Artist Talk: Rattan Eco Sprawl
by Zen Teh and collaborators

Sunday, 6 Oct 2024, 2.30–4.30pm
SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Level 3, Corporate Office, Main Deck
Free with registration


 

(Image courtesy of Zen Teh)

How can art influence our understanding and interaction with nature and urban spaces? Reflect on our interconnected world at the launch programme of Zen Teh’s public artwork, Rattan Eco Sprawl: Manifesting the Forest, which weaves together natural and manmade elements in a striking commentary on our evolving landscape.  

The programme begins with a short film on the intricate process of creating Rattan Eco Sprawl in relation to the rattan trade and craft. It unveils how rattan is woven into an undulating experimental form intended as a space for humans and other species to coexist. This is followed by an artist talk where Zen discusses her interdisciplinary approach alongside key collaborators, combining photography, sculpture, and installation to address the impact of rapid urban development in Southeast Asia.   

The programme will also offer a unique opportunity to meet the rattan artisans from Cambodia who collaborated on the project and try firsthand some of the weaving techniques used to create Rattan Eco Sprawl. The artisans will demonstrate traditional and innovative weaving methods, share insights on the craftsmanship behind the artwork that will weather, integrate, and grow with its natural surroundings.  

This programme is presented on the occasion of the launch of Rattan Eco Sprawl: Manifesting the Forest, part of the public art trail  Port/raits of Tanjong Pagar, commissioned by The Everyday Museum, a public art initiative of Singapore Art Museum. View the artwork up close in our Public Art Tour: Port/raits of Tanjong Pagar on the same day at 1pm, before the launch programme commences.  

About the Artists

Zen Teh is an artist and educator interested in the interdisciplinary studies of nature and human behaviour. Her art practice spans photography, sculpture and installation art. As a research-based artist, Teh has initiated numerous collaborative projects with artists, art professionals and scientists over the years to investigate the impact of rapid urban development in Southeast Asia. Teh has exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Singapore and the region, including National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum and ArtScience Museum, and in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, China, Korea, Taiwan and Germany. She has been invited as a guest speaker at environmental conferences such as UNESCO-UNITWIN 2021, ASEAN Powershift 2015 and Hanoi Innovation Week 2016 on Sustainability. In 2021, Teh received the Young Artist Award conferred by the National Arts Council, Singapore. 

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