Celestial Earth
First placed in Singapore: 1999
URA Centre, Maxwell Rd
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Patron: Urban Redevelopment Authority
Very effective piece, given plenty of room by the URA. (I wrote that in 2010 or so but since 2019 or so the URA has taken a very different approach to the space... cheered on by a design critic...(see Insta grab) cramming it with activity. And while there is plenty of room on the sides, and around the piece, the ceiling was always too low for this sculpture.) This is a space that actually allows the sculpture some room to do its stuff, which it does quite effectively. The URA is another hotbed of 'labelism'. There is another Sun Yu Li inside the building (and so not included on these pages) which has a much longer label, however the placement is such that you bump your head against the sculpture if you try and read the label.
Text of the Label:
Celestial Earth This sculpture, entitled 'Celestial Earth', comprises the two elementary forms: a square cored from the centre of a circular frame. This embodies the Confucian philosophy of square within, circle without [Chinese characters for same]. The 'square' depicts a focused aim grounded in firm principles, while the 'circle' conveys consideration for others. Sculptor Sun Yu-li
Last updated: Dec-5-2020
