Imaginarium: To the Ends of the Earth

It may surprise you to know that these smooth, metal, torpedo-shaped planters are the shells of bombs! They were extracted from the land in different locations all over Laos, where thousands of undetonated bombs, left over from the war, still dot the country. This makes farming – an important trade for the nation – very dangerous and almost impossible. 

Have you ever seen a lizard lose its tail? Some lizards are known to drop their tails when in danger to distract their predators while they make their escape. Lizards are tough and adaptable creatures, and they can always grow back their tails later. Wouldn’t it be helpful if we could also heal ourselves after emerging from challenging situations?

Embedded in the floor are 598 photographs of Singapore, each encased in a tiny bubble. Like a constellation of dew drops, these images of our urban landscapes, natural landscapes, and scenes of the everyday are miniscule and almost imperceivable from a distance. 

Trees live extraordinarily long lives; can you imagine the number of stories they would have overheard from people walking beneath them over the years? Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could hear the stories they had to share? In this work, the artist contemplates humanity’s place in the urban and natural realms.

 

'My Wonderful Dream' imagines lands without borders – where fantastical characters float freely across islands and continents, and where people recognise the similarities rather than differences within each culture. With our yearning for advancement, and with the pressures of rapid change introduced by globalisation and technology, is a harmonious world achievable or is it just a dream?

Be transported into a ‘forest' of interactive hanging flora and floating fauna! Comprising manual levers and shadow play, this immersive artwork evokes vivid memories and imaginings of our experiences with the natural environment – be it a trek through the tropical rainforest or a stroll through a park.

This robotic drawing machine is activated via the L2D mobile application, and can be accessed and activated from anywhere in the world – highlighting how our once vast and uncharted world has now become ‘accessible’ with one simple ‘click’. But along with the conveniences of technology comes the responsibility of the individual as well as the collective unit to extend social decorum into the realm of the internet.

This minuscule installation encourages close observation and a sense of awareness about our surroundings, piquing our wonderment and curiosity. Sited in oft-overlooked corners of the museum, 'Where am I' is a series of clustered mushrooms painted in vivid colours. This whimsical work attempts to illustrate how surprises come in all shapes and sizes, and can be found even in our most well-trodden routes – and the delight one experiences in making these discoveries.