Bringing art to the mall

Source : Business Times – 15 May 2009

AS shopping malls strive to capture the attention of potential customers, the pressure is on to create unique lifestyle experiences that go beyond the conventional look, see and buy. The concept of art making its way into the retail space has been explored to a certain extent but of late, shopping centres have moved from straightforward art-inspired window dressings or sculptures to commissioning contemporary artists to do site specific works.

This is a significant move for artists in that contemporary art is moving away from the confines of galleries and museums into a more living and dynamic environment. ‘These art installations will hopefully engage the surrounding environment and make people think about the physical nature of space – after all, that is what separates art from mere interior decoration,’ says veteran Singapore artist Mathew Ngui.

Of course, placing art outside the museum and gallery is not new. Whether it’s in MRT stations, car showrooms, hotels or office buildings, Singapore has been making a conscious effort to bring art into the public space. As Fun Siew Leng, group director (urban planning & design, URA) says: ‘With more developers integrating quality art works into their projects, not only do we make art more accessible to the public, but also create a more delightful, urban experience at the same time.’

However, public art works at the price tag of $9 million commissioned by a single developer to be placed in a mall is not common. Orchard Central mall (due to open next month), by developer Far East Organization, will have the largest permanent public commission for a single property in Singapore.

Different malls have different visions and strategies to help them create a unique identity necessary in the competitive retail market. The artworks at Orchard Central include sculptural, automation, interactive, digital, light and sound installations and multimedia works created by seven artists. The objective is to position the vertical mall as the ‘Center of New – new retail concepts, new rules and new shopping experiences,’ explains Susan Leng, Far East’s director, retail management, Retail Business Group.

A good marriage between art, architecture and design are essential elements in a mall to project a desired image. Orchard Central therefore uses art to differentiate its architectural space. Ms Leng explains that ‘to complement the unique architecture of Orchard Central, we felt that commissioned art would be more contextual, and would enable the artists to create unique pieces that respond to and work with the space of the mall’.

Ion Orchard is also set to open its new award wining space in July. ‘Ion has a full-fledged art programme in place,’ explains an Ion Orchard spokesman. ‘Unfortunately we are not in a position to reveal details at the moment but we will have site specific installation and New media arts integrated into our architectural space in addition to 5,600 sq ft of dedicated exhibition space rentable for short time periods.’

There is no doubt that art itself in a shopping context will be experienced differently from art in a museum. ‘The artworks will work with the space that they reside in, which makes these pieces even more privileged than art in a private gallery or exhibition hall,’ says Mr Ngui, whose $3 million multimedia installation will prominently light up the membrane façade of the Orchard Central mall.

It seems like contemporary art in malls is set to dictate the direction of mall design. In 2006, VivoCity, Singapore’s largest retail and lifestyle destination, specially commissioned a site-specific international art collection unveiled during the first Singapore Biennale at the cost of $1.5 million.

Curated by artistic director of the Singapore Biennale, Fumio Nanjo, the collection comprises seven outdoor art and street furniture designs by six international artists. Public sculptures based on the theme, Dream Of Mankind, are now an integral part of the mall and receive quite a welcome response from the public.

As for creating a brand image ‘the art pieces infuse and embody the elements of fun, surprise and vitality, which epitomise VivoCity’s personality,’ says Chang Yeng Cheong, deputy GM of VivoCity.

While the benefits of having public art in a mall cannot be directly correlated over the last three years, VivoCity has enjoyed the fruits of the public art installations. ‘Visitors chance upon the works while they are shopping and others come to see the art and shop,’ adds Mr Chang.

Adding to the Singapore ‘artscape’ is Wheelock Properties (Singapore) Limited, which has been a keen and avid supporter of the arts. It has also promoted art either through special commissioning of art works or provision of display areas.

Wheelock Art Gallery currently occupies an unusual and temporary space on the pavement. Tan Bee Kim, director, Wheelock Properties Singapore Limited explains: ‘The gallery acts as a community project to promote local art, as well as to make art more accessible to the man in the street. Rather than just having an interesting and attractive hoarding while Scotts Square is being built, we felt that its location along a high pedestrian traffic walkway was an ideal opportunity to bring art closer to the public’.

Stephanie Fong, director of FOST gallery, believes that developers like Wheelock Properties play an important role in the community and adds that ‘as public art reaches out to a lot more people, it would be great if Singapore had more such experimental venues and opportunities for local artists so that it could develop its own unique cultural and visual vocabulary’.

The process of selecting art for a space differs from mall to mall. Milenko Trvacki, Dean of Faculty of Fine Arts at La Salle, stresses the need for careful planning. ‘Public art cannot be picked without consideration and the right consultations. It should be carefully integrated with the architectural space, landscape or environment otherwise it would represent the mall in a bad light,’ he says.

Ms Leng of Far East Organization throws some light on the selection process they went through. ‘NAC helped us match the right artist to the right space within the mall. We then gave each artist an overview and introduction of the space they were invited to work with, and the artists responded with proposals on unique concepts for Orchard Central.’

Artists welcome the growing trend of art in public spaces but public art does not come cheap. Many costs need to be borne from consultancies to installation and insurance.

Besides financial gains, artists see many benefits of site-specific art. From the challenge to the exposure, Victor Tan found the experience of creating works for Orchard Central mall exhilarating. ‘The brief was that I would have the whole (rooftop) space to myself to place the work at different locations. I’ve always imagined my sculptures standing high on rooftops, which are such great playgrounds for sculptures, but are often left barren,’ says the local artist.

His series of 11 works consists of a man walking up the stairs and 10 human forms in various poses representing clouds in the sky made of stainless steel wire.

If promoted effectively, art in malls could aid tourism in Singapore as well. ‘These public installations will act as landmarks and navigation points,’ says Low Kee Hong, assistant director, National Arts Council and general manager, Singapore Biennale.

With malls like Orchard Central that plan to provide information pamphlets and guided tours around the art in the mall, it would not be inconceivable to have the mall on the tourist map in the near future. Wheelock Properties also has big plans for Scotts Square when the project is completed in 2011. They plan to install four large artworks by Salvador Dali, Henry Moore, Bernar Venet and Dale Chihuly worth about $6.39 million.

Artworks by such world-renowned artists will surely get the art lovers to make a stop at this spot. This could prove to be a win-win situation for all.

The developers and the art community are certainly hoping this new trend of merging high-end art within a retail environment will pay off by attracting not only the intellectually and economically elite consumer to the malls but also open the door for a wider audience to interact with art. As Mr Tan aptly says: ‘It is crucial in a young urban jungle such as Singapore to have growing artworks in the public space, without which it would just be a sterile environment, weakening our sense of awareness and humanity’.