SINGAPORE: An art installation work depicting a “melting” National Museum has bagged the grand prize at the inaugural AsiaPacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize.

Singaporean sculptor Yeo Chee Kiong’s A Day Without a Tree bested 10 entries from nine countries in the inaugural regional art contest.

The winners were announced Tuesday morning at the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).

“I’m very happy although I didn’t really seriously think about (winning),” said Yeo, 38.

The piece was exhibited in 2007, portraying the museum’s rotunda as slowly melting in a commentary on climate change. According to the artist, it was also a way to challenge the views of visitors.

“The National Museum invited me to put up a show during its 120th anniversary and I thought it was interesting that if they were going to celebrate it, why not melt the building?”

According to SAM director Kwok Kian Chow - one of the members of the judging panel that included judges from Thailand and China - the judges noted how Yeo’s work opens up an interpretation of the building “being a national monument”.

As for the entire selection, he added that they were very pleased with the entries, which included those from countries “that do not usually participate in biennales, like Mongolia and Cambodia”.

The three Juror’s Choice Awards went to Malaysian Ahmad Fuad Osman for his slide projection Recollections of Long Lost Memories, Indian sculptor G R Iranna for Wounded Tools and Chinese photographer Zheng Bo’s The Karibu Islands.

In an online voting scheme, the public chose Mongolian artist Davaa Dorjderem’s Voice in the Space for the People’s Choice Award.

Mr Yeo will receive S$45,000, while the rest of the winners will receive S$10,000 each. He plans to keep his prize money for his yet-to-be-finalised project in 2008 - either a solo show or a book.

The works of the winners and finalists will be on display at the SAM until Nov 16.

- TODAY/yt