This Dragon Year, get ready to be swept away on an enchanting odyssey as Funan proudly presents the fourth instalment of its mall-wide art activation, Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons. Set against the backdrop of the Singapore Art Week 2024, this month-long exhibition runs from 19 January to 25 February 2024.

Step into the mesmerizing world of Creative Intersections, where the Year of the Dragon sparks inspiration for contemporary interpretations of this legendary being. As part of the exhibition, the dragon comes to life in a breathtaking exploration of its multicultural, symbolic, and aesthetic significance. Shoppers and art enthusiasts alike can uncover the elusive nature of this mythical creature while embarking on a visual adventure through Funan’s immersive exhibition.

This year, the collaboration between Funan and Vertical Submarine leads to an art-meets-retail spectacular, featuring the works of 16 artists and brand collaborations including Barehands, CHOKMAH, Lemonaide, LiHO TEA, The Green Capsule, Ray-Ban, PPP Coffee and Wild Rice. From the chic stylings of Lenskart to the tech-infused genius of RAZERTM, each brand pairing dives deep into facets of heritage, culture, history, legends, and pop culture, fuelling the creative vision of the artists.

Curated by Justin Loke of Vertical Submarine, Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons goes beyond scratching the surface of dragon lore as the exhibition connects them to Singapore’s unique history and local art scene. Various spaces within Funan are transformed to host installations, performances, and workshops that seamlessly align with Funan’s six passion themes of Craft, Chic, Fit, Play, Taste and Tech.

A large consideration behind the exhibition was how best to creatively present and reimagine the concept of the mythical dragon, which was left to artists to interpret. All this starts from the campaign’s key visual, by K.B. Tan, a visual designer, lends support to Funan by bringing his visions to life through playful strategies and purpose-driven visuals. For the Key Visuals, K.B explores creative intersections using the ‘X’ motif as a metaphor. The repeated ‘X’ shapes coalesce to form a dragon’s body. The piece captivates with an intricate dance of intersecting lines, harmonising structure and fluidity. The dragon’s fluid, ever-evolving dance leaves magical traces, transforming the ‘X’ motif into a visual poem describing the delicate balance between imagination and reality.

Poet, Fiction Writer and Editor Yeow Kai Chai’s prose poem takes center stage in Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons, serving as the guiding narrative for the entire exhibition. Aligned with the theme, the prose poem: “On the Trail of the Dragon” explores the mythical nature of dragons and provides a poetic foundation for the collaborating artists in the exhibition. “Trail of the Dragon” is a journey that unfolds through the collaborative efforts of various brands and artists, all part of the Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons. Each artist is inspired by and will respond to a line from Yeow Kai Chai’s poem “On the Trail of the Dragon”. This intertwining of diverse narratives reinforces the elusive and mythical nature of dragons, encouraging visitors to delve into the rich tapestry of Singapore’s dragon mythology. The exhibition, with its captivating artworks, brand collaborations, and evocative prose poem, invites contemplation on the enduring power and symbolism of these mythical creatures, shaping perceptions and inspiring creativity

Aligning itself with the retail aspect of Funan, PPP Coffee worked with painter Dyn to draw parallels to PPP Coffee’s trajectory from Bukit Timah to its current abode at Funan. The dragon’s odyssey involves traversing diverse terrains, ultimately reaching its destination. Similarly, PPP’s trajectory involves navigating distinct situations and encounters, moulding its journey. Dyn brings forth a design that encapsulates the symbolism of dragons; embodying good fortune, prosperity, power, and strength. The intricate design also features an origami dragon, adding layers of symbolism and artistic flair. This collaboration extends beyond visual art, as the pattern is seamlessly incorporated into PPP Coffee Merchandise, creating a unique and meaningful connection between art and branding. The artwork serves as a vibrant expression of the intersection between traditional dragon symbolism and contemporary brand identity. Having released a special limited edition orange coffee for this Lunar New Year period, consider gifting your friends and family coffee instead of mandarin oranges when you bai nian this time.

Under the guidance of self-taught Craftsman, Mr Phua and selected artists from the exhibition will embark on a unique artistic journey – painting their signature works on plain dragon eggs. These Passion Eggs, a testament to Funan’s six passions (Craft, Chic, Fit, Play, Taste and Tech), will serve as distinctive expressions of the artists’ creativity. As a craftsman, Mr Phua’s journey since 1987 has involved the creation of props, cabinet furniture, carpentry, and foam carving. Through the collaboration with Mr Phua, Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons brings forth a fusion of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary artistry, breathing life into the mythical realm of dragons. From being crafted out of wood to even kitchen utensils, each of these eggs activate the imagination and makes one wonder the kind of dragon that will eventually hatch – see if you can find them all around the mall.

Barehands (#02-22) partners with the talented Visual Artist and Interior Stylist Geraldine Toh (The Ochre Home). “A tale of tails” manifests as a fabric art installation at Barehands’ shopfront. Crafted from fabric off-cuts sourced from Barehands, the installation will feature layers suspended from a movable rod, creating a captivating downward flow from the ceiling, draping elegantly onto the floor. This immersive piece creates the visual of the scales of a dragon’s body and its trailing tail, each piece representing a different understanding of the dragon in different cultures and stories, and collectively forming how we perceive the dragon in the modern day. In addition to the installation, a unique apparel piece, inspired by the collaborative artwork, will be available for purchase. Co-designed by Barehands and The Ochre Home, this apparel piece is meticulously handcrafted by Afghan refugees based in Malaysia, adding a touch of global craftsmanship to the local art scene. The collaboration is a harmonious blend of artistry, sustainability, and cultural exchange.

Wendy Mack, collaborates with Lenskart (#B1-08) to bring forth a captivating installation that focuses on the mystical allure of dragons’ eyes – a symbolic representation that sees beyond the limits of time and envisions possible futures. Wendy’s artistic exploration, grounded in a deep connection with nature, takes the form of an installation titled “Eyes of the Dragon” at Lenskart, where shoppers can immerse themselves in the mesmerizing gaze of the twelve dragon eyes to offer deeper insight into what truly matters to each individual, serving as a conduit to synchronise with past events, present realities, and future possibilities. Shoppers are invited to step into the centre of the installation, contemplate the loop in their lives that feels most confining, and consider actions to break free from it in the year 2024. This visually striking installation will also feature an interactive community space for shoppers to express their thoughts through drawing or writing on spectacle lenses and adding them to a communal wall. The Lenskart x Wendy Mack collaboration adds a touch of magic and interactivity to Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons, contributing to the vibrant tapestry of art and culture at Funan.

Ong Kian Peng teams up with RAZERTM (#01-10) to transform the limited space in the brand’s store into a captivating installation that plays with depth, expanding from the store’s interior to potentially spill out. “Genealogy,” an innovative audiovisual installation, combines the mythical essence of the Chinese dragon from Yeow’s poem with Ong’s artistic vision, using cutting-edge technology. This artwork, featuring the dragon—a revered symbol in Chinese mythology known for its power, wisdom, and prosperity—is brought to life using the technological prowess of the RAZER Blade 16. The depiction of the dragon’s transformation is the core of this project, blending ancient lore with contemporary interpretations. Presented through the world’s first laptop with a 16″ OLED 240 Hz display, “Genealogy” utilizes generative AI to animate and perfectly capture the dragon’s fluidity, vividness and dynamism. The artwork is further enhanced with layered acrylic pieces, each meticulously engraved with frames of the images, combined with sequential lighting and a custom soundtrack. This dynamic installation merges the cutting-edge world of RAZER with Ong’s artistic vision, resulting in a mesmerizing exploration of the evolution from logo to dragon.

Renowned for her exquisite paintings of marine creatures, Artist Koh Kai Ting takes her artistic prowess to the Funan Kinetic Wall with the creation of “Pattern of Life” – an immersive exploration of multispecies kinship through dragons. Dragon incorporates elements from various creatures, emphasising the notion of hybridity in the poem by Yeow. “Pattern of Life” is an exploration of phenomena, such as Turing patterns, Voronoi diagrams, and Conway’s Game of Life. While Turing patterns and Voronoi diagrams are common in living organisms, and Conway’s Game of Life explores the intelligence pattern of machines, these patterns symbolise diverse life forms. The augmented reality activation continues this concept, featuring a dragon that fluidly transcends the realm of Floral, Fauna, and Cyborg. The Kinetic Wall becomes a dynamic canvas where imagination intertwines with reality, inviting viewers to witness the traces of these mythical beings in the natural realm. Check out the minute-long animation at the Funan Kinetic Wall on Level 1 (facing the junction of Coleman Street and North Bridge Road) every 30mins from 10:00am to 10:00pm daily

In conjunction with Light to Night Singapore 2024: Reimagine, organised by National Gallery Singapore, Funan’s Underground Pedestrian Linkway in Basement 2 also features The Gachapartment Complex, designed by Illustrator and Designer, Nikkei. Available from 19 January to 3 March 2024, this installation invites shoppers to explore a hidden utopia where toys lead lives akin to ours. The Gachapartment Complex will also feature an augmented reality (AR) element, developed during a mentorship program between Nikkei and Temasek Polytechnic students (Rachel Tan, Jochebed Chong and Celest Ng).

Mr. Adrian Lai, Centre Manager of Funan, said, “Creative Intersections, now in its fourth year, is more than just an art celebration; it embodies Funan’s commitment to being a canvas for creative expression. By bridging the gap between art and everyday life, these diverse collaborations between artists and brands offer a truly unique retail experience that defines Funan as a unique destination to live, work and play.”

Creative Intersections: Traces of Dragons runs from 19th January to 25th February 2024 at Funan.