Private View: Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project

Join us for the Opening Reception of

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project

Private View/ Opening Reception

Thursday 16th September 2010

6.30 - 9.00pm

The Crypt Gallery

St Pancras Church

Euston Road, London NW1 2BA

The Opening Reception is free to attend but RSVP is essential.

Click here to RSVP.

Come join us for an inquiry into generic urban spaces within cities, with specific examples relating to London and Singapore, through an exhibition and a discussion forum.

Exhibitions runs from 16th - 19th September 2010.

Discussion Forum

Sunday 19th September 2010

3.00 - 7.00pm

The Discussion Forum is free to attend but RSVP is essential.

Click here to RSVP.

Panelists:

Kathryn Firth, Director of Urban Design, PLP Architecture

William Tan, Architect, Zaha Hadid Architects

Ting-Ting Zhang, Architect, Studio Egret West

with others to be confirmed.

Correspondents:

Voon Wong, Director, VW+BS

Vince Ong, Architect, Fosters + Partners

Kevin Hung, Architect, Serie Architects

Janita Han, Architect, FAT

Agnes Yit, Student, AA

Lingxiu, Student, AA

About The Project:

Using photography as a medium of observation, communication and representation, this project has been a series of ongoing conversations on generic spaces between six pairs of architects and architectural students in London and Singapore over the past year. Six key activity spaces (Transit, Eating, Leisure, Retail, Living and Occupational) that define our contemporary life have been identified as the basis for discussion. This exhibition showcases the collective findings by the correspondents.

The main position of the project arise from the prevailing condition of cities striving to be unique through icons, but yet reinforcing the generic with cities made the same through the endless repetition of differences by the same set of building programs and signature ‘starchitecture’ styles. Therefore, rather than claiming uniqueness through cultural references in architectural expression or iconic figurative gestures; this project questions and rediscovers the uniqueness of urban spaces through the most generic and banal scenes of everyday life. Perhaps, the uniqueness of the city can only be revealed through celebrating the generic.

Click here for more information

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project is presented by Creative [SIN]ergy and supported by the Singapore International Foundation, Contact Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, and Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project Taking Flight

While we are gearing up for our exhibition in London. Creative [SIN]ergy's Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project, is taking flight back in Singapore.

We have been invited to present at the next Rojak on 28th August 2010. Rojak is a quarterly creative sharing session organized by Farm.sg.

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project is also part of a group exhibition called 'Our Singapore' held during Archifest 2010 between 3rd to 23rd October 2010. Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project will also be part of a presentation at Really Ar? on 9 Oct October 2010. All of which will be held at Illuma in Singapore.

The overall theme for Uniquely Singapore? organized by Creative [SIN]ergy and Really AR? organized by re:ACT will take on the title ‘Our Singapore’ (questioning what makes Singapore unique and if these uniqueness are the defining qualities to Singapore, and how we identify Singapore as ours.)

What makes Singapore, Our Singapore? What makes our home so endearing that everywhere Singaporeans go, we can identify a part of our environment as something uniquely Singapore? Hence, we decided to play a pun on the Singapore Tourism Board tagline and reflect upon the idea of Our Singapore, but ending that with a question mark. The 3-week public exhibitions, that feature a series of pictorial studies done on generic spaces across UK and Singapore, will be held at Illuma Bugis from the 3rd to 22nd October. Also, we have planned a informal sharing session titled ‘Really Ar?’, showcasing a variety of projects that centred upon deriving inspiration from our truly Singaporean context. Through the events that will happen at Illuma during the Archifest 2010, we hope to inspire people to start discovering their spaces they can define as being Uniquely Singapore.

Proposed Screening Selection for PROJECT: slingSHORT 2010

Tickets by Sherman Ong
Cold Noodles by Kirsten Tan
Promises of December by Elgin Ho
5 films in an anthology of a film a month - David Shiyang
Masala mama by Michael Kam

Contact Singapore Supports Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project

Contact Singapore supports Creative [SIN]ergy's Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project at the London Design Festival during September 2010.

Contact Singapore is an alliance of the Singapore Economic Development Board and Ministry of Manpower. It aims to attract global talent to work, invest and live in Singapore.

With offices in the Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, Contact Singapore is the one-stop centre for those who wish to pursue a rewarding career in Singapore, as well as individuals and entrepreneurs who are keen to invest in or initiate new business activities here. Contact Singapore actively links Singapore-based employers with global talent and provides updates on career opportunities and industry developments in Singapore. We work with private sector partners to facilitate the interests of potential individual investors in Singapore.

For more information on working, investing and living in Singapore, please visit www.contactsingapore.sg

Interested in a career in the design industry? Experience @Singapore

PROJECT: slingSHORT part of [SIN]efest

Part of PROJECT: slingSHORT will once again be held in London. This screening presented by Creative [SIN]ergy in November 2010 is part of [SIN]efest, which is presented by Creative [SIN]ergy and Cinefest Productions. Curated by celebrated Singapore filmmaker/ Director, Boo Junfeng, this event is a 3 day film festival showcasing Singapore films to the UK audience.

The 5th edition of PROJECT: slingSHORT is curated by Kirsten Tan. Featuring a selection of 5 short films by up and coming filmmakers from Singapore.

PROJECT: slingSHORT is an ongoing series of Singapore short film screenings occurring annually. The selection of short films for each series comes from an ensemble of up and coming Singapore short filmmakers. A different Singapore short filmmaker will curate each screening. The out going curator will select the next curator from one of the filmmakers from the current screening.

Creative [SIN]ergy Announces London Venue for Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project

Creative [SIN]ergy Announces the Crypt Gallery as the London Venue for Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project exhibition. The Crypt Gallery is located at the St Pancras Church on Euston Road. This exhibition is part of the London Design Festival and will be held from 16th -19th September 2010.

In 2002 the Crypt at St Pancras Church became a gallery space where the imagination, thoughts and emotions of 21st century artists are shared with visitors from around the world. Now this popular venue hosts a year-round programme of art exhibitions. As a church we are pleased to include art that provokes and questions, as well as art designed for contemplation, because all form an important part of our common humanity. Throughout history the Church has encouraged and supported the arts and artists. Long may this continue.

The Crypt provides an intensely atmospheric backdrop to promote the work of a wide variety of artists, kept under the watchful eye of the caryatids.

The Crypt Gallery
St Pancras Church
Euston Road, London NW1 2BA

Creative [SIN]ergy a Partner of the London Design Festival 2010

Creative [SIN]ergy is once again proud to be a London Design Festival partner.

The London Design Festival is a nine-day celebration of design in the world’s creative capital. The Festival is a platform for the widest spectrum of design disciplines, brought together as a unique and accessible programme.

Uniquely Singapore? discussion has arrived on the shores of Singapore

After several discussions and an official project launch in London, the Uniquely Singapore? discussion has arrived on the shores of Singapore last Saturday 7th August at makk architects on 17 Woking Road in Portsdown area.

Several pertinent points were raised during the session, including the apparent differences in the housing typology of typical public housing in Singapore and social housing in London, the increasing lack of civic spaces within the city centre and the gentrification of industrial practices versus the gentrification of industrial spaces in Singapore and London respectively.
Stay tune for the final outcome of our discusssions during our exhibitions in London during the London Design Festival in September and in Singapore during the Archifest in October.

Biography of Participants for Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project

London Correspondents

Vince Ong graduated from the Architectural Association last year and is currently an architect at Fosters and Partners. He has organized and taken part in several exhibitions both in London and Singapore.

Chong Lingxiu is currently enjoying her time dissecting bugs, designing zeppelin-like infrastructures as a first year student at the Architectural Association.

Agnes Yit is currently exploring the contested spaces along the coast of Europe in Diploma Unit 4 at the Architectural Association. Prior to studying at the AA, she was practicing as an interior architect for several years in Singapore.

Kevin Hung is currently a practicing architect at Serie. Prior to his graduation, he was researching on the spaces of airports and the university campus in relation to the city through the investigation of architectural types at the Architectural Association.

Janita Han completed her undergraduate degree at the National University of Singapore and her Masters at Delft Technical University. She is currently a project architect at Fashion Architecture Taste (F.A.T) and enjoys making short films as a hobby. She is also involved in re:act, an architectural interest group that is concerned with the development of architecture in the Asian region.

Voon Wong studied at the National University of Singapore and the Architectural Association in London. After graduating, he worked in various practices in the UK and Singapore including the Office of Rick Mather and Zaha Hadid where he worked on the University of East Anglia project and the Vitra Fire Station project respectively before setting up VoonWong&BensonSaw in 1996 in London. Since then he has been heavily involved in both architectural and product design projects in the practice.

Singapore Correspondents

Kelvin Ang is currently the Head of Heritage Studies at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore.

Justin Zhuang is a Singaporean writer and designer where one can find can find his works and thoughts about Singapore's politics, society and visual culture on justrambling.sg. Several of his articles have been published in Singapore Architects and The Design Journal Society.

Randy Chan graduated from the National University of Singapore in 1997 and has since maintained a long-standing interest in the fields of art and installation. He is currently the principal of Zarch Collaboratives, a multidisciplinary practice that actively involves itself in the fields of both art and architecture.

Lee May Anne is currently the principal of MAKK Architects.

Teow Yue Han is currently a second year media student at the School of Art, Design and Media. He is actively involved in several exhibition and performances that experiment with space and time-based media and has recently started an online project, ImagingCities, which explore how cities are being represented visually and shape the environment.

Pan Yi Cheng is currently the director of Project, Architecture and the City (P.A.C). Prior to setting up his office, he was an architect at T.P Bennett and UN Studio. Yi Cheng graduated with honors from the Architectural Association with his project ‘Resisting the Generic Empire’ winning him the accolade of being one of Building Design top graduates and a second prize at the Evolo design competition.

Dorcas Ng will be featured at Dreams London 2010

Creative [SIN]ergy member, Dorcas Ng will be featured at Dreams London 2010 from 31st August to 4th September at the Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street London EC1V 9LT.

Dorcas will be presenting, Pao & the balloon. 泡(pào) is a wedge head carrot with a bad attitude. His background is dubious, even he doubts his own existence. One day, 泡(pào) finds that a balloon has grown behind his head. 泡(pào) doesn't know it, but this marks the start of a change which is to affect him... in a way.

Dreams London 2010 is a group exhibition of 50 young designers and artists from 15 different countries, sharing the same dream to set up an exhibition, showing London how passion and belief can make something amazing happen. Innovative, interesting, mysterious and fun ideas involving 20+ different types of creativities, Dreams Exhibition provides a stage for these young creators to show their talent. Like a playground, like magic, and like dreams, anything can happen. At the end of the day, knowing how to dream is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Private view:
31st August 1830 - 2230

Opening hours:
31st August - 4th September from 0900 to 1800, except 4th sept, 1200 - 1500

Venue:
Shoreditch Town Hall
380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT

For more information visit:

www.ourdreamslondon2010.com

Creative [SIN]ergy announces [SIN]efest site.

Creative [SIN]ergy x Cinefest Productions announces the [SIN]efest web site on Singapore's National Day. [SIN]efest is UK's largest Independent Singapore Film Festival, showcasing Singapore Films over a 3 day period. The screening will be curated by celebrated Singapore filmmaker/ Director, Boo Jungfeng.

www.sinefest.org

PRESS RELEASE

UKs largest independent Singaporean film festival launches in November.

London is set to be the host city for the inaugural [Sin]efest film festival to be based at several Central London venues over 3 consecutive days. The festival which seeks to raise international awareness of Singaporean cinema will screen a mixture of 5 feature length narrative and documentary films in addition to a selection of shorts, from new and established filmmakers. Rising young Singaporean film director Boo Jun Feng, whose debut feature “Sandcastle” screened in this year’s International Critics Week at Cannes, will be curating the film selection as well as hosting his own filmmaking workshop.

The [Sin]efest is the result of the first collaboration between one of the UK’s largest Singaporean cultural organisations, Creative [SIN]ergy and film production company and festival organiser, Flynn Film Co.

While Steven Flynn of Film Co explained why the festival is important to the current London cultural offering “Singaporean film has really enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Increasing levels of inward investment into the Singaporean film industry has allowed more new as well as established Singaporean filmmakers get out there and make their films. And with more of those films gaining international awards attention now is really a great time to share as many of these with British audiences”.

The final film selection and dates for November will be announced in early September. Tickets will be available to buy online up to 6 weeks in advance from the official [Sin]efest website or from screening venues during the festival.

SIF Supports Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project

Singapore International Foundation (SIF) has awarded Creative [SIN]ergy the Singapore Internationale grant in support of Creative [SIN]ergy's Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project at the London Design Festival during September 2010.

The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1991. Its mission is to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities.

Our activities are organised around three strategic thrusts: working with communities for sustainable development, exchanging ideas for greater understanding, and showcasing Singapore to build ties. We focus on five core areas: healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, and livelihood and business.

For its work, the SIF was presented the Excellence for Singapore Award. Our Patron is His Excellency S R Nathan, President of the Republic of Singapore.

Please visit:
www.sif.org.sg and www.singaporekopitiam.sg

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project, Features: Chong Lingxiu

Chong Lingxiu, mostly a student at the Architecture Association School of London but also amateur writer/musician/artist. She is the product of a childhood spent wandering around Singapore's civic district and an education acquired in some really nice schools, especially Hwa Chong Institution (College). She figured herself out during her time in dance studios, music rooms, eventually concert halls; then the school field, muddy reservoir tracks and stadia; then lecture halls, meeting rooms and the podium... finally to settle down in the architecture studio where she attempts to reconcile everything.

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project, Features: Kevin Hung

Kevin Hung is currently a practicing architect at Serie. Prior to his graduation, he was researching on the spaces of airports and the university campus in relation to the city through the investigation of architectural types at the Architectural Association.

Uniquely Singapore? a generi-City project, Features: Yue Han Teow

Teow Yue Han is currently a second year media student at the School of Art, Design and Media. He is actively involved in several exhibition and performances that experiment with space and time-based media and has recently started an online project, ImagingCities, which explore how cities are being represented visually and shape the environment.