Ode to Duchamp. Installation art inspired by bike parts

LCSG coming in! 

Most On the ball LTG-er. Chan Wai Lim shares on Little thought group work to lovecyclingsg  folks 

Now with SingaPlural over and the artwork shelved for the time being, I can reflect on what we have achieved for the event.
I really like the fact that it was a mix of all types of  art and design. From product design, furniture, furnishing to even architectural, fine arts, graphic and installation pieces being presented in ONE SINGULAR location. This is really quite cool.
I was very honored that lovecyclingsg folks came to see the event and support my work:) Thank you friends!

LCSG folks coming to see my work. thank you. Its very nice of  u!

Abit about my installation
My work Ode to Duchamp is made with the help of Ductile pte ltd team(my brother's workers) and myself. I deliberately kept it low tech as  I wanted the message of hand built and using old recycled parts to come through.

 These are the work in progress and I spent many weeks prior the event getting it done. Lots of sweat and effort but really fulfilling. 
In my day job where all the models are now CNC machine cut and we are totally seperated from the actual act of model making.
Many of  our designers have already lost the ability to make things. To me, that's really a sad thing.
I also wanted my work to have an interactive element to it. To allow the audience interact and touch the work. I love it when they turn the crank and hear the noise and clatter. They would light up and start to ask... what the hell is this?

A smile when he spin the crank... the clatter and movement captivates the little one!

The elder giving it a go

overworked and needed field repairs but it was good to see children messing with it

That's precisely what I wanted. For people to start asking questions and have conversations. On what is art, what is design? Must art be simply be beautiful images or the beauty of an idea.
This questions are what Marcel Duchamp asked in 1915. 100 years ago and still very valid questions.
There are so many good works like Miun's "marriage" 

Miun and her really nice flowers - photo credit Esther Lim

Wai lims toys (LTG)   

super passionate WaiLim and her animals 

This a cool idea "grave of ideas" 

So many creative ideas and I am really sad to see all disappear into oblivion. SingaPlural 2015 has closed but it has showed clearly how with the vision from a passionate leader - Bacus; and the  collective effort of many, SingaPlural has set the bench mark on design and creative event. I hope this can be a sign of greater things to come.  
Photos of the great event here
https://www.facebook.com/esther.l.hwee/media_set?set=a.10152797212918230.758503229&type=3
https://www.facebook.com/taiwoon/media_set?set=a.10152868397802909.1073741980.682337908&type=3
https://www.flickr.com/photos/taiwoon/sets/72157651355657111/

SingaPlural 2015 Installation Art piece for SG 50, with wheels naturally :)

I was invited by my friend Bacus to participate in SFIC (Singapore Furniture Industries) SingaPlural event 2015.
For those who don't know about him. Bacus is one person I respect greatly for his passion and action for Singapore Design. So I agreed to do it without second thought.  2015 had also an added meaning due to SG 50. That is our country, Singapore is 50!
With a theme being "Connecting the Dots and Process" it was quite difficult initially to come up with ideas. I took quite some time and asked myself what would be a good statement for SG50 and the SG design environment. 
I looked at Art history for inspiration... and the iconic Bicycle wheel by Marcel Duchamp came up. I was really intrigued... Is this Art????? What Marcel Duchamp did in 1913 was to challenge just that. What IS Art? Why should art just be about beautiful painting.. or "Retinal" art as the master said. He simply took ready made items and displayed them as ART. I guess it is to provoke critical thinking and open discussions. I thought that was really amazing. This is way in 1913... thats more than 100 years. Can you imagine the out roar it must have been then.  
This was what inspired me. I named it "Ode to Duchamp". You will know why when you see it come Early March. This art installation, you can touch. 
Oh yes, we will ride down with Lovecyclingsg folks to see all the amazing and interesting design exhibits  and installation.
Pray for me I can make it work:)