expressed particularly in the form of its suppleness. Supported by a concrete pedestal each of about 1.5 metres in height, the sensual curvature of the two sculptures also conveys a sense of weightlessness despite their sheer weight, as if defying their material mass.
Donated by DBS Land Ltd.
When A Tree Becomes A Forest
By Ang Song Nian, 2021
Material : Timbre
Location : Jurong Lake Gardens
Duration : Temporary
Collection : Public Art TrustTry viewing the work from different perspectives!
You may glimpse the character “木” (wood/ tree), “林” (woods), or even “森” (forest) from an aerial view.When a Tree Becomes a Forest is a site-specific installation comprising 195 timber structures, each stylized as the Chinese character “木”, which translates into wood or tree.
An ideogram, the character illustrates the crown (top), trunk (middle), and the spread of tree roots (bottom). Marrying man-made interventions and natural elements, the artwork embodies the intimate interdependency between Man and Nature in the age of the Anthropocene – especially crucial in light of the global pandemic.
Symbolizing collective strength and unity, it also offers a gentle urging to not lose sight of the forest for the trees – ultimately, we are ‘one’ in rebuilding our future together.
Source by National Art Council
