5 Installations Not To Miss At Singaplural 2019

Expect the unexpected at the sixth edition of this design-driven exhibition

Organised by Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) and supported by DesignSingapore Council, Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board, SingaPlural is back for its sixth year since 2012, as part of the annual Singapore Design Week.

This year, the exhibition celebrates "the unexpected, the weird, and the wonderfully bizarre" with the theme "Unnatural Phenomena", drawing on the evolution in nature and challenging disciplinary boundaries with unorthodox collaborations between Singapore's creators.

Intrigued? Here are five installations you shouldn't miss.

1. Autumn

We may just be welcoming spring, but that doesn't mean you can't experience autumn. After all, "unnatural phenomena" is the theme of this year's exhibit, so feeling the cool autumn breeze and smelling the crisp maple leaves in tropical Singapore isn't a far stretch. An immersive installation that triggers all your senses, Autumn is a collaboration between Fraction Design Studio and Decor Fan Singapore. As pinwheels and woodgrain fans turn, visitors are transported into the season of harvest via virtual reality (VR) goggles.

2. Enjoy the Silence

Ever wanted to just shut out the noise and hide away from the bustle and clamour of the city? Enjoy the Silence lets you do just that. Inspired by the shape of ears and how it helps to channel and modulate sound, it is a sculptural installation that manages to absorb sound to create a quiet zone within a crowded space. A collaboration between product design company AntiCAD and design studio Takahashilim A+D, the sculpture's effect is achieved using mathematical principles, geometry, as well as an eco-friendly and sustainable acoustic substrate. You'll have to be there to enjoy the silence.

3. Bo(u)lder

Bo(u)lder is an exploration of materials and their characteristics, as well as a play on perception. A stone sculpture at first glance, techniques like kerfing and curve folding are used on the paper-thin laminates from EDL to evoke the shape and look of natural stone, revealing its true nature only when you get up close. The project is a collaboration between high pressure laminate distributor EDL and Formwerkz Architects.

4. Graceful Fig

Graceful Fig is a three-way collaboration between multi-brand countertop supplier Stone Amperor, stone specialist MM Galleri—known for its unique bended marble technique—and Lian Architects. The organically shaped table takes inspiration from the graceful fig shell, often found on the sandy shores and coasts of Singapore. As common as it is, the shell actually shares more than 50 per cent of its chemical composition with highly sought-after Portoro gold marble—call it a distant cousin if you will. The project uses computational design to unravel the shell's distinct shape, forming a table surface crafted from bended marble.

5. Ipse Ipsa Ipsum

Here's an artistic collaboration that you can take home: local furniture and accessories brand Ipse Ipsa Ipsum has invited design studios Amr and Orcadesign to create two unique collections that embrace heritage and artistry. Muse is a collaborative collection with British-born fashion designer and art director Amr Ali of Amr, and panders to the eye of a seasoned collector. It is sleek, highly provocative, eclectic, and crafted from bone, leather and polished metals. The Straits collection, is an exploration of heritage and urban living by Saurabh Mangla and Jeremy Sun, design director of Orcadesign, and draws inspiration from the island's cultural heritage.

Singaplural is part of Singapore Design Week and takes place from March 4 to 17 at the National Design Centre. Admission is free.

Topics

singapore design week singaplural installation design product design creative collaboration