‘Seeing trees’ and more at PAssionArts Festival

SINGAPORE — The Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will be transformed into an "art wonderland" as part of the PAssionArts festival later this month and will showcase artworks created by Singaporeans from around the island.

The LandArts project is a first of its kind, and is part of this year's PassionArts Festival, which will be held from June 30 to July 2.

Organising chairman of the project, Mdm Noelene De Foe, shared that more than 70 pre-festival workshops were conducted to engage some 10,000 residents, community artists and visual artists in the creation of the artworks.

One of the highlights for the showcase is the Plank Art and Water Lily Garden, "created (with) 20,000 pieces of wooden planks, painted by 30,000 residents and students from all over Singapore", Madam De Foe said.

There will also be Plank Art pieces at 200 heartland locations islandwide.

Mr Vincent Seet, a disabled artist, is one of the volunteers who helped paint iconic and nostalgic scenes of Jalan Kaya onto the Plank Art pieces.

Seet said: "The plank works actually present our old lifestyle from the earlier periods such as the 1970s, and it allows the new generations to see what they have missed during that time."

This year's edition of the festival will also include works by students from various tertiary institutes. One of the art installations titled Senses is co-curated by students of Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and residents of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC under the guidance of artists from the Band of Doodlers.

NYP design student Shukran Shukor led the project with his peers to create animatronic "eyes", which give character and human qualities to the trees of Bishan Park using computer programming.

"The concept of (the work) is how the eyes move and the bright colours catch people's attention as they are passing by. We are placing (the animatronic "eyes") in front of the trees to basically bring life to Mother Nature and it also symbolises that trees can see," said Shukran.

Another installation that will feature at LandArts @Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is Art of the Galaxy, which is a 300-piece crescent moon and star structure with artworks such as photographs, recycled art and paintings by local residents placed on it.

PAssionArts Festival 2017 is jointly presented by 88 Community Arts and Culture Clubs (CCACs), 150 professional and community artists and 50 art organisations across the country with the theme Arts of Wonder, One Nation.

People's Association's Group Director for Engagement Cluster — Arts & Culture, Mr Nah Juay Hng, said the festival hopes to bring quality arts to the community so that "residents can enjoy, appreciate as well as to actively participate and volunteer for arts, and use art to build friendship as well as to foster a racially harmonious, socially cohesive and inclusive society".

Together with LandArts @ Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, there will be 48 "Arts of Wonder" Festival villages across the island. Some highlights for this edition of PAssionArts Festival:

BeachArts @ Pasir Ris Beach (July 28 and 29)

The CACCs from Pasir Ris East and Pasir Ris West with the help of the artists would be creating a Beach Art Festival at Pasir Ris Beach. The art village will combine the concepts of Art and Play with works including the co-creation of Kinetic Art installations by 1,500 residents facilitated by artists.

ParkArts @ Holland Village Park (July 8)

At Holland Village Park, CACCs at Tanjong Pagar GRC and Radin Mass SMCs will jointly present ParkArts, which will feature art installations created through upcycling waste materials such as wood, plastic and banners. A collaboration between PAssionArts, Health Promotion Board and Ministry of Health, there will also be art installations raising awareness on diabetes.

EveryoneArts @ Aljunied GRC (July 14 to 30)

Over at Aljunied, the opening event is a large-scale art fiesta at the open field next to Hougang MRT Station held on July 15. Highlights include the 4th series of Coming Home, a contemporary art co-creation project between residents and artists, where art is used to explore and express our inner thoughts and feelings about our homes and country. In addition, at Serangoon Swimming Complex, residents attending the 'Pool Me In' Concert can expect to see a multi-ethnic orchestra performing in the water at the swimming pool.

MallArts @ Bugis+ (July 29 and 30)

Here, the CACCs in Jalan Besar GRC will present many visually-impactful visual art displays and art installations and Malay Traditional Art performances with a modern twist, so as to target the Malay and youth community at the Jalan Besar GRC and at Bugis+.

ScienceArts @ Science Centre Singapore (August 5 to 25)

The closing event of the festival will be held at the exhibition hall of Science Centre Singapore. Marrying Science and Art, this is a first of its kind collaboration between Science Centre Singapore and the CACCs in Jurong. Offering a new experience art learning for the community, 2,100 residents from Jurong GRC, Yuhua and Bukit Batok are participating in the co-creation of 10 ScienceArts installations with 6 artists and experts from the science centre for a public exhibition at the Annexe Hall of the Science Centre. These installations include designing 200 pieces of Hobberman sphere of various sizes, with 700 over residents, using different types of materials like plastic and cardboard, and connecting each piece in different ways to add movement to the sphere.