Held at the outdoor communal courtyard area of Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film, “Alternative Ecology: The Community’’ is an art and ecology event curated by Wang Ruobing and project managed by Susanna Tan.
It consists of three community components.
☘️ Firstly, Fragment of the Unknown Memory, a sculptural social space, made entirely from bamboo. It was conceived by late artist/architect Eko Prawoto (1958–2023, Indonesia) and constructed by his studio on site.
☘️ Secondly, the Bamboo Broadcast Studio, a series of programme activations, organised by Post-Museum (Singapore), which include some of their signatural events, such as Really Really Free Market, and Renew Earth Sweat Shop, etc.
☘️ Lastly, the curatorial activations by the project’s curatorial team, which include symposiums, booths by eco-communities and Sustainability Circle Meetup.
“Alternative Ecology” aims to offer creative interpretations of the profound environmental challenges that we face today, and at the same time, explore the parallel role of an artist in acting as a catalyst for fostering community collaboration and promoting awareness through creative interpretations and discussions. This project demonstrates that art practices from ground up come with a unique “magnetic field” that connects the public, communities, professionals, creative practitioners from all walks of life to shape a liveable future.
“Alternative Ecology” also services as one of the satellite projects to launch Lasalle College of the Arts’ new MA programme, Arts and Ecology, which was co-developed by the curator.
Curator
Dr. Wang Ruobing is an artist, educator, independent curator and academic based in Singapore. Concerned with challenging and exploring different ways of seeing nature and urban landscapes in relation to the rapidly changing world of today, Wang creates artworks that actively disrupt perception and spotlight on the anthropological nature of objects. As an academic, her research concentrates on environment, sustainability and transcultural discourses, particularly on contemporary art in China and Southeast Asia. She was previously a curator at the National Gallery Singapore. As an independent curator, her recent curated exhibitions include “Artist as Collector” (2021), “12 SOLO” (2020 -2021), “Arts in Your Neighbourhood” (Public Art Trust 2018 and 2019) etc. At present, she works as a lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts, and is also the co-founder of the independent art space Comma Space.
Artist
Eko Prawoto (1958-2023) is a pivotal figure in Indonesian architecture, renowned for integrating cultural roots into contemporary designs. Graduating from Gadjah Mada University in 1982 and later earning a master’s degree from The Berlage Institute Amsterdam in 1993, Prawoto founded the Eko Prawoto Architecture Workshop in 2000. Advocating for local materials, his notable works include the Indonesia Christian Church in Sokaraja, Cemeti Art House in Yogyakarta, and Butet Kertaradjasa House. Actively engaged in post-earthquake reconstruction projects, he garnered accolades such as the IAI Awards 2002. Internationally exhibited, his bamboo-centric installations, like “Wormhole” and “Shell at The Sea,” reflect his global impact. Recognised by media and publications worldwide, Prawoto’s enduring influence on Indonesian architecture is underscored by awards and features in prominent architectural guides such as Phaidon Atlas of The 21st Century World Architecture in 2008. His work, ViaVia Café, is featured in Indonesia Architecture Now 2, House Series: Tropical Eco House Book, ARCHINESIA vol. 6, and Architecture Guide Indonesia by Imelda Akmal.
Artist
Post-Museum, established in 2007 in Singapore, is a networked collective that creates situations and projects with local communities in order to understand and reimagine contemporary life.
Project Manager
Susanna Tan is a visual artist who makes works about thriving disappointments, regrets, loss and love. She relates the human condition with plants as mediators, narrating dreaded mortal concepts into a body of works with an affection of love. Susanna founded 花 花 世 界 (@fahfahsaigai) , a collaborative art practice established to further explore the relevance and relationship of humans and plants with different disciplinary fields and collaborators. Her work has also expanded to the role of curating, managing and producing collaborative art projects with different groups of community. Her recent experience includes community art engagements such as co-creation of artworks, talks, art trails, and hands-on workshop sessions undertaken at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Indian Heritage Centre, SAFRA@Punggol and in the neighbourhood of MacPherson.
