Singapore, 18 September 2008 – Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) today unveiled the winner’s trophy for the world’s first ever night race.   To be held in Singapore from September 26 to 28, the race looks set to be the highlight of this year’s calendar, and this specially designed trophy is a fitting tribute to the history-making event.

 

The design of the trophy takes its cue from Singtel’s insightful and poignant evocation to “Come Shape the Future of Racing”.   Within the modern yet simple elegance of the trophy lies a multitude of symbolism which exemplifies the race.

 

“We wanted a trophy that would evoke our invitation to “Come Shape the Future of Racing”, one that would reinforce our sponsorship objectives of wanting to bring the best Formula One experience to everyone in Singapore,” said Mr Allen Lew, CEO Singapore.

 

In collaboration with Singapore-based art consultancy Asian Art Options, Singtel carefully screened a range of artists - from sculptors and installation artists to multi-media artists.

 

Singtel chose to collaborate with award-winning multi-disciplinary artist 
Zulkifle Mahmod to design its inaugural trophy.   Fresh from his ground-breaking sound-sculpture installation at the 2007 Venice Biennale, Zulkifle brings an element of creativity and profundity to the platform.

 

The selection of Zulkifle as the trophy designer may come as a surprise to some, as the artist, though trained in sculpture and with his beginnings in the 3-D art form, is now celebrated for his role in bringing sound-media art to the forefront.

 

Zulkifle’s innovative ability to merge multimedia and sculpture complemented Singtel’s desire to produce an inaugural trophy that broke boundaries, from an artistic, aesthetic and conceptual level.   The decision to select Zulkifle arose from Singtel’s credo of challenging mindsets and breaking boundaries and its desire to integrate artistic elements into the event.

 

Once Zulkifle had finalised the design, leading pewter brand Royal Selangor was commissioned to manufacture the trophy.   At the heart of the trophy is a tapered scalloped core carved from solid billet using a computer numerically controlled machine.  Three sections stacked together make up this structure with the mid section twisted at an angle to create additional dimension to the sculpture.

 

This structure is then layered with 20 pewter panels in various sizes created in two different finishes.   Each panel is affixed individually onto the core in accordance to the designer’s requirements, creating a unique work of art with multiple layers.  Projecting the iconic colours of the chequered flag, the core is painted in black in contrast to the pewter panels in bright and matt finish.  A section of the core highlighted in red, reflects the energy and excitement of the event.  

 

Supporting the structure is a base, designed to resemble a steering wheel.    Machined from solid billet, its individual parts are polished to perfection and then soldered together to form the wheel.

 

Mounted on a wooden stand, the trophy design has been made in two sizes.   The trophy for first placing stands at 580mm while the trophy for second and third placing stand at 440mm.

 

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About Asian Art Options

Established in 1999, Asian Art Options (AAO) is a boutique art consultancy which provides arts-related advisory and art sales to both corporate, institutional, design and private clients. Recent and on-going projects include the New Majestic Hotel and Bar; the Artist-in-Residence program at Marina Mandarin Singapore, Singapore Telecommunications, Ritz Carlton Singapore, Bain & Company, Credit Suisse Singapore, BHP Billiton, UBS Singapore & more. www.asianartoptions.com

 

 

About Royal Selangor

Established in 1885, Royal Selangor is one of the oldest and most well-known names in the pewter industry.   Recognised for its innovative designs and excellent craftsmanship, Royal Selangor has received numerous awards such as the 2002 Red Dot Award from Germany and G-Mark for Good Design from Japan.

 

With a talented team of designers and a versatile manufacturing facility, Royal Selangor also creates bespoke designs for discerning clientele.    Its creations have graced the winner’s podium of world class events such as the 1999 World Cup Golf and Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix.  It has also created exclusive merchandise for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and  FIFA World Cup 2006.

 

Distributed from its home base in Malaysia, Royal Selangor is today found in more than 20 countries around the world.

 

For more information, log on to www.royalselangor.com

 

About Singtel

 

Singtel is Asia's leading communications group providing a portfolio of services including voice and data services over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms.  It has a network of 37 offices in 19 countries and territories throughout Asia Pacific,  Europe and the United States.   Together with its regional partners, Singtel is Asia’s largest multi-market mobile operator, serving more than 198 million mobile customers in eight markets. 

 

For more information on Singtel’s Formula One sponsorship, please visit www.singtelrace.com

 

Artist Biography

 

Born in 1975, Zulkifle Mahmod is at the forefront of a generation of sound-media artists inSingapore’s contemporary art development.  Zul is one of the participants for the 52^nd Venice Biennale in Italy for the Singapore Pavillion in 2007 along with three other artists. An Associate Artist at the alternative art space The Substation, Zul’s practice signals a more encompassing and expanded visual arts sensory experience.

 

Zul has frequently worked in the context of the artist collective – being the co-founder of  Studio 19 and  Pink Ark.  Pink Ark, formed with fellow artist Kai Lam, in 2004 to pursue ‘experimental sound art’, marked a milestone as the first sound collective in Singapore. It subsequently organized Singapore’s first 24-hour Sound Art Festival ( Una Voce, 2005).

 

Adopting a multi-disciplinary/multi-genre approach, that also include drawings, prints, sculptures and ready-mades, Zul has exhibited in Singapore, Thailand, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Moscow, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Norway and Finland. His "Stilt" series forms part of The Swissotel Stamford Singapore’s permanent art collection. His notable initiatives include an industrial-sound inspired soundtrack in conjunction with an Antoni Tapies exhibition at the Singapore Art Museum and a series of 5 sound performances ( False Securities, 2005) using binaural field recordings and digitally processed sounds.

 

In 2006, Zul staged a well-received solo exhibition titled W.O.M.B at the Substation Gallery, Singapore. He was invited to showcase his work in the Ogaki Biennale in Japan organized byInstitute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) and in 2008 in Moscow, part of the Spotlight Singapore, Moscow organized by The Arthouse.