MADE FOR SAM by wenxin oh

IT IS OUR HONOUR TO PRESENT TO YOU, 40 EVERYDAY OBJECTS BY 40 SINGAPORE ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS. MADE FOR SAM, EACH IS A WORK OF ART AND WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY. OWN THEM BEFORE THEY GO!

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) has set a new direction for itself as a contemporary art museum aimed at building relationships with artists and developing SAM as THE the gateway to contemporary art OF the region. In line with this new focus and to collaborate more with the artistic and creative community, SAM has called on local artists and designers Across varied disciplines to participate in the creative production of a critical and compelling range of products. Through an intended framework, this undertaking plans to create a platform that links creatives with producers by formulating design briefs from the perspective of product pragmatics and limitations of manufacture, whilst allowing ample opportunities for imaginative interpretation. Each designer or artist has been approached to conceive an idea for a specific product based on their area of enlightenment. Each product type has been engaged by individuals from diverse fields. The project has culminated in an exhibition at SAM, showcasing the works of local creatives in the fields of product design, graphic design, fashion design, architecture and art through the manifold interpretations of each ITEM in the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s product range.

FOREWORD

Have you ever wished you could own or bring home the artwork you saw in a museum or gallery? Well, I can’t let you have that important Agus Suwage or Vincent Leow in our collection, but I do have a range of 40 pieces, specially created by a leading local artist or designer, for you to choose from. MADE FOR SAM is a unique range of merchandise conceptualised by creative collective FARM in collaboration with SAM. A talented assortment of 40 artists and designers were assembled and tasked to develop their own version of a mug, tote bag, coin bank, eraser, ruler, badge, pencil case or greeting card specially for SAM. Why such items and why have local artists and designers create them? We wanted our visitors to bring home something that was interesting, different, and also functional. FARM’s concept reflects the spirit of contemporary art at SAM — where art is a part of contemporary society and our lives, and where a work of art is created in close collaboration with artists of our time. MADE FOR SAM is also our way to support and build networks with the local creative community. It was interesting to see how an artist tackled product design, or how a designer or architect re-looked everyday objects and gave them a concept which rendered the object into a piece of ‘art’. It has been a privilege for SAM to have these 40 artists and designers create the products for us, and we hope MADE FOR SAM will be a springboard to greater heights at home or abroad for their immense talent. Contemporary art has this ability to fascinate viewers and make us see things in a different light. Besides offering visitors a tangible reminder of SAM, we hope the products will also make you relook, rethink or re-examine with a renewed sense of wonder, all that has become too familiar to you. Bring SAM home to meet your parents today.

TAN BOON HUI DIRECTOR SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM

CURATOR 1. We do many different things. At FARM, we make buildings, houses and interiors, branding, products and exhibitions, installations and arts events. No matter what we make, at the core of all we do is the belief that creativity is an infectious thing that should not be confined within boundaries of convention and discipline. Like an engineer who makes bridges, with Apostrophe S, we have in our own way, built bridges by connecting a diverse group of collaborators and individuals. 2. We really don’t like homogeneity. Apostrophe S is a product-making system created by FARM. Working with a network of local designers, artists and manufacturers, Apostrophe S designs, develops and makes a range of intelligent and beautiful products which reflect the personality and ideology of each individual designer. We are the means by which someone else realizes their idea, creating a product of their own, hence the name Apostrophe S. 3. We want to bring joy to the everyday MADE FOR SAM is a project, designed by Apostrophe S to create 40 unique products by 40 local artists and designers from across varied disciplines. They were asked to tackle a deceptively simple brief: how would you re-think an everyday object — like the humble eraser, or a piggy bank, or a ruler? We wanted to push the envelope further. We wanted them to become more than just everyday objects. Prompted by a brief co-formulated with Hans Tan, the designers and artists were challenged to create products that are not only functional, but are works of art in themselves. Here we believe that the threshold of art and the everyday object can intersect and co-exist. As representations of our contemporary culture, SAM provided the ideal context to view these objects. Commissioning and managing 40 creative individuals and their hectic and divergent timelines is no mean feat. It is a rare chance for the collective works of the esteemed names from Singapore’s creative industry to coalesce into this single exhibition. It has been a long and eventful journey. We are deeply appreciative of not only their precious time, but more importantly of their belief and commitment towards the project. This project would not be possible, if not for the gracious support of SAM, and the intellectual rigour of our co-curator Hans Tan. Our message is this: Creativity is infectious. Spread it round because good design will bring joy into your everyday lives.

SELWYN LOW DIRECTOR, apostrophe s FARM

CURATOR One would routinely pardon souvenir shops in Singapore for selling Balinese Woodcrafts or Thai paper lamps or Chinese embroidery. Although these products hardly represent Singapore nor are they made or often used locally, it is a surmounting task for any honest local merchant to fill his shop with products of local flavour other than Merlion key-chains. MADE FOR SAM is an initiative that engages the abilities of local creativity to create an original collection of products for SAM. Most of the designed products in this collection do not explicitly respond to the Singapore identity as a context or deal with familiar imagery. Nevertheless, the works and the ideas behind them originate from sincere artistic approaches and design ethos of their creators. These attitudes capture the current landscape of Singapore’s creative vigour — the collection in itself is a product of local ingenuity and expression. 40 creatives based in Singapore were invited for this project. They are from an extensive spectrum of disciplines, such as contemporary art, fashion design, photography, illustration, product design, communication design, and architecture. In formulating the design brief for the multitude of exceedingly creative people with fundamental tendencies for bending rules, constraints in the perspective of product pragmatics and limitations of manufacture were implemented. Each designer/artist was given a design brief for a product, each brief describing a unique set of predetermined specifications for materials, dimensions and manufacturing processes. Each design brief starts with a short annotation about a product, which serves a point of departure for the creative pursuit of an imaginative outcome. There are a total of 8 product types, with 5 designers / artists working on each type. A conscious effort was made to distribute each product type across the different fields to maximise the variety of interpretations — an architect designs an eraser, a fashion designer designs a set of greeting cards, a communications designer designs pencil case, an exhibition designer designs a mug, an artist designs a tote-bag. Within the strict limitations of the brief, creativity burgeoned. The designers’ and artists’ ability to transform constraints into opportunities resulted in the multitude of inspiring ideas brought forth by the final collection of MADE FOR SAM products. During the past six months, each product took a unique journey in the course of its development, from sketches to prototypes to final outcomes. It is with an immense gratitude for the energetic involvement of all participants and collaborators that we present this collection to you.

HANS TAN HANS TAN STUDIO 7

40 ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS WERE EACH GIVEN A BRIEF WITH THE TASK OF REINVENTING AN EVERYDAY OBJECT: TOTE BAG, PIGGY BANK, BADGE, RULER, ERASER, GREETING CARD, MUG AND PENCIL BOX. THE RESULT: AN EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION MADE FOR SAM.

40 ARTISTS & DESIGNERS

FFURIOUS

Jeremy San Tzer Ning, Stzern Studio

Jing Quek, SUPERHYPERREAL

Justin Lee C K

Tan Zi Xi, MessyMsxi

Bassam Jabry, Chemistry

B.A.L.L.S

Randy Chan, Zarch Collaboratives

Wong Mun Summ & Richard Hassell, WOHA

Yong Jieyu, J.Yu studio

JUSTIN LONG & JERRY GOH, HJGHER

KEVIN LOK & ZANN WANN, COUPLE

Sebastian Chun, SUPER BEAR

TRIGGERHAPPY

Yuki Mitsuyasu

Ash Y.S. Yeo

Han Kiang Siew

Jason Ong, Jienshu

Joshua Comaroff & Ong Ker-Shing, Lekker Design

Timo Wong & Priscilla Lui, STUDIO JUJU

CASEY CHEN

COLIN SEAH, MINISTRY OF DESIGN

DAWN NG

Jackson Tan & Tanny Wong, BLACK DESIGN

Chang Shian Wei

HOKO

DONNA ONG

Kenneth Chee, Antfarm Design

Grace Tan, KWODRENT

ELI MARC

Cheryl Tan & DARYL HO, MAKE

EDWIN LOW, Design Facility

LANZAVECCHIA + WAI

Laura Miotto, gsmprjct

Low Jun Jek, YOLK

Chris Lee & YONG Asylum

Felix Ng, Silnt

Outofstock

Lee Tze Ming, Half & Half

Wong Mun Summ & Richard Hassell, WOHA

TOTE BAG BRIEF & DESIGN

“DESIGN A ‘TOTE’ BAG FOR EVERYDAY BURDENS.”

The term tote, meaning “to carry” or “to haul” can be traced back to the 17th century but was not used to describe bags until 1900. A popular theory of its origin is in the WEST African language, where “tota” means “pick up”, and “tuta”, means “carry, load”. Although in modern terms a tote bag refers to a particular type of bag, the etymology of the word “tote” sets us thinking about the loads we pick up and hold on to everyday in the modern society.

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material Synthetic Fabric

The image or collage of images should be photographic (full colour) to exploit the digital silkscreen process. The pattern for the bag has been provided as a guide, the fabric should be entirely covered by the photographic image or images.

2D artwork in high resolution JPEG format (300 DPI ).

Colour Photographic (Dull colour) Production technique Silkscreen on Canvas

250 MM

30 MM

Dimension restrictions As per pattern provided

400 MM

105 MM

360 MM

FRONT PROFILE

100 MM

SIDE PROFILE

打包— The

ffurious

Takeaway

400mm x 360mm x 100 mm Silkscreen on Canvas The one thing that is on most of Singaporeans’ minds is food. We take pride in discovering a new hawker dish, and boast about finding a long-lost food stall. We watch game shows where contestants race against time to locate food shops and cut out pages of the Sunday Times for local-inspired recipes. We trawl the internet for reviews of new restaurants to spend an evening at and then head home after to check on the latest posts by our beloved food bloggers. We never fail to talk about food when friends and relatives meet up at the hawker centre, over a selection of food choices persuaded by the countless celebrity-endorsed food ratings. It is so difficult to have just one-best-loved local dish when there are just so many favourite ones. Since we gleefully carry our love for food wherever we go, we might as well have a befitting bag for it.

fFurious is a multi-disciplinary creative agency born from the desire to collaborate and grow with like-minded people in the creative field. It began with the simple belief that only with good people can there be good work. And only with good work can a collective such as fFurious thrive. Guided by the notion that creativity should not be bound by medium, fFurious expanded the initial services of graphic, motion and interactive design, illustration and photography to a diversity of work that, more than a decade later, have included live video performances, art exhibitions, experimental short films, a comic series, toys and merchandise design, and most recently, interior design for a boutique design hotel.

TOTE BAG

Grills are for sale and the mosaics are real Jeremy San Tzer Ning, STZERNSTUDIO 400mm x 360mm x 100 mm Silkscreen on Canvas With a background in Interior Design, the designer always has an appreciation for buildings and building materials, particularly old buildings. In Singapore, old buildings are constantly being upgraded-walls are always being given a fresh coat of paint and old tiles being replaced by newer ones. Traditional building methods of laying mosaic tiles by hand are slowly being forgotten and taken over by mass-produced ready-made mosaic tiles. It is a constant effort to preserve these old buildings, and photographing them is the designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s way of keeping them alive. The weathered look of old buildings should not be seen as an eyesore; they should not be subjected to upgrading. Instead they should be preserved and celebrated as part of our collective memory of Singapore.

Jeremy takes photographs of built spaces. He is a space invader. He enjoys rummaging through your rooms, ransacking your houses and trespassing into your buildings. He is so suave you will offer him food and make him drinks. He makes himself privy to your memories and airs your dirty laundry to the public. Beware!

TOTE BAG

Opinion Bag Jing Quek, SUPERHYPERREAL 400mm x 360mm x 100 mm Silkscreen on Canvas Afraid of being ostracised for being too outspoken? Feeling the need to agree or disagree without standing out from the crowd? Say what you feel without having to embarrass yourself with the opinion bag.

Utilising the nature of commercial photography as a tool for creating idealised visions, Jing Quek takes mundane and everyday situations, objects, environments and people in Singapore and transforms them. By involving local people in the creation of an idealised vision of themselves, and through the act of a photo shoot production, Jing Quek attempts to test the limits and boundaries of society, playfully instigating and questioning the unspoken rules of good behaviour and taste in a rigid, Asian society. Jing Quek has shot numerous advertising campaigns and is represented in New York and Paris. His work has been exhibited and published worldwide and has won numerous competitions internationally.

TOTE BAG

Modern General – 2010 JUSTIN LEE C K 400mm x 360mm x 100 mm Silkscreen on Canvas We are all soldiers in Singapore but as a working adult, your status rises to the rank of a general. There is an underlying notion of “listening and obeying” that still stands in our society regardless of whether one is a student or a working adult. It could be seen in our productivity at work, quality of our lifestyles, or our self-image in society; we listen and we conform.

Justin Lee’s most notable work was a specially commissioned National Day street installation project titled “Absolut Celebration”. It was beautifully executed with red stylised icons of Singapore’s heritage scattered throughout the white surface of a bottle to create much dramatic effect— a toasting to Singapore’s 40th birthday in the spectacular colours of Singapore’s national flag. As one of Singapore’s foremost pop artist whose design projects reflect a fine sense of contemporary design flavoured with an essence of Singapore traditions, Justin’s works deserve the accolades of both designer and artist. His approach to design is executed with current graphic fundamentals yet reflecting traditional techniques such as his on-going series based on paper-cutting and Asian cultures with a delightful pop treatment that celebrates Asian values in an endearing tongue-in-cheek manner.

TOTE BAG

Some Dreams Are Heavy As Rocks TAN zi xi, MessyMsxi 400mm x 360mm x 100 mm Silkscreen on Canvas Everyone has dreams and personal ambitions but not every dream can come true. In many cases the odds are just too great to overcome. Just like how the farmer dreams of a more comfortable life, the athlete a gold medal, or the orphan a family, in reality, not every dream might be fulfilled. Dreams are beautiful to have but when they do not materialise, they become heavy and unsympathetic like rocks. This tote bag talks about the lugging of all our unachieved and impossible dreams, the ones that weigh our hearts down, like a bag of rocks.

Born in Singapore, Zi Xi has learnt to find beauty in the vernacular and the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;everydayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Likely due to the mundane environment of the little island that is Singapore, she dreams of a bigger better world; a brighter every day. Having won a Government scholarship from Design Singapore in 2006, she left Singapore to major in Illustration at Central Saint Martins, London. Zi Xi now works independently as a full-time illustrator and has recently held her first solo exhibition at The Art Studio (Old School ) in Singapore. Her work has received awards and commendation from Singaporean and International organisations, most recently, she was awarded New Talent of the Year at the London International Creative Competition 2010.

TOTE BAG

PIGGY BANK BRIEF & DESIGN

“DESIGN A ‘PIGGY’ BANK THAT SAVES.”

One may wonder why “piggy bank”, a common name of storage receptacles for coin accumulation, is named after an animal associated with filth and gluttony. In middle English, “pygg” referred to a certain clay used to make many household objects, including kitchen pots and jars where people used to save money. By the 18th century, possibly due to the Great Vowel Shift, these “pygg jars” had acquired the name “pig bank” due to similar pronunciation, thus potters started casting the bank in the shape of “pigs”. Indeed, if the association between saving money and pigs was a case of misinterpretation, how else can we represent an object that encourages saving?

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material White â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dehuaâ&#x20AC;? Ceramic

The bank will be hollow, please provide a point of entry for coins (and perhaps notes). The method of retrieving the contents of the bank may be designed. You may choose to have a plastic removable plug (usually at the base), break it to get it, or whatever means deemed imaginative.

Dimensions drawings, 1:1 scale. 3D visualisation or model is optional, but recommended.

Colour The inherent colour of the ceramic is delightfully white without any additional processes. Production technique Ceramic Moulding

WITHIN 300 MM

Dimension restrictions Within 300 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm

WITHIN 300 MM

FRONT PROFILE

WITHIN 300 MM

SIDE PROFILE

Hungry < Pig > Happy Bassam Jabry, chemistry 180 mm x 150 mm x 180 mm White Dehua Ceramic From the outset the designer wanted to create something dynamic and interactive, rather than simply an ‘object d’art’. It was a conscious choice not to deviate from the “pig” form as it is a powerful and recognisable paradigm. The design aims to bring a combination of relevance both to the inherent function of the object (saving), a cultural undertone (symbolism), and finally humour and the love for cute animals (feeding the pig until it rolls forward!). When the piggy bank is empty, it rolls back on its hind legs and looks up hungrily waiting to be fed. As it gets fed with more coins through its mouth, the weight will eventually make it roll forward, turning it from a hungry pig to a happy pig, joyously throwing its hind legs up in the air! This is also a tongue-in-cheek reflection of the joys of eating in Asia.

Bassam is currently Creative Director for Product Design at Chemistry, a multi-disciplinary design and branding consultancy. His daily work involves brining meaning, substance and coherence to complex problems through design thinking. With his professional training combining both art and science, he has the ability to take on multifaceted challenges and restructure them in a coherent format that has helped clients innovate and deliver award winning designs to market such as the Dell CRYSTAL flat panel display and the Philips DIVA iron. He has worked with clients such as Dell, Philips, Motorola, Siemens, as well as a whole range of Startups and SMEs, both in Singapore and overseas. He is also an approved facilitator for the Design Engage Programme, a SPRING Singapore funded programme. Bassam was born in the UK and holds a 1st Class BSc (Hons) in Product Design from Brunel University, UK.

PIGGY BANK

Piggy Bank B.A.L.L.S 385mm x 80 mm x 185 mm White Dehua Ceramic When the designers were throwing around the idea of interpreting a piggy bank, they wanted to showcase it in its truest form. The piggy bank is a product of error passed down from the middle ages. Traditionally named after the Pygg earthenware clay which was pinky orange, like all consumerable products, the money vessel morphed to its current from because of commercial needs, popularity rules capitalism or vice versa. So there is no genetic lineage to the offending creature except for the linguistic heterograph. For the designers, the interpretation of the piggy bank carries the same kind of embedded controversy since its creation. They were more focused on collocating the piggy bank in its most natural form rather than the cartoon-like depiction that people are used to seeing.

B.A.L.L.S stands for Bureau for the AdvancementÂ of Lifestyle and Longevity and Success and we are a boutique design studio that aimsÂ to create effective resolutions that address commercial needs. Made up of Yasser Bin Suratman, Yeo Ghee Kai, Edmund Seet, and Aaron Wong, our design proposals are built on practicality, creativity and most importantly relevance.Â But that does not mean we are a corporate machine stuck in the mud. We pride ourselves on our genteel humour and a knack for cultural irreverence. We re-invent ourselves religiously to accommodate fickle market trends, clients whims and outside forces. Our all-embracing goal is to strive for the betterment of mankind through creative know-how and ninja-quick reflexes.

PIGGY BANK

PIGXEL RANDY CHAN, ZARCH COLLABORATIVES 210mm x 160mm x 160 mm White Dehua Ceramic By using animation tools to ‘sculpt’ the pig, one uses the parametric of scaling and resolution of geometry to put a numeric value to this form. The design for the piggy bank is conceived from the idea of using a computer software media as a tool to construct and manipulate. The construction of the pig pushes the final boundary of production and methodology by revealing the value of representation which is analogous to its function as a coin-saving device.

Randy Chan’s architectural and design experience includes work on projects as diverse as stage design, private housing, cluster housing and master-planning— all of which are guided by the simple philosophy that architecture and the aesthetics are part of the same impulse. He takes a multidisciplinary architectural approach to his projects and specialises in the convergence between Art and Architecture. His works are published in the numerous local architecture magazines and international publications like the latest edition of Singapore Houses by Robert Powell. One of Singapore’s leading young architects, Randy was featured in ‘20 under 40’ up and coming architects by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2004 and in the acclaimed international magazine Monocle by critic choice as the local firm to watch out for.

PIGGY BANK

Piggyback WONG MUN SUMM & RICHARD HASSELL, WOHA 190 mm x 105 mm x 18 mm, Set of 2 Corian, Walnut Wood The Piggyback is a desk organiser for pens, pencils and loose change. The designers were originally approached to do two separate projects â&#x20AC;&#x201D; piggy bank and pencil case. Their idea came about when they decided to combine the two briefs for the piggybank and the pencil case, and combining the two materials, wood and ceramic. The word play on piggybank /piggyback was a natural choice for the product name. The two pieces would fit together; the cool white ceramic and warm wood would contrast nicely. The learning experience for them was that ceramic is not a good material for combining with other materials, due to its inherent shrinkage and movement nature during drying and firing. The original idea was therefore flawed as it was a key requirement that the two pieces fit together seamlessly. Sometimes it makes sense to change the rules if the design leads one somewhere interesting thus the white component is now made out of precision milled solid surface material to achieve the seamless fit.

Richard Hassell is a co-founding director of WOHA, a regional design practice based in Singapore. Together with Wong Mun Summ, WOHA explores integrated design for the built environment. Rather than develop a house style, WOHA focuses on the architectural potentials within each project and develops a formal language around these. WOHA works in a broad range of building types, including hospitality, residential, transport, educational, cultural and commercial. The practice has an international staff from all corners of the globe. WOHA has received numerous international awards for excellence in design including two World Building Titles at the 2009 World Architecture Festival, the 2008 International Award for Architecture from The Australian Institute of Architects, 2007 Emporis Silver Award for high-rise buildings, 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture and 2007 MIPIM AR Future Project Awards. WOHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first monograph, illustrating the work of the first 15 years of the practice was published by Pesaro Publishing in 2009.

PIGGY BANK

A Bag of Gold YONG JIEYU, J.Yu studio 200mm x 160mm x 280 mm White Dehua Ceramic Since time immemorial, Man has always fought for that bag of gold. Even in today’s digitalised finance, this symbol of wealth, power and greed still has a powerful hold on our unconscious instinct to survive. Saving is a virtue, but to what do we accumulate wealth for? And for how much will we destroy for it? The bag of gold is made deliberately without a release plug. With the words “If I sold my soul for a bag of gold” from a song by the band Bright Eyes, it puts to question immediately if one should break an object of accumulated coins (and memory) for something to buy. The lyrics goes on: If I sold my soul for a bag of coins to you, which one of us will be the foolish one? The original mould to cast this bag was made from coins collected from the designer’s childhood. For what was he saving for he had forgotten, but he had grown to love those coins.

Yong Jieyu completed his study in Industrial Design with National University of Singapore where his thesis work Skidscooter was awarded the Luminary Award for Red Dot Concept 2005. He went on to work as an industrial designer before awarded a scholarship by DesignSingapore Council to complete the IM Masters course at Design Academy Eindhoven. In 2009, he established J.Yu Studio. In between studio works, Jieyu tutors at the National University of Singapore, Singapore Polytechnic and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

PIGGY BANK

BADGE BRIEF & DESIGN

“DESIGN an exemplary badge.”

A badge is a device or accoutrEment which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority (police badge), or a sign of legitimate employment or student status (school badge). They are often used in marketing as a branding strategy, as well as fashionable embellishments in vogue. Usually worn on garments, fastened onto bags or collected in trinket boxes of the unsuspecting hobbyist; badges identify, badges reward, badges communicate, badges reassure, badges decorate.

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material 3 mm Acrylic Sheet

For laser cutting acrylic, the smallest section should not be less than 2 mm. The steel pin attachment should not be visible from the front of the badge; therefore any through holes within the area of attachment is discouraged, unless it is creatively well intended. The bonding agent for acrylic sheet is chloroform, which binds 2 separate pieces of acrylic by dissolving a small portion of the surfaces in contact. This occurrence has the tendency to create a smudge on the surface, thus it is recommended for pieces that require joining to be opaque (non-translucent colours).

2D line artwork in illustrator or EPS format, line thickness set to â&#x20AC;&#x153;hairlineâ&#x20AC;?. Specify colour or colours from the colour-coded samples provided. Specify position of pin attachment.

Steel Pin Colours Available as per sample set Production technique Laser-cut acrylic sheet, manual attachment of layers (if required) and steel pin with adhesive.

A WEARABLE SIZE

Dimension restrictions As big or as small as a wearable badge can be.

A WEARABLE SIZE

FRONT PROFILE

A WEARABLE SIZE

BACK PROFILE

Trophy Hunter JUSTIN LONG & JERRY GOH, HJGHER 80mm x 110mm x 55mm, Set of 4 3 mm Acrylic Sheet, Steel Pin An experiment on breaking boundaries through creative playfulness. At its most basic level, four animals make the badge; the Elephant, the Lion, the Moose and the Rhino. The idea is to allow the person wearing the badge a satisfying control over their trophy of choice for the occasion. The next level arrives when the person wearing the badge chooses to mix unmatched pieces, allowing them further control to recreate a new animal, playing both god and scientist. The final level is achieved when the person wearing the badge realises that every piece can be connected, thereby building a whole new abstract world of animals. “To see the world in a different light, to scratch and search and stay on the fight, my toys are fear and spirit we play; neither one wins, neither one goes away” — Kwang Li

Across disciplines of print, interactive, product and interior, the works of Justin Long and Jerry Goh have been awarded international acclaim from the likes of the British D & AD to the American AIGA to the Asian Hong Kong Designers Association. Their varied interests have spun off a recording arm H/Recordings, a furniture label H/Furniture and a publishing house H/Publishing, under their HJGHER establishment. They too, are able to curse fluently in Japanese. Their self-published magazine Underscore is internationally distributed and can be found in select stores, museums, cafes, and stylish homes across all major cities. It is the only publication from Singapore / Asia to receive a D & AD 2010 award.

BADGE

I am SAM ZANN WAN & KELVIN LOK, couple 65mm x 30mm x 10 mm, Set of 5 3 mm Acrylic Sheet, Steel Pin Like a museum housing artwork from various art movements, this series of badges, named after the Singapore Art Museum, was designed with personality from different art movements. The designers felt that the product’s relationship with the museum and its reason for being had to be apparent to appeal to the museum’s visitors. Each one immediately recognisable, the badges lend a touch of art to the wearer.

Zann and Kelvin founded Couple in 2007. Couple’s projects include print and screen graphics, packaging, branding, books and magazines. Their more recent awards include the I.D. Annual Design Review; the Red Dot Design Award and the Tokyo Type Directors Club.

BADGE

变脸 — The

Face Changing SEBASTIAN CHUN, SUPERBEAR 50mm x 55mm x 12mm 3 mm Acrylic Sheet, Steel Pin In the Sichuan operas, one of the most important acts is the Face Changing, or 变脸 “bian lian” in Chinese, where performers wave their arms and twist their heads, and their painted masks would change repeatedly. Inspired by this act, these adorable badges allows one to change the colour plates effectively creating many different faces.

Sebastian Chun is a Shell-National Arts Council Arts Scholarship winner and a graduate from Central St Martins College of Art and Design, London. To date he has designed more than 100 local and overseas projects in Theatre, Exhibition, Interior and Event. His most notable awards include Life! Theatre Awards — Best Production Design and President’s Design Award 2006 —Design of the Year, Museum Exhibition Design for Asian Civilisations Museum. His most recent project is the National Day Parade 2010 as the Stage, Set and Props Designer.

BADGE

A BADGE IS A MEDAL TRIGGERHAPPY 70 mm x 90 mm x 30 mm, Set of 3 3 mm Acrylic Sheet, Steel Pin Throughout history, badges were most commonly used to decorate and to bestow merit to accomplished individuals. A BADGE IS A MEDAL attempts to interpret the badge as a medal in today’s contemporary ‘socio-fashion’ context. Understanding that the brand logos on clothing create a status and/or personality in which the wearer associates himself with, A BADGE IS A MEDAL is a set of 3 badges, each an iconic wearable medal silhouette designed as a ‘frame’ in which the user can use to emphasise the brand logo and decorate his clothes, making it exquisitely exclusive.

triggerhappy is a guerrilla design establishment. triggerhappy questions and explores opportunities and possibilities through meaningful design. Initiating projects with relevant companies and organisations, triggerhappy develops and implements unconventional yet effective and powerful design solutions. Their design projects are triggered by social issues, environmental concerns as well as market needs and business potential. They take the active role of approaching companies, corporations and stakeholders to collaborate with and explore new possibilities in design to better the present state. triggerhappy organised SINGAPORE Souvenirs, a design exhibition held in conjunction with the Singapore Design Festival 2009. The exhibition featured souvenirs conceptualised by eight local designers with their inquiry into the meaning of a Singapore Souvenir. The exhibition aims to start a dialogue with the local audience on our identity and culture, whilst questioning the meaning and value of souvenirs. triggerhappy are two industrial designers, Winston Chai and John Chan.

BADGE

see my heart Yuki Mitsuyasu 20 mm x 20 mm x 55mm 3 mm Acrylic Sheet, Steel Pin Almost instantaneously, a badge tells of a person’s rank, status, authority or membership to a group. Upon seeing the badge, we also make certain prejudgments about the wearer. However, getting to know a person takes longer than just a glance at a badge. You might not see what’s on this badge instantly. But spend a little time with the wearer and look at the badge from different angles and in different situations. Soon enough, you just might be able to see the wearer’s heart. The idea for this badge came to the designer one day by chance in her apartment in London. A ceiling light striking a cup holder sitting in the corner of the bathroom created a heart-shaped shadow on the wall. The fascination of how such a simple structure was able to create something so delightful left an impression with her.

Yuki Mitsuyasu ( BA (Hons) Jewellery Design, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) designs and constructs pieces intended to tell a story. Carefully crafted into each piece is a narrative, waiting to be recounted, explored, and shared. Mitsuyasu’s choice of materials, the manner by which they are shaped, and the functions they perform all work collectively to weave the intended narrative. And just as there is more than one side to a story, Mitsuyasu stresses too the importance of jewellery looking beautiful from every angle. Yet, every point of view does not distract from the narrative. The themes, often universal and timeless, lend the pieces immediate iconic status. Her most recent award is the International Jewellery London 2010, Editor’s Choice Award, Overall Originality and Inspirational Craftsmanship.

BADGE

RULER BRIEF & DESIGN

“DESIGN AN APPROACH OF MEASURING A DISTANCE OF LESS THAN 50 CENTIMETRES THROUGH A WOODEN RULER.”

It is popular belief that the origins of present day units of measurement were derived from the length of some part of our body. The length of one’s foot, the width of one’s thumb, the distance between the tip of one’s fingers and elbow. This was an intuitive mode of assessing and developing one’s environment, based on accommodations to the human anatomy. Conversely, as standards of measurement become more universal while promising to be more useful, it has unwittingly abstracted itself from the rudiments of human sensitivities. Using the wooden ruler as a starting point, could it bring back joy and humility to the act of measuring as we once did whilst learning to quantify as a child?

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material Wood

To accommodate the production technique, all rulers should be flat and about 4 mm thick.

Dimension drawings for ruler. 2D artwork for measuring units on ruler. Specify colour of measuring units (pantone code) .

Production technique Laser-cut wood, silkscreen for measuring units, matt varnish Dimension restrictions A ruler that measures 50 centimetres or less.

1 cm

1/16

300 MM

FRONT PROFILE

The Itinerant Chrysanthemum Ash Y.S. Yeo 230 mm x 90 mm x 3 mm Laser-Cut Wood, Silkscreen for Measuring Units, Matt Varnish Ju-Xian names an ancient city in China and, now culturally esteemed as one of four noble values. In 1961, it crowns Chicago as the City’s Official flower. In Japan, the “Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum” is an Emperor awarded honor. Asians cradle those asleep in Grace with the flower; Australians revere their mums on Mother’s Day in May... Thus the flower travels, well with poise, love and nostalgia. The Itinerant Chrysanthemum, by measure devoted as sovereign ruler, a president trope thru the ages, so well it traverse, eloquently in types, always seated, abiding in memes.

He is said, to be interested with poetically knitted briefs, tied with programmes of memetic improvisations in fine art and design practices. Far too few of his precious works are in the collection of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Art Museum, National Library Board and Deutsche Bank. He is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor at National University of Singapore, and teaches at Nanyang Technological University and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

RULER

71 square centimetre ruler HAN KIANG SIEW 180mm x 40mm x 3 mm Laser-Cut Wood, Silkscreen for Measuring Units, Matt Varnish Singapore occupies a land area of 710 square kilometre. This ruler measures 71 square centimetre, which is exactly 1/100000000000 the area of Singapore. The ruler becomes not just a tool to measure the dimensions of an object; it relates itself to the dimensions of a place. It seemed an interesting idea to have an object so small as a ruler to have a dimensional relationship to Singapore. 71 square centimetre in area also resulted in a missing square on the ruler which perhaps may be filled up very soon, when Singapore continues to expand its land area through land reclamation.

Han Kiang Siew is a Singapore-trained architect currently working with Kay Ngee Tan Architects. He is also occasionally inspired to design furniture and has created notable pieces including the coffee table Crater which won 1st Prize for the Furniture Design Award in 2003. At Kay Ngee Tan Architects, he was involved in projects including Page One Vivocity which received the President Design Award in 2008 as well as the Singapore Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai China.

RULER

A Sketch of a Ruler JASON ONG, JIENSHU 330 mm x 35 mm x 5 mm Laser-Cut Wood, Silkscreen for Measuring Units, Matt Varnish The concept questions the basic assumption of a ruler as an accurate measuring instrument for an object. In this case, it is rather a measurement of the designer’s futile attempts at precision and perfection. He wishes to bring back a greater tolerance for imperfection and soul as technology is pulling the other way with measuring precision of near infinite decimal points. There were a total of fifteen attempts in sketching the ruler as accurately as possible, each taking approximately half an hour. The designer did one to three sketches a day with time in between. He could only sketch one at a time as his fingers would cramp up or he would lose patience. The challenge is mainly to draw at the right speed and direction to ensure straight lines. Using a cheaper paper helped a lot as he became less preoccupied with making mistakes, hence less jittery strokes.

Jason Ong started Jienshu in 2005 as an independent studio engaging in multi-disciplinary design. Prior to that, he spent six years in Kay Ngee Tan Architects in Singapore and London before attaining his Master in Design with Distinction from Domus Academy in Milan in 2002. Among his accolades includes the Grand Prix award at the Nagoya International Design Competition in 2000 and the selected artist for the President’s Young Talent exhibition in 2005. Jason’s recent commissioned projects include the set design for the production of Optical Identity for the Glasgow-based Theatre Cryptic in collaboration with the T’ang Quartet, the artwork for the Circle Line Art Programme for HarbourFront Station as well as a lighting design for the Italian brand Driade. Besides developing his own work, he lectures part-time at the Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

RULER

Bend the Rule Ong Ker-Shing & Joshua Comaroff, LEKKER DESIGN 115 mm x 115 mm x 5 mm Laser-Cut Wood, Silkscreen for Measuring Units, Matt Varnish The architect’s ruler straddles the border between function and fetish —it is his blade of abstraction, his productive organ. For our ruler, the familiar straight edge is bent into a circle to become a bangle. The beauty of quantification assumes, also, an explicitly decorative role. While the ruler can be employed to measure things, its play of numbers and radial lines becomes a kind of personal ornament, a poetics of the useful. Interestingly, the bent rule offers a number of benefits as well. The circular form lends it great compactness: although only 10 centimetres in diameter, it can measure lengths of up to 1.44 metres. It may also be used as a protractor. The rounding allows the ruler to pose as a kind of nerdy jewellery, but it likewise lends a functionality that recalls the astrolabe, the descriptive geometry triangle, and other instruments that were developed for their technological advantages.

Ong Ker-Shing and Joshua Comaroff are architects and landscape architects. They have been living and working together since meeting in design school at Harvard University in 1998. Shing and Josh are interested in strange and innovative buildings, ones that explore the limits of architectural conventions. They have pursued this in a range of built work— including housing, arts and educational projects —as well as in planning and research. The work of Shing and Josh has attracted notice for its energetic and unpredictable character. Various projects have been featured in MARK (the Netherlands), Architectura Viva (Spain), d+a (Singapore), and online. In 2009, I.D. Magazine ( New York ) selected their firm, Lekker, as one of the global “talented 40” designers. In 2008, they were chosen as one of 100 young firms to build a villa in Herzog & de Meuron’s Ordos 100 project in Inner Mongolia.

RULER

ORBIT timo WONG & priscilla LUI, studio juju 210 mm x 50 mm x 3 mm Laser-cut and Engraving on Wood, Matt Varnish This ruler serves to draw both straight lines and circles. The tiny holes mark the radius of various circles. With holes scattered around like constellations, this ruler is aptly named Orbit to signify the orbital movements of drawing circles.

Timo Wong and Priscilla Lui established studio juju in 2009. The studio possesses keen interest in applying design sensibilities to products, spaces, and art direction. Through extra sensitivity to human interactions, studio juju develops pleasant experiences in every project, delighting in details from design semantics to functional innovations. The studio’s process is characterised by a hands-on prototype-making approach, focused on appropriateness in function, form, colours and materials. Timo and Priscilla first collaborated on d.lab’s “Objects around the Tablescape” under the direction of Patrick Chia, and have exhibited at Maison et Objet, Paris; Salone Satellite, Milan; Ricordi Sfera, Kyoto; National Museum of Singapore and P5, Singapore. Their works have garnered international awards like the Red Dot Award Product Design 2008; Gold Prize at the International Design Competition, Japan Design Foundation 2007; Merit Award at the Saporiti Italia Design Award 2009. For the past two years, studio juju has been exhibiting at the SaloneSatellite, Milan.

RULER

ERASER BRIEF & DESIGN

“DESIGN AN ERASER WORTHY OF ENVY.”

In this present computing age, one relates more to the downward push of a “delete” button than to the fastidious scrubbing of an eraser. The white, rubbery block has become more of a desktop sculpture than an instrument for removing traces of erroneous, undesirable, or regretful vocabulary. In such an unrewarding circumstance, can an eraser still contribute fruitfully to the tangibility of one’s physical desktop without being mocked by its virtual counterpart? On the other hand, if the eraser is destined as a whitewashed gravestone, can it be at least a shrewd monument?

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material Rubber

To accommodate the manufacturing process, the design of the eraser should have no undercuts, which prevents the moulded object from being ejected directly.

3D CAD file in .stl format and dimension drawings. 3D visualisation is optional. Specify colour (pantone code).

COLOUR One Colour Production technique One part moulding

ANY DIMENSION

Dimension restrictions As long as one can still wield it to erase.

ANY DIMENSION

FRONT PROFILE

Precious Rubs CASEY CHEN 50mm x 50mm x 50 mm Rubber To create an eraser from a brief that says â&#x20AC;&#x153;worthy of envyâ&#x20AC;?, what can be more straightforward than having a big carat of cut Diamond. Erasers are only used when mistakes are made and careless mistakes can be very costly. This eraser reminds people that mistakes can be expensive and that sometimes the cost of an error is priceless. Who says that diamonds are forever?

Having graduated from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Design, Casey Chen has been in the design field for over a decade and is experienced and versatile with various aspects of design, particularly in graphic arts. His works have been recognised regionally and internationally in the fields of corporate branding and corporate identity, and have won him design awards from New York.

ERASER

Sometimes, you can’t help biting the hand that feeds colin seah, Ministry Of Design 30mm x 30 mm x 180 mm Rubber An eraser exists only because the pencil exists. It owes its being and sole purpose to the pencil. However, it is ironic that through its use, it challenges and diminishes the presence of its enabler. Playing up this irony, this eraser design pays homage to the pencil by creating a case for it but also conversely eclipses the pencil by entombing it from sight.

Architecturally-trained in the US, Colin Seah honed his sensibilities working for the likes of Rem Koolhaas and Daniel Libeskind. He also spent 4 years at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture researching design pedagogy and serving as design critic. As Ministry of Design’s Founder & Director of Design, Colin is a two-time recipient of Singapore’s highest design accolade, the PRESIDENT’S DESIGN AWARD. He was also a Grand Prize Winner of the GOLD KEY AWARD, the highest international hospitality accolade and named Hong Kong Perspective’s ‘40 UNDER 40’ ARCHITECTS & MARCUS CORPORATION FOUNDATION PRIZE 2007 ‘emerging architect with potential for greatness’. Recognised as a “Rising Star in Architecture” by Monocle, Colin Seah has been invited by the Singapore Tourism Board to redefine Singapore as a destination for 2020 and beyond.

ERASER

GUM DAWN NG 75mm x 20mm x 4mm Rubber Nowhere else in the world but Singapore is this chewy contraband of such controversially-capped desire. While we may like to believe it is the Merlion or the Singapore Flyer that defines us, what sticks in the world’s mind is that only in Singapore, gum, like crack, is banned. Nothing is worth more envy than something you can’t have. This is the designer’s life-size monument of a no-no substance, a sort of non-souvenir of Singapore people are so dying to ingest.

In the past 28 years, Dawn Ng has acquired rather marvellous skills in drawing, painting, printing, photography, writing, making and stealing things at The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, and Georgetown University. She spent eight years across Washington, London and New York working in creative shops BBH and Ogilvy for brands, Nike and Levi’s. Her time in advertising has made her a voracious curator and dissector of pop culture. Her work is reflective of an urge to hijack, subvert and toy with the obvious to surprise people with the truth. In 2009, Dawn launched four shows ranging from her first solo collage exhibition entitled Singapore Cuts to commissioned light installations at both The White Rabbit and Loof. Her paper plane installation at Black Out has received much press across Channel News Asia and the Business Times, who coined her the new art Tour De Force of the Singapore art scene. Dawn was also one of artists to have her work curated for the Singapore Art Show 2009 at the Singapore Art Museum.

ERASER

NOSEJOB jackson tan & TANNY WONG, black design 85 mm x 30mm x 25 mm Rubber Rather than the usual scenario faced by an eraser changing into an unknown shape of its former self once used, the designers wanted to create a funny and irrelevant product capable of reshaping and renewing itself whilst undergoing the necessary usage. Hence the Nosejob was born! Allowing the ability to alter the appearance of your nose through the gesture and usage of rubbing and yet retaining its former glory; it is making it an instant standout on the work desk.

Black Design is a multi-disciplinary design practice. Black’s approach focuses on the creation of value through design. Its sole purpose is to create design ideas that generate social, cultural, commercial, artistic, intellectual and emotional value. Black’s collaborative process with leading international artists, architects, designers, illustrators, business leaders and institutions allows them to constantly develop interestingly diverse projects that spans across branding, graphic design, environmental design, exhibition curation and design, cultural content development, publishing and product design. Over the years, Black has worked on the curation & development of the UseLess Exhibitions, a series of exhibitions based on the theme of sustainable design that exhibited around the world. Other notable projects include 20/20 and New Wave — an exhibition on Singapore’s position as an emerging design capital, the graphic visual system for Peranakan Museum and branding for the President’s Design Award.

ERASER

SPIKE Chang Shian Wei 50mm x 50mm x 90 mm Rubber An eraser that you can break off to reveal new corners. The idea first came to mind when the designer was slicing off corners of a typical white eraser to make it “less functional”. He was initially intrigued by the notion of an eraser that probably no longer served its purpose in this day and age of digital communication and wanted to see what it would look like. As he gathered the cut-off corners, it occurred to him that he could also arrange them like a chocolate bar with breakable sections. This way, fresh corners can be revealed once a section of the eraser has been worn out.

Born in Singapore, Shian Wei graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design. He began his career in 2004 as an industrial designer at Orcadesign Consultants, where he designed numerous products including award-winning business printers and slow-feed dog bowls. Shian Wei later joined the Design Incubation Centre where he led design projects on eco-race cars and the future of mobility. Shian Wei currently resides in the suburbs of Tokyo pursuing a Masters in Media Design at Keio University.

ERASER

GREETING CARD BRIEF & DESIGN

“Design a set of five greeting cards, each expressing a unique sentiment — Love, Gratitude, Apology, Condolence, CongratulatORY.”

Greeting cards are typically given or received for an occasionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Chinese New Year, Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day, Wedding, Christmas, Birthday. In many of these instances, the cards are more of an epitome of the occasion than a communication of a particular sentiment. Hence, if we abstract five distinctive messages that cards can convey, these can serve as instruments in expressing ourselves in a thoughtful manner not limited by the obligation of an occasion, but in various everyday situations.

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material Artcard

All the cards in each set should be made with only one production technique.

2D artworks. Specify type of artcard.

COLOUR Not restricted Production technique Offset, Emboss, Die-Cut

PREFERABLY WITHIN A4 SIZE

Dimension restrictions Adequately sized to communicate the relevant sentiments, preferably each within an A4 size.

PREFERABLY WITHIN A4 SIZE

FRONT PROFILE

Super Sincere Sentiments HOKO 180mm x 115 mm Offset, Hotstamping Super Sincere Sentiments is a pack of 5 identical greeting cards that can be used to express the general sentiments of Love, Gratitude, Apology, Condolence or Congratulatory. The whole gesture of sending a mass-produced store-bought greeting card is irrevocably insincere. Thousands of people all over the world receiving and sending the very same card containing graphics by some unknown illustrator, accompanied with text written by an equally anonymous copywriter is a strange but real phenomenon. That being said, Super Sincere Sentiments does not aim to alleviate the insincerity of greeting cards. The intention is simply to unmask and articulate this insincerity. Therefore, one can say that the cards are extremely honest in being ‘insincere’.

“Recognising the need to correct and renew our feelings towards the vernacular hidden within an environment that is so overly familiar to us, H O K O took the opportunity to embark upon an excursion into new territories of unknowing. Unlearning to learn, we are slowly losing all knowledge of what design is or what a designer should do…” Formed in 2002 by Alvin Ho and Clara Koh and currently based in Singapore, H O K O have since been crossing continents to take in different perspectives on design. Since their graduation from the Master’s program at the Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands, they have worked on collaborations and commissions with the Museum Boijmans van Beuningan, Rotterdam, Galerie Les Drapiers in Belgium and more recently, initiated a research platform on the notions of ARRANGEMENT that has produced two exhibitions in 2009.

GREETING CARD

Awakening donna ong 250mm x 175 mm Offset, Emboss Each card contains within itself, a hidden wish, hope or dream that is symbolically represented by a pair of delicate wings. Originally drawn painstakingly in technical pen on paper, every pair represents an unrealised plan or message; wings that have not yet flown. When a card is bought, written and given to another, the wings take flight and “come to life” — physically transported by air or sea as well as immaterially from the page into the mind and thoughts of the receiver. The messages relayed can be specific and infinitely varied; a hope for forgiveness and reconciliation; a wish for a friend’s success and happiness; a dream of a future together; a happy-ever-after... Nevertheless, just as each pair of wings is incredibly distinct yet surprisingly homogeneous, the wishes, hopes and dreams of every sender are similarly different and universal. Thus, they can also be distilled and represented simply and profoundly into a simple image and through the familiar words — love, congratulations, sorry, condolences and thank you.

Donna Ong is an installation artist, best known for her ambitious narrative environments made from furniture, found objects and original artwork. Graduating with a Degree in Architecture (University College London) as well as one in fine arts (Goldsmiths College, United Kingdom), she has been the recipient of several awards and scholarships, such as the 2004 Sefton Open Competition for 2D art in United Kingdom, the Singapore Undergraduate Scholarship from University College London and the Singapore Shell-National Arts Council Arts scholarship. Her first solo show titled “Palace of Dreams” was held at The Arts House, formerly known as the Old Parliament and received much positive accolade. Since then, she has exhibited both locally as well as overseas in events such as the Singapore Biennale 2006, the 2nd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, 2007 and the Singapore Season in Beijing. Recent activities include a residency by Arts Initiative Tokyo with an accompanying exhibition at Scai x Scai gallery, Tokyo, an exhibition at 8Qrate: School (Singapore Art Museum), the Kwandu Biennale, 2008, and most recently, the Venice Architectural Exhibition, 2008. In 2009, she received the people’s award for the President’s Young Talent Competition and was also awarded the “Young Artist Award” by the Singapore state for her achievements in the art field.

GREETING CARD

Mirrors KENNETH CHEE, ANTFARM DESIGN 150mm x 100 mm, Set of 5 Offset, Die-Cut on Artcard There are times when it's difficult to convey a message to someone who has just lost a loved one or to just simply say, “I'm sorry” or “I love you”. The designer hopes these cards recreate the sender's intended feeling visually through design where a worded message cannot. He wants the receiver to experience that “I feel what you feel” moment. For example, the celebratory card where the receiver is encouraged to tear up the card into little glittery bits and toss them in the air to recreate that sense of celebration and joy the sender felt as he sent out that card. Though the series of cards relies heavily on visual effect, humour and fancy design effects were carefully measured to avoid turning the card into a gimmick and bordering on insensitivity.

Kenneth has almost ten years of experience designing mostly for the Arts and Music industries — galleries, museums and record companies. As a designer, he strives to create design that is conceptually interesting and clever. He has created logos for Warner Music Singapore & National Heritage Board and both are selected to be featured in Rockport Publishers’ Logo Lounge 4: 2000 International Identities by Leading Designers. Some of his recent works include designing for Singapore Writers Festival as well as catalogues for local artist, David Chan, and private art collectors, MaGMA.

GREETING CARD

origami leaf grace tan, kwodrent 350mm x 240mm Offset, Die-Cut on Artcard The primary basis for the greeting card stems from the notion of ‘making’. It is something rare at this present day due to the instant availability of many things, both physically and digitally. The proliferation of mediums like SMS, Facebook, and Twitter have reduced the process of conveying personal messages into mere seconds of semi-automated finger actions. For this project, the designer hopes to slow things down to bring back the joy [as well as pain] of creating something by hand. Coupled with the process, Grace was drawn to the structural beauty and mathematical logic in the herringbone pleat. The pleat is also known as ‘Miura-Ori’, named after a Japanese astrophysicist. Similar rigid origami structures have been employed to make collapsible solar panels for space. The co-relationship between the intuitive quality of the formative process and the highly mechanical construction presents to us a dynamic synthesis hidden in the work that could only be experienced through its realisation.

Grace Tan lives and works in Singapore. She was formally trained in fashion design and in 2003, she founded ‘kwodrent’ as a cross-disciplinary practice. Her areas of interest and development include patterns and constructions in structures as well as exploring the relationship between human body and its surrounding. Her works are highly experimental, often blurring the lines between fashion, fine art, architecture and mathematics. She has exhibited widely nationally and has represented Singapore internationally at London Design Week, Venice Biennale, State of Design Melbourne, Designtide Tokyo and Aichi World Expo. Grace also develops and teaches the design curriculum at School of The Arts, Singapore.

GREETING CARD

Boxful of Cards ELI MARC 155 mm x 105 mm x 35 mm Offset, Lamination, Die-Cut The designers wished that people send out more greeting cards, more often. To accomplish that, they felt a need to make the task easier for people to do so and to have at their disposal a library of literally thousands of greeting cards. For said extensive library, they turned to the Internet and tapped on user-generated photos as possible greeting cards to express one of four sentiments: love, luck, congratulation, and sorry. The next task was to design an intuitive interface for people to navigate through the thousands of potential greeting cards. To keep the user's experience simple, elegant and intuitive, they relied on Augmented Reality technology to drive their interface. And as a last throwback to how analogue cards are stored (in shoeboxes), they adapted the box as the input device to find that picture-perfect greeting card.

Eli Marc is a partnership between Jay Phua and David Teo. The duo’s original intent was to experiment with digital-based work and to imbue such work into users’ experiences with objects and environments. Experiences that are meaningful, intuitive, and carry with them a sense of wonder. To that end, Eli Marc’s work is informed by various disciplines that include the liberal arts, electronic engineering, coding, communication studies, graphic design, and interactive design. The duo also emphasise a work process that integrates hardware, content, and firm / software seamlessly. Between them, Jay and David have worked on the Singapore Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 and garnered awards and mentions from the British D & AD, Communication Arts, the Cannes Lions IAF, and Singapore’s Creative Circle Awards.

GREETING CARD

MUG BRIEF & DESIGN

“Design AN EXPRESSION FOR A MUG.”

The elegant wine glass, the authority of a goblet, the modesty of a sake masu, the luxury of a champagne flute, the immediacy of a shot glass, the tradition of a chalice, the ceremony of a teacup, the festivity of a beer stein. The mug often pales in comparison to the expressiveness of other drinking vessels. Being an article that one often hopes not to receive as a gift and a drinking vessel that is often associated with a substandard technique of drinking coffee, the mug is frequently relegated to the fallow segment of a kitchen cabinet or contributes to an enormous section of a flea market. Can this ambiguous vessel have an eloquence of its own?

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material Ceramic Mug

A sample of the mug will be provided, and should be returned with the exact placement and orientation of the artwork/s. (one can paste pieces of artwork printed on paper onto the mugs to specify position)

2D artwork in high resolution (300 DPI) Mug with positioning of artwork. Specify colours (pantone code).

COLOUR Maximum of 4 pantone colours Production technique Heat Transfer Silkscreen

100 MM

Dimension restrictions Adequately sized to communicate the relevant sentiments, preferably each within an A4 size.

As the on-glaze silkscreen is treated in high temperatures, the reproduction of colours on the mug against the pantone code would be only 80 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 90% accurate.

120 MM

FRONT PROFILE

Tape Mug ( It’s Not Broken ) CHERYL TAN & Daryl Ho, make 120mm x 80mm x 100 mm Heat Transfer Silkscreen on Ceramic “It’s Not Broken” draws inspiration from the designers’ experiences with the things they use on a daily basis. A combination of two seemingly ordinary and familiar objects found at home. The humble duct tape is commonly used as a quick fix bandage on almost anything, yet it was never thought that it could take centre stage as a design element. The designers thought it would be an interesting and amusing idea to create a visual effect of a broken mug by ‘sticking’ the tape on the surface giving the humble duct tape a chance to shine.

Cheryl and Daryl are partners at MAKE, a design studio offering services in graphic and interactive design. Daryl believes in creating engaging graphic design that is sympathetic to the subject and context. Aside from work, he is currently working on his own line of men’s fashion accessories and planning an exhibition that showcases skateboard art from the 80s and early 90s. Cheryl on the other hand, juggles her time between work and her fashion label—FrüFrü & Tigerlily, whom she co-owns with two of her long time pals. Since then, the label has represented Singapore in the Malaysian International Fashion Week 2008 and also featured its collection at the Singapore Fashion Festival (Fashion Rules) in the same year.

MUG

101

The Underrated Underside of Mugs EDWIN LOW, THE DESIGN FACILITY 120mm x 80mm x 100 mm Heat Transfer Silkscreen on Ceramic “The Underrated Underside of Mugs” serves to reposition the archetype of a mug not as a drinking vessel but as a decorative piece that is usually found resting upside down. The subtlety of the artwork on the underside of the mug provokes a second look on the usually taken for granted pose. The beauty of the underside becomes more obvious as the mug ages.

“Things” are expressions of culture—be it physical or not. What interests Edwin is the idea and intent of such expressions even before they exist as things. Presented with an array of everyday things, we’re able to make sense of certain behaviours or beliefs of the social entity interacting with it. Greatly disturbed by these things, he found an outlet in the form of his masters thesis, “Designing Product Character”, which discusses the intriguing relation between material culture in our social world, and the things within. And if this is not enough, his attempt as a motion graphics designer, effects producer and video artist seeks to find solace for his obsession with the existence and various states of things. Upon receiving his Masters Degree in Industrial Design under the National University of Singapore Research Scholarship, Edwin currently pursues and evangelises his idea of things as an experience designer and educator.

MUG

103

Just another golden mug LANZAVECCHIA + WAI 120mm x 80mm x 100 mm Heat Transfer Silkscreen on Ceramic A seemingly nonchalant treatment of a precious golden vessel where a white viscous liquid overflows from within and drips all over. However, there lies the inversion of what is decoration and what is the canvas; the gold is the application while the white is of the original mug.

LANZAVECCHIA + WAI is a creative collaboration between Francesca Lanzavecchia and Hunn Wai. To them, being designers means being researchers, engineers, craftsmen and story-tellers all at the same time. Wai hails from the South-East Asian island state of Singapore, educated as an industrial designer at the National University while Lanzavecchia received her BA in Product Design from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. They began their cooperation at the Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where both graduated with Masters in Design under the direction of Gijs Bakker, co-founder of Droog Design. Design projects to them are research journeys characterised by the pursuit and selective employment of different design disciplines and professional competences, to be curated, cross-bred and nurtured into concepts and products that propose possibilities and inspire new perspectives. LANZAVECCHIA + WAI have collectively garnered attention and accolades in major design platforms such as the Fuori Salone in Milan, IMM in Cologne, Tokyo Design Week, “Design That Thinks” in Lecce and “Social Interaction by Art & Design” at t´Buurthuis in Breda, the Netherlands.

MUG

105

my destiny in few drops of dirty water LAURA MIOTTO, gsmprjct 120mm x 80mm x 100 mm Heat Transfer Silkscreen on Ceramic How meaningful is the moment when people stop for a cup of coffee or tea? The coffee break is often a quiet time, a contemplation that detaches people from the ordinary. Such rituals are created to deal with their lives. The tradition of reading into coffee and tea grounds after drinking must have started like this, as a longing for some response to their daily anxiety. This form of fortune-telling, originated in the East and diffused in Europe from the 17th Century, is known as Tasseomancy (from the French tasse = cup and mancy =prediction). It is practiced in different ways but essentially involves the reading of shapes formed by coffee or tea residues at the bottom of a drinking cup. The reading of leftovers is a different function for this mug; it is a spiritual shift, an opening to introspection. The message written within comes from the perception that objects should be considered as living entities, catalysts of actions, meanings and practices.

Laura Miotto is a design director at Gsmprjct, a company specialising in museum and exhibition design. She is originally from Milan where she studied Architecture at Politecnico di Milano. Some of her notable past projects includes Acqua da bere, Triennale of Milan 2004; Food, Film, Fashion & Photography Galleries at the National Museum of Singapore 2006; Greek Masterpieces from the Louvre at the National Museum of Singapore 2007; VOOM with Robert Wilson at the National Museum of Singapore 2008; Doubleness with Chien Chi Chang at the National Museum of Singapore 2008; Quest for Immortality at the National Museum of Singapore 2009; and most recently, the Marina Bay City Gallery for Urban Redevelopment Authority, Singapore 2010.

MUG

107

A Vessel of Plenty Low Jun Jek, YOLK 120mm x 80mm x 100 mm Heat Transfer Silkscreen on Ceramic ‘A Vessel of Plenty’ captures the many uses of a simple everyday mug and how people have all come to benefit from it. With user-interactivity in mind, the many different beverages and items that a mug can hold are blended into a fluid design. The users of the mug will discover the different objects in the design while they take their time to enjoy their favourite beverage. The intent of using the traditional Chinese porcelain design approach is to dignify the mug that has been commonly overlooked as just an everyday household item.

Jek is the co-founder of Yolk and heads the regional creative team. He finds joy in expressing his creativity through concepts, designs, illustrations and strongly believes that creativity is not bounded by the medium; he has applied this belief across interactive, illustration and animation projects. Over the past years, Jek has led his team to pick up numerous international awards, including the Webby Awards, the FWA, Creative Circle Awards, Asian Interactive Awards, Singapore Design Awards, Promax World Awards and Tokyo-Singapore DigiCon6+2. His works was screened at the Animation Film Festival in Latvia and featured in international publications, including Taschen‘s Flash Folio. He was also recently invited to be the judge for the Crowbar Awards 2009. Beyond client work, he has initiated a few personal projects, namely End Earth, a non-linear illustrative comic; Hardboiled, a digital interactive social magazine; Sixty Five, a local band portal; Got Character, an online character design competition.

MUG

109

PENCIL BOX BRIEF & DESIGN

“Design a PENCIL BOX FOR THE ‘GROWN-UPS’.”

111

Somehow, the pencil box is often associated with the adolescence stage in life. The ritual of bringing around one’s own stationery in a neat and organised manner seems too naIve for the dignity of adulthood, or too much of a hassle for burgeoning ambitions. In many situations, although a pen in a shirt pocket would effectively replace the extent of a “pencil box”, it lacks the charm and ceremony of having a box dedicated to enfold one’s stationery.

Specifications

Provisions

DELIVERABLES

Material Wood

Please keep a measure of “mass production” in one’s mind whilst exercising creativity.

Dimension drawings. 3D visualisation or model is optional, but recommended.

COLOUR Basic carpentry processes (sawing, drillings, milling, joining, etc) Production technique Heat transfer silkscreen

ADEQUATELY SIZED

Dimension restrictions Adequately sized to accomodate some stationery.

ADEQUATELY SIZED

FRONT PROFILE

113

The pencil is mightier than the keyboard CHRIS LEE & YONG, ASYLUM 180mm x 70mm x 25 mm Maple Wood The idea behind this pencil case is a simple wooden box that hopes to inspire great literary works from its user. Titles of great classic books have been inscribed on the case to remind the user that all it takes is a humble pencil to create great writing. The simple design celebrates the true hero. Long live the art of writing!

Chris Lee is the founder and Creative Director of Asylum, a highly respected creative company that comprises of a design studio and a retail store. Since its inception in 1999, the creative company has focused on cross-disciplinary projects that include interactive design, product development, environmental & interior design, packaging, apparel design, branding and graphic design. Asylum’s work in the creative industry is recognised with more than 70 international awards. Chris has served as a judge for the prestigious D & AD awards in London, The Hong Kong Designers Association Awards, The Red Dot awards and Tokyo TDC in 2009. Most recently he became a founding member and President of The Design Society, a non-profit organisation that aims to promote visual culture through exhibitions, workshops and education. Voted as “one of the most influential Creative Directors for five consecutive years, Chris is also the recipient for Designer of the year in Singapore’s President Design Award 2009. Yong is Asylum’s Senior designer, a graduate from Temasek Polytechnic he has been working with Asylum since 2007 after his National Service. He has since worked on a number of projects spanning branding, corporate brochures, environmental graphics, art direction and way finding systems. His work for Chocolate Research Facility have gone on to win awards from One Show Design Awards and most recently the Tokyo Type Director's Club. He constantly strives to create idea-driven works that can inspire, humour and even touch audiences.

PENCIL BOX

115

Adapter FELIX NG, SILNT 70mm x 70 mm x 10 mm Maple Wood, Rubber Ring Adapter + Cup = Pencil holder. Everyday, there are new products being designed regardless of its necessity. The ‘Adapter’ was designed to introduce a new way of using an object people already owned. The ‘Adapter’ is a flexible ‘plug-in’ that can be used on almost any cylindrical object — like a cup, an empty food can or a glass beaker, turning it into an organised pen holder. The idea is to reuse an existing object and simplify the way stationary is being organised.

Felix Ng is an art director. He founded design practice, SILNT (pronounced as si’lent) in 2005 after graduating from school where he studied journalism. In addition to the design practice, he started Anonymous in 2009, where he collaborates with artists and designers globally on cultural projects that have been shown in Berlin, Tokyo, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. In 2008, Felix was invited to represent Singapore at the prestigious Venice Architectural Biennale amongst 22 Singaporean designers. His work has been recognised with awards from the Art Director’s Club New York and the Hong Kong Desginers Association Awards. Felix has also served as jury in the Creative Circle and Crowbar Awards.

PENCIL BOX

117

PENCIL BOX OUTOFSTOCK 210mm x 45 mm x 14 mm Maple Wood In today’s technology-driven society, the use of traditional writing methods and instruments have long been replaced by new electronic devices and social media systems. Letter writing is a thing of the past and people seldom carry a notepad and a pencil to scribble their thoughts. The design of this pencil case is aimed at bringing back the value of writing and to give importance to a simple writing tool — the pencil. The use of maple wood emphasises the tactile quality of vintage wooden pencil boxes which were very commonly used by children in school. Though very simple in design, the pencil case required all the parts to fit perfectly in order for it to function. A sound understanding of materials and great precision were very crucial in the manufacturing process to ensure its usability.

Outofstock is a multi-cultural design collective born out of a fortuitous meeting in Stockholm, hence the name Outofstock. Gabriel Tan and Wendy Chua from Singapore, Gustavo Maggio from Argentina and Sebastián Alberdi from Spain met at Electrolux Design Lab 2005. They decided to collaborate in 2006 and what started out as a creative experiment grew into an integrated studio offering product, furniture and spatial design. Operating from Singapore and Barcelona, Outofstock works with a variety of international clients such as Ligne Roset, Bolia, Saazs and the Les Amis group. In 2009, Outofstock was appointed art director of Singapore-based design brand Foundry, taking charge of brand direction and curation of Foundry’s product lines. Outofstock was awarded “Young Designer of the Year” by Elle Decoration Spain in 2008 and the Singapore Furniture Design Award, Open Category Grand Prize in 2009.

PENCIL BOX

119

pinch LEE TZE MING, HALF & HALF 155 mm x 60 mm x 6 mm Cork Sheet The main goal was for a case that was the most efficient with material as with the way the case is used. A pencil case for everyday use and abuse that carried just enough: one, at most two pens or pencils, without elaborate lids or closures so the writing tool would still be the hero. The innate properties of cork provide the flexibility to accommodate, the friction to hold everything in place, the durability to age gracefully and the cushioning to protect both the contents as well as the pencil case carrier. Eventually, all that was necessary was the opening slit. It was realised that the simpler the design, the more complex the execution. The final design evolved through several re-designs, material fine-tuning and manufacturing puzzle-solving before it eventually reduced to become more honest to the material.

Prior to freshly co-founding half & half in Singapore, Tze spent the last four years immersed in multi-disciplinary projects at Ziba Design in Portland. He has been responsible for leading industrial design teams and collaborative workshops, contributing to the creation of successful, meaningful experiences for clients from Procter & Gamble, Nike, Logitech and Wacom, to start-up companies like Twenty20. Born in 1980, Singapore, Tze graduated from the University of Singapore with a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Design and went on to work for Philips Design, designing home entertainment consumer electronics. His works have been exhibited at Tokyo Designers Block, the Technisches Museum of Vienna in Austria, the International Design Center Nagoya and more recently at the Singapore Design Festival. Several of his works have garnered local and international design awards.

PENCIL BOX

121

PENCIL BOX

123

BEHIND EVERY OBJECT, MADE FOR SAM IS A TEAM OF PEOPLE: COLLABORATORS, MANUFACTURERS, AND INDIVIDUALS WITH THEIR FAITH, SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT. TO YOU ALL, A BIG THANK YOU.

MADE FOR SAM SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM FROM 26.10.2010 PARTNERSHIP OF SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM FARM CURATED BY FARM HANS TAN ARTISTS & DESIGNERS Jeremy San Tzer Ning, Stzern Studio JING, SUPERHYPERREAL JUSTIN LEE FFURIOUS TAN ZIXI, MESSYMSXI BASSAM JABRY, CHEMISTRY B.A.L.L.S. RANDY CHAN, ZARCH COLLABORATIVES WONG MUN SUMM & RICHARD HASSELL, WOHA YONG JIEYU, J. YU STUDIO JUSTIN LONG & JERRY GOH, HJGHER KELVIN LOK & ZANN WAN, COUPLE SEBASTIAN CHUN, SUPERBEAR TRIGGERHAPPY YUKI MITSUYASU ASH Y.S. YEO HAN KIANG SIEW JASON ONG, JIENSHU joshua COMAROFF & ONG ker-shing, lekker design TIMO WONG & PRISCILLA LUI, STUDIO JUJU CASEY CHEN colin seah, mINISTRY OF DESIGN dawn ng jackson tan & TANNY WONG, black design CHANG SHIAN wei HOKO donna ong kenneth chee, ANTFARM DESIGN grace tan, kwodrent eli marc CHERYL TAN & daryl ho, make edwin low, design facility LANZAVECCHIA + WAI laura miotto, gsmPRJCT LOW JUN JEK, yolk chris lee & YONG, asylum felix ng, silnt Outofstock lee tze ming, half & half BOOK DESIGNED & PHOTOGRAPHED BY FARM PRINTED & BOUND BY FIRST PRINTERS PTE LTD, SINGAPORE SUPPORTED BY ANTALIS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD FIRST PRINTERS PTE LTD LUZERNE STARCOLOUR TECHNOLOGIES PAPER SPONSORED BY ANTALIS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD COVER: SKIN CURIOUS COLLECTION, BLACK, 270GSM END PAPER: SKIN CURIOUS COLLECTION, BLACK, 135GSM CONTENT: FINE PRINT EDIXION, 140GSM

ABOUT SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM The mission of the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is to preserve and promote the contemporary art practices of Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. Opened in January 1996 as a museum under the National Heritage Board of Singapore, SAM has amassed one of the world's largest public collections of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian artworks. Since 2009, SAM has focused its programming and collections development initiatives around contemporary Southeast Asian art and art practices. Through strategic alliances with arts and cultural institutions and community organisations, SAM facilitates visual art education, exchange, research and development within the region and internationally. SAM is aLso the organiser of the Singapore Biennale 2011.

APOSTROPHE S BY FARM Apostrophe S is a product-making process by FARM. Through this system, they collaborate with a network of local designers, artists, institutions and manufacturers making and distributing products with a twist of the Singapore identity. Within this framework, they are a means to help others realise their products creating something they own, therefore the name Apostrophe S.

HANS TAN Hans Tan is a product designer with a penchant for design pedagogy. His works employ function as a medium, focusing on contextual research that yields conceptual propositions through design. He teaches at the National University of Singapore in the Division of Industrial Design.

SUPPORTERS

ANTALIS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD As one of the leaders in paper distribution, Antalis (Singapore) Pte Ltd markets and distributes a wide range of premium creative papers to the design and commercial print industry.Â As part of the company's commitment to the environment, Antalis has achieved FSC and PEFC Chain-of-Custody certification to supply certified environmentally-friendly products to their customers.

First PrinterS PTE LTD First Printers specialises in delivering high quality print services and innovative print solutions TO the creative arts industry. They provide technical nous through consultations, and combine age-old craftsmanship coupled with the latest print technologies to realise their clients' creations.

Luzerne Luzerne is renowned for its ceramic and stone tableware, harnessing the skills of craftsmen, designers and artists. It is also widely recogniSed as a pioneer in perfecting traditional bone china without the use of animal bone ash. Today, Luzerneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus is primarily in high quality ceramic and stone tableware manufacturing, under the brands Luzerne New Bone and Luzerne Genuine Stoneware. It continues to use traditional techniques such as hand-painting, glazing, printing and decal application combined with modern technology at a fully automated plant with production capacity of over 20 million pieces of ceramic and stone tableware annually. The company is also established as a reliable contract manufacturer for renowned global ceramic tableware brands and has a strong reputation as the preferred business partner for many of the top global hotel groups and restaurants.

Starcolor Technology StarColor was founded in yearÂ 2003 to locally manufacture CNC router machineS to provide quality and reliable machines in Asia. It is now one of the Asian leaders in the developing and manufacturing of CNC machines for sign-making, woodworking and metal-cutting industries AMONG OTHERS. They believe in using technology to increase quality,Â productivity and creativity.

MADE WITH LOVE, MADE WITH WIT, MADE WITH CARE, MADE FOR SAM IS A RANGE OF USABLE, UNIQUE AND FUN PRODUCTS, MADE FOR YOUR EVERYDAY! WE HOPE WITH THIS BOOK, YOU WILL UNCOVER OUR PROCESSES, AND ALL THE JOY THAT COME WITH IT.