Dale Chihuly: Glass in Bloom launches Virtual Experience of the exhibition

SINGAPORE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A major garden exhibition by Dale Chihuly, one of the world's most-renowned glass artists from Seattle, has introduced a Virtual Experience component that will allow people from all over the world to immerse in the kaleidoscopic and captivating world of Dale Chihuly. Having just come to a close on 3 October 2021, the Dale Chihuly: Glass in Bloom exhibition took place amidst the verdant tropical setting of Singapore's iconic Gardens by the Bay and presented visitors with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an extensive collection of the celebrated artist's works.

The exhibition was organised by Hustle & Bustle, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, venue partner Gardens by the Bay, automotive sponsor Porsche, and presented by title sponsors Bank of Singapore and OCBC Premier Private Client.

"I'm thrilled to show my work in such a dynamic location in Singapore," said Chihuly. "The natural world is an endless source for creativity, and it has been so inspiring to bring my work to life in this urban garden oasis." 

Dale Chihuly is an award-winning, multi-media artist known for his installations in museums, gardens, and public spaces around the world. For more than 50 years, he has pushed the boundaries of glass, reinventing natural and man-made environments with his experiments in light, space, and form.

Dale Chihuly: Glass in Bloom was the latest manifestation of the artist's practice as he reimagined the landscapes of Singapore's iconic Gardens by the Bay with 25 of his magnificent large-scale installations, as well as more than 80 pedestal sculptures and two-dimensional works. The works, which have been shipped directly from Seattle and installed on site, marked the first exhibition of its scale to be hosted at Gardens by the Bay, and made it the first garden in Asia to provide the verdant tropical setting for people in Singapore to experience the stunning works of Chihuly for themselves.    

Among the exhibition highlights were Chihuly's majestic Setting Sun, and Moon, a large spherical installation which was last presented in the artist's landmark exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000. Visitors had the chance to see Ethereal White Persians at the Serene Garden, and Cloud Forest Persians, a study in scale and translucency which debuted in 2019 at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, in London. These large-scale works, which measure up to 10 metres in height and weigh as much as 3600 kg, were curated and designed to complement the spaces within Gardens by the Bay's Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and outdoor gardens.

To make art more accessible to international audiences, Hustle & Bustle has launched a Virtual Experience of Dale Chihuly: Glass in Bloom due to the positive response received by the exhibition in Singapore. Available for free, the Virtual Experience of Dale Chihuly: Glass in Bloom is available here, and can be viewed till 31 December 2021. For international fans of Chihuly's artworks, this Virtual Experience will provide them with an opportunity to appreciate his magnificent artworks from the comfort of their homes.

"Chihuly is a symbol of resilience, as portrayed in his mastery of the beautiful and delicate art of glassblowing. We are captivated by his life story, and view this momentous exhibition as an opportunity to share his inspirational story with the rest of Singapore, despite the challenges of putting together a show of this scale in the midst of a pandemic. When the world has come to a standstill during this pandemic period, Chihuly's works bring our focus back to nature. While the physical exhibition has ended, we hope to continue bringing joy and making art accessible to locals and international audiences alike with the introduction of this Virtual Experience component, who can immerse in and appreciate the stunning works of Chihuly," said Michael Lee, CEO of Hustle & Bustle, on the partnership with Chihuly Studio.

For more details, please refer to the following:

• Annex A: Biography of Dale Chihuly

About Dale Chihuly

Dale Chihuly is an American artist noted for revolutionizing the studio glass movement and elevating perceptions of the glass medium. Known for ambitious architectural installations in cities, museums, and gardens around the world, Chihuly utilizes a variety of media to realize his creative vision, including glass, paint, charcoal, neon, ice, and Polyvitro. Chihuly's work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Corning Museum of Glass. Major exhibitions include Chihuly Over Venice (1995-96), Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem (1999), de Young Museum in San Francisco (2008), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2011), Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond (2012), Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Canada (2013), Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada (2016), and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas (2017.) In addition, Chihuly Garden and Glass, a long-term exhibition located at the Seattle Center, opened in 2012. For more information, visit chihuly.com and @ChihulyStudio.

About Hustle & Bustle

Hustle & Bustle is an award-winning integrated creative experiential agency with a passion and reputation for creating curating groundbreaking experiences and celebrating milestones. By spearheading creativity and digital innovations at the forefront of every experience, Hustle & Bustle crafts unforgettable experiences for their guests and clients. For more information, visit www.hustleandbustle.co.

About OCBC Bank

OCBC Bank is the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932 from the merger of three local banks, the oldest of which was founded in 1912. It is now the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets and one of the world's most highly-rated banks, with an Aa1 rating from Moody's. Recognised for its financial strength and stability, OCBC Bank is consistently ranked among the World's Top 50 Safest Banks by Global Finance and has been named Best Managed Bank in Singapore by The Asian Banker.

OCBC Bank and its subsidiaries offer a broad array of commercial banking, specialist financial and wealth management services, ranging from consumer, corporate, investment, private and transaction banking to treasury, insurance, asset management and stockbroking services.

OCBC Bank's key markets are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Greater China. It has more than 480 branches and representative offices in 19 countries and regions. These include over 230 branches and offices in Indonesia under subsidiary Bank OCBC NISP, and over 70 branches and offices in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR under OCBC Wing Hang.

OCBC Bank's private banking services are provided by its wholly-owned subsidiary Bank of Singapore, which operates on a unique open-architecture product platform to source for the best-in-class products to meet its clients' goals. 

OCBC Bank's insurance subsidiary, Great Eastern Holdings, is the oldest and most established life insurance group in Singapore and Malaysia. Its asset management subsidiary, Lion Global Investors, is one of the largest private sector asset management companies in Southeast Asia.

For more information, please visit www.ocbc.com.

About Bank of Singapore

Bank of Singapore is the dedicated private banking subsidiary of OCBC Bank. It has a strong Aa1 credit rating from Moody's and offers a unique value proposition as a safe Singapore-registered private bank.

It operates on an open-architecture product platform and has strong research capabilities, especially in emerging market research, to help its clients make the right decisions for fixed income, equities and money market investments as well as portfolio management, trust and insurance services. Over the years, it has built Managed Investments capabilities and premium trust and advisory services, supported by one of the largest research teams in Asia.

Beyond private banking services, clients of Bank of Singapore have access to personal and business banking services, as well as investment opportunities offered by OCBC Bank or its subsidiaries.

It is able to leverage OCBC Bank's commercial banking capabilities to extend its clients a broad array of consumer and corporate banking, corporate finance and treasury services across the OCBC Bank's regional and international network.

Bank of Singapore serves high net worth individuals and wealthy families in its key markets of Southeast Asia, Greater China, Philippines, India Sub-Continent and other International markets. Headquartered in Singapore, Bank of Singapore has branches in Hong Kong and Dubai International Financial Centre, with representative offices in Manila and Dubai. It offers wealth management services in the European Economic Area under the BOS Wealth Management Europe brand name. In Malaysia, it serves its clients through BOS Wealth Management Malaysia.

For more information, please visit www.bankofsingapore.com. 

About Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore's key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.

More: www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com 

Follow us: facebook.com/STBsingapore or twitter.com/stb_sg

ANNEX A

Biography of Dale Chihuly

Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade.

In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly co-founded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.

His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and twelve honorary doctorates.

Chihuly has created more than a dozen well-known series of works, among them, Cylinders and Baskets in the 1970s; Seaforms, Macchia, Persians, and Venetians in the 1980s; Niijima Floats and Chandeliers in the 1990s; and Fiori in the 2000s. He is also celebrated for large architectural installations. In 1986, he was honored with a solo exhibition, Dale Chihuly objets de verre, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre, in Paris. In 1995, he began Chihuly Over Venice, for which he created sculptures at glass factories in Finland, Ireland, and Mexico, then installed them over the canals and piazzas of Venice.

In 1999, Chihuly started an ambitious exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly's lifelong fascination for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. The Garden Cycle began in 2001 at the Garfield Park Conservatory, in Chicago, and continued at several locations, among them the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, near London, in 2005, and the New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, in 2006 and again in 2017. Meanwhile, Chihuly has exhibited at other venues as well, including the de Young Museum in San Francisco, in 2008; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 2011; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, in 2012; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, in 2013; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, in 2016; and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, in 2017. In addition, Chihuly Garden and Glass, a major long-term exhibition, opened at Seattle Center in 2012.

SOURCE Hustle & Bustle