An hour @ The Museum

An hour @ The Museum

The School of the Arts, Singapore (Sota) and French design label Louis Vuitton have come together in a collaboration that showcases the works of American contemporary artist Daniel Arsham and the school's Year 3 Visual Arts students. These will be developed in a workshop to be held at the school this week.

Arsham is known for his photography and sculptural works and this exhibition is part of the Louis Vuitton - Sota Arts Excellence Programme, which allows students to work alongside renowned international artists.

Where: Louis Vuitton Island Maison, Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, B2-36
MRT: Marina South/Promenade
When: Till March, 10am - 11pm (Sun - Thu), 10am - midnight (Fri & Sat)
Admission: Free Tel: 6788-3888 Deepika Shetty

1. Crystal eroded Blackberry, 2013

Crystal, shattered glass, hydrostone, 10.5x6x1.5cm

New York-based artist Arsham is known for his signature plaster erosion artworks. These often use recently discarded objects and the sculptural forms blur the lines between art and architecture. As an artist, he is drawn to objects in various states of decay.

2. Crystal eroded Graflex camera, 2013

Crystal, shattered glass, hydrostone, 40.5x30.5x 28cm

Through his art, Arsham wants to explore how people see and experience elements of architecture as well as space. When he was 12, he and his family survived a hurricane in Miami. As a child, he watched his home collapse. In earlier interviews, he had said that this experience informed his ideas of the "slow manipulation of architectural form". This is something he explores through his sculptures as well as photographs.

3. Ash eroded reel to reel, 2013

Volcanic ash, shattered glass, hydrostone, 48.5x44.5x24cm

4. Crystal eroded VHS, 2013

Crystal, shattered glass, hydrostone, 10.5x18.5x2.5cm

The artist likes to use natural elements such as volcanic ash, crystal and shattered glass to see how modern-day objects such as film projectors and VHS tapes become redundant as new technological devices take their place.

5. Dancer in traditional Rapa Nui dress, 2013

Gouache on mylar, 21.5x30.2cm

The exhibition is divided into two parts and this one features Arsham's interpretations of life on Easter Island. He portrays the people as well as the surviving monumental statues on the island. The ancestors of the island were considered magnificent navigators who criss-crossed the ocean to trade with people as far as Hawaii and New Zealand. Located in the South Pacific Ocean off South America, Easter Island is the site of gigantic beetle-browed statues on ceremonial platforms which have their backs to the sea. They are the ancient moais or representations of dead ancestors who have stern Picasso-cubed faces and pugnacious jaws.

6. Moai artist's impression, 2013

Gouache on mylar, 30.2x21.5cm

Here, he portrays the Moai statues that have made Easter Island famous. These statues are believed to represent the images of ancestors and are guardians of their "mana" or spirit.

7. Louis Vuitton travel book - Easter Island: Ahu Tongariki Detail, 2013

Gouache on mylar, 21.4x30.2cm

8. Louis Vuitton travel book - Easter Island: Ahu Akivi, 2013

Gouache on mylar, 21.4x30.8cm

French luxury design label Louis Vuitton released four exclusive Travel Books, illustrated by different international artists. These covered different cities and places including Paris, New York, London and Easter Island, the latter of which was portrayed by Arsham, who has created several works depicting island life. These include watercolours for the Easter Island guide book.


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