after-party
2022
in collaboration with Nghia Phung

Presented as part of Bad Imitation, held at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore. Curated by Berny Tan and Daniel Chong.

This collaborative work draws inspiration from the presence of ‘stray objects’ encountered in working-class neighbourhoods. In these contexts, objects that might otherwise be considered mundane or discarded—a massage chair left on the sidewalk, a stationary bicycle tucked beside a stairwell, or a parasol leaning against a wall—take on new, improvised functions. They are often repurposed as makeshift storage, temporary shelters, or resting spaces, extending the utility of domestic objects beyond the private confines of the home.

These objects operate in a complex social and spatial tension. On one hand, their placement in communal areas challenges conventional distinctions between public and private spaces, asserting a quiet form of occupation and claiming of urban territory. On the other hand, this appropriation is inherently precarious: those who rely on these objects for comfort or utility must simultaneously navigate the risk of constant surveillance, social scrutiny, or sudden removal. The same objects that provide respite and practical utility are also subject to the fragility and unpredictability of their surroundings, turning what might be a minor comfort into a temporary and contested refuge.

To investigate and evoke these layered dynamics, the artists have assembled secondhand objects collected islandwide in Singapore in a single day, arranged in ways that recall the improvisational logic of the original street interventions. Readymades and found objects are strategically integrated, amplifying the theatricality and uncanny quality of the compositions. In doing so, the installation not only reflects the ingenuity and resilience embedded in everyday life but also emphasizes the tension, impermanence, and social negotiations that these stray objects embody.