Everyone is invited to visit the island’s historic Arts House, which will see a special takeover by Cartier. (All photos: Cartier)
If the idea of mixing luxury, art, design, culture and history in one glorious mélange sounds good to you, now might be an opportune time to start planning a weekend escape to Singapore. For just nine days, everyone is invited to visit the island’s historic Arts House, once home to the country’s parliament, which will see a special takeover by Cartier. From July 15 to 23 and in continuation of the Trinity ring’s 100th birthday celebrations, the luxury goods maker will showcase part of its 109-piece global travelling exhibition, The Cartier Trinity 100.
Thirty special artworks spanning several genres — photography, sculpture, film and more — pay homage to the collection’s defining characteristics. The items will be exhibited across seven interconnected rooms in a space that spans more than 674 sq m, and guests will be invited to wander, explore and immerse themselves in a unique journey that bridges luxury, history and savoir faire. Although the participating artists come from all over the world — from Saudi Arabia to the US — the works of three young creatives from Singapore and Malaysia stand out in particular.
Pamela Tan Poh Sin, 33
Who: Artist, architectural designer + founder of Poh Sin Studio, Malaysia
Work of art: The Three Graces, a white steel sculpture adorned with pink cat-eye beads
What: Crafted in the form of a standing tree, the work echoes the feminine physique. You can make out three main figures — bending towards each other in a circular dance, exemplifying unity, eternity and human connectedness — while the pink cat-eye beads on the sculpture evoke femininity.
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Her words: When Cartier first approached me with the idea of collaborating, I was surprised, thrilled and couldn’t wait to start work. I am, of course, extra honoured and grateful to be the only Malaysian chosen to participate in the exhibition. The inspiration for my submission, of course, stems from ancient Greek mythology — the eternal Three Graces, symbols of Grace, Beauty and Charm. I have always found it fascinating how its interpretation has evolved over the centuries. This timeless and ever-changing concept of beauty led me to explore my own artistic journey with it. Now that my own Three Graces is complete, I feel it is a piece that grows on you.
The more time you spend with it, contemplating it, its subtle yet fine details and simplicity invite a deeper appreciation. It is a very delicate and intricate sculpture and that is why I chose steel to convey its underlying strength and sturdiness. The pink cat-eye beads symbolise femininity and love. If you look closer, you can see how I embroidered the beads along its curves and lines, particularly around areas of the waist and breast and which in turn highlights the beauty of the female body.
For as long as I can remember, I have always loved creating three-dimensional forms. Even for the simplest things, like making my own greeting cards, I would always opt for a 3D one. Becoming an architect was a childhood ambition, but the art epiphany occurred. Actually, in a coincidental coming full circle, there was in fact a trinity of epiphanies.
The first was in 2013, after my visit to the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion by Sou Fujimoto while studying for my master’s degree in London. The second was visiting Sensing Spaces: Architecture Reimagined at the Royal Academy. And lastly, a year later, having seen Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson’s exhibition, Inside the horizon, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. These three experiences triggered me to start wishing for a career in this field. Call it manifesting or projection or whatever; 10 years on, here I am.
Olivia Lee, 39
Who: Industrial designer + founder of Olivia Lee Studio, Singapore
Work of art: Trilliance, an interactive sculpture that examines the power of three through the infinitely reflecting surfaces of a triangular kaleidoscope.
What: Using brass, steel and copper, which Lee terms “noble materials” because of their ability to stay true to their nature, she admits to gravitating towards them because “they feel pure, primordial, elemental and timeless”. She says Trilliance is the result of playing with codes of the past and future to create objects that are simultaneously out of time and yet timeless.
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Her words: I have always been a creator at heart and like to dance between the distinction of art and design. You could say with my training in industrial design, I use the vocabulary of machines to explore concepts that extend beyond function, into wonder, ideas and experiences. Trilliance name itself is a play on the Trinity name and the trilliant-cut diamond and I have always loved things that have fascinated me since young ... things like sacred geometry, magic numbers and even a vanity mirror, kaleidoscope or jewellery box.
This began with the golden proportions, numbers tied to beauty, perfection and the ideal. It recurs in nature, ancient architecture and even music. Some days, I fantasise that it is the source code and underlying structure of all creation and reality. Numbers evoke the mythic as well as the scientific. By extension, divine numbers link to sacred geometry, like the Fibonacci sequence and triangular tessellation. I could go on forever like this, like an irrational number.
If you come to see Trilliance for yourself, I want you to feel wonder and as if you, the viewer, are an integral part of the magic in my work. Since childhood, I have always wanted to be so many things: artist, inventor, scientist, philosopher, poet, designer, architect and entrepreneur. In retrospect, I feel this has guided the approach of my practice — being agnostic in both mediums and disciplines.
He Shuming, 39
Who: Film director + screenwriter, Singapore
Work of art: Matinee At Three, a short film about the collective feeling of experiencing a myriad of emotions in a cinema with strangers and of a fleeting moment that sometimes becomes eternal.
What: A film-cum-literary concept, Matinee At Three is inspired by mise en abyme, the technique of placing a copy of an image within itself, usually in a manner that suggests an infinitely recurring sequence, like a story within a story.
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His words: The concept of mise en abyme can be translated as being ‘placed into the abyss’ and I wanted the audience to watch an audience watching a film on screen, within the screen, and having that collective feeling of an emotional response.
The black-and-white film embedded is Lion City, which was directed by Yi Sui and the first Chinese language movie produced by Cathay-Keris in postwar Singapore. It is highly valued today for its scenic panoramas of 1960s Singapore, virtually unrecognisable today. But Lion City remains a relatively unknown piece of Singapore and Malayan cinema history that I wanted to capture within the space of a cinema and my country.
The cast of three, in homage to Trinity, stars Rebekah Dorai, a Singaporean actress I’ve admired for a long time; model Han Wey, who was recommended by a friend — it was his first film role but I thought he had fantastic instincts; and Luis Alejandro Gonzales, who plays the projectionist. He was a server at a restaurant I frequent and I thought he was just so charismatic. The muhibbah factor of the actors was unintentional, but I realised it reflects the diversity of the world we live in, as well as that of Cartier’s.
The cinema has always been a sacred space for me. As a young student, I would often watch movies with friends or by myself, as it offered a place of escape, growing up on a city-island. But it was the infinite possibilities of storytelling that compelled me to become a filmmaker. If you are familiar with Taiwan-based Malaysian filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang, Matinee At Three is also an homage to him. His 2003 comedic drama Goodbye, Dragon Inn, which I must have watched 100 times, serves as my personal spiritual guide. Right now, I am in the midst of developing my next feature film — a period piece and an adaptation of a novel.
'The Cartier Trinity 100' pop-up runs from July 15 to 23 at The Arts House in Singapore. Register here.
This article first appeared on July 15, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
