Venue
Address

T:
W:
Opening Hours
Director
Contact Person

>> See map

Sculptures @ the Garden City from 16 Jan – 15 Apr 2016

iPreciation is proud to present ENVISION: Sculptures @ the Garden City – a new platform to showcase a group exhibition of monumental sculptures by Singapore and internationally renowned Asian artists. For the inaugural exhibition in 2016, ENVISION will present 13 sets of works by 11 artists, namely Baet Yeok Kuan (b. 1961, Singapore), Chen Sai Hua Kuan (b. 1976, Singapore), Gu Wenda (b. 1955, China/USA), Ju Ming (b. 1938, Taiwan), Kumari Nahappan (b. 1953, Singapore), Lim Soo Ngee (b. 1962, Singapore), Shen Lieyi (b. 1969, China), Sri Astari Rasjid (b. 1953, Indonesia), Yuyu Yang (b. 1926 – d. 1997, Taiwan), Zhan Wang (b. 1962, China) and Zhang Huan (b. 1965, China) from China, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan.

20160114205509

ENVISION is part of iPreciation’s mission to promote, exhibit and integrate public art projects in Asia; our recent project in Singapore was Ju Ming’s Taichi Series held at Singapore Botanic Gardens from Jan – May 2015. In 2016, ENVISION will take place in key urban and cultural zones in the heart of the city, with a trail starting from the Arts House Lawn, Asian Civilisations Museum Green, Empress Place Lawn, The Fullerton Hotel, Clifford Square, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, and along the Marina Bay Boulevard (near City Gallery).

The title “ENVISION” describes the human desire to dream big, to imagine and to achieve something great. ENVISION aims to bring dynamic contemporary three- dimensional art to a broad audience at home and around the globe, showcasing the quality, breadth and international impact of some of the best sculptures by Asia’s leading artists.

20160114205527

ENVISION will debut an important set of work created by internationally acclaimed artist Gu Wenda, a monumental set of 24 fossilized stones titled “Forest of stone steles – Story of solar calendar”, a project which took the artist more than 20 years to realize. “Forest of stone steles – Story of solar calendar” is an installation of 24 ‘ru’ rocks in different shapes and sizes. These huge pieces of natural rocks come from the bottom of the sea; billions of year old lime-stones corroded by the sea water and mounted by fossilized aquatic specimens. Each rock is inscribed on top and all around with a simplified stroke of a Chinese calligraphic character that references Chinese solar terms. Inspired by philosophical theories and stories of our celestial universe, Gu Wenda sets out to bring man and nature closer together by creating a ‘rock forest’ with this dynamic installation of 24 large rocks. Gu started thinking and planning this project sometime in 1993, with the idea to create 50 stone steles. It has taken him more than 20 years for the project to come to fruition.

Over the last four years, iPreciation has championed Singapore visual artists, showing their works at home and internationally. ENVISION is an extension of iPreciation’s mission to promote Singaporean artists and to develop appreciation and connoisseurship for 3D public art. We will feature 4 Singaporean artists: Baet Yeok Kuan, Chen Sai Hua Kuan, Kumari Nahappan and Lim Soo Ngee whose works range in a variety of artistic process and medium; these 4 sets of works will be shown in Singapore for the first time. Baet Yoke Kuan and Lim Soo Ngee’s sculptures were specially created for this exhibition. Lim Soo Ngee’s “Mynas” references the local native bird species. Commonly found in Singapore’s environment, where the population of the native myna has dwindled drastically, nearly extinct and out-numbered by foreign species. Lim’s larger-than-life Mynah sculptures are to raise awareness for our natural environment and protect the local animal and plant species. Chen Sai Hua Kuan’s “Ling Ting 2” is an interactive sound sculpture that premiered on the steps of the Grand Palais during the opening of Art Paris in March 2015 and was reported and featured by the International New York Times. We are bringing this sculpture home and give local audiences a chance to encounter and interact with the work.

20160114205546

Gu Wenda and four Singaporean artists will be available for interview during Singapore Art Week. Considered pioneers of Asian sculptors, Yuyu Yang and Ju Ming’s stainless steel sculptures will be available for Singaporean audiences to enjoy. Yuyu Yang’s curiosity and approach to art-making has led him to experiment with stainless steel and marble as early as the 1970s. Following a four-city tour in China in 2015, Ju Ming’s recent “Living World Series” a set of 10 sculptures in life-size bronze, painted in white and pastel pink will be exhibited for the first time in Singapore, where audiences are already familiar with his Taichi Series.

ENVISION will also present works by Zhang Huan, Shen Lieyi, Zhan Wang and Sri Astari Rasjid. Sri Astari Rasjid is one of three female artists in the exhibition; she will debut her latest work “Armor for Change”, a monumental kabaya (traditional blouse worn byIndonesian women) cast in aluminium, which was created specifically for this exhibition.ENVISION is the first of its kind to offer Singaporean and Asian artists the opportunity tocreate their own unique artistic vision of large-scale 3D work, and to be shown alongsidetheir international peers. For the full list and details on all the artists and artworks, pleaserefer to Annex A.

Managing Director of iPreciation, Ms. Helina Chan states that “This exhibition is aresult of strong support from Singapore’s government agencies such as Urban DevelopmentAuthority, National Parks Board, National Arts Council and Singapore Tourism Board. Wealso have a long term partnership with The Fullerton Heritage and this is truly an example ofsuccessful public-private collaborations in the visual arts sector. We aim to continuedeveloping this group sculpture exhibition, to be an annual project that will extend into thecity spaces and enrich Singapore’s landscape. We look forward to more of suchcollaborations and hope to see more Singaporean and Asian art being integrated into publicbuildings and spaces all over the world.”

20160114205509

General Manager of The Fullerton Heritage, Mr Giovanni Viterale remarks: “We are delighted to host such a visionary exhibition with iPreciation. The Fullerton Heritage is prominently located in the Civic District, an area that straddles the colonial history of Singapore and the gleaming modernity of Singapore’s present. As an active collaborator of the arts, we are pleased to continue our support through sponsorships to private organisations and donations to art institutions including Singapore Art Museum. By being a venue partner for regular exhibitions featuring both established and budding local and international artists within our gallery spaces, we aim to build on the rich culture and heritage we have inherited from past generations and cultivate a higher level of interest among local and international visitors to this vibrant precinct that has undergone much transformation of late.”

20160114205622

Director of Sector Development (Visual Arts) from the National Arts Council, Mr. Low Eng Teong says: “ENVISION is one of the main highlights during Singapore Art Week. This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to see these incredible sculptures, right at the heart of the city. Many of the works have never been shown in Singapore before, and we hope the audiences will enjoy interacting with them and appreciating public art more.”

Throughout the exhibition period, there will be free-guided tours on weekends and public talks available for local residents and tourists to participate. More details will be available on our website: www.ipreciation.com

“ENVISION: Sculptures @ the Garden City” is part of Singapore Art Week (16 – 24 January 2016). An initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Economic Development Board, Singapore Art Week reinforces Singapore’s position as Asia’s leading arts destination. It is a nine-day celebration of the visual arts, offering a myriad of quality art experiences, from art fairs, gallery openings, exhibitions, lifestyle events and public art walks, to enriching discussions on art and culture. www.artweek.sg

  • 20160114205509

    20160114205509

  • 20160114205527

    20160114205527

  • 20160114205546

    20160114205546

  • 20160114205601

    20160114205601

  • 20160114205622

    20160114205622