The Time Tree

Modelled after the dimensions of the Changi Tree – what is believed to be Singapore’s tallest recorded tree, ‘The Time Tree’ imagines what a tree older than 200 years might look like.

Reflecting on Singapore's pre-modern history and the plurality of narratives, it draws attention to a longer, more meditative concept of history measured in the life of botany. The form of a stump is deliberate, embodying power, vulnerability, regeneration and infinite possibilities.

 At night, the tree is illuminated with light emanating through the gaps and cracks, adding to a sense of mystery and unknowability.

 Created using 3D printing technology, 'The Time Tree' is commissioned by the National Art Council’s Public Art Trust in commemoration of the Singapore Bicentennial in 2019.

The Time Tree (2019) By Robert Zhao Renhui

Day View

Night View