At Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Green Pavilion, a series of glass cases display several art works in bright colours. Looking closely, you will notice that they include upcycled materials which have been transformed into little “neighbourhoods”, some which even have representations of local playgrounds.
Seniors and Contemporary Art at Singapore Botanic Gardens
This art exhibition was put together by the Seniors and Contemporary Art Project and is presented by the Singapore Art Museum and Society for the Aged Sick. It can be found at both the Green Pavilion and the Nassim Gate Visitor Centre.
As part of the programme, Singaporean artists engaged seniors in nursing homes to develop the art works. It aimed to provide the seniors to experience the joys of self-expression and to have the opportunity to exercise their creative skills.
Some of the themes that guided their art works included Light and Lines, where seniors got to observe and draw their views of nature, Emotional Frames, a response to the pandemic, and Modelling a Neighbourhood, which allowed them to take one the role of city planners using materials such as milk cartons and kitchen towel rolls, inspired by the kampongs of the past and nature.
Silver Urban Planners
Of the models on display, several show representations of playgrounds in them. These include play elements such as see-saws.
Iconic playgrounds such as the Tampines Watermelon playground and the Dragon playground are also represented. These show how important play and playgrounds are in the fabric of our memory, even amongst seniors.
Nearby, there are some photos which show the process that the seniors undertook to create the artworks.
If you are at Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Green Pavilion, near the Tanglin Gate, or the Nassim Gate Visitor Centre, stop by to have a look at the works of the seniors.
The exhibition is on till 28 February 2021.
