The Hour Glass Presents Doppelgȁnger by Jun Ong for ART SG
The Hour Glass, Associate Partner of ART SG, the largest art fair in South-East Asia and the Oceanic region, presents a newly-commissioned work by Malaysian artist Jun Ong.
Michael Tay, Group Managing Director, The Hour Glass, with artist Jun Ong, in front of Doppelgȁnger. This piece has been especially commissioned for the inaugural edition of ART SG.
“The Hour Glass has a longstanding commitment to support contemporary visual artists and we are thrilled to present this new work by Jun Ong at the inaugural edition of ART SG. This installation – Doppelgänger – levers off a much-debated hypothesis concerning the existence of multiple parallel universes existing within a single linear time continuum and provides us with a thought-provoking render of its possibility,” said Michael Tay, Group Managing Director, The Hour Glass.
Considering Multiverses
Jun Ong’s artwork seeks to examine the multiverse theory, considering how doppelgȁngers can exist in parallel universes. Doppelgȁnger incorporates organic elements sampled from decades-old roots of Mentaling trees native to the mangrove swamps of Johor and juxtaposes it against an intricate light installation. This work serves as a proposition on the conceptual, imagined reality of parallel universes that exists within our immediate spacetime continuum. Nestled within the bustle of an art fair, Ong hopes the work will provide a spacelike environment for calm and contemplation.
Celebrating Craftsmanship
Intricate neon lights have been shaped based on the salvaged Mentaling tree roots from Johor.
To realize this ambitious artwork, Ong collaborated with master craftsman, Law Keng Futt, a 30 year veteran in the fabrication of neon glass lights. With the human element increasingly removed from most industries, the delicate art of neon glass blowing and bending is a vanishing tradecraft, particularly in South-East Asia. The challenge of hand-bending the glass elements to perfectly match a natural form was one that Law was eager to accept. In this way, the creative process of the artwork juxtaposes a contemporary idea that is reflected in traditional medium.
A soundscape composed by euseng seto, a Malaysian electro-acoustic sound artist, accompanies the installation, adding to the ethereal and otherworldly sensations when enveloped within the installation.
Doppelgȁnger by Malaysian artist Jun Ong at ART SG
Doppelgänger will be on display at basement 2, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre, and open to all ART SG visitors. Experience this specially commissioned work and reflect on the multiple dimensions of our present space-time continuum at Singapore’s largest ever art fair. For more information, visit ART SG.
