Sneak a peak into the heart of Tiong Bahru

PUBLISHED February 13th, 2012 01:15 pm | UPDATED March 27th, 2016 11:44 pm

How often have you mooched around the conservation estate at Tiong Bahru trying to steal curious peeks of it’s interior, or perhaps of life being played out inside? Well being the curious cat that I am, I for one am guilty of having done so a fair few times.  And so when I heard that the 3rd edition of Singapore’s only art walkabout, OH! Open House (OH!) was back under the monkier Occupy Tiong Bahru I couldn’t contain my excitement.

Yes on 18, 19, 25 and 27 February you have a chance to get up close and personal with one of our favourite neighbourhoods – to experience the interior of the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne apartments, to learn about it’s fascinating history, and all in the context of art and community.

Occupy Tiong Bahru will see 15 artists transform 6 real life homes (and one temple!) which have been interpreted and transformed with site-specific works that will capture your imagination  across a variety of mediums  including drawing, painting, performance, photography, installation, sound and text.

There is something very special and intimate about seeing these installations in the homes kindly opened up by Tiong Bahru residents. It’s a rather curious, privileged feeling to get up-close and personal in this way and view things from a process of experiencing.

Here’s a quick preview of some of the works which caught my attention:

1. Shifting (Re) Interation by Jying Tan. This is essentially a reconstruction of the artist’s bedroom and life in its entirety using only plastic tape. Inspired by her experience of shifting environments, memories and their relationships to tangible objects, Tan reveals that “the act of wrapping and keeping can be seen as a form of protection – protection of the intangible memories and behaviour from an old place”.

When we took a peek, she was putting the finishing touches in to a week long preparation with a team of volunteers – the apartment was almost completely top to bottom covered in tape. Also worth noting that this apartment is a wonderful chance to see the original 1970s design and features still in tact.

2. Unconsciousness Consciousness by  Lavender Chang.  Chang’s exhibit is created from photos of the OH! house owners while they were sleeping (without clothing), exploring the effects of time, movement and light while the subjects are in their unconscious state .

Chang describes the images as “a performance created overnight as time passes around my sleeping body”. Displayed in the homes of the participating owners, it adds a whole new layer of intimacy to the very unique experience that is brought to you courtesy of OH!

3.  Time Echo Amplifier by Race Krehel. This is an interactive light installation that will track and amalgamate the presence of every single visitor to the installation. As people pass through, they will leave an impression behind –  a combination of projection and illustration projected on the walls which will leave behind a ghostly trail of their silhouette.

Tiong Bahru is practically synonymous with nostalgia and Krehel explains that the aim of the installation is “to evoke a sense of nostalgia in the viewers as they move through the exhibition space”.

1. The Laboratory of Waste Management by Isabelle Desjeux. This is a fascinating blend of art, science, performance, video, workshops and technology. Desjeux has taken the notion of a bathroom to another level transforming it into a dedicated space for waste management.

But before you balk, this is a metaphoric installation which – amongst other notions –  explores the relation between success and failure and how, and how the flow from one to another can generate energy which is then used to power experiments taking place in the lab – like seeds growing in magazines. Fascinating stuff.

OH!’s Occupy Tiong Bahru is a very rare opportunity to not only take in some thought-provoking installations but also to immerse yourself in a time capsule of what the neighbourhood represents at a time when it is rapidly changing. It’s also an extremely fascinating platform to understand the relationship between its gentrification and the long standing community. Make sure you don’t miss out on this unique and intriguing experience.

Occupy Tiong Bahru is taking place on 18, 19, 25 and 26 February, 4-9pm. Tickets are $15 on the door (from Tiong Bahru Community Centre, 67A Eu Chin Street). Sales start from 3.30pm, last tour leaves at 8pm. For more information see their website here.