SINGAPORE, Jan 24 — The National Gallery Singapore has released images of its new rooftop commission, a bamboo maze and tea house by international artist Rirkrit Tiravanija that open to the public today.
Called untitled 2018 (the infinite dimensions of smallness, the installation for the Gallery’s Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden stands four meters high and draws inspiration from traditional Asian materials, craft and architecture.
Tiravanija — who was born in Buenos Aires and raised in Thailand, Ethiopia and Canada — is known for large-scale works that engage audiences, and here visitors are invited to navigate the maze, which makes reference to the hand-built bamboo scaffolding found across Asia.
At the wooden tea house, located at the centre of the maze and evoking the rich culture of tea and its centuries-old ceremonies, visitors will be able to participate in tea ceremonies by local and international tea masters and attend monthly performances.
In his past works, Tiravanija has cooked Thai meals for gallery patrons and created walk-in (and even live-in) replicas of his apartment.
The Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Commission series invites leading international artists to create site-specific installations for its roof garden exhibition space, which spans 3,000 square meters and features a five-meter-tall vertical green wall, all overlooking the Civic District.
Rirkrit Tiravanija’s roof garden commission will be on display at the National Gallery Singapore from January 24 through October 28. — AFP-Relaxnews
