BACK TO THE FUTURE
What would you nd if you travelled forward in time? TAN MIN YAN gets a sneak peek through a whimsical art exhibition.
A whimsical art exhibition gives us a glimpse into the future.
“Ifeel like an archaeologist!” I said chirpily, as I dusted and chipped away stray bits of aluminum oxide from my freshly cast mould of a now-defunct Blackberry model. Just 20 minutes ago, the mould was merely a plaster-fi lled imprint that was slowly cooling and solidifying in an aluminum oxide sandpit. Now, it looks like a relic recently unearthed at an archaeological site.
Please excuse my delusions of grandeur. You see, I was getting a behind-the-scenes look into the creation of #Yesterdays Futures (Part II), an exhibition that presented everyday items as future relics.
It was part of the ongoing Louis Vuitton-School of the Arts (Sota) Arts Excellence Programme – a collaboration between the brand and Sota – and reflects American artist Daniel Arsham’s teamwork with 15 students of the programme.
In one of Sota’s workshops, I was working on my own “relic” with help from the students, and having flashbacks of archaelogical scenes from Jurassic Park. “Yes, that’s actually the point of the exhibition,” replied one of the students wryly. Oops.
Indeed, the point of casting personal “relics” was to appreciate how items that were recently made obselete would look when they’re unearthed in the distant future.
The 17-day #Yesterdays Futures (Part II) held at Sota Gallery last November showcased casts of various electronic devices, all of which were given a decayed appearance.
This, however, was just an extension of Daniel’s first solo exhibition here: The ongoing #Yesterdays Futures (Part I), which features works based on his experience on Easter Island.
Visit the exhibition to admire his fantastical sculptures of modern objects such as pay phones recreated in volcanic ash and crystal, or his haunting interpretations of Easter Island’s Moai statues.