MOLECULUX @ ESPLANADE

PROPOSAL VERSION 1.1

 

ARTIST

Chng Nai Wee  

 

INAUGURATION SHOW THEME AT ESPLANADE: RITUAL

Ritual: the body of ceremonies or rites used in a place of worship

Response: The Esplanade is a temple for the worship of the arts. 

 

Ritual: A detailed method of procedure faithfully or regularly followed

Response: In the temple of the Arts, the methodical procedures refer to the mental discipline to the creative processes of art-making, encompassing open investigation into new modes of presentation, new modes of experience, and challenging boundaries, assumptions, and values that we have marked for ourselves.

 

Ritual: The prescribed form of conducting a formal secular ceremony.

Response: In the ceremony of art-creation, extending on the prescribed formal architectural elements - the space frame, the triangular shade, the organic curvaceous dome elevations - on which the Esplanade is founded, the artist creates a site-specific installation Moleculux.

 

SUMMARY

To install a colored light-driven suspended and ground-based multi-sculptural installation that explores the aesthetics of molecular form and light interplay, spatially engages the curvaceous walls and roofs of the interior of the Esplanade, echoes and extends the structural design of the Esplanade, and presents on the exterior surfaces to render a dynamic organic relationship.

 

CONCEPT

MOLECULE AESTHETICS AND SCALE

The form of molecules have been depicted by conceptual graphic drawings and computer-simulated 3-dimensional modeling and are based on the constituent elements and the forces that hold the molecular structure together. Moleculux is the artistic interpretation of the form of molecules zoom up to large scale.

LIGHT AND COLOR

The acrylic panels are a deep purple which attain a pinkish tone when natural sunlight shines on the work through the opening uncovered by the triangular shades. The work are dynamic in that the direction and intensity of the sunlight changes the appearance of the installation. The sculptural units are lighted internally with light cables that are red, orange, yellow, and white, and these cables are suspended inside the units. These lighting from different colored lights render the work to assume a varying purplish-red hue that is rich, sensuous, and provocative.
The color purple is selected because it is a color that is solemnly royal, and paradoxically punky fun. The installation will be lit internally round the clock, and will endow the sculptural units with "life". The deep purple allows a range of tones dark to light, when lit by the light cables, and will range in color - crimson red, scarlet red, royal purple, lilac, pink. The purplish installation stands out from the blue day sky, the dark night sky, and the silver metallic space frame, and the dark wooden side panels of the Esplanade. During the transition from dawn to dusk and vice versa, the differential lighting of the sculptural units from internal and external sources, create a dynamic change in the appearance of the work. The panels have spherical and oval-shaped elevations which form internal concave surfaces and external convex surfaces which reflect light, and form internal virtual images. These elevations gift the sculptural units an organic form.

 

ARCHITECTURAL AND STRUCTURAL ENGAGEMENT

The installation consists of individual sculptural units suspended by the space frame of the roof of the Esplanade, and a larger ground based unit. The viewing of the installation begins as the audience ascends the stairway of the Esplanade to the angulated recess of the foyer. The ground-based unit allows a close-up view of the lighting qualities of the unit, and spills over to the atrium. The sculptural units hug the roof, suspend from the roof, and illusionary penetrates the glass panes. Some sculptural units are present on the exterior roof of the Esplanade, to demonstrate a dynamic and organic relationship between the interior and exterior. These exterior units will be visible, more remarkably at night, to the occupants of nearby office buildings, motorists, and pedestrians. The units are molecular extensions from the platonic solids of dodecahedrons and tetrahedrons. The dodecahedrons echo the curvilinear and organic form of the roof, and the tetrahedrons echo the triangular structural space frame. These 3-dimensional units extend the core architectural concept of Esplanade, and spatial engage the atrium space. That the forms are formed from panel units extend the modular concept of the folded triangular shade of Esplanade, and the modular space-frame that forms the roof. 

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Technology as arguably the dominant force in shaping the economic and social environments of our world. Biotechnology and nanotechnology are two of the most exciting fields. Moleculux is inspired from molecular configuration and zoom-up scale.

 

TECHNOLOGY  

ACRYLIC PANELS

The acrylic panels are fabricated from flat sheets with customized hue, and are manufactured from a Thai factory and transported to Singapore and to Bintan island in Indonesia, where the panels are shaped and cut, the spherical and oval domes elevated by air injection, and holes drilled for cable-ties.

 

LIGHT-CABLES

The industrial quality light cables that form the innards of the installation and illuminate the works are available in almost 30 different single and multi-colors and tones. The light-cables are encased in a translucent light-weight rubbery plastic encasing which are flexible to form curvilinear distortions and manipulations. The lights in a cable is static for this installation, although the lights can be run at variable velocity ( a dynamic control panel unit is available to control each light-cable ) .

Each light-cable is manufactured to last 35,000 continuous hours, and this is sufficient for almost 1500 continuous days of use, and is sufficient for public installation over time. The light-cable can be replenished. The light-cable is constructed for both indoor and outdoor use.

 

SUSPENSION AND INSTALLATION

The structural units are suspended from steel wires strongly and safely secured by steel cables attached to the space frame. Each acrylic panel weighs about 04.kg. A dodecahedron subunit consists of 12 panels and will weight 4.8 kg without the light cables within, and a tetrahedron subunit consists of 4 panels. Each sculptural unit of the installation may consist of between 2 to 20 subunits, and will weigh the sum of the panel weights. The suspension of the sculptures will be cleared by a structural engineer for maximum safety clearance. The ground-based unit rests on a rubber and foam base that has the same color as the ground and that renders the illusion that the work is hovering just above the ground. 

The acrylic panels will be assembled to the sculptural units by contractor workers under the supervision of the artist during the installation phase which will take 2 days. Deinstallation takes 2 days.

Power to the sculpture is delivered by cables that stem from power-points at Sculpture Square. The power required is modest. 

 

DOCUMENTATION

The artist enlists a photographer to document the project in slides and large format transparencies, and to archive the project in high-resolution digital photographic prints and video footage. The artist collaborates with the Esplanade to produce a simple catalogue.

 

TIMELINE

The project requires a commitment of 4 months.


FUNDING

The Esplanade obtains NAC exhibition grant, and corporate sponsorship, for the construction of the work, the production of the catalog, and all other expenses incurred.

 

MARKETING AND PUBLICITY

The Esplanade plans and executes the marketing and publicity campaign.