Bus.Stop.Art. is an innovative public art exhibition that brings art to where Singaporeans live, work, and commute.
Taking art out of the museums and white cube galleries, Bus.Stop.Art. installs art in the public realm where it can be enjoyed by the community. For two weeks in January 2021, ten Singapore-based artists installed their works on bus stop ad spaces along the 175 bus route from Geylang Bahru to Gillman Barracks.
Bus.Stop.Art. asks Singaporeans to consider how both our collective and our personal experiences have been shaped by the pandemic and if this has changed what we feel about urban spaces and public art. The artists would like to show us how art in public spaces can help us navigate our feelings heightened during the pandemic, by taking us on a journey through our imaginations and memories.
Curated by Amelia Abdullahsani and Merryn Trevethan, Bus.Stop.Art. brings a much-needed sense of joy and wonder to the everyday commute, and can be seen by anyone at any time of the day.
Bus.Stop.Art. is part of Singapore Art Week 2021 and is supported by the National Arts Council.
Bus.Stop.Art. aims to challenge perceptions of what public art is and to show that public art does not have to be expensive sculpture permanently placed outside office buildings. Neither does public art have to consist of street art or murals, and it need not be controversial to make a statement. We want to show that art can make us think as well as bring us joy and demonstrate that art can enrich our local environments in positive ways, every day.
The artists of Bus.Stop.Art. have drawn inspiration from the idea of bus stops as transitory spaces where we often spend time waiting. A bus ride is usually seen as a necessary journey, and in doing so we often find ourselves lost in distraction, looking at our phones. Bus.Stop.Art. wants to engage commuters in a more purposeful distraction and invites commuters to interact with the artworks while they wait. Artists have created Augmented Reality content, as well as FREE downloadable and online activities so everyone can play along and join the fun!
With all this and more waiting for a bus never looked so good!
