Art What!: Fifth edition of Art Encounters at Bugis Town

The fifth edition of Art Encounters by Art Outreach will travel to Bugis Town (comprising of Bugis Junction, Bugis+ and Bugis Street), from 21 August to 3 October 2021 featuring a site-specific commission by Singapore-based British artist Chloë Manasseh. Titled Petals Fall, Now and Then, the display comprises an exhibition of largeformat botanical paintings in one container, and a multi-sensorial installation in a second container that explores power of the imagination, the relationship between individual and collective memory, and identity anchored within spaces we hold dear. Scent by SIX, a homegrown fragrance label located at Bugis Junction, will be collaborating with the artist to customise an ambient scent to enhance the immersive installation.

As they journey around the precinct, visitors can also discover artwork wraps of Manasseh’s works peppered around Bugis Town and take part in the Bugis Town Art Encounters Instagram Contest1. All they need to do is snap and post a picture of themselves on Instagram2 with any of the artwork, follow and tag @BugisJunctionxBugisPlus, and hashtag #BugisTown. One lucky winner will stand a chance to win a Swing Spin Splash art workshop experience for two, worth more than $120, at ArtyParty studio located at Bugis Street. Visitors who pick up an Art Encounters postcard from the containers can also redeem exclusive deals at Bugis Town participating stores such as Action City, Fred Perry, Typhoon Cafe and Tulips Nail Spa.

Continuing in Art Encounter’s mission to reveal more of the artistic process to the public, the artist will spend the first 14 days of the exhibition creating a lush environment of floor-to-ceiling visuals, accompanied by sounds and smells designed to activate the imagination, and offer an escape to nature amid a bustling district. During this time, visitors will have the rare opportunity to observe an artist at work and see the installation take shape over time. This process will also be recorded and shared on Art Outreach and Bugis Town’s socials.

When complete, visitors are invited to step inside the immersive space to experience the sublime power of nature. In an adjacent container, they can also enjoy an exhibition of large format botanical paintings and leave their mark on a participatory community canvas.

Manasseh believes our attachment to landscapes reveals a deeper need for a sense of identity and belonging. Having to remain in place the past year as borders closed, while things have changed rapidly around us, has only served to heighten the evocative power of images, sounds and smells to elicit powerful memories of landscapes visited and close to one’s heart. In conceptualising this work, Manasseh drew inspiration from the centuries-old traditions of the Bugis seafarers, who were among the earliest settlers in Singapore and who gave the district its name, as well as the ‘wilds of her own imagination’.

Petals Fall, Now and Then by Chloë Manasseh will open daily from 21st August to 3rd October 2021, 11am to 8pm, at the outdoor plaza of Bugis+. Artwork wraps featuring Manasseh’s works will be peppered throughout Bugis Town throughout this period. The artist will be live painting within the space from 21st August to 3rd September 2021, and sharing more about her practice and process developing the installation on Instagram live in September. Details to be announced on Art Outreach and Bugis Town’s socials. More information available here