Something dramatic has sprouted in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, and no, it is not a tropical plant. “Angles of Incidence” is a new installation created by British artist Philippa Lawrence and Singapore architect Randy Chan that seeks to explore the universal themes of heritage and memory while responding to the site’s surroundings, which includes an 80-year-old tree and a white bandstand reminiscent of the garden’s colonial-era heritage.
At first glance, the sharply angular creations look like shiny rock crystals that have emerged from the ground and seem at odds in the gentle garden full of organic forms. But once you see beyond the coldness of the man-made material, there is logic to the panel of mirrors that reflect nature from different angles: It makes you look closer at its beauty that you would otherwise have passed-by.
“The bandstand nearby is quite iconic and we wanted to respond to it by bringing it closer, by capturing its image, and bringing it to this side via the mirrors.” Chan explained. “We also wanted to respond to the shadiness of the place, which is full of shadows, with light penetrating at certain times of the day, and we wanted to use the artwork as a form of receptacle of the light,” he added.
The installation is part of the SIF-BC AiRx, a residential and cultural immersion program by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and the British Council to provide Singaporean and British artists with the opportunity to gain new insights into each other cultures. The installation is also supported by Swarovski.-
As first published on BlouinArtinfo.com