A Forest Reverie ( first posted on thebarefootfoodie.org on 14 Feb 2022 )

 

A Forest Reverie

FEBRUARY 14, 2022BAREFOOT ARTS, BAREFOOT LIVING, SINGAPORE ART WEEK

Roughing it out is not my idea of fun. Not until it combines an art installation, a secondary forest, and three guys comprising a renown artist,( Robert Zhao Ren-Hui ) an art curator, ( John Tung ) and a conservation-friendly architect ( Randy Chan ) who made IT happen.

Robert, the artist, with a penchant for history, nature and collecting found objects, did his residency in NTUCCA tucked in one corner of Gillman Barracks for a year from 2017-2018. During this period, he explored the surrounding forest extensively, and this laid the groundwork for his show at the Singapore Bienale 2019 called ” The Queen’s Own Hill and its Environs ” which displays a cabinet of curiosities of photography, video, scavenged items based on archival research which is part reality, part fiction, part fantasy. This is a continuation of his exploration into Singapore’s forest landscape which is a convergence of art and nature as a heritage marker.

Randy is the award-winning architect who has projects like the Warehouse Hotel and Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden under his belt.

Last but not least, John, the independent curator who seamlessly sews everything up together from hatching up concepts on the drawing board, to applying for the myriad of official approvals, to creating an “Aha” narrative for the installation and finally tying up all the loose ends with his bag of tricks including any other contingency.

Hello John

The Forest Institute ( TFI ) is a specially commissioned work for the Singapore Art Week 2022. It is a double storey elevated structure with two major components – a wayang stage built in the style of a Borneo Longhouse, and a modern steel structure akin to a partitioned white cube.

White Cube Space

This is a once-off, may not be repeated opportunity to be a part of an inclusive art work, get close enough to nature ( from a comfortable distance ) for wildlife sightings, watch flowers in bloom, in the relative comforts of the Forest Observation Room ( FOR ) complete with canvas beds, sleeping bags, spy cams, ration food and drinks, power battery pack, binoculars and other survival essentials.

Food Rations

At 5.30 pm, we arrived at Gillman Barracks to be greeted by Louis and Shu for check-in briefing. After getting our keys, we went for a short walk to locate the river flowing into Belayer Creek before it got dark, and stumbled upon some moss-covered sofa discards. Spotted an unexpected baby waterfall as well.

In Search Of the River at Belayer Creek

The five of us had dinner at Handlebar, a grungy but cosy restaurant with quirky peraphernalia, some from motorcycle parts. As if by design or otherwise, it proved popular among bikers, millennials and suspect instagrammers. The pub food menu was reasonably priced and pretty tasty.

Art Buddies

At around 10 pm, our guests headed for home and their more comfortable beddings. G set up the canvas bed, spread out the sleeping bags, and brought out our pillows. Suddenly, there was a shroud of silence punctuated by the occasional crickets and subtle sounds of unidentified creatures. It was going to be a long night.

Boot Camp

Just the two of us

I woke up at intermittent odd hours to check on the spy cam. It registered nothing the whole night. After tossing and turning, between drowsiness and shut-eyes, I managed to catch a few precious hours of sleep.

Our Viewing Platform

G woke up around 6 am the next morning to inspect our surroundings. The battery pack had run out. He woke me by announcing that the Simpoh Ayer flowers are blooming. We sat at the viewing platform, on two low chairs to wait for the morning light.

By 7 am there was a flurry of activities. Birds calling out to one another and chirping in reply, bees buzzed. There were patches of yellow from the simpoh ayer flowers. Glistening dewdrops draped around the flower buds. Through our binoculars, we could see a pair of long-tailed drongos. That made our day indeed as John told us that they are not easy to spot. They perched on a branch within sight, flew around and glided gently in the air.

Watching Flowers Bloom

Like Tiny Reflective Balls

For the record, we also saw a squirrel, carpenter bees, wasps, and a discarded cigarette butt stuck on a leaf. The good, the bad, the ugly.

That;s an offence and also offensive to nature

I duly recorded my experience and sightings in the logbook provided. Different people had different experiences, the way it was meant to be.

For The Record

By 8 am, we packed up, took photos, cast a last wistful look at TFI before heading home. The take-away – a rather unforgettable experience for this city girl to shut off the usual distractions, pare down to utilitarian consumables, shift focus, really listen hard to the subtle but distinct rhythms of the living forest. With every discovery, every birdsong, every sighting, every flower that blooms, there is a little bubble of joy…

Stop, Look, Listen