National Book Council - BuySingLit 2020
Here at Ina.Shea, we are always looking for ways to expand the craft of floristry, especially in collaboration with various forms of art. From botanical styling to fashion lookbooks, working with other mediums together with flowers has helped us broaden our creativity and explore unexpected paths into innovation.
This March, we had the chance to showcase flowers together with Singapore literary works in our floral installation, Floral Trails: Reading the Garden City, on 11th March to 29th March 2020, as part of BuySingLit 2020 and Arts in Your Neighbourhood (AYN), with the support of Singapore Book Council and National Arts Council.
After responding to the BuySingLit 2020 Open Call for programmes, we thought it would be meaningful to marry Singapore literature with nature, conceptualising a sensory experience for readers and offering them a floral trail through installation works inspired by literary works about our island city.
At the core of the installation is a belief that the experience of reading transports us to alternate universes, and compels us to crave a genuine experience of environments beyond what may be familiar to us. In densely urban Singapore, it can be hard to immerse ourselves in nature or imagine beyond concrete buildings. By marrying literary texts that touch upon nature with a floral installation, we were hoping to temporarily transport participants into a place where what they imagine from reading can be complemented by a sensory engagement with the textures, scents, and visual aesthetics of flora and fauna around them.
At the end, what we wished for was to help participants to emerge with a different perspective of Singapore as a place brimming with life in the arts and in nature.
It took many months of research, planning, brainstorming, and preparation but all the hard work paid off when we finally set it up at Bukit Panjang Public Library. The floral installation consists of 5 main sections, drawing inspiration from 5 poems by Singaporean writers on nature:
banyan tree, Arthur Yap
Focusing on the first spiral shelf that visitors encounter as they walk into the library, this particular portion draws inspiration from Arthur Yap’s banyan tree, a poem that focuses on the whimsical movement of a banyan tree in the changing tropical weather.
Hence, we focused on a greener and calmer palette, creating arrangements that act as an unimposing welcome and intermediary that invites participants to begin their journey through the trail. Among the flowers we used were delphiniums in white and blue, mimosa flowers in yellow, static in white, and a variety of green foliages such as pistachia and pitto leaves.
twice daily, Marc Nair
Considerably the most lush and eye-catching portion of the trail, this particular portion draws reference to Marc Nair’s twice daily that reminds us to take a breather from our hectic lives through interaction with nature.
We ended up recreating a shelter of plants with the arching seating area, providing a floral reprieve for visitors to the library. We incorporated the use of plants such as pisang raja also known as banana plant, palm trees, large fern leaves, birds of paradise, heliconias, and more to create a tropical jungle that feels more specific to Singapore’s natural flora and fauna species.
tea, Angeline Yap
As a connector into the final section of the trail, we used another of the book spiral shelves, this time focusing on Angeline Yap’s tea. The poem reminds readers of the simpler pleasures of a cup of tea and a touch of nature.
For this portion, we used white and purple delphiniums, white static, assorted potted plants in overflowing greens, and more to create the semblance to a garden — one that hopes to offer visitors some calm as they proceed along the trail.
A Dark Part of Town, Daryl Qilin Yam & Bukit Timah, Singapore, Lee Tzu Pheng
The final portion of the installation incorporates the use of the row of seats facing the CD shelves in the library. We thought it would be interesting to design the space where visitors could sit down beside flowers, while also giving them the opportunity to appreciate a more rustic floral display of dried flowers and poetry on the shelves.
We drew inspiration from Daryl Qilin Yam’s A Dark Part of Town and Lee Tzu Pheng’s Bukit Timah, Singapore. Both poems draw out a slightly turbulent face of one’s environment, yet also a possible reprieve that can be reflected in nature.
We thought that a mix of plants in more exotic textures in the seated area would be a complement, though also welcome contrast, to the dried flower installation on the CD racks. The more rugged feel of the fern tree matched well with the earthy shades and overflowing preserved flowers we used on the CD rack.
Finally, we were also glad to have incorporated take home trinkets in the form of poetry postcards for visitors, some of which we managed to package with flowers and leaves. We wanted to offer visitors something to remind them of the experience they had and a key with which they can continue to explore Singapore literature.
We also had the opportunity to put up a display during the media launch in the form of a plated arrangement as a teaser into the installation itself. Furthermore, we were also given the chance to talk about the project on CNA938’s Radio Show, Our Town on Weekend Life with Susan Ng.
Though our installation had to be taken down 2 days early due to the COVID-19 complications, we still feel that this was a precious experience. We were heartened to hear that residents in Bukit Panjang who visited the library were pleased and thankful for the beautiful sight over the 2 weeks the installation was up. From exploring the realm of Singapore literature to brainstorming ways of cultivating a meaningful experience for participants, we have broadened our creativity and would definitely look forward to more of such opportunities in future.