About the Project

Art can be an intimidating subject for many to talk about. With this in mind, we created a traveling platform that appropriates familiar “heartland” architecture, such as the mama shop and hawker stall, to create safe and friendly environments for the public to encounter art. At each installation, artworks were displayed with simple prompts and questions to encourage visitors to relate to the art, sharing personal stories about how the scenes depicted connected to their everyday lives. 

By taking artworks outside the confines of the gallery — into the heartlands at MacPherson, as well as the café of the National Gallery — and facilitating conversations just as one would have at the local kopitiam (coffee shop), we sought to make art more accessible and participatory. The mundane act of talking and conversing over simple everyday questions can provide a powerful bridge between people and art, as well as amongst strangers. 

For National Gallery Singapore, as part of the Spectrum and Common Grounds weekends.