As part of its efforts to broaden the range of artistic projects in the Biennale, SAM is calling for the public to be involved in selected art projects. The projects aim to bring artists and their publics together by exposing participants to the concepts and practices of contemporary artists whose works are rooted in collaborative and participatory practices. This is an initial step towards the Biennale’s long-term goal of raising the level of artistic appreciation in Singapore. First to be announced are the Artists-in-Schools art projects. We are also seeking interest from schools to participate in the Peer Guiding Programmes, and volunteer programmes, with others to be revealed in due course.

ARTISTS-IN-SCHOOLS PROJECTS
The Artists-in-Schools Projects will see four local artists and artist collectives to initiate a series of collaborative art projects across Singapore’s educational institutions. In partnership with SAM, the artists – Hazel Lim, Erica Lai, Tay Bee Aye and Zinc Nite Crew (ZNC) – have proposed collaborative artistic projects, exploring topics such as environmentalism, biodiversity and community ties. The projects include:

A botanical and wildlife survey – Singapore (Hazel Lim): A visual artist who frequently employs installation, photography, drawings and the use of objects to express her concerns about notions of displacement, construction of histories and imaginary landscapes. The project Lim has devised explores how modern living has affected our natural environment, and the habitats of flora and fauna. For this work, the artist will facilitate student field and archival research into an aspect of nature in Singapore. The results will be presented as a type of archive of our current natural landscapes, comprising paintings on porcelain plates, journal entries, sketches and photographs.

The Old Man and the Sea (Erica Lai): Lai’s works often discuss issues pertaining to spatial territories and for this project, has conceptualised a work that deals with our personal engagement with our land in relation to Singapore’s land reclamation. Students from schools situated upon reclaimed land around Singapore have been invited to participate in the creation of an installation that symbolically ‘returns’ small plots of land back to the sea in the form of a “fort” of illustrated sandbags.

Knot, Play, Rest (Tay Bee Aye): Known for her signature soft sculptures and site-specific installations, Tay will work with members of her local community, students and public participants to explore concepts of bonding and unity by collectively creating a play area and series of objects using the artist’s signature hand knotting technique.

Gardens, by the way (ZNC): An artist collective comprising graffiti and street artists, ZNC will work with students to ‘grow’ a garden of flowers made from thousands of recycled plastic bottles. Incorporating ‘craffiti’, a combination of craft and graffiti, the installation aims to celebrate the changes taking place in our landscape while at the same time looking at the role of nature in modern society.

Some schools have already registered their interest in participating in the Artists-in-Schools Projects, such as Evergreen Secondary School, Northbrooks Secondary School, CHIJ Katong Convent, Edgefield Secondary School, and Huamin Primary School amongst others. Ms. Han Zhi Ru, a teacher at Evergreen Secondary whose students will be involved in Erica’s work, says: “This is a great opportunity to expose our students to contemporary art and to the process of creating artwork for an international audience. Other than the opportunity to express themselves artistically, I am glad that the students will get the opportunity to make a difference to the environment through art. This will inspire them to see art beyond purely aesthetic perspectives.”

Ms. Eileen Ong, an educator at Northbrooks Secondary School agrees. She says: “The project gives the students a chance to know more about our local artists and more importantly, learn from them. We hope that their contribution to the art scene will develop their sense of pride and belonging to the nation.”

Separately, SB 2013 will introduce a new approach to school tours, called the Peer Guiding Programme, to encourage an active peer-to-peer learning experience. To identify student guides, SAM is calling for teachers to nominate students to deliver guided tours to their own schoolmates. Through appropriate workshops, the nominated students will receive training on guiding and public speaking skills as well as learn about SB 2013 sites, artists and artworks. By empowering these student guides to guide their own schoolmates on the works of SB 2013, the Peer Guiding Programme aims to draw on the positive strength of a peer group. Not only will student guides have the opportunity to become active learners instead of passive recipients, they will also be encouraged to offer their own relevant and fun input that will resonate with their peers and create a more enriching learning experience for the group.

For schools interested in involving their students in the Artists-in-Schools Projects or Peer Guiding Programme, please refer to Annex A & B respectively for further information and application details. For enquiries, please email nhb_sam_education@nhb.gov.sg.