Ephemeral
This Artwork imagines the tiger as a creature that dissolves into the greenery, something which is ‘there’, yet ‘not there’. It is conceived as layers of patterned porous screens which align to form a larger-than life tigers head.
In the wild, a tiger is hardly seen. It is so well camouflaged it dissolves into the jungle. It appears in a flash to pounce on its prey, only to vanish again. It is ephemeral. It is an animal steeped in myth and legend, something which inhabits history and culture as vividly as it does the jungle. It flits between the real and the imagined. It is ephemeral. The Malayan Tiger is endangered, its habitat is diminishing, and poaching continues, conservation efforts are critical to ensure that its existence is not ephemeral.
This Artwork imagines the tiger as a creature that dissolves into the greenery, something which is ‘there’, yet ‘not there’. It is conceived as layers of patterned porous screens which align to form a larger-than life tigers head, which menacingly lurks in the vegetation, ready to ‘pounce’ on visitors as they approach the Rainforest North Entrance. Though large and fearsome, the thin layers resemble delicate sheets of paper. This duality of strength and vulnerability echoes the story of the Tiger.
The intricate perforated patterns on the layers draw reference from the cultural heritage of the people of peninsular South-East Asia, whom share space and histories with the Malayan Tiger. They resemble motifs in Malay Batiks, Peranakan prints, Chinese paper cuttings and Thai Kranok.
The intricate perforated patterns on the layers draw reference from the cultural heritage of the people of peninsular South-East Asia, whom share space and histories with the Malayan Tiger. They resemble motifs in Malay Batiks, Peranakan prints, Chinese paper cuttings and Thai Kranok.
LOCATION
SINGAPORE
YEAR
COMPLETION 2023
DISCIPLINE
SCULPTURE
TYPOLOGY
PUBLIC SPACE
SIZE (SQM)
10
TEAM
PETER SIM, TORRANCE GOH, YAP CHEE KENG, CATHERINE KUSUMA, PLUEM PONGPISAL
COLLABORATORS
Photographer: KHOO GUOJIE & TORRANCE
