Mosaic Surprise

At the same time we were at the Botanic Garden, there was another lovely surprise in store that worked out nicely for Jon and Ben, besides the tulips only for me to gawk at!

To be honest, and quite understandably, boys are less into flowers, as they are, when it comes to more "gungho" (read: manly) stuff. But with Jon's two ECAs (afterschool activities) cancelled that day, it was our chance to go catch the blooms while they lasted.

What we didn't know ahead, was that there was an exhibition of mosaic sculptures going on this period. Actually, it hadn't officially started, when I subsequently looked up the information. But already, while we were there, the rainbow-coloured artwork of the late Franco-American sculptor, Niki de Saint Phalle, dotted the garden grounds!

You may know her as the famous creator of the "Nanas" (French slang for "chicks" or "babes", not erm grandma, mind you ;p) -- those brightly painted, oversized female figures, as a symbol of female empowerment.

And there's more to de Saint Phalle's work -- from totem poles, to animals, to black heroes -- of what we saw before the rain came. All "playful, larger-than-life creations celebrating diversity, women, children, love, and joy" -- what a visual feast, and treat, our visit turned out to be!





Best of all, there aren't any "Do Not Touch" signs next to the sculptures, so every one young and not-so-young can just go up-close for a good look and feel. And as you can imagine, the place -- so alive with the whimsical sculptures -- became a playground of sorts not just for Jon and Ben, but all children alike!



Just as the garden website advises (never mind we hadn't known about this beforehand, and had assumed it to be the case):
"Children are encouraged to touch, sit on, and even climb some of the works"....

How cool is that? =)

Jon and Ben found this skull sculpture (or "cave" as Ben called it) the most intriguing...

... check out the different views it accords from the inside and out, not to mention the different materials/texture it's made up of!