SINGAPORE — Gigantic durians, towering cendol cups, colossal noodles and enormous grilled satay skewers will be on display around Singapore’s neighbourhoods from December.
The first-of-its-kind, community-driven arts initiative will see seven neighbourhoods showcasing upsized food-themed installations in December, with each work of art reflecting the distinct character and heritage of the area.
Another seven neighbourhoods will join in a month later. In all, the 14 Giant Delight installations will involve 19 artists and an estimated 1,400 residents.
The residents are led by their respective Community Arts & Culture Clubs (CACCs), which comprise volunteers who champion and implement arts and culture programmes in their community. Besides those who regularly participate in CACC activities, the other participating residents were recruited through social media and word of mouth.
Some of these installations will be featured at the PAssionArts Street in Chingay 2025 on Feb 7 and 8.
“Giant Delight encourages residents to have a sense of ownership of and pride for their community and local heritage, which enhances the vibrancy of our heartland,” said Esther Quek, the People’s Association’s (PA’s) deputy director of partnership and outreach in the arts and culture division.
“Furthermore, food is something that brings people together, and we hope that the co-creation (involving residents, students and the artists) of these large-scale food-themed works of art can allow residents to bond over a shared love of their familiar favourite foods,” she added.
On Dec 10, residents of Admiralty watched in excitement as its installation, titled Strings And Spikes, was installed in an open space near Block 660 Woodlands Ring Road.
Led by visual artists Casey Chen, 53, and Esther Ng, 37, the 2m-by-2m wooden installation depicting a durian took about two months to complete, from conceptualisation to installation.
About 120 residents aged four to 80 were involved in the installation, including around 30 pre-schoolers from Wat Patthar Educare Centre, who coloured drawings of durians that decorate the work of art.
Said Chen: “Durability and safety are key considerations. We make sure the installation does not block the walkway, and the spiky thorns are actually made of soft foam.”
The artists will touch up their artwork if there is wear and tear, he added.
Ng said the final work of art was a “surprise”, as it evolved with the residents’ input.
Owen Tan, 34, community development manager of Admiralty constituency office, said the CACC, together with the Residents’ Network and artists, brainstormed which food to feature in the installation. They decided on the durian as it is popular among the residents.
Rosaline Lee, 69, a Silver Generation ambassador and Admiralty resident who participated in the project, said she helped make the thorns of the fruit.
“We had a lot of fun as we all learnt and worked together, and got to know our neighbours better.”
Over at Cheng San-Seletar, the Food For Thought installation pays homage to the vibrant food culture of the newly renovated Cheng San Market and Cooked Food Centre.
The installation features an explosion of colourful fruits spilling out of a juice cup, a noodle dish with seafood and vegetables, and skewers of satay and ketupat. They will be displayed next to the newly renovated market and food centre from Dec 20.
In Pasir Ris Central, the Bliss-Cuits And Instant Dopa-Mee installation shows instant noodles and stick biscuits. It is on display in Pasir Ris Town Park.
Bukit Batok East’s installation, Giant Bites Of Nostalgia, features a giant cendol cup, kacang putih and a fruit bowl. They are now on display at the walkway between Block 273 and 279 in Bukit Batok East Ave 4, but will be moved to two other locations in the neighbourhood after that.
The other Giant Delight art installations can be found in places like Fernvale, Limbang and Telok Blangah.
Workshops were conducted to guide participants through the technical aspects of working with three-dimensional forms, from painting styrofoam blocks of fruit slices to creating individual durian spikes out of foam sheets.
The CACCs and artists had to make the workshops accessible for residents of all ages. Young children found it hard to control tools like paint brushes, while some elderly residents found it challenging to add finer details to the artwork. To address this, some artists held workshops for specific age groups.
After Chingay 2025, the installations will continue to be on display in the heartland for between three and six months. They can be repurposed or dismantled into smaller composite parts, and reused as standalone decorations in community spaces.
“We are also open for community partners, such as schools, to adopt some of these installations should they be interested,” said PA’s Quek. “We hope to share with the community such awesome creations and extend the ‘lifespan’ of these art installations.”
Details of the food-themed art installations in January will be updated on https://m.facebook.com/PAssionArtsSG/
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
