5 Albizias | Singapore Art Museum

Encounter Robert Zhao Renhui’s 5 Albizias – an art exhibition that invites us to think about our relationship with Singapore’s flora, both native and non-native.

This collaboration with Singapore Art Museum invites you to engage with the arts in our library spaces.

5 Albizias
 
The Albizia tree (Albizia moluccana), native to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, has quietly spread itself through Singapore’s landscape, embodying both utility and resilience. Far from an accidental presence, Albizia moluccana had been intentionally introduced for its rapid growth and ability to thrive in the soils disturbed by external forces such as deforestation or urban development. According to “the Report of the Singapore Agri-horticultural Society for 1866,” Albizia was already well established by then, brought to Singapore long before 1866 as shade trees for coffee plantations, similar to their use in Java .
 
In the Maluku Islands, Albizias often populate areas shaped by both human and natural disturbances—lining roadsides, taking root in abandoned plots, and even flourishing in lands affected by volcanic activity. There, Albizia moluccana acts as a pioneer species having a rejuvenating effect and rewilding spaces impacted by various forces. In Singapore, Albizias perform a similar recovery, finding purpose in populating vacant and forgotten lands, where they form small stands as if islands amid urbanised surroundings. These isolated green pockets challenge traditional perceptions of what is considered natural or invasive.
 
This exhibition documents five Albizias: four from across Singapore—Tampines, Punggol, Jurong and Woodlands, reflecting the venues of this exhibition—and one from the Maluku Islands. Together they examine how human actions have shaped these spaces, exploring the blurred boundaries between native and non-native, natural and artificial, and demonstrate how Albizias, despite often being considered undesirable, perform a subtle but powerful role in rewilding disturbed spaces. By spotlighting these often-overlooked trees, the exhibition redefines resilience and adaptability in Singapore’s ever-changing environment.