Blending art with nature in the park

Installing such works will not only beautify public parks but they can also be educational
Linus Lin, Straits Times 22 Mar 10;

WHAT do Chopin and the Berlin Wall have in common?

They are both found in Singapore parks - the musical composer as a bronze monument in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and the wall as four pieces of graffiti art in Bedok Reservoir Park.

The HortPark in south-west Singapore, with a $13 million price tag and 20 themed gardens, took the idea of art in nature a step further and became an outdoor gallery.

Last week, it played host to an art exhibition by the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), which showcases the work of two students and a lecturer depicting the HortPark and its surrounding ridges in several interpretations including Gothic forms. The exhibition, which began on March 13 and will run until Sunday, has the works displayed on panels located in the park's indoor foyer.

Second-year student Gerson Gilrandy Tirasbudi, 18, who contributed five watercolours, said: 'Many park-goers in Singapore visit parks to have fun, and don't appreciate the natural beauty of their surroundings. I think installing art in parks can change this and help them better reflect on nature's beauty.'

The HortPark is among a growing number of public parks that serve to present both natural and artistic beauty.

President of the Singapore Art Society Khor Ean Ghee said they make excellent natural galleries, being wide open spaces that already draw many visitors.

'Art in parks will be able to reach out to many and raise our standard of artistic appreciation,' he said.

The National Parks Board (NParks), which manages 50 parks islandwide, welcomes the installation of personally owned works of art in its parks in Singapore, but permission must be sought, it said.

'Where appropriate, we do accept donations of art pieces which complement the landscape and help to enhance the ambience of green spaces,' said Mr Kong Yit San, director of the parks division.

The Botanic Gardens, the NParks' crown jewel, is home to some 22 different sculptures.

The latest, a hand-crafted bronze monument in the likeness of composer-pianist Chopin, arrived in 2008 as a gift from the Polish Embassy in Singapore.

In the Bedok park, the four panels from the Berlin Wall were unveiled in January at a ceremony attended by Foreign Minister George Yeo.

The panels, each bearing graffiti art by German artist Dennis Kaun, are on loan from an American oil industry veteran and his Singapore-born wife.

Not only do works of art beautify a park, but they can also be educational.

A pair of red and yellow statues, situated at the edge of Katong Park, has drawn curious stares from passers-by.

The pair, depicting a British and Sikh guard whose cylindrical bodies were made to resemble cannons, were donated by a local businessman, Mr Jack Sim, 53.

They serve to commemorate the rich heritage of the former Tanjong Katong Fort on the grounds of the park today, paying tribute to the multi-ethnic civil defence force of the garrison in the late 1800s, said Mr Sim.

They may pique the interest of Singaporeans in the 'very rich history of this country', which he says many are not interested in exploring today.

'I don't want the young of today to grow up without childhood memories of Singapore. It makes me happy seeing joggers pause to smile at the statues and trying to discover their significance to the area.'

At Bedok Reservoir Park, 10 visitors interviewed told The Straits Times that the Berlin Wall panels added much more to the park with their artistic and historical value.

The statues at Katong Park did the same for retired lawyer Reginald Lim, 66, a regular visitor.

'I've been living in this area since 1946, but the statues will have educational value for especially the young, since they tell the story of this area's history, which they may not be familiar with.'