Prepare to experience an entirely new level of integration between art, architecture and design when the Mondrian Singapore Duxton Art Collection is revealed. The collection is the result of an exclusive collaboration more than two years in the making between Mondrian Singapore Duxton and The Artling, Asia’s premier art advisors and tastemakers.
The Mondrian Singapore Duxton Art Collection raises the bar with a permanent collection of artworks from emerging and established Singaporean and international artists. The pieces add a sense of discovery as guests journey through the property. The artworks and their placement were specifically selected for the element of surprise that they create when viewing the pieces in more detail. New media artworks provide dynamic, ever-changing perspectives, while framed artworks also create a sense of movement through their aesthetics.
Mondrian Singapore Duxton General Manager Robert C.Hauck said he was thrilled to announce the collection’s launch, cementing the Duxton neighbourhood’s growing reputation as the Lion City’s leading artistic and creative hub, offering a world class collection of multi-disciplinary art.
“I believe we are breaking new ground in hospitality in the region in assembling such a diverse collection of artists at the top of their games, and in terms of incorporating the pieces into the fabric of the hotel design process.”
Curated by The Artling’s founder Talenia Phua Gajardo and Gallery Director Kim Tay, the collection features artworks in a wide range of media from local and international artists. Phua Gajardo said she was excited to present the collection and to reveal the artists represented. These include the abstract British painter Ian Davenport, known for his “Puddle Paintings” and whose works are represented in major galleries around the world, US installation specialists SOFTlab led by Michael Szivos, American photographer Tyler Shields, Singaporeans Dawn Ng and André Wee, and more.“Things have evolved a lot in the past four or five years in terms of how hospitality groups value art,” Gajardo explains. “It’s not just filling a blank space on a wall, there is a real, deeper understanding of artists and their practices, with an intention to create narratives that are relevant and engaging. This is something that we see as extremely positive and great for the art scene in Singapore and beyond.”
“The collection features young emerging artists as well as established, international heavy-hitting artists who are collected by museums and who have done international shows. We believe the collection will become a destination in its own right, we want to draw people in to explore and look at the spaces and experience the hotel through the art and the artists.”
“SOFTlab’s site-specific installation, Crystallized, in Christina’s restaurant is one of the standouts, created by Michael Szivos, a mathematician/scientist/artist at the top of his game. It’s made up of diochromatic film and acrylic. It emits different qualities of light as it transforms during the day and into the night.”
Ian Davenport’s “In Deep Magenta Mirrored” is a significant addition to the collection, with lines of acrylic paint poured from the top of the painting onto the floor, where they pool and spread out. This puddle introduces a sculptural element to the picture plane, alluding to the recurring tension in Davenport’s work.
Waterfall IV by celebrated Singaporean artist Dawn Ng showcases a fascinating journey into entropy as the time lapse film charts the decay of a large block of ice coloured with various pigments.
The Mandala Series by Emma Anna in the hotel’s Jungle Ballroom cocktail bar features large scale digital collages of orchids and tropical blooms, evocative of the menu inspired by the ultra-vibrancy of South East Asia. At the rooftop’s Canyon Club guests are transported to the glitz and glamour of 1970s Hollywood, with the eye-catching Water Mouths Monochrome series of images by Tyler Shields and his injection of vibrant colour and playfulness with Ferrari Legs setting the mood on arrival.In the guest rooms, Singaporean André Wee’s Rojak offers something different from a typical hotel art experience. Explains Gajardo: “His piece is digitally created and is augmented reality activated with animation that shows you how the piece was conceptualized and created. It’s a physical painting that comes to life with different layers.”
Mondrian and The Artling will have an ongoing relationship to expand on the collection’s possibilities with programming in the pipeline to bring artists, gallerists and collectors together. They will connect with the local and regional art community through events, talks with artists, and making the collection accessible to the public. Mondrian will create an art map for the collection, so guests can tour it and learn about the artists, while the hotel will appoint a curator who will also offer tours and talks.
Robert C.Hauck shared that “The Artling has done a spectacular job in assembling such a significant array of local and international talent. There is also one huge name in the art world, which we are keeping a secret for now and will announce as part of the collection at a later date so watch this space.”
The Mondrian Singapore Duxton will open in Q2 2023.
ABOUT THE ARTLING
The Artling is an international Art and Design consultancy and online gallery focused on highlighting the best of contemporary art and design. Their online platform, theArtling.com, lists thousands of artists from around the world, with new artworks and design items added to the site daily. The Artling offers consultancy services to both private and corporate clients, working with private collectors and with interior designers, architects and property developers. Sourcing from both emerging and established artists, The Artling provides end-to-end advisory service, from developing art themes and narratives, concept design development, and the commissioning of artworks to project and site specifications.