Grant Associates exhibits at Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

 

Supertrees with Orchids and Whale, a model created by Grant Associates specifically for the RA exhibition, was inspired by the practice’s design concept for Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

The piece aims to explore new ways of reconnecting an increasingly urban world with the raw powers of nature - an ongoing theme for Grant Associates’ work.

With a focus on environmental inventiveness and surprising experiences, the whale references the significance of the ocean ecosystem in mitigating global climate change. The orchids represent the resilience of certain species that are beautiful yet have an extraordinary physiology that allows them to grow in most parts of the planet.

The model’s Supertrees, miniature versions of their counterparts in Singapore, indicate Grant Associates’ attempt to create a new type of urban landscape that seeks an aesthetic impact whilst delivering multiple environmental benefits.

Since their construction as the centrepiece of Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, the 18 Supertrees, which range in height from 25 to 50 meters and support a variety of plants, have contributed to Singapore’s identity as a City in a Garden.

Supertrees with Orchids and Whale is one of over 1,100 works to be exhibited at the Summer Exhibition, which is the world’s oldest open-submission exhibition. The pieces were selected from over 12,000 entries.

 

 

Image copyright of Eva Menuhin