Making a difference through art and chairs

Ladies and Gentlemen

1. A very good evening to all of you, it is very good to be here at this event, especially on the eve of a long weekend. I know many of you have May Day holiday plans, it is good to see so many of you here supporting a very good cause.

2. As Culture Minister, I get invitations for many arts events in Singapore, there are many to attend. There are many arts events in Singapore. Like many arts events, I get an invitation for this event through an email from Imis. It seemed like any other event, but what I stood out for me for this event was several things.

3. Firstly, our friend Imis made the extra effort to come to my Meet-The-People session in Boon Lay, all the way in Jurong. It is a very long queue, almost a hundred people queue up consistently every week. Even though he is not a Boon Lay resident, Imis queued up and waited, and he shared with me how he was motivated to organise this event because of his late father who was suffering from cancer two or three years ago and how he wanted to do it again. Thank Imis for such a wonderful effort, let us give him a big round of applause, well done.

4. The other thing that struck me was how creative this was in using chairs as a canvas for creating art. It is such an interesting proposition. You would never have thought that chairs can be something so beautiful. I have had a sneak peek, because they showed me a catalogue, these are beautiful chairs. It reminds me that in ancient times, chairs were something that only the privileged few have. Most ordinary people would not sit on chairs, they may sit on stools and they may sit on benches. If you are in Asia, the tradition is not to sit on chairs. It is to sit lotus style or to kneel down before somebody in a position of authority, who will sit on a chair; and the chair is usually a beautiful artefact, almost like a throne, with intricate designs, and created in a beautiful manner. That is the tradition of chairs from the ancient times. Today all of us have chairs, we do not think of chairs in the same way, but chairs have that tradition. In a way, this event brings out the beauty of chairs which we sometimes do not appreciate.

5. I think that is the beauty of art as well, it allows us to see the aesthetics and the beauty in the things around us. So that was the other thing that I thought was so wonderful about this project. It took something ordinary that we take for granted every day, and they created something beautiful out of it. It helps us to connect with the beauty that we have in our ordinary lives, but which we sometimes neglect. You will see that later in the chairs that will be unveiled. 

6. Even more than that, I think it is a very worthy project, as we are able to give back to a worthy cause, it will benefit the Children's Cancer Foundation. I thank the artists who are involved, there are more than 30 artists. I also like the fact they brought in younger artists this time to be mentored, to work together with the older artists. Many of these artworks they have created, these are not only expressions of art, but also intensely personal experiences, because many of them have gone through cancer themselves, or who have had relatives or close friends who have gone through cancer. So for many of them it is also a very personal expression. So let us give them a round of applause to thank all the artists who are involved, and the young artists well. Thank you very much. 

7. There are beautiful creations by the artists, by the young artists and young children. I hope all of you will contribute generously because it will benefit the Children's Cancer Foundation, it will benefit a good cause. It also shows how art can be a very powerful thing in society, not just for self expression, but also for us to rally us together, to connect every one of us, to give back to society, and to make a difference to the lives of the people around us.

8. Thank you Imis, thank you to everyone involved, the sponsors, the supporters and all the artists.