On the Sculpture Trail
Near the end of every year, when Christmas cheer starts to descend upon the multitudes on the isle of Singapore, figurines of Santa appear along the water features near the Nassim gate of the Botanic Gardens. I have a good memory of these decorations, and I especially remember appreciating them during one Christmas season, two and a half years ago. At the time, Ethan had just completed his PSLE and Audrey her A Levels. At work, our group of four scientists had recently managed to clinch some grant funding to pursue research in cultivated meat. After work one day, I visited the Gardens to partake of the seasonal atmosphere, feeling grateful for the blessings in life. The Santas were simple faces painted on the surface of tree stumps, with plant, flower and other decorations surrounding them. But as simple as they were, they captured the spirit of festivity at the Botanic Gardens, serving as models posing for the more animated, camera-toting visitors, which included myself!
Tree stump Santas bring festive cheer
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Ethnobotany and the Seeds of Life
Above: `Mystree’,
Below: `Native Wildlife’
I was happy to have found the first sculpture on the list, but hesitated to linger, being aware that there were many more to go on the trail! I continued to observe the theme of interdependence at a nearby sculpture where a butterfly was sipping nectar from a hibiscus flower, ensuring not just its own survival, but that of the hibiscus species.It was time to go to the Ethnobotany Garden, where the next series of sculptures could be found. This Garden is a relatively recent addition to the Botanic Gardens, and it was established to enhance the educational value of the Gardens, which is one of the functions of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
I myself felt that I had learnt a fair deal on ethnobotany here, and especially enjoyed visiting the museum that was located on a ridge that bordered NUS. For example, there had been a recent exhibition on durians, which opened my eyes to the astounding array of durian species and varieties that exist. The museum was also where I first learnt about the larger than life EJH Corner, who was assistant director of the Gardens at the time of the Japanese occupation.
One could say that the earliest example of ethnobotany appeared during the time of the hunter gatherers. These societies had a very close relationship with the flora and fauna that surrounded them. Their hunting weapons, for example, were tipped with plant poisons that could paralyse their quarry. The wood that they obtained from the forest were building materials for their homes and furniture, or used to fashion totems to ward off evil spirits.Happily enough, this close relationship with Nature has persisted to the present day. For example, in the form of fruits and flowers that modern humans retain in their traditional dishes and decorations for religious festivals and wedding ceremonies.
I wondered what it would be like to be a hunter gatherer wandering through the dark woods. Would I be feeling cautious when treading over the fallen twigs on the forest floor lest other predators sensed my presence? Or would I be glad that I had managed to find the leaf that would help soothe the rashes of my newborn, now stashed safely in the bamboo container that I kept by my side?
Left: Totems; Right: Hunter gatherer using a blowpipe
Plants
used as symbolism in traditional rituals
Hunter gatherer
The next few sculptures served to illustrate the wonder of evolution and how it had created the wonderful diversity of living things, the 'endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful' that Darwin had rightly gushed about towards the end of his magnus opus.
We often imagine this of fauna, but the shaping hand of evolution is no less creative when it comes to shaping parts of plants, especially those involved in the critical process of seed dispersal. Aptly, the seed sculptures no. were all close to or within the compound of the National Seed Bank. And they were all beauties of form and function. The seeds of saga daun tajam self-disperse when their 15 cm pods burst and the seeds fall to the ground. Birds, mistaking these brightly coloured seeds for berries, have been known to consume them and help in the dispersal process!
Saga
daun tajam
Sea
Pong Pong seeds
The seed of the sea pong-pong on the other hand, is water dispersed. For this, it has the aid of a thick, fibrous mesocarp, which helps to keep it afloat and travel long distances on water.
The Tandok tandok plant is a climber that can be found locally, but which is critically endangered. Its seeds comprise of beautiful star-shaped flowers, each petal extending into a red tendril-like tip.
The seed of the Javan Cucumber is dispersed by wind. Interestingly, the fruit of the plant contains hundreds of winged seeds (one extremely enlarged one shown in the picture) that can glide in the air for hundreds of metres.
When is a rose not a rose?
Beautiful roses from Papa and Mummy’s garden at Taman Sentosa
At the Botanic
Gardens, one sees not only the close relationship and interaction between
animal and plants (as in pollination), or between humans and plants (as in
ethnobotany), but also the communication between countries. This is aptly
symbolized by a sculpture called Conversation, which stands halfway between the
symphony lake and the Clock Tower area. Conversation comprises engravings of
the Rose of Sharon and the Vanda Miss Joaquim, which are the national flowers
of the Republics of Korea and Singapore, respectively. According to the NPArks
website, `the two floral images spring from the same centre, symbolising the
interconnectedness and friendship between the two countries’, which also `underscores
the important role that individuals play in maintaining balance and true
harmony with nature.’
I had never heard of the `Rose of Sharon’ prior to researching the sculptures on the trail and promptly looked it up on the Internet. Apparently, the `Rose of Sharon’ is first mentioned in the Bible, in the second song of Solomon. The name has been applied to several different species of flowering plants, including crocus, tulip and lily, but in neither case refers to actual roses! More recently, the "Rose of Sharon" has been used to describe other plants, amongst which are two species of Hibiscus- Hibiscus syriacus, the national flower of South Korea (also known as "Mugunghwa", and which appears on the sculpture), and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (var. 'Vulcan'), which is incidentally the national flower of Malaysia!
`Conversations- From Nature’
The Frog and the Snake
At the Gardens Nassim Gate and Headquarters, I managed to locate Joram Mariga's Bullfrog. Mariga once said that "One should avoid realism, create a large place for the brain and large eyes, because sculptures are beings who must be able to think and see for themselves for eternity".
As I stood there, gazing at the grey stone bullfrog and its bulbous head sitting amongst the greenery, I could not but wonder at this beautiful interweaving of art and Nature, of imagination and Science. Joram Mariga had produced a fantastical statement that would never be accepted by any scientific journal, and yet, there was nothing wrong with it, in fact his statement bordered reasonable! In all likelihood, the toad would be around long after we had vanished into dust. And no one could doubt that the brain-body ratio of animal species was proportional to its intelligence!
The other sculpture in the vicinity, the Gaboon Viper, was supposed to be close by according to the map, but despite my careful reference to the sculpture trail map and Google Maps, it was elusive. It was supposed to be just outside the men's toilet, which I had just visited, but was nowhere in sight. Perhaps obscured by some of the renovation works ongoing there, I thought. I decided to enlist the help of a young Gardens staff at the Information counter nearby. He seemed very unfazed and helpful, and I was curious if he had visitors enquire about the location of stone vipers all the time. However, he wasn't sure where it was either. I referred him to my map and we retraced my steps, but to no avail. I was ready to give up, but the officer decided to press on, maintaining that he had an impression of seeing it previously. And before long, he was proved correct. It turned out that the location on the map was an inadvertent red herring- the elusive viper was located just across the corridor from Mariga's bullfrog!
Artforms like sculptures have always been a way for artists to express themselves, to give vent to emotions, to act as catharsis. According to NParks info booklet, the viper was created when its sculptor was going through a period of personal problems and had wanted to create something aggressive to personify his negative feelings then. In the long run, it remains to be seen if the bullfrog would be intelligent enough to outwit this aggressive snake!
One visit to the Botanic Gardens was not enough for me to complete the Sculpture Trail. Following the first delightful excursion, Life threw a few curveballs that required our consummate attention and understanding. Happily though, all that did not cut short my goal of completing the sculpture circuit. Some time after the first visit, I found myself in the region of Swan Lake at the Gardens, where I had left off the last time. Here, there are a series of beautifully rendered sculptures of human forms engaged in leisurely activity, which blends in nicely with the well-tended compounds and open green space opposite the lake.
'Girl on a Bicycle' nestled amongst well-manicured greenery
`Girl on a swing'
`Nurturing'
Boys playing a game called `Chang Kuda'
One particular sculpture that caught my eye was `The Transfer of Knowledge'. This comprised two figurines, the larger one squatting on a boulder while pouring water into a bowl held up by the smaller one, who was standing below. It appeared to be the transfer of water, representing knowledge, between generations. The water appeared to 'runneth over' though, and I thought that this would signify that knowledge would continue to be passed down to the next generation, and the subsequent one.
The Circle of Life
`Joy’
On the sculpture
trail, my favourite would probably be the one called `Joy’. It is the sculpture
of a mother holding her child up in the air while gazing at it. Truly, there is
no greater love than that of a mother for her only child, and for that matter,
the experience of joy is probably just as matchless.
The bond between
mother and child is something unique and so strong, that it carries on
unbroken, even when seemingly separated by death. The Israeli sculptor of `Joy’,
Ruth Bloch, lost her mother giving birth to her brother when Ruth was only nine
years old. According to Ruth, she picked up the the tools left by her mother,
who was an artist, in order to take care of her family. In her other acclaimed
sculptures that touch on family, Joy Bloch has created a work where the `figures
are one; locked in an unending circle of life’. [2] Truly, in `Joy’, there is
no separation between mother and child. With the passage of time, the child
becomes the mother, bearing her child delightfully overhead.
`Joy’ from another angle
The experience is one
that is universal, as demonstrated by Zimbawean artist Dominic Benhura’s `Swing
Me Mama’, located not far away. As aptly described by the NParks brochure, `the
piece portrays a mother swinging her child, a scene inspired by the artist’s
experience of playing with his own child.’ Just next to this is a gazebo, which
provides the wonderful backdrop of Swan Lake, making it a favourite spot for
wedding and convocation photos.
Just the other day, I
encountered a group of young women donning their mortar boards and convocation
dresses, posing there for a photo. It reminded me that our own daughter would
be due for her own ceremony in just two years’ time. These women would be going
on to live their lives, their dreams and careers; some of them would become
mothers themselves. Perhaps they would also gaze up at their newborn with great
joy, and dream of `the Circle of Life’.
Top: `Swing Me Mama’; Bottom: Posing for a convocation photo at Swan Lake
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