This January, experience how good things come in pairs. Funan’s third edition of its popular mall-wide art activation, titled Creative Intersections: In the Year of the Rabbit, continues its marriage of artists with brands to engage, inspire, provide access and treat both seasoned art lovers and mall goers alike.
Read into text-based art in a poem and installation art piece made of embroidered fabric; glimpse into a surreal, curious and colourful world of the Water Rabbit in a walk-in installation designed in collaboration with an eyewear retailer; be guided on how to turn recycled art materials into useful everyday objects by one of the few female Singaporean marble sculptors; and check out re-modelled rabbit figurines by famed Japanese outfit MIMILA.
BERNINA collaborates with playwright Nabilah Said to create text-based art with a form of poetry known as ‘twin cinema’.
Working with artist Howie Kim, Lenskart presents a large-scale installation that reimagines a surreal, curious and colourful world of the Water Rabbit.
BLAXK by ActionCity works with toy customiser Rex Lee in a re-modelling of rabbit figurines by famed Japanese outfit MIMILA.
Terrarium specialist The Green Capsule partners with former lawyer turned artist Yen Phang on a series of artworks and workshops titled “Does the Rabbit Dream of the Artist?”.
On top of these diverse collaborations and more, on display are six vibrant Funan Passion Rabbit sculptures customised by six artists in response to the mall’s colours and passion themes of Play, Chic, Taste, Fit, Tech and Craft. The sculptures will be unveiled from 10 January.
The play on dualities, of artists and brands, retail and art, all mirror the life of rabbits who, just like us, are social creatures that do not thrive in solitude. In yet another inspired pairing, Creative Intersections: In the Year of the Rabbit is presented by Funan and curated by collaborator, curatorial consultancy and agency Chan + Hori Contemporary.
Mr Adrian Lai, Centre Manager, Funan, said: “After a successful partnership for Creative Intersections last year, we are pleased to collaborate with Chan + Hori Contemporary again to come up with unique ‘shoppable’ experiences that enliven the bustling art scene at Funan.
As a paradigm for live, work and play, we look forward to offering a creative environment in our spaces for local artists, retailers and our shoppers alike this Year of the Rabbit!”
Mr Khai Hori, Director and Partner, Chan + Hori Contemporary, said: “Chan + Hori Contemporary is delighted to be engaged once again by Funan for Creative Intersections 2023. As a patron of the arts, everything creative and energetic, Funan’s continued endeavour to partner with curators, artists and retail brands in Singapore, bridging art with a wide stream of audiences, can only get better. This year, the Singapore visual arts landscape looks ripefor renewal and rebirth and we are happy to seize the moment with this fun and meaningful project with Funan.”
Creative Intersections is a part of Singapore Art Week 2023, and runs from 6 January to 5 February 2023.
Artist and brand collaborations for Creative Intersections
Edible Garden City x Firdaus Sani
Artist and anthropologist Firdaus Sani makes the relationship between native and non-native obvious in his partnership with Edible Garden City. Here, he points out Singapore’s native and non-native edible plant species at Edible Garden City’s rooftop farm in Funan. Firdaus does this through referencing the diet of Singapore’s indigenous (read native), nomadic sea-people, the Orang Laut.
In their diet, the only rabbit they consume at special occasions is one that is actually found at sea, the Rabbitfish! In his work at Funan, Firdaus’ pens a Malay poem on rabbits, inspired by ancient mantras that passed through the Orang Laut tribe.
The Green Capsule x Yen Phang
Former lawyer turned artist Yen Phang partners with terrarium specialist The Green Capsule with a series of artworks and workshops titled “Does the Rabbit Dream of the Artist?”. Comprising small soil sculptures interspersed amongst the various plants in-store, Yen Phang encourages visitors to search for art within the shelves of succulents, terrariums, tillandsias, and other accessories.
These unique sculptures will take the form of the artist’s own fingers and toes, plants and tiny rabbits in pots. Yen’s work alludes to his own parents’ agricultural background, working on vegetable and fish farms and hopes to encourage our sense of intimacy with soil and greens.
BLAXK x Rex Lee
Rex Lee’s ink work uses a combination of different inking techniques such as stippling, where a variety of values and textures are created by grouping dots loosely or tightly together. Customising Japanese ‘Rabbit Kaiju’ figurines named MIMILA by Devil Robot, Rex inks them individually.
Working with pens with tip sizes ranging from ultra-fine 003 (0.15 mm) to bold 10 (0.6 mm), Rex painstakingly transforms the vinyl rabbits into monochromatic, one-off artworks. Titled “MIMILA in Ink”, Rex hopes that his work with what many today collect as ‘contemporary art toy’ sculptures and traditional ink work will inspire more people to take up pen and ink drawing.
Chokmah x Ong Si Hui
One of the rare female sculptors usually working with marble and granite as materials, Ong Si Hui partners with Chokmah to project the white rabbit’s symbolic depiction for rebirth.
Combining chipped off bits and pieces of white marble from her studio collected over the years with versatile arts and craft material ‘jesmonite’, Si Hui presents various usable sculptural objects. Along with this, the public could sign up for workshop sessions inspired by Chokmah’s zero waste approach to design and making.
Breathing new life into ‘waste’ materials, her partnership with Chokmah is a reminder of her earlier years as an art school graduate, when she was part of a collective that conducted craft workshops using unwanted and discarded objects as art materials. When well utilised and made, ‘waste’ could be breathed with new life and beauty, just like what the white rabbits symbolise.
BERNINA x Nabilah Said
Known as a playwright, Nabilah Said partners with sewing machine brand Bernina. Titled “The Impossible Third”, Nabilah’s artwork manifests as both a poem and an installation art piece made of embroidered fabric.
It takes the poetic form of ‘twin cinema’, where what seems like two columns of poems reveals a third poem for the curious reader. For the artist, like night and day, there is beauty in duality, but what lies in between may reveal more hidden delights.
“The Impossible Third” is a visual revelation of the sacred and magical – the metaphorical bunny from a hat, seemingly impossible until you see it appear. It explores the concept of creative productivity, where the sum of two things can be greater than its parts.
Lenskart x Howie Kim
In Lewis Carroll’s ‘Through the Looking Glass’, the character Alice once again enters a fantastical world by climbing through a special mirror into the world in order to see beyond it. Inspired by this, Howie reimagines a surreal, curious and colourful world of the Chinese zodiac rabbit in its manifestation as the ‘water rabbit’ in this cycle. Working with Lenskart, an eyewear brand, Howie’s large-scale installation at its outlet in Funan invites visitors to walk through it, and to reconsider ways how we could look at the world creatively again.
Funan’s passion rabbit sculptures
The tallest standing at 2 meters and the cutest at 1.3 meters, these Funan Passion Rabbits were specially designed for six artists to paint their signature styles on to. On display are six vibrant Funan Passion Rabbit sculptures customised by six artists in response to the mall’s colours and passion themes of PLAY, CHIC, TASTE, FIT, TECH and CRAFT.
1. Dawn Ang (a.k.a Aeropalmics)
Funan Passion Rabbit #1, 130cm tall
Funan passion theme: TECH (GREY)
In the grey tones of TECH, artist and creative impresario Dawn Ang, also known as Aeropalmics, presents a robot inspired, quirky and fun Funan Passion Rabbit. Dawn marries her rabbit as a lovable living creature in duality with our technologically enhanced world.
TECH, how does one live without it today?
2. Avril Ang
Funan Passion Rabbit #2, 130cm tall
Funan passion theme: CHIC (RED)
Avril is a newcomer and budding artist that just entered the Singapore arts scene. Working with illustration, murals as well as various materials, like yarn and clay, her works reflect her inner child, whimsical, quirky, fun and colourful. Responding to the colour red and the Funan passion theme of CHIC, Avril reflects the youthful spirit of a new generation!
3. Shah Rizzal (a.k.a ASNO)
Funan Passion Rabbit #3, 160cm tall
Funan passion theme: CRAFT (PURPLE)
CRAFTed in purple, Shah Rizzal, also known as ASNO in street art circles, invites us to the act of creation, one with personal and deep meaning. Purple is often considered as the traditional and symbolic colour for something special and unique. Just like how what we create are special to ourselves and the people closest to us.
4. Ripple Root
Funan Passion Rabbit #4, 160cm tall
Funan passion theme: PLAY (ORANGE)
Named Big Blossoms, Ripple Root duo Liquan Liew and Estella Ng presents an energetic, orange coloured Funan Passion Rabbit in response to the theme of PLAY. Dotted with blooming flowers, a typical feature reflecting nature in their signature style, Big Blossoms represents the possibilities and fun that come with the act of playing.
5. Sarah Ninjawhee
Funan Passion Rabbit #5, 200cm tall
Funan passion theme: TASTE (GREEN)
TASTE, freshness and nature, green tactile grass dotted with rabbits, this 2-meter tall rendition of Funan Passion Rabbit is Sarah Ninjawhee’s contribution to our project. A graduate of LASALLE and Rhode Island School of Design (USA), Sarah has had her works shown both in Singapore and Japan and is set to step further on the green field of success.
6. Shen Jiaqi
Funan Passion Rabbit #6, 200cm tall
Funan passion theme: FIT
Trained as an educator, also a known prolific painter, Shen Jiaqi tackles Funan’s blue passion theme of FIT. Embedded with floating clouds and windows opening to the outside, Jiaqi’s Funan Passion Rabbit alludes to the world and possibilities that awaits us outside. In health and with fitness, one finds true wealth indeed.
