Pastry chef Janice Wong, film-maker Royston Tan and comedian Kumar may seem unlikely bedfellows, but all three are baring the best of themselves at an exhibition.
The Best Of You, a five-day showcase, opens on Wednesday at Marina Square shopping mall. It will feature an edible art installation by Wong, a short film titled 033713 by Tan and a sharing session with Kumar.
Wong's installation, to be suspended from the ceiling, consists of about 3,000 chocolate balls, chocolate paint, acrylic sticks and 10 litres of gummy liquid. The artwork takes three days to complete.
"This piece is an invitation into my mind, a sharing of ideas and ways of seeing," says Wong, 31, who based it on a painting, titled 1000 Crosses, she created after voluntarily donning a blindfold for 50 hours earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Tan's film 033713 is part of a film trilogy, based on the concept of a "memory bank" and an ode to the spontaneity of film-making. For the four-minute film, he went back to basics, shooting with a three-men crew, like he used to when starting out in the late 1990s.
"The trilogy is my way of revisiting and speaking to myself, and 033713 is the second film in the trilogy," says Tan, 38. The first, Vicky, was released in May while the third film does not have a projected release date.
The Best Of You is a social movement introduced by Julie's biscuits in May this year and it celebrates everyday heroes and affirms the best in people.
Since June, members of the public have been invited to contribute their personal stories of affirmation and appreciation on the website, the-best-of-you.com, in response to the question "Who is the best of you?"
Submissions could take any form, ranging from written testimonials and paintings to videos and photographs. To date, more than 700 entries have been collected from Singapore and Malaysia. Fifty of these have been shortlisted to be displayed at the exhibition too.
On the campaign, film-maker Tan says: "It made me ask, what is the best of me? Is it represented by achievements or academic success? Or the triumph of hard work and resolve, over difficulty? It was an opportunity for me to explore this theme in detail."
Comedian Kumar says he was drawn to the movement's aim and will participate in a sharing session with the public on Saturday afternoon.
"I have changed my life to be simple, to enjoy what I have and to listen to my heart - this is what I want to share," he says.
In all, 20 Singapore-based artists are contributing artworks or making presentations at the exhibition. Besides Wong, Tan and Kumar, film-maker Boo Jun Feng, director-actress Michelle Chong and artists Lim Qi Xuan and K.C. Gan are participating.
The Best Of You movement is the brainchild of Canada-based consultant Sai Tzy Horng, who works full-time as a project manager at a Canadian university.
"My observations of Julie's staff gave me the idea to ask the question 'Who is the best of you?'," says Mr Sai, 33, who is the younger son of Julie's owner, Mr Sai Chin Hock. "It is the staff who have put in their best efforts, ultimately contributing to the success of the brand."
The brand was founded in 1982 in Malaysia.
A similar exhibition will open in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 28, two days after the Singapore event.
Former MTV VJ Holly Grabarek's written entry is one of the 50 featured at the exhibition.
Currently based in the United States and starting a product development and business course at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Diego, Grabarek, 24, opens up about her relationship with her 86-year-old grandmother.
"I love that the movement gives people a chance to reflect on the people who really make a difference in their lives - the people who have given them hope when life became too overwhelming," she says.
"They can now look back and honour that person for doing that."
