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Sunday, 28 May 2006 | Levent OZLER
Singapore Shopping at the 10 th Venice Biennale
International Architectural Exhibition
Singapore Shopping at the 10th Venice Biennale International Architectural Exhibition Singapore returns to the Venice Biennale International Architectural Exhibition (6 September - 19 November 2006) with its second presentation entitled "Singapore Shopping".
Through a trans disciplinary approach, the Singapore pavilion will engage in an exploration of the art of shopping as a global phenomenon in the evolution of cities.In the present world, shopping is the means to meet the urgent need of cities to buy ideas, workforce, and objects to push urban development - acquired assets are installed, tested, reconfigured to make them a city's own. Perfecting the art of shopping is a careful and well-informed process. Shopping is urban planning, architecture making, and the economics of city building. 'Singapore Shopping' is a story of cities shopping and the story of Singapore, with the Singapore Pavilion as its flagship store.
DesignSingapore Council, a division within the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (Singapore), is the organiser for the Singapore Pavilion in 2006. Mr Toyo Ito, one of the foremost architects and member of the International Advisory Panel of the DesignSingapore Council, is advisor to the Singapore presentation. The Commissioner is Dr Milton Tan, Director of the DesignSingapore Council. Dr Erwin Viray, a professor at the National University of Singapore's School of Architecture and co-editor of influential architecture magazine A+U, has been appointed as the curator for the Singapore pavilion.
Advisor Mr Ito expressed of the presentation, "Singapore, though a small city, possesses unique character and strengths. It has been an interesting experience working with Singapore, and I believe that the Singapore Pavilion will be "serious fun". No doubt, the Singapore Pavilion will be an auspice for the future of Singaporean Design."
Through a rigorous selection process from 18 proposals, a curatorial team of five persons was selected. Headed by Curator Dr Viray, the team make-up comprises, Mr Randy Chan, Mr Christopher Lee, Ms Tay I-Lin and Mr Budi Wijaya. The team's strengths are drawn from various disciplines - art, architecture, literature, multimedia, technology, exhibition and graphics design - to fuel a multi-faceted exploration of 'Singapore Shopping'.
Commenting on the unique team make-up, Dr Milton Tan said, "Cross disciplinary design is the new design, and design does not operate in a vacuum. This year's Biennale theme of 'Cities: people, society and architecture' acknowledges the economic and social components that shape a city, and we decided to manifest this trans-disciplinary formation of the city in the fullest sense by bringing together a curatorial team whose members defy classification."
Singapore Shopping
Shopping is fun.
Shopping is art.
Shopping is strategic.
Shopping is lifestyle.
Shopping is identity.
Shopping is culture.
Shopping is an inescapable process. Perfecting the art of shopping is a carefully well-informed process. It is pleasurable, exciting, and cutting edge. Shopping is the device to meet the urgent need of cities to buy ideas, workforce, and objects to push urban development. Global competition precludes time to invent from zero; acquired assets are installed, tested, reconfigured to make them uniquely a city's own. Shopping is an instrument towards economic building. Shopping is driven by the strong vision to do better, to create a global city that is the best place to be, a home to live work and play.
Shopping is continuous cycle to replace the old and unsuitable. One cannot stop shopping. Life is not complete without shopping. Life is not possible without shopping.
Singapore Shopping is a new attitude of shopping beyond mere consumption. Shopping is a process.
Shopping is urban planning, architecture making, and the economics of city building. Shopping is a carefully thought out means to an end.
Singapore Shopping is a celebration of shopping, an unforgettable sensorial experience; it is an operation to understand phenomena that is affecting the transformation of the city, society, and architecture. It is an investigation towards understanding our selves, our condition, our society, and our city. The Singapore Pavilion is its flagship store.
Singapore Shopping is a text of a city, the story of a city. It is contemporary Singapore as a manifestation of the abstract idea of the City State being a part of a global process determined to become the best it could be. It is the metaphor of Singapore.
Singapore Shopping will feature: Newater - a life and death issue of the city; 'Greening Singapore' a habitat eco-system; workforce compositions; physical transformations of vital industries (biotechnology, finance, education, creative, service, tourism); and the DesignSingapore - Toyo Ito Design Studio exploration to rethink public amenities of the city. Singapore Shopping will show the story of the committed process for Singapore to be a global city, the best place to be.
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