From now until the end of March a selection of bars across Sydney will host a new art exhibition by iconic Asian brand Tiger Beer, who have partnered with James Dive from The Glue Society to bring barely-cooled woks from the street of Singapore and transform them into “Woks of Art”. The aim is to challenge the misconception that Singapore’s culture is clinical, polished, and strict, bringing a closer-to-ground slice of culture over to Sydney from the hawker markets and back laneways which give the city it’s character.
Each wok has it’s own story to tell and will be doing so across Surry Hills bar-diner Surly’s, nearby staple The Soda Factory, the Prince Albert Hotel, Newtown’s popular Earl’s Juke Joint, and The Village Inn.
It’s all part of a wider project that seeks to repurpose real items from the streets of Singapore. Think shutters, room dividers, crates, and tiles, transformed into unique décor to bars across Sydney.
The exhibition was recently launched at a rooftop event, which the AU’s Erica Enriquez attended. Check out her experience below:
It’s a hot and muggy evening, but thankfully it’s Daylight Savings in Sydney and there’s a certain lucky crowd of people headed to Surry Hills for the launch of Tiger Beer’s Woks of Art showcase, a joint project between Tiger Beer and The Glue Society’s James Dive that aims to celebrate the vibrant energy of Singapore. The mission was to give woks, a symbol of the heat and flavour, to 20 Aussie and Kiwi artists with the directive that they be turned into works of art, to be displayed in various bars across Sydney.
Why the need to turn a humble kitchen wok into a showpiece? Because anyone who’s ever been to Singapore knows that it’s a hotbed of activity – a bustling, industrious and lively city where Tiger Beer originated and where many locals and ex-pats now call home. It’s a city that wants people to know how exciting it can be, and this Woks of Art exhibition hopes to mirror that on the walls of Sydney bars such as Earl’s Juke Joint, Soda Factory and Surly’s.
Food served at the event echoed the food many locals and visitors to Singapore love to eat – laksa, spicy (yes, spicy) crab and satay skewers. Downed with a cold bottle of Tiger Beer on the rooftop of a warm Sydney summer evening and you get the feeling that you’re truly taken away. Guests were treated to Singaporean musicians (one was a beatboxer, performing a Reggie Watts-esque set) and on display were the woks of art. The whole event, complete with brightly decorated candles and props to make the walk up to the rooftop event look like an open market on a bustling Singapore street.
To celebrate ‘Woks of Art’, Tiger Beer will be giving everyone the chance to win a trip to Singapore for two, where they will be guided through the hawker markets and back laneways of the vivid city, to discover the real Singapore and the birthplace of Tiger Beer. Entrants simply need to snap a picture of their favourite piece from the ‘Woks of Art’ and upload to Instagram tagging #TigerWokArt whilst enjoying a refreshing Tiger Beer, to be in with a chance to win.
Images supplied and credited to Linda Sebihi
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