Image credit: UBS Singapore

This work of art, made with 6,000 upcycled plastic flowers and standing at 12.8 metres, is certified by the Singapore Book of Records as the nation’s tallest sustainable tree made up of plastic bottles.

Titled ‘A tree reborn’, this work of art was unveiled at a light-up ceremony during UBS’s Appreciation Night on 29 November. It stands on the grounds of Fort Canning Park and will be open for public viewing until January 2020.

‘A tree reborn’ kicks off UBS’s Sustainable Arts Program for youths, a joint project with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) which engages community partners to support and mentor youths by therapeutic learning through art.

The first phase of the project consisted of a series of art-making workshops conducted for beneficiaries from AWWA, Halogen Foundation Singapore and Care Corner Seniors Services, as well as volunteers from UBS and LASALLE. Under the creative guidance of LASALLE Master of Fine Arts alumnus and artist Steven Lim, the volunteers upcycled, transformed and created 6,000 unique and intricate flowers from 3,000 discarded plastic bottles. The colourful flowers were then displayed onto a tree structure at the amphitheatre of Fort Canning Park with the help of Fort Canning Hotel and NParks.

Image credit: UBS Singapore

“What is normally discarded can be turned into works of art through a process of selection, personal judgement and decision-making. Besides giving participants the opportunity to be engaged in creative art-making, this process transforms the end-of-life bottles into beautiful blooms which together create a stunning effect on the tree. ‘A tree reborn’ spreads a message of hope, joy and love in this season of giving.” said Mr Lim.

In the spirit of sustainability, phase two of the project kicks off when the tree is dismantled in January 2020. The floral decorations will be further upcycled and repurposed into functional objects and décor items, with the help of community partners such as AWWA and Halogen Foundation. Other material will be used to create unique art pieces some of which will be displayed at the new UBS office. This project is also supported by Hotel Fort Canning, National Parks Board (NParks) and Acceptable Things, a design studio with a focus on sustainable art.