Building communities

From Christmas decorations to benches in malls, LASALLE students and alumni played an important role in bringing art to the public this year. Here are some highlights.

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The Wing Tai x LASALLE Urban Living Art collaboration was unveiled on 20 October at Wing Tai’s newly completed residential development The M at Middle Road. A collaboration three years in the making, this is a first-of-its-kind initiative which engages local artists on the creation and curation of artworks from the initial design stage of a residential development. The project features four unique art installations created by alumni of LASALLE’s McNally School of Fine Arts and School of Spatial and Product Design: BA (Hons) Fine Arts' Ashley Yeo, Sai and Hilmi Johandi, together with BA (Hons) Interior Design's Shirley Tan, Brandon Yeo, and Vicknesan Subramaniam.

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Visitors to the many picturesque malls in the Marina Central distict, such as Suntec City, Millenia Walk and Marina Square, enjoyed an extra thoughtfully-designed space to catch a breather mid-shopping from May to June 2024. The Sociable Scape collaboration between Marina Central and LASALLE's School of Spatial & Product Design saw students design eight pieces of innovative public seating, inspired by the places, histories and cultures of Singapore, which were then professionally fabricated and installed at the malls.

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Students from LASALLE's Faculty of Design lit up Wisma Atria for Christmas in 2023, with centerpiece decor by Bae Kyungsoo, Diploma in Creative Direction for Fashion, who won the mall's open call for design submissions in collaboration with LASALLE. Kyungsoo was inspired by Wisma Atria's iconic historical basement aquarium to create an aquatic wonderland display.

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During their semester break in December 2023, five student volunteers from the Diploma in Animation and BA (Hons) Animation Art programmes dedicated their time to create a joyful, loving mural for the NTUC Health Nursing Home in Tampines. The mural not only adorned the physical space but also became a symbol of the students' dedication to using their artistic talents to make a positive impact in the lives of others. Most importantly, it is a testament to the long-standing partnership between the Home and LASALLE, in bringing cheer and warmth to the residents of the Home.

ARTWALK, the multidisciplinary public arts festival organised by LASALLE and Singapore Tourism Board with support from the Little India Shop Owners and Heritage Association, returned to the vibrant streets of Little India and Katong-Joo Chiat from 19 to 28 January 2024. Part of Singapore Art Week, ARTWALK 2024 explored the theme of Decennial to commemorate 10 years of the festival, which has grown to be a beloved staple of the circuit since its first iteration in 2015.

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‍ARTWALK 2024: Decennial called on artists, audiences and communities to reflect on a decade of ARTWALK, the histories that have been shared and the evolution of these spaces. Festivalgoers were treated to a dynamic blend of live music, engaging workshops, captivating performances and awe-inspiring murals. For the first time, the literary arts were featured in the ARTWALK line-up through a thought-provoking poetry workshop.

‍The opportunity to learn from international experts, visiting artists and guest lecturers is a highlight of the LASALLE student experience. Through masterclasses, workshops and extended artist residencies, our students hone their skills under the guidance of industry-leading practitioners. Here are some highlights from this year.

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A masterclass with Sammo Hung

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‍In May 2024, LASALLE hosted martial arts legend Sammo Hung for a masterclass organised by the Singapore Film Society. A veteran actor, film producer, director and fight choreographer, Master Hung is one of the pivotal figures who spearheaded the Hong Kong New Wave movement of the 1980s and helped reinvent the martial arts genre.

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Through the masterclass, students from the Puttnam School of Film & Animation had the opportunity to hear from Master Hung on his filmmaking journey and how the industry has evolved. A team of BA (Hons) Animation Art students also had the privilege of speaking with Master Hung in a one-on-one interview after the masterclass, where he delved into greater detail on his thoughts about making martial arts films for new generations, new technology and viewing habits, and shared his personal advice with the students.

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“There are many things that you just need to dare to venture into, to take chances, to question, to experience. What can you do when you feel sad after going through a bad experience? It is completely fine to feel down, but after you allow yourself to experience those feelings, pick yourself back up, give a smile right after and tell yourself that tomorrow can only be better."

— Master Sammo Hung, on his advice to young filmmakers

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Bringing Song Dynasty China to Life

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In Semester 1, Diploma in Theatre Production and Management students working on the BA (Hons) Acting production Pan Jinlian, helmed by visiting Chinese director Chen Gang, had the opportunity to learn from artist in residence Carlos Moral Reis on the set design. With nearly 30 years of experience as a set designer, theatre technician and educator in Portugal and London, Carlos brought a seasoned professional perspective to the process that was invaluable for student Muhammad Amin Bin Mohamad Ali, Head of Construction for Pan Jinlian.

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“With Carlos’ advice, my team and I built the platforms in the set in ways we’ve never done before, these newer platforms built with his input were steadier and less complicated that what we used to construct in earlier productions.”

— Muhammad Amin Bin Mohamad Ali, on his experience

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As a practice-based institution, LASALLE champions the importance of experiential learning, partnerships with companies and other institutions, and live projects that provide students with invaluable opportunities. These collaborations prepare our students to become game-changers once they step into the working world, and build communities and networks that uplift the creative industries in Singapore.

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In this academic year, our students worked with leading companies such as Samsung, LEGO and OPPO, as well as institutions and government bodies such as the National Arts Council, National Heritage Board and National Parks Board on a range of industry projects.

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Revolutionising the electric vehicle

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This year, LASALLE's School of Spatial & Product Design students had the opportunity to collaborate with their peers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on a revolutionary electric vehicle design. Led by Nathan Yong, Programme Leader, BA (Hons) Product Design at LASALLE and President’s Design Award winner, three BA (Hons) Product Design students — Choong Yu Haun, Namjot Kaur and Joel Yong — worked with SUTD’s Electric Vehicle Club (EV Club) to design the body shell of the vehicle, demonstrating how electric vehicle design has the potential to evoke emotions.

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Asian Festival of Children's Content 2024

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As part of the annual Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC), students from the Puttnam School of Film & Animation were challenged to create miniature story worlds inspired by selected passages from children’s books. These tiny worlds were created based on a selection of short texts by authors featured at AFCC 2024. Students created a vignette into the world of these stories, a frozen frame in time envisioning a scene where the characters had just stepped out for a brief moment.

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The project was mentored by children's book illustrator David Liew, who encouraged the students to explore their creativity and imagination. These encased worlds were hand-built, detailed and painted by Tia Pekerti, Austin Nah, Ren Kwek, Ruth Tang and Wong Shi Ri, and displayed at the National Library during AFCC 2024.

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Each year, LASALLE students gain valuable overseas exposure through field trips, collaborative online international learning projects, and opportunities to present their work at conferences and festivals worldwide. From the world-renowned Annecy International Animation Film Festival to learning journeys behind the scenes of Southeast Asia's emerging arts spaces, our students are globally connected and well poised to make their marks worldwide. Here are some highlights from 2023/24:

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Representing Singapore in the ASEAN-ROK Youth Metaverse Idea Contest‍

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In November 2023, Year 2 and 3 BA (Hons) Arts Management students Lim Yan Bing, Carla Castle, Angelina Ang and Lionel Fong flew to Busan to represent Singapore in the finals of the ASEAN-ROK Youth Metaverse Idea Contest, focusing on cultural heritage.

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The contest was open to teams across ASEAN nations, and challenged participants to come up with proposals that integrated extended reality (XR) technology with cultural heritage and tourism. Following a series of online lectures and activities in August, the LASALLE quartet emerged amongst the top five of the 48 teams who participated, clinching their place in the finals with their idea to use immersive technologies to juxtapose tangible and intangible cultural heritage side by side, so as to showcase the cultures of indigenous communities in their entirety.

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Teaching and Learning in Cambodia‍

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LASALLE students and graduands from the MA Arts Pedagogy and Practice programme had the chance to give back and use their postgraduate research findings and pedagogy skills to enhance teaching in the arts in Battambang, Cambodia, at the S'Art Urban Arts Festival.

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This is the fifth year that LASALLE has collaborated with Phare Ponleu Selpak, a non-profit arts school that works with disadvantaged children and youth in Battambang. Phare’s mission is to use the power of the arts as a tool for human development and social change. Founded in a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge nearly wiped out traditional Cambodian arts, Phare Ponleu Selpak empowers the country’s next generation of artists to preserve their cultural past while mapping out a new future for the arts in Cambodia.

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Runway Singapore #SGFASHIONNOW in South Korea‍

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#SGFASHIONNOW, a collaboration between LASALLE and the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM), returned this year for its third and largest iteration in Busan and Seoul. This year’s exhibition in South Korea marks the overseas edition of the project. From August to October 2023, 27 local designers were showcased at #SGFASHIONNOW, bringing the creativity and diversity of Singapore’s contemporary fashion industry to a Korean audience.

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Co-curators and BA (Hons) Fashion Media and Industries students Brian Loh and Pearlsi Tan worked closely with ACM to research, plan and present the exhibition, culminating with a trip to Busan where they were involved with the setup of the show at KF Asean Culture House.

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Overseas partners in 2023/24

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In the academic year 2023/24, LASALLE signed a total of 41 Memoranda of Understanding and Student Exchange Agreements with 32 institutions across the UK, North America, Europe and Asia, including 19 new partner institutions.

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New MOU partners

• Ateneo de Manila University
• Central Academy of Fine Arts
• Ewha Womans University, College of Art and Design
• Flinders University
• Korea National University of Arts (KArts)
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim Academy of Fine Art
• Sejong University
• Shenzhen Technology University, College of Innovation and Design
• Tongji University, College of Design and Innovation
• University of Newcastle
• York University

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MOUs renewed with

• Donghua University, Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation
• Niigata University
• Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA)
• Shanghai Theatre Academy
• SOAS University of London
• University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin
• University of the Philippines Diliman

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New student exchange partners

• Alberta University of the Arts
• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)
• Flinders University
• Korea National University of Arts (KArts)
• Leeds Arts University
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Minneapolis College of Art and Design
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim Academy of Fine Art
• Sejong University
• SOAS University of London
• Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin), School of Art and Design
• Tongji University, College of Design and Innovation
• Universidad La Salle Chihuahua
• University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, HEAD – Genève, Haute école d'art et de design
• University of Brighton
• University of Southampton, Winchester School of Art
• University of the Arts London (UAL), London College of Communication
• York University

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Student exchange agreements renewed with

• Central Academy of Drama
• Donghua University, Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation
• University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
• University of Essex, East 15

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