LEARN. EXPLORE . GROW
FIELD TRIP TO NATIONAL GALLERY : EVER PRESENT: FIRST PEOPLES ART OF AUSTRALIA
Ever Present: First Peoples Art of Australia surveys historical and contemporary works by over 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across Australia—the largest exhibition of its kind to travel to Asia. Drawn from the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and The Westfarmers Collection of Australian Art, the artworks show deep interconnections between past and present, as well as extraordinary artistic innovation.
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First peoples have lived on mainland Australia and surrounding islands from the immemorial. They are the world's oldest continuous living culture. The artworks in the exhibitions had interlinking themes exploring on the important aspect of people's culture and experience: Ancestors + Creators, Country + Constellations; Community + Family; Culture + Ceremony ; Trade + influence; and Resistance + Colonisation.
This was my favourite artwork in the exhibition. It was interesting how they used light box,rice papaer, resin and ink. This work features 216 handmade japanese rice paper boxes neatly configured within a lightbox. Most have a single image printed on them, including images from archival sources and Hill's personal family photos - reinforcing her cultural identity and presence. Some boxes are intentionally left blank, perhaps to be filled subconsciously by the viewer or as a reference for those parts of history and of people's lives lost forever. This work is deceiving at first, seen as a glowing australian flag but upon staring at it further, it reveals the disparity of lives and experiences, giving a glimpse of the double standards that people observed growing up in Western Australia.
TALK ABOUT CREATIVE PRESENTATION WITH LOO YONG PING AND MANDY GOH
Loo Yong Ping is a creative director and Mandy Goh is a talent development director, it was engaging to be educated by people with so much of experience in the creative industry. The talk was very enriching as I was able to understand the behind-the-scenes of a creative business and how to interact with clients in a business perspective as well. Clients always approach us with a business problem and as a creative agency we give them back a creative solution. It is important to give the brand a personality: a strategic idea and a campaign proposition. As a creative individual, we should be able to locate and involve the brand in a modern culture. Understanding the target audience will help us to understand what’s the right platform to deliver.
Product problem > Creative idea > Sell it > Execution
As a creative business we should also be equipped with good presentation skills as we need to sell our ideas to our clients. It is important to be confident, rehearse the presentation, add cues in your slides and land key points to help you. We shouldn’t make the presentation boring by adding an entire script into the slide, always make eye contact with the clients and use your voice to articulate. I also learnt that it is good to read the room as it will tell you the mood set for the day. Working as a team is always better than working as an individual. Building a deck gives the client the first impression, it is good to know how to layout your information in a way that is interesting. It should be memorable, have a digestible content, clear and your points should be connected from slide to slide like a story. One take away from this talk is to think differently to produce the unexpected. To always research, experiment and have empathy.
TALK WITH HANN CHIA : BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE BRAND
This talk was very inspiring for me and I got the chance to understand the process of being an entrepreneur in Singapore and how to incorporate sustainability to a brand.
“What can I learn? What can I offer?” This questions are very important, we should always be mindful to not benefit from them. Always have an intent and never stop wanting to grow and learn. It was interesting to know some fun-facts she spilled about the recycling industry in Singapore such as like everything that goes into the recycling bin, only less than 4% gets recycled and most of Singapore’s’ waste gets incinerated. It was also eye opening because many of us think in terms of packaging that plastic is the most harmful for the environment but however that’s not the case, it takes 8 times more carbon foot print to make a glass bottle than a plastic bottle. Let’s not even think of composed materials because it is said to be the worst as composed materials can be only composed in industrial composable technology which we do not have in Singapore. Composed materials takes up more carbon foot print to produce than any glass or plastic. Thus when brands say their packaging are made of composed materials, is it really sustainable after all? It is important to understand the materials and the process of how it is made as part of a sustainable business. Everyone in the business should understand what you are doing. Furthermore, it is also not easy to have a sustainable business or waste management in Singapore. This is mainly because of the cost and the lack of resources here. I believe that sustainability should be about reducing and reusing rather than actually recycling. For example all our skincare products that comes in boxes just to put the bottle inside with no other purpose is a waste of resources. All in all, reducing is more important than thinking of recycling methods. It is all about changing our mindset and doing our part to reduce and reuse.
FIELD TRIP TO ASIAN CIVILISATION MUSEUM: BATIK KITA
The Batik Kita exhibition features over 100 pieces from overseas and local lenders, as well as from our national collections. These cloths and clothing items tell stories about making, wearing and trading batik. Batik has a long history and has evolved into creating new identities for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Batik Kita means “our batik” which celebrates the dynamic batik that was once the fashion in our region. It focuses on its types, the variety, its philosophy and the world view of its makers and wearers. Every batik tells a story and the poetry of individual narratives. By the 17th century batik was a common fabric patterning method practice by villages and court women, it was also regarded as formal wear in time to come. Going through batik creative exercise in school made me feel so fascinated to see how beautiful the batiks in the exhibition was cause for me personally I was struggling to create a batik for myself. Beautifully patterned batik sarongs in exuberant colours were the mainstay of exports from java, it then later on travelled to the Nyonya in Malacca and then to the fishermen on the eastern shores of the Indian ocean. Most batiks are made and invented from patterns and motifs, there was something new I learned which was ‘forbidden’ motifs. In the mid 18th century, these courts decreed specific batik motifs to be court properties to wear beyond the court. Two motif which is an abstract form of ‘Garuda’ is the most important and most often worn by royalty. Today, court motifs are replicated and worn widely by commoners, but they are advised against wearing them in the palace. Another thing was patchwork-styled batiks are made with the hope that the many motifs batiked on the cloth may spiritually strengthen the wearer. Over the years, batik evolved and became a very sought after fabric, it can be worn as formal or smart casual and was also worn by our prime minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong for several events such as national day and meeting with other nation’s prime minister. Even our Singapore airlines uniform is made from batik and I was happy to learn that it was designed by an iconic designer: Pierre Balmain. 'Sarong Kebaya à la Paris' is how Pierre Balmain describe the flight attendant uniforms he envisioned designing when he was commissioned to do so.
FIELD TRIP TO HERMÈS IN THE MAKING
Trip to Hermès in the making was very eye opening for me to understand why their role in the fashion industry is so unique and popular. I was able to meet the artisans behind Hermès sustainable craftsmanship. They really focus a lot on craftsmanship and ensures that their artisans are skilled where designs are designed to last and be repaired to be re-used and handed down. It was really interesting to learnt on their expert techniques and tricks and how delicately they are done and also keeping in my mind to be of good quality, durable and innovative. I was lucky enough to catch the live demonstration of silk-printing, I learnt that at Hermès the silk scarf is made using the “Lyon” silk screen printing process. They can choose from over 75,000 colour shades that express the creative spirit of Hermès. Once the colours have been approved, they are applied onto huge rolls of white silk twill used a mesh stretched over the frame. Each screen letting only lets one colour through and on average one scarf requires 25 to 30 colours and some complex design need 48 colours. This actually means to produce a silk scarf the artisans take months long of duration. I also learnt that mastering this silk screen printing technique takes around to 2-3 years under the watchful eye of a tutor, the colour is poured by hand with great control, following a pre-determined order and a speed of printing is carefully calibrated. I was very lucky to witness this skilful artisans to live demo the process of silk printing with 2 colour process. I was also very impressed with the sustainable efforts of Hermès where their repair leather objects and attend to customer’s object with great care. Simply reworking the saddle stitch or refreshing the colour can help lend a bag, belt or agenda cover a new lease on life. This repair and restoration service by Hermès gives a wholesome experience for the customers but also demand ingenuity, creativity and determination. In conclusion, I was so contented to witness the talents and craftsmanship of artisans and so delighted to be given the opportunity to walk through the different expertise of Hermès in the making.
FIELD TRIP TO ART SCIENCE MUSEUM
This is by far my most favourite and memorable field trip, we went to three exhibitions at art science museum: Mental – colours of wellbeing, Future world: where art meets science, Patricia Piccinini : We are connected. Out of the three exhibitions, I enjoyed mental-colours of wellbeing the most, it was very interactive and interesting, allowed me to think out of the box and I was able to related to the different artworks. Mental: Colours of wellbeing was very colourful , dynamic and a welcoming space where visitors can explore different aspects of mental health and the societal biases that can result. I was happy that this exhibition was not an exhibition that always educated us on mental health, treatments and cure but mainly it was a celebration of diffeences, complexity and creativity. Each exhibition was a journey, it was unique and personal and as a viewer I can decide how I want to interpret and experience the artwork. I think it was also eye opening to viewers who can accept mental health in all its different forms and manifestations. It was an opportunity for us to be human and accept the difference and change the perspectives on ourselves, others and the society as a whole. I was able to embark on a a journey of self-discovery while browsing through each exhibition. My favourite exhibition was the installation where we stand infront of the mirror and tells us how we are feeling and gives us some words of encouragement, I think that was very personal and it was very interesting.
At Future world: Art meets science, it was a space for people to be In the environment to sustain and enjoy nature. The starting of the exhibition is very much inspired by Singapore’s approach to nature in the urban environment being known as a clean and green country, the exhibition felt like a tribute to Singapore as the city of garden. The city in a garden section of future world explores the idea of nature as something that includes, enfolds and embrace people, and the things they make. The artworks inspire us to consider how nature’s naturing embrace allows people to thrive in urban spaces. I loved the light installations and the whole aura of the exhibition and it allows us to be given a space for our imaginations to fly.
Another special exhibition was Patricia Piccinini: We are connected exhibition. The works of art presented here draws your attention to climate change and the latest scientific developments which, in various ways, are changing our world and our lives. It was interesting to see her perspective of species dying out and new ones appear as a consequence of natural selection, genetic manipulation and even as a result of experiments with artificial intelligence. It was an exhibition that allowed me to imagine a possible future where biological and existential connections are formed between humankind and other species. I loved how the artist managed to intersect the idea of surrealism, science-fiction, feminism and environmentalism together. The artworks were very unusual and peculiar in a sense it point towers a new, strange and collective future. My favorite artwork was her version of a surrogate, where the living form had pouches on its back to carry life forms, each holding smaller creatures that look like wombats. Wombats are the most endangered animals in Australia, over time the actions of humans have negatively affected the earth and caused climate change. Deforestation of the clearing of forests destroys the homes of many plant and species so through this work it give us a thinking thought of how we can better care for the animals and protect earth. Piccinini’s universe is full of life, her works lament the current loss of species and biodiversity, and at the same time, they pay homage to nature’s many different and extraordinary forms of reproduction, caring and life-giving systems. The artist also presents us with an alternate universe teeming with bizarre and fascinating creatures and landscape that are as natural as they are synthetic, recognizable and at the same time very different. Each artwork and installation were truly eye opening and interesting, seeing nature and life forms with a whole new different form and perspective.
FIELD TRIP TO ENABLING VILLAGE
The enabling village is an inclusive community space. It is home to several social businesses and community services aimed to built an inclusive community among people. It is a place for people with disabilities to engage in career advice and training, the administration officers set them up with inclusive employers and they continue to support them at workplace with job support and further training. What is interesting about this place is that there are different colours to locate the places, starting with the NEST which is the red space known as the one stop information centre for people seeking jobs and for enquiry purpose. The area is very inclusive in terms of the design, by including ramps for easy convenience, there are reading braille on staircases handles to allow people with visual disability to read what floor they are in, there are also floorings to help the visual impaired so that they do not trip and for safety purposes. The green space at the enabling village is where people who has autism works and it was very interesting to realise how talented each individual are, they are skilled in assembling jewellery, embroidering on pouches and t-shirts and other administration jobs as well. The enabling village also offers an inclusive academy to take up courses for up-skilling, they have courses such as linen training room and even housekeeping. This would be very helpful especially if that individual is interested in hospitality and tourism jobs. The art faculty by Pathlight students were really eye-opening as it promotes the special talents of people with autism and related challenges. It features the artwork and merchandise of talented students and alumni of Pathlight school who are in the school's artist development programme. It was like seeing the world from their perspective through their creative art forms. The work about through the faculty thought me to support inclusion and celebrate abilities. From this field trip, i learnt that creating an inclusive space is really important as it allows us to support individuals to feel connected and valued within society.
