A Familiar Forest
Zen Teh, Singapore
Set in an urban space, A Familiar Forest by environmental artist Zen Teh is an immersive art installation that replicates the ambience of a natural forest in the night. This interdisciplinary blend of art and science is a response to the complexities of human-nature relationships in the context of urbanity. Medical research has established a close correlation between human wellness and proximity to nature, but what does it mean to be connected to nature? Human activities are affected by the constant power shift with nature as urbanism continues to shape our environment. Loss of local knowledge and deteriorating perceptions of normality in environmental conditions over time pose challenges to human-nature relationships. As the state of human and natural landscapes change rapidly, how can we understand human-nature interconnectivity?
In this exhibition, we present a replica of a local forest. This is also a manifestation of our imaginations and desires towards nature as urban dwellers. Scientific research on the therapeutic effects of nature by Dr Ching Jianhong (Duke-NUS) complements the installation, presented as 34 images of Singapore’s parks and nature reserves, artificial soundscape and concocted scents. Human beings have become better at extracting aspects of nature for our sustenance and ambition, devising ways to mitigate challenges arising from the continual depletion of natural environs. However, will our efforts and efficiency ever fail us? Will replication ever be enough?
A Familiar Forest is an extension of a solo exhibition by Zen Teh entitled Sensing States: Healing Spaces, presented at the Art Science Museum in 2015. This was an Art and Science Open Call initiative by The Substation. Dr Ching Jianhong was the scientific advisor to this project since its first presentation. The artificial soundscape was created by Brian O’Reilly.
A Familiar Forest
© Zen Teh
A Familiar Forest
© Zen Teh
A Familiar Forest
© Zen Teh
A Familiar Forest
© Zen Teh
First channel
© Jaxton Su
Zen Teh is an artist and educator interested in interdisciplinary studies of nature and human behaviour. Her art practice spans across photography, sculpture and installation art. Her works have been showcased in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, and was invited as a guest speaker at regional environmental conferences such as ASEAN Powershift 2015 and Hanoi Innovation Week 2016. Teh has also been recently awarded the winning title for the 7th France+Singapore Photographic Arts Award and Finalist (Artist) for 2019 IMPART Awards and 2021 Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize on sustainability.
