Architecture Students Awarded Top Two Prizes of the Inaugural i Light Student Awards
Architecture students were the top two prize winners of the inaugural i Light Student Awards, which is part of the annual i Light festival. Their winning artworks, titled ‘Cenotaph for a stone’ and ‘Prospegtive Perspective’, which won the first and second prize respectively, will be showcased at the i Light Singapore – Bicentennial Edition from 28 January to 24 February 2019.
CENOTAPH FOR A STONE
Team Members:
1) Bryan Joseph Sanchez Cadag
2) Loo Quan Le
3) Zulkarnain Bin Mohd Zin
Why the Singapore Stone?
Seeing how we’ve all at one stage of our local education here in Singapore have been made aware of the story of Badang and the Singapore Stone as a part of the local folklore stories- with Singapore serving as the geographical context- we decided to use this as a starting off point after deliberating what the theme of I Light 2019, Bicentennial Edition- Bridges of Time-means to us. We wanted a subject matter that was familiar, yet not fully understood by Singaporeans. Those stories were always told light-heartedly, with the pretence to take it with a pinch of salt, since it lacked physical evidence (aside from the Sejarah Melayu). However, the Singapore Stone was a tangible vestige of the past; it is one of the 12 ‘preserved’ National Treasures that precedes the 1819 founding date, yet not fully due to historical circumstances
The Installation
The installation is the interpretation of the various states of the Singapore Stone’s existence; it is an interpretation of what was, what it is, and what it could have been (if it was not destroyed). 52 pedestals of various heights are scattered within an approximately 8m by 5m area, with 51 ‘rock fragments’ being placed a top each pedestal. 1 pedestal is left intentionally empty, as a sort of ‘reservation’ and hinting to the only piece of the Singapore Stone that we still have, currently being kept in the National Museum of Singapore. From the front of the installation, the varying heights of the ‘rock fragments’ will lend to the visual recreation of our assumption of what the original Singapore Stone could have looked like before its destruction. However, as the gaze of the viewer shifts as he circumscribes the installation, it slowly disintegrates and shifts into it’s a sort of time- warped, “exploded” form, referencing to its destruction in 1843. To further emphasize on the state of explosion, the fragments will light up in an orchestrated fashion, so that it radiates from the “empty pedestal”, slowly cascading to the rest of the installation, like a pulse. This will help animate the explosive nature of the installation
The pedestals are made of mild steel, while the ‘rock fragments’ are recreated out of perforated wiremesh, folded and warped to recreate an ephemeral take on a generic rock form. This material choice would allow for the ‘rock fragments’ to be illuminated internally.
The Impact
The installation aims to raise awareness of Singapore’s 700 years of history and before. Singapore’s earliest historical event tends to be essentialised and relegated to Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival in 1819. However, Malay folklores such as Sang Nila Utama and Badang serve as glimpses to an earlier past, though lacking in tangible evidences. We want to shed light and give exposure to a national treasure that has played ‘carafe’ in many historical events and texts; to an object that connects a past before Singapore’s modern founding to the present, where it currently resides in the National Museum. It places Singapore in a bigger geographical picture, and not just materialised and made significant in 1819. It also aims to incite interest within Singaporeans to explore on their own country’s past that is not common knowledge or readily accessible.
https://www.ilightsingapore.sg/Discover/Installations/Cenotaph-for-a-Stone
Prospegtive Perspective
Team Members:
1) Carnation Kng
2) Low Jo Ann
3) Justina Teng
Prospegtive Perspective is an installation that explores the expressive potential of everyday
objects. Ubiquitous across residences in Singapore, the humble clothes peg is easily recognisable
to most Singaporeans. The sight of pegged laundry on bamboo poles, dancing with the breeze at
HDB flats – the team is fascinated by how such a simple object could bring across so much local
flavour. Adopting the clothes peg as their building module, they hope that their installation brings
joy to those who can see the peg in a new light. Further inspired by stories of Singaporeans
through the ages building the city, each single peg is replicated and connected to form layers,
creating an impression of Singapore’s signature skyline. With the installation facing the city skyline
across Marina Bay, acting as a projection of future buildings, the installation extends the existing
skyline, serving as an imaginative bridge to the future.
https://www.ilightsingapore.sg/Discover/Installations/Prospegtive-Perspective