Float
as Assistant Sculptor, Photographer
Lead Sculptor: Yeoh Yen Yew
Kuching, Sarawak 2006
A big part of what I did earlier on in my creative process was about discovering what art can be. Particularly art that exists outside the confine of a white cube.
Making a float for the 2006 Merdeka Day (Independence Day) parade is a good example. The skill set required is similar to my other "art" projects, but the audience and the context are different. This is art for the masses, where creativity and commerce blend together into a colorful hybrid.
The float that I was working on is commissioned by a group of logistics company. Which is why it's a container ship. The design is by an event company in consultation with the lead sculptor.
We shared workspace and living quarters with other teams who were working on other floats. It never ceases to amuse me that a bunch of rough looking guys working and living in tough conditions produced these cutesy and kitsch expressions of patriotism.