Your Excellency,

Mr Kwek Leng Joo, Patron of the CDL Singapore Sculpture Award

Distinguished guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am pleased to join you this evening for the opening of the third CDL Singapore Sculpture Award Exhibition.

2 Since the first CDL Singapore Sculpture Award Ceremony was held in 2003, it has achieved many significant milestones. The Award was meant to recognise and encourage creativity in youth and local artists in the field of sculpture and to promote the appreciation of the art form among Singaporeans. Over the years, the competition has garnered a following from the arts community and has achieved a higher level of participation from mainstream secondary schools and tertiary institutes. More importantly, the success of the competition lies in the opportunity it offers to sculptors and artists to have their work commissioned.

3 With the commissioning and installation of the winning works at public spaces, the Award injects a dimension of interest to land use, as civic spaces are enhanced by displays of artistic expressions. “Reed Sculpture”, the winning work from the inaugural competition, has been commissioned and installed for public display along Robertson Quay – the first donation under the National Heritage Board’s Public Sculptures Scheme. This will soon be followed by the commissioning of the second Award winner.

4 This year, the Sculpture Award gets a boost with the addition of National Parks Board (NParks) and National Heritage Board as partners on the organising committee. NParks will be providing suitable sites for the winning works of the Sculpture Award from this year onwards, the first being East Coast Park. With this extended partnership, the Award has developed into a unique collaborative initiative.

5 Through this pioneering initiative City Developments Limited, the Singapore Art Museum and their partners have elevated the appreciation of sculptures and enhanced our cityscape. The significant number of young participants between the ages of 12 and 14 in this year’s competition also attests to the growing interest in artistic pursuits among the younger generation.

6 I understand that several artists on the adjudication panel have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the evolution of the competition, and have seen how the skills of budding sculptors, who have been participating since the inaugural Award, have matured. It is heartening to learn that schools have responded very enthusiastically to this competition. I hope that they will continue to encourage the participation of their students in the years to come, and leverage on this platform to introduce sculpture into their arts programme and curriculum.

7 I would like to congratulate all winners for their remarkable efforts. To all the participants, I hope you will continue to pursue your interest in the sculptural art form and play an active role in shaping Singapore’s artsl landscape. Last but not least, I commend City Developments Limited and its partners for their contribution to the arts scene with this biennial contest.

8 It is now my pleasure to declare the third CDL Singapore Sculpture Award Exhibition open.