Artwork Inspired by Singapore’s Concrete Benches of Yesteryear Unveiled at National Gallery Singapore
National Gallery Singapore unveiled a new art sculpture, Totem, by artist Chun Kai Feng. Inspired by concrete benches commonly seen around Housing Development Board (HDB) estates in the past, Totem is the first installation at the Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Gallery created by a Singaporean artist.
Using the simple technique of stacking, Chun created scaled-up modules of the benches to build a sculptural monument. Its form evokes a tribal totem, albeit a contemporary one for the city. Chun wanted to offer provocations to our habitual encounters by dislocating the bench from its original context. Departing from the material qualities and function of the concrete benches, the glossy finish of the work creates a thought-provoking dialogue with the skyscrapers that surround the Gallery.
The work is showcased in the Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Gallery, made possible by Far East Organization’s contribution to National Gallery Singapore. The donation contributes to the Gallery’s research, curatorial and exhibition work, with a focus on outdoor presentations of commissioned art.
Totem is the second exhibition at the Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Gallery, located at Level 5 of the City Hall Wing. The showcase will run till September 2016 and is free to the public. For more information on the exhibition, see here.