We often feel untouched by the problems of others and by global issues like climate change, but these artists are going to change that. Once you enter our festival, be prepared for a series of amazing pieces that will tickle your senses and get you thinking.
Presenting the artists of The Conscious Festival 2018 – they are going to bring you an experience to (literally) get in touch with and understand the issues of our environment and feel it, physically and emotionally. Interact, converse, and explore the creative minds of these artists who put complex situations into pieces that stimulate the senses. After months of hard work, they are here to transport you to another realm and to help you relate to environmental issues in ways you probably would’ve never imagined.
1. MeshMinds
Digital Eco-Art
Get off those cell-phones and dive into a world of interactive techno-art. Meshminds will be presenting 2 engaging pieces: Oceans We Make (by Warrior9 VR) and Digital Graffiti Wall (by Roy Koo). Dive into the deep blue seas with an immersive Virtual-Reality mini-game and battle the threats that hurt our pristine oceans. Then get those creative juices flowing with their graffiti wall using a 3D-printed spray! MeshMinds is an impact investor in the world of creative technology for good. They are incubating Asian artists in the digital age to bring emerging technology to life in creative, engaging and valuable ways. They want to bridge art and technology by creating opportunities for Asian artists to create experimental, immersive and interactive works that have powerful messages for our world
2. Yeow & George
The juicer bike – juice for your belly and for your phone
Yeow & George are here with Green is the New Black because they believe that going green is every individual’s responsibility. Diet is the biggest factor that everyone can act on 3 times a day- and we can do it with fun. Try it for yourself live at the festival: A stationary bike on which you get exercise, blend a smoothie, and charge your phone. All for free!
3. UglyFood
Fresh delicious juices from ugly fruits
UglyFood is a proud partner of Yeow and George’s smoothie bike. Championing the slogan of “Less Waste, More Food”, UglyFood wants to tackle food waste problem in Singapore after researching about food waste along all the various stages of the food value chain. They uncovered one of the most significant contributing factors to food waste that has not been widely explored and discussed: Cosmetic Filtering. They came to realize that ugly food tastes just as good as perfect-looking food and is every bit as nutritious. With tireless experimentation and several iterations, a series of intricately-designed and mouth-watering food products were born. Come say hi and check out their other juices as well.
3. Davelle (SomeScuffs)
Social Anxiety Blanket Fort
The Social Anxiety Blanket Fort is an installation by Some Scuffs, a podcast about living with social anxiety in Singapore. Inspired in part by Troy and Abed in Community, the fort is designed to be a small cosy space where festival-goers can retreat to if they need a break from other humans. Social anxiety, which refers to the fear of unfamiliar social situations and being judged or negatively evaluated by others, affects many of us. When unaddressed, it can hinder our ability to live our lives fully. On top of that, we face the exceedingly high pressure to excel not just in our careers but also in our social lives. Beddings for the fort were kindly donated by Hmlet.
4. Sheryl & Stacey
Pillow Talk
A pair of NUS Industrial Design undergraduates, Sheryl & Stacey wants to tell you about your textile waste in an artfully-crafted way. Waste, as marketed by its name, is usually seen as an undesirable product. In this installation, they grant fabric scraps a second life; They’ve elevated its status by framing it as art. In doing so, they ask us to re-imagine/re-purpose them more meaningfully. As its title suggests, the pillows also tell a story of their origins. Displayed in a similar manner to a colour chart, these fabric pillows have hex codes that disclose their source (e.g. Armani, Topshop). The fabric used to make the pillows will be freshly laundered before being sewn. Guests are welcome to freely interact and take photos with the products. With this artwork, they want to demonstrate the possibilities for unwanted materials to be desirable. It is also a calling for other designers/artists to see the potential of scrap fabrics as a source of material.
5. Anne- Laure
A Walk Through the Elements
Every single person who comes to GITNB, will have to pass through these big doors to enter the marketplace. Passing through an arch is like entering a new Universe. Anne-Laure wants the audience to feel like they’re entering another Universe and meeting the people creating new conscious products and services. Her work will show you that we ARE connected to nature, every day. All the time. Every time we walk along the street and smell the air after heavy rain. Every time we look at a Mahogany tree. Every time we listen to the mynah birds singing early in the morning. All of us are connected to nature in our everyday life. We are Nature. Taking care of Nature is like taking care of our sister, of our mother. Sometimes, especially in big cities, we do not pay attention, pollute by not really being aware. If we are aware of our relation to Earth Mother Universe, she believes it will be easier to live a more conscious life where we are in a relationship with Nature, all the time, even if it is through small steps. Anne-Laure will also be working with Gush Paints to bring you an experience that is toxin-free.
6. Green Nudge
Eco-bricking the future
Chun Yeow, one of the magic-makers of Green Nudge, will be creating an evolving, modular and configurable eco-art installation based on eco-bricks. This is to create a space for awareness to start the conversation on the prevalent use of single-use disposable plastic in this modern society. These eco-bricks have been collected with the help of the public, and it hopes to raise an alternative narrative not based on Recycling but on encouraging participants to first start with the 3Rs; namely, Rethink, Refuse and Reduce. This is important because when a plastic bottle is thrown into a recycling bin, it begins the process of an energy-intensive industrial cycle of traveling countless miles across the world to get recycled. Moreover, piece of plastic also cannot be recycled infinitely as the current system does not provide for 100% efficiency and will only degrade to a lower form of plastic until it is no longer recyclable and ultimately end up in the landfill. So the fact is there is nothing circular about industrial recycling.
7. Jayne & Kai Lin
Landfilled
Jayne & Kai Lin are recent NTU graduates who, over a period of one and a half months, have gathered and collected the plastics used in each of their households for their installation. They have fused plastics ranging from humble instant noodle packets to their much anticipated Taobao delivery package. It has truly shocked them to see the amount of plastic waste that they would have otherwise thrown away in such a short period of time. (Yes, they do feel very guilty.) This project has allowed them to work together without having to spend a single cent. With all the hype surrounding plastic straws harming our environment, they want to show people that there’s a lot more other than plastic straws that we can cut down on. Plastics make up a shocking 79 percent of litter accumulated in landfills or in our natural environment (National Geographic, 2017). We can all put in a little effort to be more conscious of our plastic waste and usage.