SCULPTURE AT SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDEN

KEE@FSWMAG.COM



SOTHEBY’S PRESENTS ITS FIRST SELLING EXHIBITION OF OUTDOOR SCULPTURE IN ASIA: ZADOK BEN-DAVID
AT THE SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS

This is a bit big for my balcony but should look great on your lawn in Kenny Hills or Damansara Heights or a very, very big balcony!

Patti Wong, Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia, announced on 21 August 2012 Sotheby's will host its first selling exhibition of outdoor sculpture in Asia with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Parks Board from 23 October 2012 to 31 January 2013.

Sotheby's, with many years' experience staging monumental sculpture exhibitions in the US and the UK, will take a proven formula further afield when it presents 16 works by award-winning international sculptor Zadok Ben-David against the magnificent backdrop of Singapore Botanic Gardens. The exhibition is partly sponsored by Bank Sarasin, and will be free and open to the public.

Discussing the exhibition, one of the first collaborations of this scale and nature in Asia, Patti Wong said: “During this

period of dramatic growth in the art market, collectors in Singapore have been transacting with ever-increasing
enthusiasm, particularly in the field of outdoor sculpture. We are grateful to the Singapore Tourism Board and the
National Parks Board for providing us with an exceptional opportunity to stage an exhibition which will create a unique
art experience for discerning collectors across the entire region.”

Lynette Pang, Executive Director for F1 & Sports and Arts and Entertainment, Singapore Tourism Board, shared:
“We are pleased that Sotheby’s, one of the leading forces in the international art market, has chosen Singapore to be
the site for their first Asian outdoor sculpture selling exhibition. This exhibition adds to the exciting diversity in our
events calendar and complements Singapore’s dynamic visual arts landscape. By augmenting our historical Singapore
Botanic Gardens with this high quality visual arts event, this exhibition serves as an opportunity to reach out to the
world’s collecting community, and also foster an appreciation of the arts amongst Singaporeans and international
visitors alike.”

About The Artist And The Work
Born in the Yemen, educated in Israel (at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design) and in London (at St Martin’s
School of Art), London-based Zadok Ben-David’s work reflects his twin fascinations with magic and Darwinian
Evolution. Man’s relationship with animals and nature are recurring themes in his sculptures, which, playing with illusion
and scale, constantly surprise. Having represented Israel at the Venice Biennale in 1988, he has since exhibited widely
in Asia, America, Europe and Australasia. His 2003 commission for the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem, For is the
Tree of the Field Man, (a tree composed of tiny human figures) was a key milestone in his career.

 In 2007, he was the subject of a solo

 exhibition at Guangdong Art Museum in China and in 2008 he was commissioned to create a landmark sculpture for

 the Beijing Olympics. Ben David’s celebrated Blackfield installation, featuring a forest of

20,000 tiny botanical sculptures, has been on a world touring exhibition since its creation in 2008 and has elicited a

rapturous response in every location.

 Last year, he created his first architectural work, Magic Box, a “levitating” gallery for the School of Architecture

 and Design (Escola Superior Gallaecia) in Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal.

For the exhibition at Singapore Botanic Gardens this autumn, Ben-David has created 12 new works, drawn from
themes from some of his most powerful sculpture series. Figures, trees and butterflies are entwined in works which
challenge our perceptions of reality. Each is a unique creation made of Corten (or “weathering”) steel.

When exposed to the elements, the steel

 rusts, forming as it does so, a constantly regenerating protective coating. In keeping with the subject matter of Z

adok Ben-David’s work, this continuous cycle evolves before our eyes, mirroring the changing seasons of nature.

Speaking about the forthcoming exhibition, Zadok Ben-David said: “This is the first time I have created such a large and  concentrated installation in one open public location. The works on show span several years, but I have made 12 of

the 16 sculptures in the last few months. It is a totally new departure to be able to show my work in a variety of
landscapes – in water and green spaces - and to see them working together.”

Sotheby’s (www.sothebys.com): Sotheby’s is a global company that engages in art auction, private sales and artrelated
financing activities. The Company operates in 40 countries, with principal salesrooms located in New York,
London, Hong Kong and Paris. The Company also regularly conducts auctions in six other salesrooms around the
world. Sotheby’s is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BID.

Sotheby’s and Selling Exhibitions: Sotheby’s has been staging selling exhibitions of monumental sculpture at
Isleworth in Florida since 2003, and in the grounds of Chatsworth House in Derbyshire since 2006. Artists who have
featured in these exhibitions include past masters such as Auguste Rodin, Aristide Maillol, Fernand Léger, and present
masters such as Fernando Botero, Niki de Saint Phalle, Louise Bourgeois, Damien Hirst, Marc Quinn, Anthony
Gormley and Dale Chihuly. While the exhibitions have attracted buyers from across the world, the activity of Asian
collectors in the field has been particularly notable.

Singapore Tourism Board: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is a leading economic development agency in
tourism, one of Singapore’s key service sectors. Known for partnership, innovation and excellence, STB champions
tourism and builds it into a key economic driver for Singapore. We aim to differentiate and market Singapore as a
must-visit destination offering a concentration of user-centric and enriching experiences through the “YourSingapore”
brand. For more information, please visit www.stb.gov.sg or www.yoursingapore.com.

Singapore Botanic Gardens (www.sbg.org.sg): Established in 1859, the Singapore Botanic Gardens played an
important historical role in the introduction and promotion of many plants of economic value to Southeast Asia. Over
the years, the 74-hectare Gardens has continued to introduce and rejuvenate its horticultural attractions and showcase
the best and most spectacular of tropical flora, including numerous heritage trees, a tract of primary rainforest, more
than 10,000 types of plants and the region’s most significant living collection of documented palms, orchids, cycads
and gingers. Attracting an annual visitorship of more than 4 million, the Gardens, managed by the National Parks
Board, has become a key civic and community space and a national tourist destination. It also joined the ranks of
renowned international attractions when it was awarded the Michelin three-star rating in 2008. In the same year, the
Gardens was selected by Time Magazine as Asia’s Best Urban Jungle. In 2012, the Singapore Botanic Gardens edged
out other gardens in Canada, Europe and the USA to clinch the inaugural International Garden Tourism - Garden of
the Year Award by the Canadian Garden Tourism Council.
Sarasin – Sustainable Swiss Private Banking since 1841 (www.sarasin.com)

The Sarasin Group has its roots as a leading Swiss private bank. As an international financial service provider
committed to sustainability, the Group is now represented in more than 20 locations in Europe, the Middle East, and
Asia. By the end of June 2012 it managed total client assets of CHF 99.1 billion and employed around 1,700 staff.
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