In September 2008, &Larry joined seven other Singapore designers and artists to present our take on Singapore’s contemporary design culture at the Center for Creative Communications in Shizuoka, Japan.
It was a great opportunity to share with our Japanese hosts some insights to Singapore’s multicultural background that gave rise to our current generation of creative practitioners.
It was a great opportunity to share with our Japanese hosts some insights to Singapore’s multicultural background that gave rise to our current generation of creative practitioners.
For our installation, we chose a clean, spare approach akin to a life-size fashion spread.
Images of a nude model from our own Objects poster ‘Suitable For The Young’ were arranged on the left wall, while on the opposite side is a declaration of our cosmopolitan yet famously reserved asian social characteristic.
Images of a nude model from our own Objects poster ‘Suitable For The Young’ were arranged on the left wall, while on the opposite side is a declaration of our cosmopolitan yet famously reserved asian social characteristic.
Entitled ‘Restraint’, the photo spread depicts a nude model whose coy poses are entwined with a stream of warning stickers which help to preserve her modesty.
Mirroring our original poster, each sticker is hand applied onto the mural sized images.
Mirroring our original poster, each sticker is hand applied onto the mural sized images.
As designers, we constantly strive to communicate that which is ‘new’ and ‘desirable’, yet our cultural upbringing imposes an undeniable restraint, whereby controversy is almost always shunned in order to preserve the delicate balance of sensitivities of the four major racial communities.
This element of self-restraint manifests itself in many ways, from warning stickers on ‘adult interest lifestyle publications’ (which we have appropriated for our installation), to other forms of judicious self censorship in the arts scene.
How Singaporean designers deal with this issue, whether in protest or in compromise, is something that surely identifies us to the world. ‘Pushing boundaries’ is a very real challenge when one is always mindful not to step out of bounds.
To find out more about our limited edition poster ‘Suitable For The Young’, please click here.
CCC, Shizuoka
The Center for Creative Communications is a new facility in Shizuoka City, Japan, whose purpose is to support the growth and promotion of content creators. As a center for the creative industry in Shizuoka, CCC aims to be active locally and globally.
We are extremely grateful to the CCC as well as the community leaders of Shizuoka for such a warm reception at the exhibition. For more information on the CCC, please visit www.c-c-c.or.jp
To find out more about our limited edition poster ‘Suitable For The Young’, please click here.
CCC, Shizuoka
The Center for Creative Communications is a new facility in Shizuoka City, Japan, whose purpose is to support the growth and promotion of content creators. As a center for the creative industry in Shizuoka, CCC aims to be active locally and globally.
We are extremely grateful to the CCC as well as the community leaders of Shizuoka for such a warm reception at the exhibition. For more information on the CCC, please visit www.c-c-c.or.jp
