Martell Air Gallery
PUBLISHED October 7th, 2015 02:47 am | UPDATED June 24th, 2020 06:54 pm
Martell celebrates 300th Anniversary with the Launch of Singapore’s First Augmented Reality Contemporary Art Gallery. Contemporary art takes over the Singapore skyline with Martell Air Gallery, a mobile application created by cognac house Martell to celebrate its 300th anniversary in Singapore and the nation’s Golden Jubilee.
As part of Martell’s Tricentenary celebrations, Kelley Cheng was invited to Cognac and Versailles where she drew inspiration from Martell’s rich heritage. There, she met with Martell Style Director Axelle de Buffevent and learnt about the philosophy of French Art de Vivre and how it has influenced the house of Martell as well as the French approach to life. Through her trip, Cheng has recognised that the steps of making cognac closely parallels the Chinese concept of Wu Xing, a conceptual scheme that consists of five elements (Metal, Water, Fire, Wood, and Earth). This realisation has informed her direction of the exhibition, with five distinct sections that represent the five elements. While the elements symbolise the different steps of cognac-making, they are at the same time metaphors that parallel the growth of Singapore from third to first world. Each element also aptly describes the character and different phases of change and development in Singapore.
To illustrate the parallels between these phases and the five elements, Cheng has worked with 15 luminaries from various creative fields for the exhibition – writer Amanda Lee Koe; artists Angie Seah, Brenda Tan, Debbie Ding, Justin Lee, Michael Lee, Yeo Shih Yun, Ben Puah; illustrators Anngee Neo and Mindflyer; multi-media artists Rowell Tan and Sarah Choo; filmmaker Kirsten Tan and architects Lennard Ong and Voon Wong.
Through the mobile app, Singapore’s first augmented reality contemporary art exhibition will be presented against the dramatic backdrop of the Singapore skyline. Curated by Martell’s 300th anniversary ambassador in Singapore Kelley Cheng, the Martell Air Gallery features the exhibition titled Zoe –The Art of the Alchemist,which showcases 15 new works by 15 local artists. The artworks will be exhibited against iconic Singapore landmarks around the Marina Bay area and can only be experienced exclusively through Martell Air Gallery app.
The app can be downloaded on mobile devices, allowing the public to freely access, view and interact with the artworks on exhibition at their own leisure. The Martell Air Gallery will also become the platform that serves as a permanent open-air gallery, offering an innovative and cutting-edge approach to experience and appreciate art in Singapore. Martell Air Gallery signifies Martell’s commitment to innovation, creativity and support for the arts in Singapore.
Martell Air Gallery is available for free download on iTunes and Google Play Store from 22 October 2015.The app will display the locations of the 15 artworks, which will be exhibited around the Marina Bay area. Using geo-tagging technology, viewers will be prompted to point their mobile devices at specific locations where the artworks can be accessed through the app. The app will allow viewers to engage with both still and moving images which will be given a dramatic dimension as they will be virtually installed against Singapore landmarks.
For more information about Martell Air Gallery and Martell 300th anniversary in Singapore, please visit the [website](http://martell300sg.com).
