A Seven-Metre Call to Action at Gardens by the Bay
Portuguese artist Bordalo II has unveiled “New Life,” a seven-metre-high sculpture depicting a mother and baby Sumatran orangutan, at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. The installation, which officially opened on 22 October 2026, serves as the centerpiece for a four-year sustainability initiative spearheaded by the insurer Singlife.
The work occupies the SG50 Lattice at the Bayfront Pavilion, marking the artist’s return to the site four years after he installed a monumental Sumatran tiger. The orangutan sculpture is scheduled to remain on public display at the Bayfront Pavilion for four years.
Constructing Wildlife from the City’s Refuse
The sculpture portrays the mother and child in a delicate embrace, with the infant positioned as if hanging from the arm of an excavator. To bring the piece to life, Bordalo II and his team spent approximately two weeks on-site, repurposing four to five tonnes of discarded materials salvaged from across Singapore.
The composition relies on a collage of decommissioned bins, road barriers, car parts, playground equipment, old luggage, and toys. By layering these items, the artist preserves their original colors and textures to map the animals’ features. As noted by GraffitiStreet, this technique forces viewers to confront a stark contradiction: the use of materials linked to environmental pressure to reconstruct the very species threatened by those same systems.
The Weight of Generational Responsibility
Singlife developed the “New Life” programme to spark public debate about consumption and waste, with WWF-Singapore serving as a sustainability partner. For Bordalo II, the subject matter is deliberate. The mother and child represent the fundamental responsibility one generation carries for the next.
Since 2012, the artist has produced more than 200 such installations across 20 countries. He frequently highlights the irony of his medium—using plastics, which persist for generations, to depict vulnerable animals whose natural habitats are increasingly fragile. While the sculpture carries a playful aesthetic, the intrusion of heavy machinery and identifiable consumer waste ensures the environmental message remains impossible to ignore.
Uncertainty Surrounding Long-Term Outcomes
While the installation is confirmed for a four-year run, the broader impact of the sustainability initiative is still evolving. It is not yet clear how the project will measure shifts in public perception regarding waste, nor have specific policy goals been defined by Singlife for the duration of the exhibition. No details have been released regarding the final disposal or recycling of the sculpture’s materials once it is decommissioned in 2030.
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