25x25, a multidisciplinary art exhibition in collaboration with SMU Libraries
(From left) Professor Kwok Kian Woon, Vice-Chancellor of UAS; Professor Lily Kong, President of SMU; and a student from the SMU Ambassadorial Corps appreciating Silent Nature, an artwork by student artist Hadirah Binte Mohd Hazarul, featured in the 25x25 Exhibition as a part of SMU's 2025 Arts Festival. The exhibition highlighted a new wave of student creativity, presenting visual and literary responses to 25 works from the SMU Art Collection. Curated in collaboration with SMU Libraries, the exhibition, held in SMU's de Suantio Gallery, fosters cross-medium dialogue and offers fresh interpretations of themes explored in the original artworks. Silent Nature, comprising photo prints on foam board, was inspired by Bernar Venet’s 2004 sculpture 97.5° Arc x 8. The sculpture was installed at SMU's campus green as a gift from Dato' Kho Hui Meng in 2015.
"When I first saw Bernar Venet’s 97.5° Arc x 8 (2004), I was skeptical due to its simplicity. Alas, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. Venet’s sculpture aims to capture the process behind it, rather than the aesthetic of it. I was soon inspired by the concept art that Venet is presenting: the effect of nature and time. How nature slowly yet surely alters the man-made structure surrounding them, shaping it to conform and accept nature. Through my artwork, I aimed to capture the subtle yet powerful signs of decay that are seen in our daily lives, yet often overlooked. To remain true to the theme, all the photographs that I took and displayed were raw, unedited shots." -- Hadirah Binte Mohd Hazarul, Year 2, School of Accountancy.
"When I first saw Bernar Venet’s 97.5° Arc x 8 (2004), I was skeptical due to its simplicity. Alas, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. Venet’s sculpture aims to capture the process behind it, rather than the aesthetic of it. I was soon inspired by the concept art that Venet is presenting: the effect of nature and time. How nature slowly yet surely alters the man-made structure surrounding them, shaping it to conform and accept nature. Through my artwork, I aimed to capture the subtle yet powerful signs of decay that are seen in our daily lives, yet often overlooked. To remain true to the theme, all the photographs that I took and displayed were raw, unedited shots." -- Hadirah Binte Mohd Hazarul, Year 2, School of Accountancy.