Living Legacies is a project that explores the intersection between Singapore’s history, heritage and contemporary visual arts.
This year’s edition of Living Legacies, Of Roots and Leaves focuses on our natural heritage. Singapore is endowed with a wide variety of tropical habitats, which support a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The three selected artists, Alysha Rahmat Shah, Isabelle Desjeux and Shubigi Rao, will take audiences on a journey to discover both the historical and the contemporary significance of the country’s natural heritage.
Spanning visual images, text, videos and short films as well as tours and workshops, these experiences will provide various touchpoints for audience engagement and participation, both digitally and in person.
Join us for Of Roots and Leaves to learn more about Singapore’s rich natural heritage, with her contemporary artists as guides to lead the way. Your journey starts here from 25 April 2022 onwards.
Accompanying Programmes:
1) Isabelle Desjeux’s Nature Tours at Fort Canning Park
Dates & Time:
Sat, 21 May | 8pm to 9pm
Sat, 28 May | 8pm to 9pm
Venue: Fort Canning Park
Registration: https://fortcanningtour.peatix.com
Join artist Isabelle Desjeaux on a thought-provoking guided tour of Fort Canning in her participatory work, Did Ali See What Wallace Saw? Isabelle will lead you through the historical park’s lush greenery to follow in the footsteps of British naturalist and anthropologist Alfred Russell Wallace and his assistant Ali.
While navigating Fort Canning’s rich plant collection and admiring the artist’s visual projections, you’ll learn more about how historically categorising and exploiting flora and fauna have shaped our relationship with nature. This engaging participatory artwork is sure to have you question and contemplate the way we perceive and interact with nature.
Note: In the event of rain, the artist will take participants through Fort Canning via a slideshow presentation and talk.
2) Alysha Rahmat Shah’s Embroidery Workshops
Dates & Time:
Sun, 22 May | 10.30am to 12.30pm
Sun, 22 May | 2pm to 4pm
Sun, 29 May | 10.30am to 12.30pm
Sun, 29 May | 2pm to 4pm
Venue: Stamford Gallery, National Museum of Singapore
Registration: https://embroideryworkshop.peatix.com
Create your very own botanical-inspired embroidery in these workshops by artist Alysha Rahmat Shah! Drawing on embroidery techniques passed down by her mother and grandmother, Alysha will also share her knowledge of the healing powers of plants that she inherited from her family’s deep connection to nature and the land.
During the workshop, you will create embroidery works of local plants and share your experiences with traditional healing practices. Along with learning about the medicinal uses of plants, you’ll pick up basic embroidery techniques like running, back and satin stitch.
3) Artists' Panel Discussion
Date & Time:
Wed, 18 May | 8pm to 9pm
Venue: Online
Registration: https://peatix.com/event/3211835
Join three contemporary artists – Alysha Rahmat Shah, Isabelle Desjeux and Shubigi Rao – in this online panel discussion where they will share insights about their processes and experiences in creating artworks, tours and workshops for Living Legacies: Of Roots and Leaves.
Learn more about the artists’ personal relationships with nature as they share their thoughts and reflections on how we, as humans, can preserve, protect and enjoy Singapore’s rich natural heritage.
