What does it take to become a work of art? Volunteers allowed themselves to be painted from head to toe to blend into the facade of the National Gallery Singapore. This was the latest project by renowned Chinese artist Liu Bolin.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Now you see me, now you don't.
00:03Now I feel like I'm in the army.
00:05I feel like I have to be really serious and not move my face at all,
00:08otherwise my facial will be ruined.
00:11Over two days, 60 people disappeared at the National Gallery Singapore's City Hall steps
00:16in an artwork by renowned Chinese artist Liu Bolin.
00:20In October 2024, Liu produced two artworks in Singapore.
00:24His 2025 return was to create pieces inspired by Singapore's culture.
00:29Singapore has a unique cultural character.
00:31Different skin tones, ethnicities and languages can blend together harmoniously.
00:38This is a very deep feeling for me.
00:39Because in other countries, there are always reasons for skin tones
00:43or religions that create problems.
00:46So when I want to create a piece, I invite different ethnicities,
00:51including those who work here,
00:53different ethnicities and people from different countries to participate in the piece.
00:57Liu, also known as the Invisible Man, gained recognition in 2005
01:01for painting himself to blend into the rubble of his art studio
01:05in silent protest of its demolition.
01:07Since then, Liu has used the same camouflage technique at significant locations worldwide.
01:13When I first learned about Liu Bolin, I really liked the defiance part of his artwork.
01:18My philosophy really aligns with him.
01:20That's why I chose to volunteer myself to be part of the artwork as well.
01:24Organised by DEC, the project invited the public to be part of a montage for Singapore Art Week.
01:30The session begins with volunteers changing into a customised uniform.
01:35Each is assigned a number to designate their position in the artwork,
01:39and the painting starts.
01:41Black and white lines are drawn first to blend into the city hall steps.
01:46The last to be painted is exposed skin.
01:49For protection, a layer of Vaseline is applied before the acrylic paint goes on.
01:54Photographs of the volunteers are then taken in batches to make up the final composite.
01:59The painters have taken a lot of care to make sure we are comfortable,
02:04and actually it's very fun, so I'm cool.
02:07Each volunteer has to dedicate five to six hours to be a human canvas.
02:16Being hidden in a busy city like Singapore actually is quite a relief.
02:21Sometimes I do want to be by myself and to have some me time, so it's a good experience.
02:28In our daily lives, we walk past a lot of things and we don't necessarily notice them.
02:33So the chance to just stop and take a moment and reflect, it's a very meaningful message.
02:39Other than the painted volunteers, there are also more than 30 others working behind the scenes.
02:45I was lucky enough to be a student in Singapore 20 years ago,
02:50and I'm very happy to be back for a business reason for the Arts Fair.
02:55And yeah, it's a good time to celebrate,
02:59and I think New Berlin makes a project for the whole world to come to Singapore.
03:06After mobilising 100 volunteers and 55 litres of paint over three days,
03:11the Hiding in Singapore The Journey Between artworks are finally ready.
03:16The final artworks, along with other pieces,
03:19will be exhibited at the Fullerton Hotel East Garden Gallery.