Collaboration between the NUS Design Incubation Centre and Deyrolle will give you a fresh perspective on what it means to be one with nature. Â
As a tropical city, Singapore is known for its lush greenery and urban diversity. The term "garden city" is something we are known for as we bridge the gap between concrete buildings and parks, and open spaces. While we have world-class attractions like Gardens by the Bay, which is famously celebrated for its futuristic nature-meets-urbanisation concept, we often overlook the beauty of nature itself and how it adds value to our everyday lives. "The Nature of Things" exhibition hopes to highlight this connection between human life and the nature around us through its curation of carefully designed objects that weave in seamlessly with the natural habitat. Â
The exhibition is a collaboration between the NUS Design Incubation Centre (DIC) and Deyrolle, a taxidermy shop in Paris, France, and is presented as part of Paris Design Week 2022. Augmented by some incubation and research projects from the DIC, the exhibition will showcase different facets of nature, from the visible landscape to its hidden treasures, from the many trees to the birds and cicadas. Through that, the exhibition hopes to spark conversations on how we interact with the tropical ecosystem that we live in and highlight how the role of nature has evolved over the years to be a part of the different lifestyles we live in today. Â
Here are some highlights from the exhibition:Â Â
The first two are thesis projects from 2021 graduates and outcomes of a 1-year incubation at DIC. Â
Furmidable Pelts and Seats by Cynthia Chan
Furmidable explores a new perspective on the relationship between the artificial and the natural, humans and the environment surrounding them. The research project aims to implicitly showcase the irony of the canine-human relationship, in which the attachment is unlike any other domestic animal, setting it apart from the animal kingdom. This distinction had long been acknowledged and rendered over the centuries through the development of many breeds, placing the domestic dog at the crossroads of the living and the affective object. Furmidable Pelts reimagine and utilise clipped dog hairs, a by-product of a potential circular economy, as an abundant and ethical alternative to the fur industry. The body of work is a symbolic representation of the modern-day dog breeding and grooming culture, in which the animals are selected for certain physical characteristics.Â
Harena by Kianne Lim & Celine ChanÂ
Like an empty frame showcasing living nature, Harena highlights the Asian domestic gecko. Attracting nearby insects, including relentless mosquitos, this open stage becomes the spectacle of a salutary night feast. Harena pays tribute to this discreet yet helpful host, changing the perception from a disturbing reptile to a benevolent friend, from fear to curiosity. When the day darkens, Harena lights up. On walls that could display a still life, the natural spectacle of life then takes place. Attracted by the light, the insects offer themselves to hungry geckos in an endlessly renewed choreographic feast.Â
A sculpture by day, the empty frame becomes a functional light at night, illuminating both space and minds by making this spontaneous show an opportunity to learn to live in harmony and reciprocity with nature.Â
In Praise Of Flowers by Tan Wei JingÂ
In Praise of Flowers is a tribute to the last moments of life that cut flowers offer us by exploring their shapes, stories and symbols. It is dedicated to nine different flowers: the Peony, an impressionist muse, the fragrant Lavender, the majestic Hydrangea, the Asian Orchid, the showstopper Lily, the delicate Tulip, the Narcissus and its reflection, the solemn Rose and the frail Baby's Breath.Â
Each chapter takes the form of an object, sometimes a vase, sometimes a simple stand, or an object of glorification. These creations are not only inspired by the flowers' shapes, dimensions, and needs in their last moments but also by their history and symbolism: the best way to pay homage and cultivate their memory.Â
The following two highlights are Undergraduate studio projects supervised by Associate Professor Christophe Gaubert from the Division of Industrial Design at the College of Design and Engineering. Â
Tsikato, Design by Rizwan Sahabudeen & Kent LimanzaÂ
Tsikato is an arboreal sculpture, an instrument dedicated to the song of cicadas. It protects them from noise pollution by amplifying their stridulation, diffusing it from tree to tree. Tsikato proposes attenuating our noisy environment's impact by offering the cicadas a sound parenthesis. This phonic installation, a theatre for their free expression, also makes the singular presence of these camouflaged singers more tangible. Â
Stay tuned for updates as we check in with the team and Paris Design Week to learn more about their experience there. In the meantime, read more about the exhibition here: https://designincubation.sg/project/the-nature-of-thingsÂ
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The designers behind "The Nature of Things"Â |
Annabelle Chan Canice Ng Celine Chan Christophe Gaubert Chua Jia Hui Cindy Evangeline Cynthia Chan Huang Anqi Kalinda Chen Kent Limanza, Kianne Lim Kwang Yu Hang Li Si Yi Lin Qiuxia Rizwan Sahabudeen Sahrah Juari Sim Lee Ting Tan Wei Jing |
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List of exhibits |
In Praise of Flowers Flora Obscura Tsikato Kanopi Twee Twee Harena Dead or Alive Furmidable Pelts Furmidable Seats Innatralis Corol Ji Jian Wu |
