An art installation with two parts has recently been unveiled in two transit stations in Singapore, but the artist has since been mired in controversy over the installation’s name, which is a play on words.
A display that included information about the artist and artwork read “Welcome to Jingapore.” Many commuters who read the sign believed that “Jingapore” was the result of a typo instead of the actual name of the installation, and took to social media to ridicule everything from the transit system to the artist himself.
However, as the artist explained in his own social media post, he meant for the display to reflect his own view of what Singapore is. This makes sense, especially since the artist’s name is Jing Quek. Furthermore, the word “jing” in Chinese means, among other things, scenery and sights.
Amid the vitriol over the perceived mistake, though, officials have temporarily removed the display that included information about the artist and the artwork itself. Many people continue to lambast the name online, and it is unclear when the display information will be restored — or if it will be.
The artwork itself is a long, ambitious mural that features buildings and people in the way that the artist views them. Many of the people appear to look out at the viewer, creating the effect of an audience watching commuters pass through the station. Many of the people are waving, and they’re all done in a illustrated realism way, even though some people are physically much bigger than others.
The artist said that he didn’t mean any disrespect by the title of the artwork, and that he found it odd that his play on words has been so controversial. He said that he has represented the art and culture of Singapore throughout the world in his many travels, and hopes that people can talk about his art in a respectful manner and move forward from the controversy.
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To read more about the art at the transit station, as well as to read the web comments complaining about the name of the installation, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/welcome-to-jingapore-mural-a-wordplay-on-artists-name-not-misspelling-says-lta.