EMBARGOED UNTIL AFTER 12.30 PM ON 8 JULY 2009

10 State properties, 40 schools and 445 entries in first local art competition organized by Singapore Land Authority

1          Themed “State Properties: Our Heritage, A New Life”, 445 art works were received by Singapore Land Authority (SLA) in its first local art competition held to celebrate State buildings and promote awareness and appreciation of their beauty and history among our younger generation.  Local and foreign full-time students from 40 secondary schools, secondary schools with Art Elective Programme (AEP), polytechnics, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) and LaSalle College of the Arts, submitted entries drawn over three months from a choice of 10 State properties, a few of which are conserved and preserved monuments such as Sultan Gate, the National Museum and former Supreme Court. 

2          SLA’s Chief Executive, Mr Vincent Hoong (新加坡土地管理局局长, 洪承利), said, “This is the first time that SLA is organising an art competition on State properties. We want to generate awareness among school communities of State buildings. Through this contest, we also hope that students can appreciate the unique architecture and the history of State properties through their own eyes. The number of entries we received has certainly surpassed our expectations. I am very impressed by the level of work exhibited and heartened to know that our young students have rediscovered the beauty of our State properties. We have many talented, creative and artistic young people in our schools.”

3          The first prize winner, Muhammad Khairullah, 22, walked away with $3,000 cash prize. Fascinated with animals as his favourite art subject, Khairullah remembers that our museum used to house plenty of zoological items. His winning art piece titled “Remember 1849?” depicts the Singapore National Museum, with a lion’s head in the foreground. Khairullah cleverly used musking tapes as his canvas and created a lighting effect on his artwork.  In his 50-word submission, Khairullah who wants to pursue a fine arts degree next, said, “I use the lion, not only as a symbol of the national icon, however, also to resemble that very much forgotten fact that the National Museum used to house a vast collection of zoological items back in 1849.” He had just graduated with Diploma in Fine Arts Painting from LaSalle. The youngest and most creative art piece winner is Praveen S/O Ramesh, 13, who also drew the National Museum. Yong Xin Hui, 16, the 1st runner-up from Nanyang Girls’ High chose the former Supreme Court and created a 3-D effect on her canvas.  Ashlyn Wong, 19, from Singapore Polytechnic, also drew the former Supreme Court. She had participated in UOB Painting in 2007 and won a Distinction in the Youth Category. Her talent in painting comes from her Dad. Influenced by her dad at a young age, Ashlyn was inspired by the old parliament house because of how it is situated among the talk skyscrapers and along the riverside. When she was in primary school, her art piece was among those selected for an auction to raise funds for her school. See Annex A for full results listing and profile of winners.

4          Mr Khor Ean Ghee, summed up the judges’ impressions from this competition, that the pieces were of commendable standards. He said, the winning work by Khairullah had used creative imagery of using animals to depict his impression of the museum.  The use of musking tape was bold and daring to create a sense of modernism.” Mr Khor expressed hopes and aspirations for a brighter future for AEP students and those who choose to pursue the profession as full-time artists in future.  He added that SLA as a custodian of State properties, had done well in promoting architecture with art through this competition.  

5          SLA is the custodian of over 5000 State properties. SLA actively seeks out ways to breathe new life into vacant buildings. These include former schools and army camps that have out-lived their original purpose. Through the process of adaptive re-use, these buildings are given new uses as dining and lifestyle establishments amongst others. The 10 properties short-listed for this competition embody the myriad of State properties under SLA’s management.

6          The judges of the Art Competition are Mr Khor Ean Ghee, President of Singapore Art Society; local full-time artist Mr Goh Chye Khee, who specializes in drawing State buildings and icons like the former Supreme Court and the Cavenagh Bridge; Mr Woon Tai Ho, author of “To paint a smile”, and Mr Francis Ng, a young multi-disciplinary artist who has won many art accolades, including NAC’s Young Artist Award.

7          The winning art pieces will be exhibited at Tampines Regional Library from 8-31 Jul 2009 and Woodlands Regional Library from 31 Jul to 11 Aug 2009.

Issued by:
The Singapore Land Authority
8 July 2009

Attachments : 
Annex A: List of Winners and profile of top 3 winners
Enclosures: CD-Rom of high-resolution art prints; resumes of judges and list of State properties

About SLA
Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is a statutory board with the Ministry of Law. Its mission is to optimise land resources for the economic and social development of Singapore. SLA is responsible for the direct management of some 14,000 hectares of State land and about 5,000 buildings. It is also in charge of land sales, leases, acquisitions and allocation, developing and marketing land-related information, and maintaining the national land information database through digitised land information services. SLA is also the national land registration authority for property transactions, and the issuance and guarantee of land titles in Singapore. It also manages and maintains the national land survey system, including the defining of boundaries or legal limits of properties based on a coordinated cadastre survey system.  For more details, visit www.sla.gov.sg.

Annex A : List of winners and profile of top three winners

1st Prize: Muhammad Khairullah, 22 yrs old, Lasalle College of the Arts
(50 word submission)

Remember 1849?
Similar to the theme given, I have also given a new life in my artwork. Simply by re-innovating the basic function of the masking tape. I use the lion, not only as a symbol of the national icon, however, also to resemble that very much forgotten fact that the National Museum used to house a vast collection of zoological items back in 1849.

            Fascinated with animals as his favourite art subject, Khairullah remembers that our museum used to house plenty of zoological items. His winning art piece titled “Remember 1849?” depicts the Singapore National Museum, with a lion’s head in the foreground. Khairullah wants to pursue a fine arts degree next. He had just graduated with Diploma in Fine Arts Painting from LaSalle.

2nd Prize: Yong Xin Hui, 16 yrs old, Nanyang Girls' High School
(50 word submission)

Night of the Museum (Light of the Nation)
Even shrouded by shadows and darkness, the former Supreme Court glows with a grand inner beauty, illuminating its surroundings with a sense of vibrancy with its new lease of life. Its renewal as the National Art Gallery in 2012 is represented by the cubist room on the left.

            Xin Hui, who is in the Art Elective Program, feels that a large part of the appeal of State-owned properties, especially those that were designed and built in the early 20th century, has a rich heritage. She has been in awe of the former Supreme Court ever since she visited it during the Singapore Biennale in 2006. She said: ”It’s grand in the day and absolutely magnificent at night and I loved the way the lights coloured the grey walls of the buildings”.

3rd Prize: Wong Yu Ting, Ashlyn, 19 yrs old, Singapore Polytechnic
(50 word submission)

Rebirth of the Old Supreme Court
I am inspired by the architecture of the former Supreme Court that is situated among towering skyscrapers. I wish to highlight the importance of retaining our culture as we progress to become a first-world country. By housing, our Arts and Heritage within this building, I wish to heighten Singaporeans’ appreciation of local Arts.

            Influenced by her dad at a young age, Ashlyn was inspired by the old parliament house because of how it is situated among the talk skyscrapers and along the riverside. She feels that this has brought a feeling of nostalgia to that area and gives tourists and visitors a glimpse of Singapore’s past history. Ashlyn participated in UOB Painting in 2007 and won a Distinction in the Youth Category. And when she was in primary school, her art piece was among those selected for an auction to raise funds for her school.

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