Raffles City Singapore’s ‘Arts in the City’ Exhibition is back to raise awareness on the issues of plastic waste and global warming through art

Raffles City Singapore, in collaboration with EYEYAH!, brings back its annual Arts in the City exhibition at the mall’s Level 1 Garden Court, from 25 August to 11 September 2022, to continue its advocacy for social and environmental causes through the creativity and power of art.

This year’s edition embraces the new era of art with an immersive display of digital artworks by 26 local and international artists, namely from Australia, Belgium, Chile, China, Japan, Malaysia, Montenegro, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, UK and US, that offer each artist’s perspective on the changing approaches and thinking in the art world on the pertinent issues of plastic waste and global warming.

A visual feast with unique creations set on a clear focus to create awareness, the Arts in the City exhibition is sure to capture imagination and awaken emotions.

The exhibition’s premise is based on the fictional story of ‘The Boiling Frog’, and the campaign key visual, designed by Anngee Neo from Singapore and Cute Brute from US, illustrates the fact that “If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will instantly leap out. But if you put it in warm water and slowly boil it, the frog won’t jump out” as it is unable to sense the gradual increase in temperature.

This story serves as a metaphor to call out the current inadequate actions taken to tackle climate change and how if we do not realise the adverse impact of global warming, it might be too late for us, just like the frog.

Sea of E-Waste – Adeline Tan (Singapore)

Over 30 million tons of e-waste are disposed of worldwide every year.

Artic Trash – Anngee Neo (Singapore)

The Arctic is warming up faster than any region on Earth. The melting ice caps are even releasing viruses that have been frozen for thousands of years onto the land and water nearby.

Anxiety – Anngee Neo (Singapore)

Inspired by fears of an average teen, with pop culture references hidden throughout.

Fume Ghosts – Arianywinie (UK)

A depiction of the toxic effects of e-waste.

Las Veges – Brenda Tan (Singapore)

A diet of less meat and more veggies can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Melting Globe – Chloe Bennett (Australia)

A visual metaphor that depicts global warming using the analogy of a melting ice cream.

Ticking Earth Bomb – Chloe Bennett (Australia)

A visual metaphor about the state of our planet.

Toilet Paper Calculator – Eelhum (Malaysia)

How many sheets of toilet paper do you use in a year?

Emojiland – Esther Goh (Singapore)

Made up entirely of emojis, inviting us to ponder the role of emojis in communication.

Plastic Fish – Felipe Medina (Chile)

Inspired by a future where all marine life have been replaced by plastic due to ocean pollution.

Acidic Sea – Gabriel Hollington (UK)

The ocean is warming up and becoming more acidic.

Trash Kills – Gabriel Hollington (UK)

Littering kills animals and wildlife.

Trash – Howie Kim (Singapore)

A collage of junk and trash, this animation is inspired by digital trash.

Trash Monster – Junkaiju – Ivan Despi (Philippines)

Done together with the artist’s son, a monster inspired by the excessive amount of plastic package and waste.

Underwater Sub – Jack Teagle (UK)

It is said that humans have only managed to explore about 5% of the ocean floor. The remaining 95% of the ocean remains a mystery.

Future Boat – James Clapham (UK)

Imagines a boat of the future that uses natural sources of energy such as wind and wave currents to clean up the ocean.

Melting Santa – Jango Jim (Belgium)

Santa might have to move south. Temperatures in the artic are rising at double the global average rate.

Decomposition Race – Jia Li (China)

Inspired by the slow decomposition of plastics. Ever wondered how long it takes for your household junk items to decompose?

Fears – Jim the Illustrator (UK)

A fun illustration on the theme of anxiety.

Brain Powered Lamp – Kristal Melson (Singapore)

Did you know that your brain generates enough energy to power a lightbulb?

Kintsugi – Lee Jia Zhen (Singapore)

Inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery.

Sea Turtle – M. Gabriella Agusta (Singapore)

Inspired by the possible extinction of sea turtles due to environmental factors, such as climate change and habitat destruction.

School Waste – Matt C Stokes (UK)

Schools can be the biggest producers of waste in terms of paper and food waste. But they can also lead the fight for a greener planet.

Dark City – Papriko Ink (Japan)

Depicts a dystopian trashed city of the future, where the environment is too polluted to live in.

Sinking City – Reynard Adrianto (Singapore)

Depicts a possible future of city traffic, inspired by the alarming rates at which Jakarta is sinking due to global warming.

Crowded Sea – Samar Haddad (Montenegro)

Inspired by a primary school activity where children swam in a pool filled with rubbish.

Boiling Frog – The Cute Brute (US)

A visual play on the “Boiling Frog” metaphor.

Low Street Trash – Venya Son (Spain)

There are many different types of trash. Can you match the trash to the correct recycling bin?

Circle The Earth In Plastic – Vicki Brown (UK)

The amount of plastic in our oceans could circle the Earth 400 times.

In addition to admiring the meaningful artworks creatively presented via digital mediums in the free-for-entry exhibition, you can engage with an Instagram-worthy GIF photobooth to take a nice image to share your commitment and message of taking care of our environment via your social media platforms.

Date: 25 August to 11 September 2022
Time: 10 AM – 10 PM
Location: Raffles City Garden Court, Level 1