Espace Louis Vuitton Singapore, decked out with pieces from A Dedication to the Sea
Espace Louis Vuitton Singapore feted its first anniversary by presenting A Dedication to the Sea, a solo exhibition by respected Taiwanese artist Charwei Tsai. An exploration of the complex relationship between the sea and contemporary society, the new exhibition at the Marina Bay Sands gallery highlights the beauty inherent in the deep blue sea.
Curated by Singapore-based critic Eugene Tan and harnessing Tsai’s mesmerizing video works and a series of large scale photographs installed throughout the gallery space, the seminal Buddhist text The Heart Sutra, through which Tsai ruminates on the notion of transience and impermanence, is also evident in various “found” objects scattered like hidden treasure throughout the gallery. These shells and driftwood are painstakingly inscribed with the artist’s handwritten calligraphic texts.
Mr. Jean-Christophe Tevenin, General Manager of Louis Vuitton Southeast Asia, said at the opening of the exhibition: “Since its inauguration last year, the Espace Louis Vuitton Singapore has inspired collaborations in contemporary art that challenge and celebrate the Art of Travel, underlining our commitment and relationship with the arts.”
“The themes of A Dedication to the Sea ties in beautifully with the Maison’s distinctive location on the bay and the first anniversary of the very first Island Maison to be launched in South-East Asia.”
To celebrate the launch of this exhibition, Louis Vuitton hosted an exclusive cocktail event for a 130 strong crowd for an evening of artful indulgence, graced by the artist Charwei Tsai and Eugene Tan, who regaled guests with illuminating and oft-times witty anecdotes about the art works on display.
As part of a three-year corporate social responsibility initiative targeted at supporting young talents in the local arts scene, Louis Vuitton also organised a special preview of A Dedication to the Sea for 16 students from the School of the Arts (SOTA). In a recent meet and greet session, the students witnessed a live demonstration by Charwei Tsai of one of her artworks and the rare opportunity to mingle with the artist and curator.
A Dedication to the Sea will run through February 2013. Scroll through to see the guests at the cocktail launch.
Guests mingling at the exhibition launch
In the video installation titled “Sea Mantra”, the Heart Sutra is written onto the surface of a mirror as a way to physically reflect the changes and unpredictability of the sea
Yunyi Lau
Eugene Tan, Jean-Christophe Tevenin, Charwei Tsai, Vita Wong
Gabriel Tan, Yuki Lange, Grace Zhou, Jason Dowd
Denis Serot, Sharon Koh, Jean Christophe Tevenin
Rachel Lim, Yvette King
Eugene Tan, Heather Tan
Marilyn Tan, Monica Alsagoff, Ernest Tan
