NEW DELHI: AS twilight dissolved into darkness, the cold night received its warmth from the amiability of the conversations that sang the glory of the work being showcased as part of Of Human Heritage at The Metropolitan Hotel and Spa. As Singapore High Commisioner Lim Thuan Kuan congratulated the artists on their endeavours, he spoke of how the exhibition has come with the intention of fostering closer ties between India and ASEAN, in collaboration with Sculpture Society (Singapore). Putting the spotlight on this pre-historic medium of artistic conversation lies in the fact that it securely connects the bygone with what’s yet to come.
Its creative relevance is born out of its articulation of the times we live in. Promoted and supported by Singapore High Commission, Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Airlines and DBS Bank (of Singapore), sculptures trace the trajectory of the human mind from antiquity.
Singaporean artist Aileen Toh’s work titled Big Foot is a rare cetacean stranded during Singapore’s Jubilee Year. Through it, she talks of the importance of integrating the ecological subtext into art. Amber Phang’s H2O Reflection calls attention to how human beings are used to constant changes, so much so that adapting comes naturally to us. The liquid state of the sculpture is a resemblance of a physical space or circumstances. Ang Chee Yong’s work Scale focuses on global warming.
Singaporean artists’ Indian counterparts share the space with artists like O P Khare with his work Gram Devta or village god, Shakti Maira’s Formed Resonance Series in hand-carved Sagwan wood with beaten brass base and others. “Sculptures entail a physicality that instantly reaches the human element. It will be prudent to encourage sculpture-making, art history and art tours in the curriculum of preschoolers and older children.
The experience of the process will encourage the appreciation and longevity of the art form and its aesthetics. Since the last two decades, Singapore has been active in promoting and installing numerous public sculptures island-wide. Intermittently, its museums under the National Heritage Board take the opportunity to host world-class art or heritage exhibitions that include sculpture collections,” says Vidhya Gnana Gouresan, the curator.
The show is on till March 3, at Art Spice Gallery, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, Bangla Sahib Road.