here - National Arts Council

For Immediate Release
First Three Public Art Trust Installations by Renowned Singapore Artists
A Reflection of our Heritage, Cultural Identity and Nationhood
SINGAPORE, 30 November 2015 – Inspired by the country’s vibrant development over the
past 50 years, three unique art installations, titled 24 Hours in Singapore, Cloud Nine: Raining
and The Rising Moon, were launched yesterday under the auspices of the National Art
Council’s (NAC) Public Art Trust (PAT). The PAT is an initiative, launched in 2014, to bring art
closer to Singaporeans and international visitors all across Singapore.
Besides being the first works commissioned by the PAT, the works are significant as they were
conceived by four Singaporean artists to commemorate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee year.
Young Artist Award (YAA) recipient Mr Baet Yeok Kuan created 24 Hours in Singapore, and
Mr Tan Wee Lit, also a YAA recipient, is the artist behind Cloud Nine: Raining; while Cultural
Medallion recipient Ms Han Sai Por and artist–architect Mr Kum Chee Kiong collaborated on
The Rising Moon.
All three works are situated at strategic sites along the newly opened Jubilee Walk within
Singapore’s Civic District. Located within scenic park spaces and close to historical and iconic
landmarks such as Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, The Arts House (the former Parliament
House), Asian Civilisations Museum, National Gallery Singapore and Esplanade – Theatres
on the Bay, the three installations allow the public to reflect on our heritage and identity while
discovering the pleasure of their visual aesthetics. In time, NAC envisions that the artworks
will inspire new shared moments and memories as they provide a common thread for
conversation and enjoyment for everyone who encounters the artworks.
NAC’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Kathy Lai said: “We’re delighted that members of the public
will freely enjoy these meaningful art installations along the Jubilee Walk. The Council is
continually looking to introduce art in spaces where we live, work and play, and to further make
art an intrinsic part of Singapore’s urban fabric. With the PAT’s future plans for unique and
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impactful public art, we envision that public spaces across Singapore, from the city to the
heartlands, will acquire their own distinctive character and identity.”
The PAT is also a platform for cultivating and catalysing arts philanthropy in Singapore. Private
and corporate cash donations towards commissioning costs enjoy tax incentives, and are
eligible for dollar-for-dollar matching through the Cultural Matching Fund.
Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS)
are the first two corporate donors to partner the PAT to raise awareness and promote the
development of public art in Singapore. Their strong support reflects how public art has the
power to engage, initiate dialogue, create enjoyment, and revitalise Singapore’s urban spaces.
MBS and REDAS have contributed $750,000 and $250,000 respectively.
Ms Lai added: “We are indeed grateful to both MBS and REDAS for being first movers through
their generous philanthropic support for the Public Art Trust. Their valued support has enabled
our artists to push boundaries with some of the artworks and challenge traditional notions of
what constitutes public sculpture. Such private–public partnerships benefit artists and
audiences, and we hope this will encourage more individual donors and corporations to come
forward in future.”
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Image courtesy of Tan Wee Lit
Drawing from MBS’ $750,000 contribution to the PAT, Cloud Nine: Raining is a distinctive and
site-specific piece created to acknowledge Singapore’s quest for a more secure future through
water self-sufficiency. The artwork, by Mr Tan Wee Lit, appears as a ‘cloud’ made of perforated
stainless steel with a constant flow of ‘rain-fall’, seemingly defying gravity and floating above
the water. This work is mounted on a glass reinforced polyurethane base and located at the
Singapore River next to the Esplanade Park. Wee Lit’s installation is a visual celebration of
the achievements thus far in Singapore’s sustainability journey. Juxtaposed in historic
significance and meaning is the nearby Victorian cast-iron Tan Kim Seng fountain, which was
commissioned in 1925 to celebrate the development of piped water to the town area.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Marina Bay Sands, Mr George Tanasijevich said:
“We are humbled by the opportunity to support NAC’s Public Art Trust with the aim of bringing
art closer to the people. Having been in Singapore for the past five years, Marina Bay Sands
is always looking to give back to the development of this nation in creative ways. We hope
that this installation will foster a greater appreciation of the arts and give local artists a wider
platform to display their talents.”
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Image courtesy of the National Arts Council
24 Hours in Singapore by Mr Baet Yeok Kuan is made possible with REDAS’ contribution of
$250,000 to the PAT. It is Singapore’s first longstanding audio sculpture. Sited near the Asian
Civilisations Museum along the Singapore River, passers-by can lean in to listen to recordings
of life reflective of Singapore’s daily scenes, including the sounds of traffic in the heartlands,
neighbourhood parks, wet markets, coffee shops and MRT trains, through five large, polished
stainless steel spheres.
“As part of our contribution to the development of Singapore as a distinctive global city, we
are pleased to partner the Public Art Trust to promote a more gracious society through arts
and culture,” said Mr Augustine Tan, President of REDAS. “A unique sculpture, 24 Hours in
Singapore captures different aspects of recognisable Singapore life, something that REDAS
is equally committed to through our role in the real estate sector.”
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Image courtesy of the National Arts Council
The third artwork, The Rising Moon, is a tribute to the role that the Singapore River has played
in the country’s economic progress as a maritime nation. Located within the Esplanade Park,
the installation by prominent artists Ms Han Sai Por and Mr Kum Chee Kiong is an artistic
interpretation of Singapore’s national symbols – the five stars and crescent moon – and a
reflection of the notion of nationhood and our timeless core values. Visitors to the Park are
encouraged to move between the spaces of each sculptural element as well as to contemplate
it from afar.
Members of the public can look forward to a number of tours led by the artists, who will share
their inspirations behind their artworks, and introduce both old and new public art pieces along
the Jubilee Walk. These guided tours will take place over three Saturdays in December and
registration is required. Please refer to the Annex for details.
The PAT was established in 2014 by NAC with $10 million seed funding from the Ministry of
Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). More public artworks are in the pipeline, and the
public can look forward to unique and innovative art installations in public spaces in 2016.
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Christina Stanley
Ogilvy Public Relations, Singapore
Mobile: +65 9835 3500
Email: [email protected]
Ms Ho Binjin
National Arts Council
DID: +65 6346 9471
Mobile: +65 8127 6898
Email: [email protected]
ANNEX
Meet the Artists: Public Art Walking Tours
Join the artists on a series of free walking tours as they introduce the three new Public Art
Trust artworks alongside other existing artworks and monuments in the area. Please register
at https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/public-art-walking-tour-tickets-19723844550 to attend these
tours. Participants are to meet at Cavenagh Bridge (near Fullerton Hotel) at the designated
times:
Artist Tour with
Baet Yeok Kuan
(24 Hours in Singapore)
Tan Wee Lit
(Cloud Nine: Raining)
Han Sai Por and Kum Chee Kiong
(The Rising Moon)
Date / Time
Saturday 5 December,
5 pm & 6 pm
Saturday 12 December,
5 pm & 6 pm
Saturday 19 December,
5 pm & 6 pm
Language
Tour conducted in Chinese
Tour conducted in English
Tour conducted in English
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About the Artists
24 HOURS IN SINGAPORE
Baet Yeok Kuan graduated with a Diploma in Fine Arts (Painting) from the Nanyang Academy
of Fine Arts in 1987 and received his MA in Fine Arts from the University of Central England,
Birmingham in 1992. He has represented Singapore at various international symposiums and
was also the President of Modern Art Society Singapore from 2003 to 2004. To date, he has
held six solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions locally and globally,
winning much international acclaim for his works. He was awarded the distinguished Young
Artist Award by the National Arts Council in 1995 for his outstanding artistic achievements.
CLOUD NINE: RAINING
Tan Wee Lit graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an MFA in
Sculpture and has exhibited extensively locally and internationally as a practicing artist. He is
a recipient of numerous study awards and scholarships from the National Arts Council
Singapore and the Media Authority Singapore for his undergraduate and graduate studies. A
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2012 Young Artist Award recipient, Tan who heads the Faculty of Visual Arts at the School of
the Arts (SOTA) has also worked on multiple commissions for private and public collections,
including All the Essentially Essential, a stainless steel sculpture at Raffles Place, and
Eroclamation, a feature wall in Haw Par Villa MRT station inspired by Chinese paper-cut.
THE RISING MOON
Han Sai Por is a leading Asian sculptor and Singapore Cultural Medallion recipient.
Celebrated for her works in stone, her accolades include the Grand Prize at the TriennaleIndia 2005, the Outstanding Sculpture Award, China, in 2006 and the Chianciano Art Biennale
Award Winner, Italy in 2015. As an artist and former art educator, Han dedicates a large part
of her life to the Singapore art scene. Over three decades, Han has channelled her passion
into works that make significant comment about the changing landscape. A strong advocate
for public art, her commissioned works can be found in numerous public spaces in Singapore,
bringing art closer to the masses.
Kum Chee Kiong, an artist–architect and a recipient of Certificate of Distinction at SingaporeCDL Sculpture Award, often investigates the nature of human existence and its related issues
that constitute our contemporary condition through his works. He is always inspired by ‘nature’,
‘space - time’ and ‘emptiness’ as a means to re-establish contact with the inner life and
rhythms of nature.
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About the Public Art Trust
The Public Art Trust (PAT) is an initiative by the National Arts Council to encourage
Singaporeans to embrace art around their urban environment. Through commissioning and
displaying impactful and meaningful art in public places, the PAT promotes best practices and
builds strong corporate support for public art. The PAT also promotes greater appreciation of
the visual arts through education and outreach programmes.
For more information about the PAT, please visit www.publicarttrust.sg.
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/publicarttrustsg
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/publicarttrustsg/
About the National Arts Council
The National Arts Council champions the arts in Singapore. By nurturing creative excellence
and supporting broad audience engagement, we want to develop a distinctive global city for
the arts. With a nod to tradition and an eye to the future, we cultivate accomplished artists and
vibrant companies. Our support for the arts is comprehensive – from grants and partnerships
to industry facilitation and arts housing. The Council welcomes greater private and corporate
giving to and through the arts so that together we can make the arts an integral part of
everyone's lives.
For more information on the Council's mission and plans, please visit www.nac.gov.sg.
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