Along with Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto was regularly regarded as one of the great masters of modern architecture. But unlike Le Corbusier who believed that ‘the house is a machine for living in’, Aalto adopted a more humanist approach, redressing the balance between nature, social needs and architecture in his design. “The mission of an architect is to give life a more sensitive structure, and to put the material world into harmony with human life,” he once wrote.

In partnership with the Alvar Aalto Foundation and the Embassy of Finland, the NUS Museum is presenting an exhibition on Alvar Aalto, with a focus on the single family houses that he had designed in his career spanning over 50 years. Although most of these 100 designs were realised, they received little attention in comparison to his monumental public buildings such as the Viipuri Library or Baker House Senior Dormitory. The only exceptions had been Villa Mairea, the Muuratsalo Experimental House and Aalto’s own house, which are commonly viewed to be an integral part of his architectural legacy.

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THE DESIGN

Whether you can remember the 50′s and 60′s, or you are just nostalgic for early space-age toys, no toy captures the feel of that era more than Yonezawa’s Smoking Spaceman Tin Toy Robot.

gagatree designers Yang Qiao’e and Lester Lim added their own quirk to this fabulous retro robot and transformed it into a funky, contemporary object. The designers explain, ‘The Big Shot Robocard holds Music For Your Soul And Paper On A Roll and offers a unique blend of form, function and fun. The robot can hold up to fourteen CDs and keeps a roll of toilet paper handy for any spill, leak, drip, drop or any other emergency.’ MORE »

When Michele and I stepped into Majestic Bar when it first opened, we were instantly enchanted by the space. Fusing gorgeous architecture (admittedly, I have a soft spot for shophouses) with stunning installation art on every floor, I realised that it had been a while since an environment, much less a bar in Singapore, made my imagination purr so contentedly. I had the chance to speak with Mark Wee of Annex A architects, the firm behind Majestic Bar, and as he explained the concept and creative process behind the project, a voice in my head said, “This is amazing, if only people could hear this…” Which got me thinking about having a little do just for Culturepush, an opportunity for everyone to find out more about great work from the artists themselves.

Hence, we are pleased to present our first Culturepush event, Next Stop: Wonderland! Details below.

NEXT STOP: WONDERLAND

Inspired by an enchanted forest, the Majestic Bar is a hidden oasis in the heart of Chinatown. Conceived as a tree within a building, each story in this three-storey bar represents a different part and experience of being in the tree.

In a rare collaboration of art and architecture, Majestic Bar integrates artworks by Zadok ben David, Donna Ong, Sandra Lee and Yuki Chong, transforming a classic shophouse into a living work of art.

Join us for a night of drinks and conversation with architects Annex A, artists Donna Ong, Jason Lim, Sandra Lee, Yuki Chong and Audrey Phng of Asian Art Options as they bring us on a very personal tour of Majestic Bar.

The first of a series of intimate and friendly tours and talks initiated by Culturepush, we invite arts enthusiasts, aspiring artists and ultimately, people curious about art, to meet up-and-coming and successful Singapore-based artists and designers to find out more about their work.

The event is free. To reserve a place, email Michele by Friday, 23rd November.

NEXT STOP: WONDERLAND
8pm, Wednesday, 28th November

Majestic Bar
41 Bukit Pasoh Road [Map]
www.majesticbar.com

So join us for some midweek tipple in a gorgeous space!

Michele interviewed Donna Ong on her work for Majestic Bar.

Collaboration between artists, while not new, has been a strong trend in the arts in recent years. If we consider that Singapore’s contemporary arts scene is still in its relative infancy, or at very best, on the awkward brink of puberty, collaboration can only be a good thing bringing with it a culture of curiosity, experimentation and communication.

Dual City Sessions: Null, conceptualized and curated by Felix Ng, founder of design studio, SILNT, is an interesting look into collaborative efforts between 28 Japanese and Singaporean artists of diverse disciplines. Each country’s team of artists worked based on the themes of nature, architecture and other items symbolic of their country. Using only two elements in monochrome, the artworks were conceived, designed and constructed personally by each artist. MORE »

THE DESIGN

Green is the colour of nature. It is vibrant and alive and it represents growth. Bambu is a table lamp whereby the light intensity is increased by extending, or “growing” the lamp. It caters to the different scenarios when different light intensity is required. In the default position, it acts as a night light with its soft glow, but when stronger lighting is needed, you can simply twist the inner core to adjust the intensity. Says designer Zhen Qi, ‘This introduces a much more interactive way of controlling the light; there is a stronger connection between user and product. It also results in an unfixed form that is different with each change in position. The beauty of nature lies in the asymmetry and ever-changing spirit, the balance of complexity and simplicity, and these are what influenced the design of Bambu.’ MORE »

THE DESIGN

Tagger bags were created by Dutch media artist and designer Peter van Veldhoven in 2003 and are made of truck tarpaulin. The messenger bags are completely (re-) customizable by clicking the strap and sticking the flap with buckles and velcro. The flap is a great surface, enabling artists to personalize the bag with their artwork. For the launch of their Singapore store earlier this year, Tagger invited artists to make a unique Tagger bag and paintings which are now on display in the store.

Visual artist, Luthfi Mustafah aka The Killer Gerbil was one of the artists. He briefly talks to Culturepush about his collab with the company. ‘I was approached by Tagger Singapore before the opening of their store to paint a mural that incorporated both my character and the bags. After the mural, I was invited to become part of the Tagger Singapore crew to represent them for live painting and customizing shows and to rock their cool bags and products.’ MORE »

‘During my younger days, I witnessed that a lack of belief in local design shadowed the brilliance of Singaporean designers. Most people with an arts or design education did not pursue a related career because design lacked mass appeal.’ With that in mind Marcus Chiang, started Designed in Singapore, a must-hit shop for people with a knack for edgy, forward motion products, designed by local talent. MORE »

THE DESIGN

Fabrix Laptop Sleeves were born out of frustration at what designer Colin Chen calls “the uninspirational laptop cases” he found in the marketplace. Colin focused his attention on what he likes to call ‘turning a simple idea into a beautiful product’ and came up with ‘a lifestyle line for laptops’—or, in other words, funky laptop sleeves. Following a simple, utilitarian standard, the laptop sleeve features contemporary fabric designs coupled with quality stitching, a streamlined shape, and daring shades. Says Colin, ‘Each sleeve is individually handcrafted to fit the laptop perfectly with an internal compartment that is lined with quilted padding to keep your laptop safe.’ The sleeve boasts striking colour options that include the urban camo for unruly guys and girls alike, the saucy red fury, and, for the minimalists, the classic denim black. MORE »