This January, Funan is back with its popular mall-wide art activation for the second year, titled Creative Intersections: In the Year of Tiger. Shoppers can have a taste of an outer space-inspired “Aliens ate my homework” gelato; put their own creative spin on their Dr. Martens boots with customisation workshops; or explore physical and digital non-fungible tokens (NFTs) artworks by local artists.
This latest artistic endeavour reinforces Funan as a paradigm for live, work, and play. First introduced in 2021, the upcoming edition is themed “In the Year of Tiger” and will feature 15 unique artist and brand collaborations in the areas of fashion, food, lifestyle, and more.
Presented by Funan and curated by curatorial consultancy and agency Chan + Hori Contemporary, Creative Intersections is a major month-long art-meets-retail programme launched as part of Singapore Art Week 2022.
Look forward to art experiences produced in collaboration with diverse homegrown brands such as Love, Bonito; LiHO TEA; PPP Coffee; and Edible Garden City; alongside international brands such as BERNINA. New brands onboard include Dr. Martens, JD Sports, Golden Village, NOKA by Tippling Club, and The Collector Base. These tenants at Funan have been paired with up-and-coming and established Singaporean and Singapore-based artists and creatives to engage in collaborations.
The programme highlights the mall as a platform for showcasing the creative intersection between art and retail, where communities can also actively create and engage with one another at Singapore’s city centre. Mr Adrian Lai, Centre Manager, Funan, said: “At Funan, we are always looking to present one-of-a-kind retail experiences for passionate consumers and brands to build vibrant social communities. Following the positive reception towards our pioneering programme in 2021, we are encouraged to continue providing new and innovative platforms for local artists and brands to grow in our spaces. The upcoming edition taps into the latest trends of digital art and non-fungible tokens as we explore new ways of experiencing art in our lives. We invite shoppers and the curious public to kickstart the Year of the Tiger with us as we celebrate Singapore’s lively art scene at Funan!”
For this year’s Creative Intersections, artist and brand collaborations are paralleled by a specially commissioned fictional narrative created by local published writer Heather Teo based on a trip to the zoo. Titled “The Thing to Do on Sundays”, each artist and brand collaboration will reflect this theme through their own short story or dialogue. The story starts off by sharing a conversation between the two titular characters who travel to the zoo, as they candidly draw connections between what they see and how they feel.
As a nod to the unique collaborations, the trip to Mandai is akin to travelling to Madagascar – or even the moon, while the duo’s progress is eventually slowed by a stiff pair of shoes. The bites of conversation allow shoppers to pick up where the characters left off and unfold their own journeys at each artist and brand experience, like carefully picking up a pair of limited edition pumps from Dr. Martens, that can be customised by local artist Speak Cryptic.
In celebration of new beginnings, premium art toy gallery BLAXK by ActionCity will launch a special exhibition dedicated to fresh forms of art. Tobyato will headline half the gallery space with new physical artworks as part of his series Tobyato Tiger Tro(u)pe, including his first-ever glass mural, while the other half will feature physical and digital NFT works by artists from NFT Asia.
Digital art and NFTs taking the stage this year include works by illustrator Kristal Melson, who will be championing the strength of women with her new NFT artwork created with Love, Bonito based on the theme Journeying with Women.
You can also level up their social media game with a tiger-themed Augmented Reality (AR) Instagram filter created by tech artist Eugene Soh.
At Funan’s newly opened Underground Pedestrian Link, you can also immerse yourself in a new collection of NFTs by award-winning photographer Shavonne Wong, and new digital art interpretations of Funan’s passion themes by graphic designer Muhammad Izdi as they make their way to Basement 2 of the mall from City Hall MRT station. The artworks will be complemented by offerings by National Gallery Singapore, including new digital artworks and special light effects, as part of the crowd favourite marquee event Light to Night Festival 2022.
Beyond digital and hybrid art interventions, the public will also have opportunities to better appreciate art through talks, workshops, in-store activations, and products.
Creative Intersections will also feature a collaboration titled All Aboard the Tiger Shuttle, where local artisanal gelateria Butterknife Folk partnered independent fashion and art collective MASH-UP for a takeover of their storefront and menu.
Centred around the imaginative concept of taking a trip to outer space where humans have found a way to speak to animals, savour 10 new unique and wonderful alien flavours as you take Instagram-worthy snaps among vinyl holographic shapes and patterns on walls, upcycled frames and canvases, and soft sculptures made from jumping clay.
In addition, BLAXK by ActionCity will be organising a series of NFT talks called NFT Insider so you can learn more about this up-and-coming art medium. Held over four sessions, NFT Insider will profile different individuals and communities in the NFT ecosystem. Creative Intersections’ NFT artists will kick off this panel series on 22 January.
Get crafty at BERNINA, who partnered artists Adeline Kueh and Hazel Lim (who formed critical craft collective X O X) to learn more about craft customisation through sewing.
You can also attend terrarium workshops at The Green Capsule, after gaining inspiration from a collaborative terrarium showpiece by French artist Isabelle Desjeux and The Green Capsule owner, Ricky Lim.
If you have green fingers, look forward to learning more about urban farming through a photography exhibition on Level 7 by Edible Garden City and documentary photographer Ore Huiying, which showcases how Singapore’s agricultural landscape has evolved over time.
Ms Deborah Lim, Curator and Junior Partner at Chan + Hori Contemporary, shared: “We are thrilled to bring to life a larger number of artist and brand collaborations under Creative Intersections 2022. Through this unique art-meets-retail programme, we worked closely with Funan to showcase the rich and diverse practices of Singapore artists and their capabilities in working with Funan’s local and international brands. We hope to spark meaningful conversations between the artists and visitors about the connection between contemporary art and retail, as we explore Singapore’s relationship with the tiger through these experiences and encounters.”
Creative Intersections is a part of Singapore Art Week 2022, and runs until 13 February 2022.
