Picnic in the Garden (2006) by Delia Prvacki
First exhibited at Fort Canning in 2006 by the artist as part of the Plein Air outdoor multi-venue exhibition of large-scale sculptural works. Picnic in the Garden is inspired by Édouard Manet’s Le déjeuner sur l’herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass) and invites viewers to picnic and reflect on their position in nature within an urbanised environment.
The use of Glassfibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC) demonstrates Delia’s experimental approach in pushing the boundaries of the artistic use of ceramic materials. Her Plein Air series originated from a technical breakthrough in glazing, which she developed after completing a collaborative project with her husband, painter Milenko Prvacki, in 2002 for their ground-breaking murals Interchange at Dhoby Ghaut MRT.
To protect the base of the artwork, a novel mixed-design material incorporating nanotechnology and nanomaterials such as graphene oxide is applied to the bottom structure. Developed by the NUS Centre for Advanced 2D Materials, the material preserves the artwork from water and chemical exposure, to protect old structures without the need for demolition, creating a more sustainable ecosystem. The artwork demonstrates NUS’ approach to interdisciplinarity, in which the curator, artist, conservator, material scientists, engineers and students, work together to explore the multiple needs of the sculpture, from relocation, to care and conservation.
Feel free to sit on the artwork and create your own Picnic in the Garden!
Installation works at UTown Green
