Singapore – The VivoCity collection of seven international artworks was officially unveiled today by Mr Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in the presence of more than 300 guests from the diplomatic corps, arts, media and retail sectors. The artworks, which were specially commissioned by Mapletree for VivoCity, cost more than $2.0 million.

Unveiled as part of the Singapore Biennale 2006, the VivoCity International Artworks have already been appreciated by over one million visitors, since the iconic new retail and lifestyle destination opened its doors on 7 October. Even when Singapore’s inaugural Biennale comes to a close on 12 November, art lovers and the public at large will still be able to enjoy these artworks, which will be the only pieces from the Singapore Biennale to be permanently installed.

“VivoCity is not just about shopping,” said Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman of Mapletree. “Our vision is to embrace art as an integral part of the total lifestyle experience and to bring world-class art closer to the general public. Through the collection that we unveil today and those planned for the future, we want to make VivoCity into a vibrant, living showcase for art throughout the year.”

Curated by Mr Fumio Nanjo, Artistic Director of Singapore Biennale 2006, these artworks, which are created by six renowned artists from around the globe, are designed to surprise, excite and delight visitors, to complement the multi-dimensional nature of VivoCity. These larger than life art pieces are located along various outdoor spaces at VivoCity, such as the spectacular 300 metre waterfront promenade, the roof-top Sky Plaza and at the car park entrance to VivoCity. They comprise a six-metre spherical bouquet of colourful flowers; a 10-metre tall rocket that is guaranteed to bring out the child in every visitor; an extremely tall and skinny snowman; giant snowflakes perched on the roof of the third level; a series of massive rose blooms that also function as street furniture; an engaging sculpture of a man on horizontal bars, designed to execute sudden acrobatic manoeuvres; as well as a series of colourful man-like figures in various energetic action poses.

“All of these works present a great opportunity for Singapore to think about art in public spaces within a framework of the Biennale, and also to create the opportunity for citizens, young and old to enjoy and remember art in life,” said Mr Nanjo.

VivoCity plans to grow and evolve this art collection over time. In addition to installing this international art collection, the winning design of the VivoCity Student Design Contest, which it co-organised with DesignSingapore Council, has also been installed. The Gold Award winning design, “RainDrop” by Rony Chan, a student from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is now on display at VivoCity alongside the international artists’ works.

1. Flower Tree by Choi Jeong-hwa ( Korea)

This six-metre tall flower tree blooms amongst real trees along the harbour-front boardwalk.

In a city landscape dominated by skyscrapers, pedestrians and fast moving automobiles, the Flower Tree with its big, colourful and flourishing blooms, is a symbol of affluence, courage and youth, transcending season, time and space. The Flower Tree invites people to stop, amidst the hustle and bustle of their lives, to smell the flowers, and reconnect with their past and their future.

Artist: Choi Jeong-Hwa

Born in Korea in 1961, Choi has exhibited his works all over Europe, USA, Australia and Asia. He often produces brilliant, colourful designs which brighten the site, with simple, friendly forms that everyone can relate to, regardless of their generation.

2. GoGo by Marc Ruygrok ( Netherlands)

GoGo awaits its launch near the entrance of VivoCity, welcoming visitors, including visitors from around the globe. Imagine global visitors, boarding the rocket with their purchases, taking off on their trips back. In VivoCity, this playful, timeless rocket feels right at home, inviting visitors to explore the everchanging lifestyle environment.

Artist: Marc Ruygrok

Born in the Netherlands in 1953, Ruygrok was educated in the State Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. He is a unique artist using words, names or literature in his works to address or change the meaning of space.

3. Snowman by Inges Idee ( Germany)

This thirteen-metre tall snowman sits on the boardwalk, rises past the second-storey terrace and peers at visitors on the third-storey rooftop. Snowmen are common sculptures built by children in Europe during the winter season. Due to the change of seasons and the ephemeral nature of snow, these sculptures have a short life-span. The Snowman at VivoCity is a high tech version of that tradition, combining a sculpture in elegant equilibrium with a triumph over nature, as it stands permanently in the tropical city of Singapore.

Artist: inges idee

Founded in 1992, inges idée is a group of four individually successful German artists – Hans Hemmert, Axel Lieber, Thomas A. Schmidt, and Georg Zey. The group focuses on site-specific art, particularly public art projects, with many works in various parts of Europe as well as Japan. Not bound to a certain style, inges idée prefers to adapt the media that best corresponds to a given site, whether it involves sculpture, sound, computer animation, or light.

4. Snowflakes by Inges Idee ( Germany)

Perched on the curved roof of VivoCity, these giant snowflakes measuring more than 1-metre across complement the Snowman. Together, they present a triumph over nature as they stand frozen in the tropical city of Singapore.

Artist: inges idee

(see above)

5. Aphrodite’s Roses by Hiroshi Yoshimizu ( Japan)

These four red roses along the boardwalk evoke an air of romance and passion, as visitors sit with their loved ones and enjoy the stunning views across the harbour. Since ancient times, the rose has symbolized prosperity and love. In Greek mythology, it is said that when the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, arose from the sea, the gods created the rose to celebrate her birth. Like Aphrodite, VivoCity, a vibrant new city, has arisen from the sea. This artwork was created to celebrate its birth.

Artist: Hiroshi Yoshimizu

Born in Tokyo in 1965, Yoshimizu studied fine arts in the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Besides Japan, he has also worked in Italy and New York. He has created many works of public art and held exhibitions across the world. The shapes of his works are often inspired by real objects, stories or literature. By considering the meaning of space for each project, he endeavours to create a powerful atmosphere and landmark for the site and the people in it.

6. Title: THERE by Henk Visch ( Netherlands)

This “gymnast” swings from a horizontal bar perched more than 6 metres above the rooftop pool. It is literally a man of steel, inspiring onlookers to step into the ankle-deep pool and cheer him on, or take a photograph with him.

THERE celebrates man’s optimism and his belief that he can find everything he is looking for in this world. If something is not here, where he is, it must be there, just ahead of him. He can find it if he looks beyond.

Artist: Henk Visch

Born in 1950 in the Netherlands, Visch is a highly decorated art practitioner and professor. Through his work, he materializes the human condition and its array of emotions. He creates sculptures that are strikingly humorous and witty.

7. Vivo Punch by Michael Punchman ( Hong Kong)

This series of characters, Vivo Punch embodies the qualities of VivoCity. They are fun, inquisitive and extremely loveable because of their pure innocence. No matter what the situation is, they are always ready to explore and discover life. They never fail to see the bright side of life. Visitors will identify them as being synonymous with optimistic happiness and unforgettable experiences.

Artist: Michael Cheung, a.k.a Punchman

Born in Hong Kong in 1967, Cheung has gained recognition in advertising since the 1980s. Awards and achievements include Freshman Art Director of the Year (1989), the first HK designer to be featured in the British D&AD yearbook (1992), Completion of the Creative Professional All-Round Education, and Japan Poster Grandprix Takaaki Iwamura Prize (2002). He was Creative Director at Leo Burnett, Co-head of J. Walter Thompson’s creative team, Director of Red Earth, and founder and director of Institute of Matter.