Monday 27 July 2009

Art has ventured into a new territory – along the waters. Through a mural project initiated by the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and Design International Architects, student volunteers from LASALLE College of the Arts have transformed the walls at the new amenities centre of MacRitchie Reservoir. The project is part of PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme, which aims to transform water bodies in Singapore into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes, creating community spaces for people to enjoy recreational activities.

Fine Arts students Alvelyn Koh, Phan Thi Thao Nguyen, Theresia Irma, Godwin Koay and Eunice Ng spent two intensive weeks on site to create three installations extending across some 30 metres of wall space. The brief was to incorporate information on Singapore reservoirs in the artworks.

It was a fantastic learning experience for the group which got the chance to collaborate with other students, from Catholic High School, and were mentored by Fine Arts alumna Diana Alexis. Said Diana, “This project has helped to illuminate how communication and cooperation are vital. I definitely enjoyed working along with other like-minded artists and meeting others from different industries! “

To sum up the entire experience, Diana coined her own acronym “ABC”. “A” standing for “artist” since the students had to apply aesthetic judgment and an eye for art; “B” was for “backup plan”, where Diana’s team learned the importance of quick-thinking when encountering unexpected problems (such as paint dripping on the floor). Lastly, “C” was about having a “can-do” attitude in the face of challenging requests.

Eunice installing intricate wire works on a wooded sculpture detailing all the waterways and canals in Singapore.

Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister and Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources admiring one of the murals at the phase one completion ceremony on 25 July 2009.

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