The next time you walk the linkway connecting the North-East MRT Line and East-West MRT Line, slow down your pace for a while and see if you can spot these 'commuters', an artwork by renown local artist & sculptor Teo Eng Seng (张永生).
He was a recipient of the Cultural Medallion in 1986 for his contributions to visual arts. He holds the record for being the first schoolboy in Singapore to hold a one-man art exhibition. His invention of the paperdyesculp as a medium ranks as one of the most significant achievements of second-generation artists in Singapore.
Emerging from and melting into the walls of this station are 69 concrete reliefs of surreal human forms that accompany commuters as they make their way through the station. Titled ‘Commuters’, this is one of the most thought provoking artworks on the North East Line. The rich and varied wall reliefs of people in motion reflect the thoughts and inner-most feelings of commuters. These images seem to emerge from the wall and disappear into it, inviting commuters to pause and contemplate their meaning. Intending to represent the commuters’ state of mind, these art pieces offer snippets of movement and form, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks. The buildings, landmarks & objects featured in the artwork also serve as a form of wayfinding for the commuters.
The work was originally fashioned in clay by the artist before being transferred onto concrete wall panels. What’s interesting is this artwork actually encourages commuters to touch it and get it dirtied over time. This dirtying process helps to bring out the details of the pieces over time and seasons the art piece. The next time you come across these reliefs, share with us what’s your favourite !!!
Some trivia, the North-East line was the first MRT line to have artworks installed in all it's stations. The artwork alone cost S$6.8 million. Some of these pieces are massive installations on walls, others unobtrusively integrated and etched into the floors.
“Practise never, never makes perfect. You practise to improve and change but once you become fully satisfied with your own work, that is the end of art. Art is about struggling constantly; about craving for new things.” - Teo Eng Seng
