Luxury adventure travel- as far as real estate go,( or rather, the lack of it), luxury adventure travel connotes a sense of displacement, a lack of possessions and the true luxury that does not hamper mobility. Luxury adventure travel in Mongolia with the distinctive Mongolian gers

- inspiring a new aesthetic tangent in mobile tented safaris- reaching all the way to Africa, the Caribbean and North America , is capturing the imagination of a larger demographic of people than what the Mongol conquerors managed to in the 14th century. Luxury Safaris via luxury mobile tents through Kenya and the Serengeti, being another variant of adventure travel, allows one to venture into the most remote parts of Africa , unhampered by the lack of suitable accommodation or travel infrastructure.

The themes of luxury and adventure travel aren’t as divergent as it’s been made out to be- whilst the true (and best, according to Chatwin), nomads, are able to withstand the most basic of living conditions- travel in the modern world is a temporary affair, couched against the comforting knowledge that no matter how bad things get, there’ll always be the luxury of home to return to at the end of the journey. The most famous adventurers of modern times are almost always financially well-off and Chatwin, despite his championing of the basic lifestyles of the nomads, found it fit to complain in his diaries:
“18th day of disasters. Wrecked my plans. (…) Feeling very hard done by. At least the sun is shining. It rained earlier. Difficulties of Patagonia. Want a salad. Cannot face any more meat. Dust in your eyes”- from the thesis of Jonathan Michael Chatwin, 2008.

Have not found any shit on Thesiger though…

The Red Dragon

Art is a reflection of society. Buildings are built according to the ideals of the flourishing empire and paintings may portray the type of life people envision. With the rise of a new social or cultural movement, new buildings are erected and those of the past demolished. Hence, to understand the past or to know the future, we can turn to art and architecture.

With the liberalization and rapid development of the 1.3 billion people nation, China is turning heads of many around the world. China as a superpower commands respect, admiration as well as fear in the eyes of many politicians. Businessmen are now all jumping onto the Chinese bandwagon, to get their slice of the pie as the Chinese economy grows exponentially. They are not the only ones, artists and architects are looking towards the Red Dragon once again.

Chinese Art is making a comeback and it is now bigger and bolder. Contemporary Chinese interior design maintains its penchant for details but includes new and modern elements like steel. The use of bold colours—lime green, sunshine yellow, neon pink replacing the traditional wooden finishing—signifies the great leap forward for China once again. This exciting movement is certainly worth paying close attention to.

Old vs. New

Traditional Chinese architecture focuses on the delicate details of each piece of furniture. This can be seen in the elaborate wood carvings of dragons and phoenixes. The meticulous artist pays attention to all the elements then intricately crafts his art as a whole. The final product, an article that is continuous, where there is a seamless transition from lines to curves. The look is extremely polished.

While the old Chinese design may prove to be a little stuffy for most of us, contemporary Chinese architecture is exciting. A greater mix of materials and colours brings life to Chinese art, transforming it from its old fashioned self.

Traditional floral patterns are toned down by reducing its design complexity to give a slightly more neutral look. By painting these patterns on a lime green wall or lacquer it over a brown wall, an eclectic effect is created. Who would imagine that Chinese art can be combined with sleek modern edges and clean lines of steel cabinets?

By increasing the size of the Chinese daybed, yoke back armchairs and console tables, then painting them a pink panther or sunshine yellow, the contemporary Chinese furniture can bring life to any neutral tone house.

Chinese Art

Chinese Art can be divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and the changing technologies. Politics, education, philosophy and religion also influence the direction of art.

From the Shang Dynasty focus on the clarity of details, to Song’s emphasis on spiritual elements in subtle expressions of landscape and Ming’s perfection in colour painting, traditions were followed strictly to maintain the prestige and culture of the prevailing periods. Modern Chinese art however, is said to have departed from the avant-garde movement’s focus on social and political change. Critiques claim that many artists are dropping political or social themes altogether to create works that appeal to the aesthetic sense of wealthy buyers. Mao Ze Dong’s portraits are now created in dark and cynical hues that are incompatible with his image at the peak of his career.

This emphasis on pretty pictures in the 1990s however, reflects the change in cultural make up of the society towards the goals of wealth and economic power and the formation of a white collar and commercial culture. The likes of Xu Bing (leader of Chinese avant-garde art), Huang Yong Ping and Cai Quo Qiang among many others were thought to be disregarded by the public.

The changing economy provided contemporary artists new themes despite the foreseen demise of social commentary—the desire to get rich quickly, competitiveness, widening income gap, consumerism, leisure. The new ideology in China led to Political Pop and Cynical Realism styles.

The focus on portraits in modern Chinese art also expounds on the themes of individualism, desire and reality showing how people comprehend and reconstruct the roles amid the confusion of the city life. There is some sort of abstract qualities to the portraits with certain alien like qualities that varies from blank expressions to wide eye astonishment.

Avant-garde themes are still favoured in contemporary Chinese art; it is just that the forms are prettier, more personal and private in subject matter and more professional in technique. Social commentary is still alive.

Where to get Contemporary Chinese Art

Linda Gallery—established in 1990, specialises in contemporary Chinese art and Indonesian paintings. he gallery has held numerous exhibitions, featuring works by famous Chinese Contemporary artists, Indonesian maestros, Indo–European artists, as well as other South East Asian artists. #01-03 Block 15 Dempsey Road, Tanglin Village.

Jasmine Fine Arts—Specialises in contemporary Chinese art and holds regular exhibitions. It has exhibited works by Zeng Fangzhi (in collaboration with the Singapore Art Museum) and Yang Jinsong. 290 Orchard Road, #05-25 Paragon.

Kwan Hua Art Gallery—Offers a good selection of Oriental and contemporary Chinese art, including thoe by Bai Jin Shun, Zeng Jie and Zhang Xian Ming. Prices range from 1-6k. 19 Tanglin Road, #02-61 Tanglin Shopping Centre

Ode To Art—One of the largest galleries in Singapore. 252North Bridge Road, Raffles City Shopping Centre #01-36E/F

Singapore Art Museum (SAM)—Has exhibitions featuring works of Chinese contemporary artists. Zeng Fangzhi has been featured previously. The exhibition, entitled Idealism, showcased 36 major works including his celebrated series Hospital, Meat, Mask and Portraits. 71 Bras Basah Road

Soobin Art International—One of the first local galleries to carry contemporary Chinese art. The gallery has represented some top artists like Yue Minjun, Wang Guanyi, Zhang Xiaogang, Ye Yong Qing etc. While the gallery has sold its collections by these famous artists, it continues to promote new artists from places like Szechuan and Chengdu. 140 Hill Street #01-10/11/12 MICA Building.

Luxury travel to China effectively introduces you to the trendiest art galleries, the best restaurants and insider access whilst being based in the most luxurious hotels.

Singapore has a delectable mix of people from all countries, of all races and religion, of multiple personalities. We love foreign talents because they bring the best from their countries and we love other things they bring along with them e.g. their culture, art, design, food etc.

Imitation is the best form of flattery and Singaporeans are the epitome of this sentence. Regardless of where we go, we take back the best bit back to our wonderful little country and sometimes come up with something uniquely Singaporean after mixing everything together. Sometimes.

 

There may be some correlation between home décor in Singapore and travel patterns. Perhaps? Think the Banyan tree look in the 80s, the tropical modern look, Zen in the later 90s and now Modern Baroque is making a comeback. But I question the relation to traveling. There is a greater likelihood that Guy A goes over to Bali, sees something he likes, decorates his home after it, perhaps got his place showcased in a magazine and “WALA!” everyone copies the same Balinese style. Luxury travel in Bali with its world class resorts or rather, luxury travel in Indonesia with an increasingly sophisticated array of travel solutions in off-the-beaten trek locations, offer a great way of orienting the home decor neophyte with an exotic South-East Asian aesthetic. Nevertheless the popularity of certain interior design themes in Singapore is worthy of a mention.

Balinese

Courtesy of blogman from sxc.hu

Singaporeans love the beach and resort feel. So much that they have brought back the resorts right into their homes. The desire to create a hideaway, reminiscent of the charming villas found in the tropical Indonesian island of Bali, has led to the burgeoning trend of Balinese themed décor.

Singapore was a developing nation in the mentioned period. Travelling was mostly limited to the surrounding countries. As a result, Singapore home décor was very Asian (nothing to do with any intrinsic cultural trait) but rather due to the logics of consumption (what we can afford vs. what we really want).

Nevertheless, the Balinese style still lingers in some Singaporean homes today. The idyllic feel and care freeness of this particular style takes away one’s pressure from the hustle and bustle in the city. One can almost pretend they are relaxing on a deck chair enjoying the breeze with a cocktail in hand or perhaps partying on the sandy beach with the hottest babes and hunks or even meditating in the woods, listening to the trickling of a stream.

Some features of the Balinese styled homes would be the amount of space (or the illusion of space). Furniture and ornaments are often simple, reducing the amount of clutter in the room. As a result, sunlight streams in easily, creating an airy, well lit effect throughout the house. Water feature is almost a must. The constant trickling of water relaxes the aural senses and calms the soul. It also adds some life to the monotonous day we have had in our little office cubicle.

Whether it is the handcrafted carvings that double up as intricate showpieces, the beautiful and bold paintings that pepper the rooms or the woody furniture where weary homeowners can sink their tired bodies in and fall straight into an idyllic reverie, the rustic décor attracted a large group of followers. But of course, Singaporeans are fickle and they look for change and hence the development of the modern Balinese themed homes.

Michael White a.k.a. Made Wijaya of the 90s

Born Michael White, Made Wijaya is one of the world’s most celebrated tropical garden designers with about 600 gardens to his credit in locations as far away as Morocco, Hawaii, the continental United States, Spain, India, Malaysia and Singapore

Wijaya, a multi-talented artist with a comprehensive and meticulous knowledge of Balinese culture, architecture and tropical landscape design has propelled Balinese culture to a greater height by adopting the latest trends from overseas and creating a tropical modern look, one favoured by many Singaporeans as well.

Balinese home will never to go out of style. Strike a balance between the rustic Balinese charm and the sleek, modern lines and you will not be laughed at by the modern Baroque style of today.

Other than the Balinese style he is very fond of, Wijaya is outstanding at creating the tropical gardens that are sensitive to local nuances. His breakthrough, the Bali Hyatt hotel, showcased the exuberant growth of local coastal plants with English style attention to texture, colour and decorative accents.

On modern tropical home décor, Wijaya’s approach is about the celebration of living in the tropics, hedonism in life, all in the presence of nature. The whole idea is to break free of the alienation from the environment and welcoming all the pleasure of tactile and sensorial experiences of nature. Smell the light scent of a flower, listen to the singing of a frog or respond to the touch of the wind.

Screens replace walls, stones and woods became the main attraction of the modern tropical look. Kitchen and eating rooms can open to the garden. Plants like the palm tree can help create a home away from home look as well. The whole idea behind the modern tropical home is to embrace the nature while maintaining the stylishness of the modern home.

Zen

We love everything Japanese. Japanese conveyor sushi belts, Japanese trinkets, Japanese toys, Japanese electronics, Japanese cars, Japanese food (think tako pachi, Jap pancakes, ramen, dons etc), the language etc. It is natural that if we want to live like a Japanese, we want to recreate the same home décor in our homes as well.

Photo Courtesy of sradion from sxc.hu

The Japanese Zen missionary expansion continued in the early 20^th Century, influencing Singaporeans with its simple lines, little colours and minimalist approach to decoration. This interior design situation arose out of something of universal appeals—Zen paintings.

Simplicity is the sophistication of the 21^st century and Zen fits right into this mode. A Zen room provides a clam and quiet environment for the owner, something that is hard to find in our highly stressful lives.

The minimalist approach means that all clutter has to be stored out of sight. Storage bins, cabinets or pieces of furniture that allow for storage are necessary. Under the list of decorating scheme, some metal, chrome, whites, creams and very simple lines are used. Anything too ostentatious should be rid off to create the stark effect.

With the rapid modernisation of the late 90s to early 20s, the young, contemporary trendsetters are lured by the Zen style of interior decorating, making the Zen style a big hit.

Modern Baroque

The trend to minimalism throughout the 1990s is being replaced by opulence. Think the painted ceilings of San Benedetto in Catania, the domed roofs of Santa Susanna, the dynamic rhythm of columns and pilasters, central massing and the protrusion and condensed central decoration of Baroque’s Italian beginnings. After last year’s presentations of baroque homages by well-known protagonists like Capellini with the “New Antiques” chair or Sawaya & Moroni with the collection ”Barock ’n’ Roll ”, baroque elements are finding their way into the entire furniture industry.

The trend to resort to nostalgic elements is based upon fulfilling the consumers’ desire for well-established values and the security associated with them, and meanwhile this trend has become a significant economical factor. The tendency towards a new Baroque era is reflected in particular in specific ornamental designs and patterns but is also expressed in lush round forms and luxurious materials.

In the Singaporean context, the Baroque movement represents a flaunting of wealth as the economy continues with its high growth rates. The property market boom made many millionaires over night from the en bloc saga, consumerism is at an all time high, luxe developments are sprouting up in places we have never thought of. The fast moving economy and the tendency to want to best have brought back the Baroque movement in Singapore décor. Other contributing factors would be the IR and its range of high end deluxe hotels and the F1 race.

When it comes to luxe residences, the trend is to go baroque as it is a representation of the high life. However, the minimalism trend has yet to die out especially in the homes of young trendsetters as well as in chic boutique hotels.

The best places to find inspiration for interior design whilst traveling remain Morocco, India, Bali and Thailand but for a more interpretive aesthetic and more exotic throwbacks, it’s worthwhile to start looking towards Syria, Turkey, Mongolia(having inspired quite a slew of private gers in backyards), Myanmar and China.

Organized by 3rd year architectural students and in conjunction with the Singapore Design Festival, ArchiFest is orgniazing architectural tours of residential and commercial landmarks in Singapore.

There are two varieties of Day Tours(Day Tripping and Day Reeling- am leaning towards the latter), which offers guided tours through architectural landmarks like the recently controversial Pearlbank Apartments, Singapore SIT flats and Golden Mile Complex.

An M18 tour spans nightlife offerings of nightspots housed within conserved(Muse, St James, Chijmes, Alley Bar) or buildings that have been deemed architecturally  interesting(Loof, Zouk).

More information on the festival and tours here: 

Outside Singapore, architectural tours are being offered in Brazil, whilst being based in Sao Paulo’s most architecturally innovative hotels and Rio’s secret boutique hideaways. You’ll be looking at the works of Niemeyer, alternately based in hotels by Ruy Ohtake, browsing through books in bookstores designed by Isay Weinfeld and experiencing alternate takes to the traditional favela tour.
Architectural tours are also increasingly being offered in Sri Lanka with a focus on Geoffrey Bawa and a combination of Sri Lanka’s top boutique hotels.
Luxury travel to China also sees a possibility in architecturally-inclined tours. You could either visit or stay in villas designed by Kengo Kuma and other contemporary architecture greats close to the Great Wall, take a tour of the atmospheric hutongs of Beijing while being based in a sumptuously restored courtyard home or visit historic old Chinese mansions that provided the setting for Raise the Red Lantern.

Following up on the post on ‘pssible spaces for art‘ in a heated rental market that’s necessitated quite a few independent , ‘artsy’ outfits to shift from their current space, an article in the Straits Times’ arts pages on the new location(albeit a temporary one, for what I understand is going to be a one-off initiative) for a local arts group caught my attention.

Pulau Ubin- long designated as an offshore weekend refuge for conservationists before conservation of nature became fashionable, is now the venue for the new art initiative by TheatreWorks. An excerpt of the article from Straits Times below:

Pulau Ubin, an island north-east of Singapore, doesn’t immediately come to mind as a suitable showplace for art.

But that is exactly where 22 artists are headed next week, as part of The Flying Circus Project (FCP) art camp. They will be presenting their work not in a gallery space, but under moonlight on the island.

At the event organised by TheatreWorks, artists will wander around the island gathering herbs. Later, they will make lunch from their pickings.

In the evening, they will give one-hour presentations each, ranging from a short dance or a lecture to video projections and talk about their creative processes and their works.

Full article can be read here:

And meanwhile, Singapore’s forays into neighbouring territory is being construed as a quest for lebensraum.

Art in marginal spaces, or art re-appearing in unexpected forms- such as a tour of a re-creation of a favela that debuted as an entry in the Venice Biennale during a luxury tour of Brazil or a hotel as a patron of art or dining your way through establishments that double up as social commentary during a luxury tour of Lebanon.