Image courtesy of Weizhong Deng
by Atin Yeo Jin Chao, BA(Hons) Fine Arts Level 1 (2019)
“The stars, the moon and the sun have long been used by travellers as navigational tools. Now, online apps such as GoogleMaps automatically detect geographical routes. But what would happen if we were to follow the stars as travellers once did? What would they tell us?”
“It’s sort of like an unseen force,” Chok began. “I was interested in the dynamics at play, but I was uncertain of how to translate this into a physical form.”
I nodded in agreement. Chok Si Xuan was giving me a run-down of her time at the sand dunes of Phan Thiết in Mũi Né Vietnam, an adventure for inspiration that was made possible with the Travelogue Award. As we continued to talk, Chok went into further detail about her proposal for her practice in 3D printing, and her passion for what she fondly refers to as 'technical things'.
“The aim of my [exploration] was to further my studies in my technical execution of 3D printing, so I used the money to purchase a 3D printer while educating myself on 3D software so I could make [things] from scratch.”
Chok directed my attention to her sprawling online blog filled with thoughts and sketches and digital schematics of her intricate 3D printed creations, altogether more spectacular to behold once I recalled that she had single-handedly self-taught herself to work this new medium.
Needless to say, I was starstruck, marvelling at what the stars had told her.
Chok, like the other recipients of the Travelogue Award, had to propose a project idea in relation to the destination of their choice, culminating in a final result to be displayed as a body of work upon return.
Sketches shared by Chok. Image courtesy of Chok Si Xuan
The culminating exhibition, Winston Oh Travelogue Award: What the Stars are telling us, was held in the Praxis Space of McNally campus, from 15 September to 25 October 2018.
Chok Si Xuan was one of the Practice Award recipients in 2018 of The Winston Oh Travelogue Award, a grant for selected students from the McNally School of Fine Arts to enrich and culminate their artistic practices from the experience of travelling overseas.
The other Practice Award recipients (with their destinations) were: Dylan Chan (Japan), Kimie Kwan (Cambodia), Ng Qi Hui (Thailand), and Joyce Tan (Bhutan). The Research Award recipients were: Tristan Lim (South Korea), Nur Liyana Binte Ali (Japan), Muhammad Masuri Bin Mazlan (Japan), Chloe Po (Japan), and Nerissa Tan (Sweden).
