Rattan Eco Sprawl: Manifesting the Forest
Zen Teh Shi Wei (Singapore)
2023 by Zen Teh in collaboration with Dr Chua Siew Chin
Rattan, wood, tropical plants for forest restoration
Rattan Eco Sprawl: Manifesting the Forest nestles in the lush greenery of a quiet spot in the neighbourhood. Constructed primarily from rattan, its wavy forms weave in elements from the natural world including mountains and mounds where insects dwell. Such formations have also inspired sacred monuments like the Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Mirroring the atmosphere of reverence when entering similar spaces, the lowered ceilings and narrowed passageways of Rattan Eco Sprawl impel visitors to navigate the enclosed space with care. Live plants encroach its exterior, furnished with selected species also found in the adjacent forest. Witnessed here is the same jostle between natural and man-made elements in the area: tree roots pushing their way through concrete pavements, destabilising fences and bollards, as if nature was attempting to reclaim its territory.
Rattan Eco Sprawl reflects on this entanglement of nature and urban development against the backdrop of a fast-changing Singapore landscape while extending the ecological network of the existing forest. While the forest remains partially earmarked for the development of a new MRT station, the work serves as a vessel for sonic encounters, embracing both man-made noise and the serenades of nature.
Through engagements with rattan and wood artisans, an ecologist, and nonhuman residents, Rattan Eco Sprawlacknowledges the fragile, intertwined relationship that we share with nature, driving a collaborative need to bring old and new knowledges together for a sustainable future.
Rattan Eco Sprawl
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan Eco Sprawl
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan Eco Sprawl
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan Eco Sprawl
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan weaving as communal activity and knowledge sharing process
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan weaving as communal activity and knowledge sharing process
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan weaving as communal activity and knowledge sharing process
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Rattan weaving as communal activity and knowledge sharing process
© Zen Teh Shi Wei
Zen Teh is an artist and educator interested in the interdisciplinary studies of nature and human behavior. Her art practice spans across photography, sculpture and installation art. Teh initiated numerous collaborative projects with artists, art professionals and scientists over the years: A Familiar Forest is a long term ongoing collaboration with environmental biologist, Dr Ching Jianhong from DUKE-NUS that has been exhibited at the ArtScience Museum (2015) and Lee Wee Nam Library, NTU (2021-2022). Her residency at Selasar Sunaryo Art Space (2019) and Sa Sa Art Projects (2022) involved collaboration and research with geologist, urban planner and architect, investigating the impact of rapid urban development on Indonesia and Cambodia.
Teh has been consistently showcased in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Singapore and the region, including National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and ArtScience Museum, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan and China and invited as a guest speaker at regional and international environmental conferences such as UNESCO-UNITWIN 2021, ASEAN Powershift 2015 and Hanoi Innovation Week 2016 on Sustainability. Her works have been acquired by the SAM collection and numerous private collections in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Singapore.
In 2021, Teh was conferred the Young Artist Award by The National Arts Council, Singapore’s highest accolade for artists under the age of 35.
