Following its successful run at the 60th International Art Exhibition Of La Biennale di Venezia (Biennale Arte 2024), Seeing Forest, by artist Robert Zhao Renhui will return to Singapore. Come and be part of this unforgettable homecoming!
Venue: Singapore Art Museum at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Date: 15 January – 18 May 2025
Admission: Free for Singaporeans and PRs
Have you ever wondered about the unknown and unexplored side of the city’s urban landscape? At Seeing Forest, you can uncover the fascinating stories of Singapore’s secondary forests.
Returning home after a celebrated debut at the prestigious 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, this exhibit is your chance to explore the beauty and mystery of nature right here in the city.
A Journey Through Singapore’s Hidden Forests
Discover a hidden side of Singapore’s urban landscape with Seeing Forest. This immersive experience showcases the rich ecology of secondary forests in Bukit Panjang and Gillman Barracks, where you'll encounter rare sights from sambar deer—once thought to be extinct in Singapore—grazing at the boundary of the forest in the West of Singapore, to migratory Japanese sparrowhawks pausing for a drink at a concrete drain in Gillman Forest.
The return show brings back the full collection of videos and sculptural installations first shown in Venice, with one of the key works, Trash Stratum, nearly tripling in scale for the Singapore edition.
Through vivid sounds, sights, and stories, Seeing Forest invites you to explore how these free, untamed spaces thrive despite the city’s rapid development. It’s a chance to reflect on our connection to nature and the life thriving around us in the heart of the city.
Dive Into the Three Key Works of Seeing Forest
Seeing Forest is anchored by three key works that invite you into a multi-dimensional exploration. As you step into the gallery, you'll encounter Trash Stratum (2024), a sculptural video installation scaled up for the Singapore presentation. This piece, imagined as a deconstructed cabinet of curiosities, blends stacked wooden boxes, screens showing found footage from Zhao’s research, and objects collected from the forest. It speaks to the ever-changing nature of the forest and our interconnected existence within it.
Next, the two-channel video installation The Owl, The Travellers and The Cement Drain (2024) grounds the experience with its eerie blend of carefully observed forest scenes and a mysterious narrative of two humans journeying through the forest. Through this, Zhao reveals the deep interdependence between humans and nature, and the lasting impact we have on the environment.
At SAM, Buffy (2024), the fish owl, keeps its back turned, symbolizing nature’s tendency to hide its truths. Without windows to gaze out of, you’re left wondering where this contemplative owl’s attention lies.
Alongside these works, A Guide to a Secondary Forest of Singapore (2024) offers you an overview of Zhao’s explorations and introduces the characters and stories woven throughout Seeing Forest. Together, the works encourage you to reflect on the complex and interconnected relationship between humanity and the natural world.
While secondary forests have been at the core of Zhao’s work for nearly a decade, they remain unnoticed by many. Seeing Forest invites you to recognize these overlooked spaces and appreciate their universal relevance in any urban environment.
Experience Seeing Forest as an Art Book
To celebrate the return of Seeing Forest to Singapore, you can look forward to the launch of Seeing Forest Volume 2, an art book that serves as an extension of the exhibition.
Available from February 2025, this book offers a deeper dive into the stories, inspirations, and visuals behind the stunning showcase.
Look Forward to Other Exciting Programmes
Seeing Forest: Insights from the Venice Biennale Ambassadors
Date: 22 February, 29 March, 26 April 2025 | 3 pm – 3.30 pm
Venue: Gallery 3, Level 3, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Admission: Free (General admission fees to exhibition apply)
Join the Venice Biennale Ambassadors for an exclusive 30-minute guided tour of the exhibition Seeing Forest as they will share first-hand insights and reflections from running the 2024 Singapore Pavilion at the world’s oldest and foremost international art event in Venice.
Seeing Forest: Curator Tour
Date: 1 March 2025 | 2 pm – 3 pm
Venue: Gallery 3, Level 3, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Admission: Free (General admission fees to exhibition apply)
Join the curator of Seeing Forest, Haeju Kim, for an exclusive guided tour that delves into the heart of the exhibition’s vision and themes. Explore the artworks’ connections to the natural world and get the latest on the artist Robert Zhao’s fascinating research into secondary forests in Singapore.
Within these forests that have regrown after destruction due to human intervention such as development and plantation, new ecosystems thrive, as Zhao discovers.
Seeing Forest: Docent Tour with Singapore Sign Language Interpretation
Date: 12 April 2025 | 3pm – 3.45pm
Venue: Gallery 3, Level 3, SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark
Admission: Free (General admission fees to exhibition apply)
Join the friendly docent on a tour of Seeing Forest to explore the exhibition. This 45-minute tour will be delivered in spoken English with Singapore Sign Language interpretation by Equal Dreams. Suitable for participants aged 6 and up.
For more information you can check on SAM’s website: bit .ly/SAM-SeeingForest.
