Cover (Photo: Marina Bay Singapore/Facebook)

The unofficial islandwide art trail of sculptures by famous artists in unusual places

While museums and galleries are textbook places where one can expect artworks to be displayed, they are now also found in unexpected areas around the island. Art truly takes to the streets as these sculptures seamlessly interact with the public spaces they occupy. 

Installed by a series of famous artists, these figures sit proudly in some unorthodox spaces. On your next commute, be sure to keep an eye out to spot these eight sculptures you may not have noticed before.

In case you missed it: These luxury hotels in Singapore house stunning artworks by world-famous artists

1. The Walk at Westgate

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Above (Photo: Capitaland)

Belgium artist Dirk De Keyzer’s figurative sculptures capture the sense of enchantment and relationship between humans and animals. Working exclusively with bronze, Keyzer’s elongated, impish figures are distinct and easily recognisable. 

Spot his installation, The Walk, as you window shop around Westgate in Jurong East. Depicting a dynamic moment between a woman and her spirited dog, the sculpture conveys the shared connection of the companions.

Find the sculpture at Westgate, Level 1

2. 2 x 2 II at CapitaGreen

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Above (Photo: Capitaland)

Internationally renowned British artist Antony Gormley explores the interaction of human bodies with nature and spaces with his evocative sculptures.

Carved from Carrara marble, 2 x 2 II occupies the CapitaGreen office in the heart of the central business district. Two geometric figures stand side by side at attention, their otherworldly appearance serving as a “what if” to the limits of human development through technology.

Find the sculpture at CapitaGreen, Level 1

3. School Time Memories at Far East Square

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Photo 1 of 2 (Photo: Far East Organisation)
Photo 2 of 2 (Photo: Far East Organisation)

A member of the Singapore Modern Art Society, sculptor Lim Leong Seng is known for his depiction of Singapore’s prominent working class. Depicting rickshaw drivers and Samsui women, Lim’s proficiency in bronze realism breathes nostalgia to its viewers.

Far East Square was once a street for children would gather to play capteh in. Lim pays homage to that past by immortalising the nostalgia of that scene with School Time Memories.

Find the sculpture at Far East Square, Near Pavilion 

4. Sky Mirror at Lily Pond

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Above (Photo: Marina Bay Singapore/Facebook)

Best known for Cloud Gate, or the bean at Millennium Park in Chicago, British-Indian sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor specialises in installation art. Considered as one of the most influential artists of his generation, Kapoor excels at abstract forms and working with negative space. 

If you’ve visited the Lily Pond outside the ArtScience Museum and taken a selfie against this concave surface, you may have been unexpectedly surprised to discover that it’s actually Kapoor’s Sky Mirror. The sculpture engages with its surrounding space by reflecting the lotus-shaped museum, doubling as a perfect location for a photo that encompasses the sky and architecture.

Find the sculpture at the Lily Pond at the ArtScience Museum

5. Above below beneath above at Market Street Tower

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Photo 1 of 3 (Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson)
Photo 2 of 3 (Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson)
Photo 3 of 3 (Photo: Studio Olafur Eliasson)

Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, Olafur Eliasson engages with elemental materials, namely light, water, and air temperature in his captivating works. His pieces have been exhibited in places like Tate Modern and Serpentine Gallery in London.

Above below beneath above is a massive sculpture specifically produced to occupy the entrance of Toyo Ito’s CapitaGreen. The artwork consists of 56 stainless steel columns that sprout from ground to ceiling, with 16 glass lamps. It’s an extension of life that takes inspiration from the botanical themes of the building’s design.

Find the sculpture at the entrance area of Toyo Ito's Market Street Tower 

6. Moongate at Gardens by the Bay

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Above (Photo: Gardens by the Bay)

A recipient of the Cultural Medallion, the highest art accolade in Singapore, Chong Fah Cheong’s sculptures can be found all throughout the island. Take a walk along the Singapore River to admire a series of his experimental abstract and figurative pieces.

Then, visit Gardens by the Bay to spot Chong’s Moongate, a reimagination of the architectural moon gates found in a botanical garden in Penang.

Find the sculpture at Gardens by the Bay (Waterfront Promenade)

7. Tropical Leaf at One Raffles Quay

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Above (Photo: One Raffles Quay)

Busy office workers might find a little reprieve from the day by stopping to admire Han Sai Por’s Tropical Leaf. It’s displayed in the bustling outdoor area of One Raffles Quay.

A clean white slab of marble, the sculpture conveys a sense of nature with its unfurling textured spiral, reminiscent of grooves on a leaf. The piece draws attention to the relationship between nature and the urban environment, further emphasised by its unexpected place among office buildings.

Find the sculpture at One Raffles Quay

8. Inscription Of The Island at Changi Beach Park

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Above (Photo: Ministry of National Development)

Artist Lim Soo Ngee is another notable local sculptor whose works pay homage to the past. His pieces are often humorous, whimsical and otherworldly in nature.

Commissioned for the Singapore Biennale art exhibition in 2016, Inscription Of The Island, colloquially referred to as “the finger”, sits imposingly on the landscape of Changi Beach. The giant sculpture was crafted as an imagined relic leftover from Singapore’s Bronze Age. It’s now a popular landmark commonly used by pan-island cyclists.

Find the sculpture at Changi Beach Park

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