Spatial designer Lim Wei Ling responds to the text Invisibility and presents a bold “living” installation highlighting the ephemeral nature of relationships and the interchangeable, interdependent forces of life that exist in this larger world. Solid and gaseous CO₂ is used as a key medium to embody the transitional becoming of a state in her exploration of an organic spatial construct.

SynopsisThe PlayThe ArtistResourcesVideoPhotos

The third of the series, #3.3 scale 1:333333.333… is a bold spatial installation in response to selected themes from the play Invisibility by Quah Sy Ren.

Conceived as a multi-dimensional ‘organism’, this living installation highlights the ephemeral nature of relationships and the interchangeable, interdependent forces of life that exist in this larger world. Solid and gaseous CO₂ is used as a key medium to embody the transitional becoming of a state. In this exploration of an organic spatial construct, the lifespan of a solid block of CO₂ evaporating into thin air to that of an average human lifespan is to the scale 1:333333.333… .

Visitors will engage and contribute – by the presence of their energies in the space – to this environment, and may find themselves creating a place to disconnect and reconnect all at once.

In this series of three installations, the focus is brought to a theatre designer’s response to text. In the absence of a prescribed directorial vision, design collective INDEX connects directly with the play, interprets its narrative and re-imagines it using their specialized language of design.

Read more about the first of this series, #3.1 In/Visibility by lighting designer Lim Woan Wen, here.
Read more about the second of this series, #3.2 For The Time Being by sound designer Darren Ng, here.

REGISTRATION

30 Sep – 3 Oct 2015
6.00pm – 9.00pm (Wed – Fri)
3.00pm – 6.00pm (Sat)
*last admission 20min before closing time
@ Centre 42 Black Box

Limited capacity for each show | Admission is free.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

About the Playwright
“Invisibility” was written by Quah Sy Ren and was first staged (in Mandarin) by The Necessary Stage in 1996. The mandarin play was translated into English by Sim Pern Yiau. A browsing copy of the published play is available in Centre 42’s Book Den. View it here.

Playwright Quah Sy Ren is an associate professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Chinese division at Nanyang Technical University. His main research interests are in Chinese Literature and the history of Singapore Theatre. Quah also sits on the board of directors for Practice Performing Arts Centre and The Finger Players. In addition to Invisibility (1996), Quah has also authored other plays as well as written and edited several books.

INDEX
INDEX is a design collective winged under The Finger Players, comprising of spatial designer Lim Wei Ling, lighting designer Lim Woan Wen and sound artist/music composer Darren Ng. Finding common grounds in quiet aesthetics and subtractive work ethos, the collective focuses on design-centric installations and performances, using space, light and sound to weave meanings and narratives. While the three designers have been working together for a substantial number of years, the collective was kick-started in May 2013 with the performance installation IN:dex, presented under The Studio’s R.A.W series at the Esplanade Theatre Studio.

As a collective that focuses on design-centric installations and performances, INDEX is primarily interested in exploring the possibilities and potential of creating narratives using the elements of space, light and sound. In their third collaboration The Vault: #3 three, the three artists seek to experiment and further expand their vocabulary through developing a series of three entirely separate showcases based on one chosen script.

Reading Material

#1: THE PLAYWRIGHT & THE PLAY

#2: PAST STAGINGS & RESPONSES

#3: INVISIBILITY & THE HERMIT LIFE

#4: INVISIBILITY & THE CONCEPT OF LIMINALITY

#5: INVISIBILITY & THE CONCEPT OF EXISTENCE

#6: INVISIBILITY & LANGUAGE

#7: THE ARTIST: LIM WOAN WEN

#8: THE ARTIST: DARREN NG

#9: THE ARTIST: LIM WEI LING

Programme Handout

Spatial designer Lim Wei Ling presents a bold “living” installation highlighting the ephemeral nature of relationships and the interchangeable, interdependent forces of life that exist in this larger world. Solid and gaseous CO₂ is used as a key medium to embody the transitional becoming of a state in her exploration of an organic spatial construct.

The third and concluding instalment of the “The Vault: #3 three” series, “#3.3 scale 1:333 333.333…” is a spatial-design response to Quah Sy Ren’s “Invisibility”. Conceived as a multi-dimensional ‘organism’, this living installation highlights the ephemeral nature of relationships and the interchangeable, interdependent forces of life that exist in this larger world. Solid and gaseous CO2 is used as a key medium to embody the transitional becoming of a state. This album contains images of trial-runs of the installation.

Source: Centre 42 Facebook

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The Vault: #3 three revisits Invisibility, refreshes and retells the stories in them through the eyes of theatre design collective INDEX. #3.3 scale 1:333333.333… by spatial designer Lim Wei Ling is the final of three installations.

Spatial designer Lim Wei Ling presents a bold “living” installation highlighting the ephemeral nature of relationships and the interchangeable, interdependent forces of life that exist in this larger world. Solid and gaseous CO₂ is used as a key medium to embody the transitional becoming of a state in her exploration of an organic spatial construct.

For four hours each day, visitors enter this installation contributing to the changing environment through the presence of their energies in the space.

This documentation video contains highlights from the installation.

The Vault: #3 three revisits Invisibility, refreshes and retells the stories in them through the eyes of theatre design collective INDEX. #3.3 scale 1:333333.333… by spatial designer Lim Wei Ling is the final of three installations.

Access the full suite of materials about #3.3 scale 1:333333.333… here.

“And praise must be given to Lim Wei Ling’s evocative and ethereal set – in particular, one beautiful moment when dozens of open books are lifted by their spines and suspended in mid-air, their pages ruffling open like wings.”

– Corrie Tan [Source: “Bewildering Birds” , The Straits Times, 2 May 2011]

Lim Wei Ling is a full-time spatial designer of stage and installations. As a firm believer of multi-disciplinary, collaborative art-making, Wei Ling often teams up with artists and designers from diverse backgrounds. She is part of the design triumvirate INDEX, who frequently bring their lighting, sound and spatial design expertise to collaborative projects with The Finger Players. She is also a senior lecturer at The School of Design, Nanyang Polytehnic.

Wei Ling is an architect by training – she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the National University of Singapore. However, her passion for design extended beyond buildings, and she went on to pursue a Master of Arts in Design Futures with Distinction at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

As a set designer and installation artist, Wei Ling has always let her work speak for itself. Her past projects have been described as “intricate, mesmerising”, “quietly magical”, “ingenious simplicity”, and “evocative and ethereal”. Her designs tend to explore the concepts of space and time, especially how they relate to people and society.

In 2009, Wei Ling was selected to be a Creator-in-Residence at Tokyo Wonder Site, an art centre which supports the development of art and culture. She has also exhibited installations at the Singapore Arts Festival, London Design Festival and Milan Design Week.

Wei Ling’s perceptive and thought-provoking designs have won her multiple accolades. In 2007, she and her team won the President’s Design Award for Exhibition, Interior and Landscape Designs and The Straits Times Life! Theatre Award for Set Design for their work in The Finger Players’ production 0501. Wei Ling was also a nominated at the 2011 Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for her scaffolding set in suitCASES, also produced by The Finger Players.

8 Questions for Wei Ling

Wei Ling discusses spatial design, working with the text Invisibility and her installation at the Centre, #3.3 scale 1.333 333.333… .

[See image gallery at centre42.sg]

A sample of recent projects

For more of Wei Ling’s work, please check out her website.

By Daniel Teo
Published on 17 September 2015

The Vault: #3 three revisits Invisibility, refreshes and retells the stories in them through the eyes of theatre design collective INDEX. #3.3 Scale 1:333 333.333… by spatial designer Lim Wei Ling is the final of the three installations.

Find out more about The Vault programme here.