Calling all you shark lovers, art lovers, environmentalists out there.
Calling all you shark lovers, art lovers, environmentalists out there.
Parkview Museum Singapore is hosting a shark exhibition so, if you love art or sharks— or both, this is the place to be. The Parkview Square building itself is a form of art, as it has been said to resemble Gotham City due to its unique Art Deco architectural style.
As the title suggests, the museum’s exhibition, “On Sharks & Humanity” surrounds pressing issues like shark finning and the protection of sharks. The exhibit also covers the importance of conserving our oceans.
The museum will display 33 artworks from local artists as well as from abroad. They include Hou Zhongying, Na Wei and Zheng Lu, whose artwork you can find here.
Parkview Arts Action described the art as “immensely varied works resonated in different ways: some challenged the prevailing prejudices surrounding this deeply feared ‘killer’, while others focused directly on the barbarism and devastation caused by the shark finning industry.”
“On Sharks & Humanity” Exhibition in China Source
Alarming environmental issue
Sharks are currently facing extinction and the shark finning industry is to blame.
These sharks are usually captured alive and robbed of their fins before being thrown back into the ocean. Without their fins, the sharks lose their ability to swim and eventually die. Being at the top of the ocean’s food chain, the death of so many sharks would mean serious imbalances in the ecosystem.
Since sharks have a major role in the marine ecosystem, their extinction could potentially lead to ecological repercussions such as dying coral reefs, overgrowing algae and diminishing small animal numbers.
There is a common misconception that sharks are deadly killers because of the number of shark attacks. In 2016, there were 81 shark attacks reported. This seems like a large number but, the reality is that humans are the true top predators of the sea. Each year, humans kill more than 100 million sharks according to a report by Oceana.org.
Company background
Through the company’s commitment to improving environmental sustainability, family-owned company Parkview Group set up Parkview Arts Action. Parkview Arts Action wrote on their website that their aim is “to harness the transformative power of art to raise awareness of critical environmental issues….”.
The exhibition was held in Beijing, Moscow, Monaco and now finally in Singapore.
It will remain open till 9 September 2017. The best part is that admission is completely free!
And, if you are a fan of sharks fin soup, maybe a trip down to Gotham building will make you think twice about the controversial dish.
When: Till 9 September ‘17
Opening Hours: 11 am to 7 pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays), closed on Mondays
Where: Courtyard and Level 3, Parkview Museum, Parkview Square, 600 North Bridge Road
Admission Fee: FREE
