Art On Wheels

Forget the pub-crawl. For this weekend only, try gallery hopping. Lifestyle writer Foo Rong En checks out Art In Motion, a shuttle bus tour of art galleries, and recommends two notable art exhibitions to check out.

LOGO: AGAS Art in Motion http://www.agas.org.sg/aim_event.acv Route A : First bus leaves from Old Hill Street Police Station at 11.00am. Last bus leaves at 6.30pm (Intervals every 15-30mins) Route B : First bus leaves from Art Stage Singapore at 11.00am. Last bus leaves at 6.40pm (Intervals every 15-30mins)

PHOTOS: FOO RONG EN

From exhibitions that showcase intricate paintings to quirky installations, the inaugural Art In Motion bus tour will leave art aficionados spoilt for choice as they gallery-hop between 13 art galleries along two different bus routes.

The bus routes cover 13 galleries from Bayfront Avenue, Robertson Quay, Hill Street and more.

Launched by the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS), the first day of the weekend event went off to a good start. The 10 to 15-minute waiting time at each gallery ensured that the tour progressed swiftly. Crowd control was also excellent with the presence of facilitators on the buses, who also introduced the galleries.

The galleries showcased a diverse mix of contemporary Asian and international art while fun fringe activities such as batik printmaking and caricature drawing ensured there was always something to see or do.

Art In Motion, with its free bus tour and planned itinerary, met with positive reactions. Student Chea Ruei Ern, 19, described it as “very convenient”.

She added: “Also, it was good that they had many facilitators for this service so we never felt that we were lost.”

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PHOTOS: FOO RONG EN

WINDOWSHOP: A Modern Day Cabinet of Curiosities

Location: Chan Hampe Galleries, Raffles Hotel Arcade #01-20/21
Duration: Till 9 Feb

Teasing our fond memories with light-hearted mischief is artist Dawn Ng’s exhibition, where she manipulates thousands of objects sourced from junk stores and her home to convey both a sense of reminiscence and sarcasm.

Her tongue-in-cheek spin on iconic objects from Singapore’s history poke fun at local idiosyncrasies like the relentless rat race, government control, as well as the pursuit of truth and love.

The cabinets, painted with whimsical pastel colours, evoke a strong sense of childhood nostalgia. One cabinet, entitled “Animal Farm”, held rows of sheer white animal toys, all different yet seemingly homogenous — a satire of the herd mentality in Singapore.

For something more heartwarming, look out for the neon sign on the ceiling, which showcases the timeless, cliched phrases primary school students would write in their Chinese essays — a blast from the past that is sure to leave visitors smiling.

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PHOTOS: FOO RONG EN

Exhibition: Jade of Desire Zi Peng’s Second Solo Exhibition in Singapore

Location: 140 Hill Street, ARTrium@MCI, Old Hill Street Police Station
Duration: Till 21 Jan

A portrait of Mao Zedong in striking colours, looking as if someone had been overly-enthusiastic with photo filters, was not all it seemed to be. A closer look revealed a surreal painting style juxtaposing portrait, form, texture and pattern to create the illusion of a digitally edited photograph while using only paint.

The artist’s hyper-realistic oil paintings blend both traditional and modern influences into stunning paintings containing a depth of layers. Starting with realistically painted jade sculptures to the calligraphy-style motifs residing within, Chinese-born artist Zi Peng further surprises by referencing the work of other artists such as Botero, Salvator Dali and Damien Hirst.

Another work has Hirst’s famous dot painting layered upon by Zi Peng’s shark, which was in turn layered upon with a calligraphy painting of aquatic life.

Mind blown, really.