OH! Potong Pasir

These few weeks, on the green open spaces of the Bidadari Field, passerby will have the opportunity to witness an installation that looks like a wayang stage. This wooden structure conceived by Randy Chan is titled Palimpsest (2016).

Randy Chan's Palimpsest (2016).

In its own ways, this installation give a hint to the key theme of departed spaces that underpins OH! Potong Pasir, an art walkabout. In this year's edition of OH! Open House, artists explore the theme of departed spaces.

For this year's art walkabout, much of the tour was spent visiting spaces in the public housing estate of Potong Pasir. I witnessed for myself that the estate was going through a series of upgrading. Construction can be found easily at many corners of the estate.

Do you know what the words "Potong Pasir" mean? "Potong" means cut, and "Pasir" means sand. One of the artists, Ong Kian Peng, presents two sandscape installations to recall Potong Pasir's origins as a sand quarry by the Kallang River for this year's OH! Open House.

A glimpse of Ong Kiang Peng's Fractal Dunes (2016).

I had the pleasure to attend one of the Director's Cut tours on the first weekend of OH! Potong Pasir. One of my favourite segments of the tour was the visual to a beautiful and scenic view of the Kallang River from Jacob Ballas Bridge that connects St Andrew's Junior School and St Andrew's Junior College. I felt thankful for the good weather. Nature is a brilliant artist!

Other than the privilege to explore the public housing estate of Potong Pasir, OH! Potong Pasir brought us to recollect a place that no longer exist now, the Alkaff Gardens. While learning about a place which I totally had no personal experience of, I start to wonder if I had missed out on any interesting experiences. When wondering, I awed at the ideas behind the work, Consigned, by Tan Wee Lit.

Tan Wee Lit's Consigned. (2016)/

What about more of the art pieces that are showcased during OH! Potong Pasir? Patience please. An art walkabout like OH! Open House has to be experienced, and not read. How about signing up for one of the tours instead?

Interesting observations at OH! Potong Pasir.

Details can be found as follow:

OH! Potong Pasir
12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 March 2016
2 p.m. - 10 p.m.
(Last tour leaves at 8 p.m.)
Each tour is about 2.5 hours in duration.
Admission: 
S$25 per person 
(S$45, For the "Director's Cut tour on Saturdays)
Meeting place: Potong Pasir Community Club.
http://ohopenhouse.peatix.com/view
http://ohopenhouse.org
https://www.facebook.com/ohopenhouse


Tip: Please wear comfortable shoes and appropriate clothing. Bring along a bottle of water. It will come in handy on a hot day especially.

OH! Open House, Joo Chat (2015)

No Man's Land. Beside 136 Tembeling Road.

A charming neighbourhood, a curious mind, an interest to view artworks in the private spaces that are usually otherwise out-of-bounds, a physical body that is ready to walk for two hours under any weather condition and a heart that is open to start their journey from the No Man's Land - all these qualities are what will attract anyone to join any one of this year's OH! Open House art walkabouts!

A Golden Class Ticket

I began my journey of this year's OH! Open House with a Golden Class Ticket. This ticket brought me to an exclusive visit to a private house that others with the usual ticket will not get to see. It includes a Golden Class Lounge experience, a Golden Treasure Box, a Golden Guide, other companions and a OH! 2015 journal. I am thankful to be the lucky ones who have ordered one of the Golden Class Tickets before they were fully sold out. In the meantime, I understand that there will still be the regular tickets to OH! Joo Chiat available for sale at door.

The holding area?

This week marks the first week of the OH! Open House tours. After the exclusive visit to a private house and enjoying what was referred to as the "Director's Cut", the tour began like all the regular OH! Joo Chiat tours at No Man's Land, beside 136 Tembeling Road. I recommend that the serious-minded participants get a copy of the OH! 2015 journal to read the curator's note by Alan Oei, the artistic director of OH! Joo Chiat. He weaved some of his personal stories of growing up in Joo Chiat into his curator's note.

One of the OH! Journals hidden in a box that triggered a sense of nostalgia.

To keep the element of surprise for everyone else who has not gone for the tour, I shall not attempt to document my experience of OH! Joo Chiat in this post. Instead, I will share a few highlights of this tour from my personal perspective.

My favourite stopping point: 106 Joo Chiat Place

The most nostalgic stopping point for me from the OH! Joo Chiat art walkabout tour was 106 Joo Chiat Place. I have not been visiting the area for more than a year, and now the new development at 106 Joo Chiat Place stands at the site that used to be Studio 106, the art studio of the late local sculptor, Ng Eng Teng. Admittedly, the previous house has more character and appeal to me.

Studio 106, in year 2008.

106 Joo Chiat Place, in year 2013. 14 Mar 2015.

It was a pleasure to see Ng Eng Teng's Sultan of Pahang and another of his works (I do not know the title of this work) plus a replica of the double-heart shaped water feature that used to stand at the site of Ng Eng Teng's art studio.

Ng Eng Teng's Sultan of Pahang stood prominently against the other works.

Admittedly, Ng Eng Teng's works were so overpowering that I overlooked the beauty of Kum Chee Kin and Kum Chee Kiong's works Fragments (2015) and Old Logs (2015). Reflecting after the tour, their works which were made from fragments retrieved from the former Ng Eng Teng's art studio at 106 Joo Chiat Place helped to connect visitors to a glimpse of the past of that very site. It was at 106 Joo Chiat Place that the late Ng Eng Teng had created many of his masterpieces and works of art.

The sculpture with a tear drop and a replica of the water feature.

Fragments, 2015. CK Kum.

The bigger it is, the more it sticks.
The work that struck most in my mind was S.S. Nimby (2015) put together by Randy Chan, Fiona tan and Zenas Deng. The artists added various objects into a lifeboat which one of the volunteers, Boon, had offered to OH! Joo Chiat for use for the art installation. This boat represented his lifetime of longing. In the meantime, in the work, S.S. Nimby, the artists evoked Noah's Ark. A very personal piece of art work in many ways. I suppose the bigger the work is, the more it sticks in our memories?

My brief conclusion
This tour triggered memories. It got me thinking about what development is. It got me acquainted with the community spirit of the Joo Chiat neighbourhood. I was surprised, not, to walk past pubs and even stepped into two hotel rooms! I am thankful to the dedicated golden guide, the hosts who have generously opened up their private realms to host OH! Joo Chiat and the team who has made the event possible.

A pretty interesting art walkabout to spend a weekend away exploring with strangers and other companions. In life, there are no strangers, perhaps like one quote says, "only friends we have not met".

Was Sold Out! Thankfully, more tickets have been released!

At the time of writing, although the tickets to this year's OH! Open House had been sold out previously. I learnt that the organizer will be releasing 80 MORE TICKETS. This translates to five more slots for every door. The tickets will be sold at the door for anyone who is willing to queue for the tickets. Even if you cannot get your ticket, you can explore the neighbourhood and enjoy the charms of the Joo Chiat area.

136 Tembeling Road. Near Koon Seng Road.

OH! Open House, Joo Chiat

Starting Point: No Man's Land, beside 136 Tembeling Road.
Bus services nearby: 33, 16.
(Consider taking these bus services from the bus-stop nearest to Dakota MRT station. Exit by Exit A, on the side leading to Jalan Satu)

Language: OH! Joo Chiat will be conducted in English. 

Tours in other languages can be conducted (subject to availability) upon prior special request, with a minimum of 15 pax.

Tour dates:

14 Mar 2015, Sat

15 Mar 2015, Sun

21 Mar 2015, Sat

22 Mar 2015, Sun

28 Mar 2015, Sat

29 Mar 2015, Sun

Tour timings: 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. (Last tour leaves at 7.45 p.m.)

Ticket pricing: $25 (excludes booking fee).

Website: http://ohopenhouse.org
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ohopenhouse

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You may also like to visit:
http://oceanskies79places.blogspot.sg/search/label/Open%20House
http://oceanskies79places.blogspot.sg/search?q=ng+eng+teng

OH! Open House 2013: What's our Happiness Index?

OH! Open House 2013. Brochures and tickets.

OH! Open House is back again. This year, OH! Open House takes us to the private spaces in the district of Marina Bay to view works of art. The theme of this year's OH! Open House is The Happiness Index. I am still trying to appreciate how one could possibly explore the theme of Happiness Index in a seemingly corporate and highly structured district of Marina Bay which is Singapore's newest financial district.

This year marks the third year that I have attended OH! Open House. The curiosity to take a peep into private spaces which would otherwise be out-of-bounds to us had prompted me to take an interest in attending OH! Open House. What had sustained my interest in OH! Open House was the privilege to view and experience works of art that were usually created for the private spaces that were provided.

If you are curious, join me for a quick overview of this year's OH! Open House from my personal perspective.

It was my first time visiting the Marina Bay Financial Centre. The financial district of Marina Bay is very new to yours truly who does not work in the financial section. Finding my way there required a bit of simple searching. Perhaps the journey to happiness requires some searching too?

How I have found my way to Marina Bay Financial Centre, Tower 3
I took a SMRT train to Raffles Place MRT station. Then I followed the directional signs and travelled underground to head towards the Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3. On my way, I would pass through the Marina Bay Link Mall.

After the Din Tai Fung restaurant at Marina Bay Link Mall, there is a concierge to ask for directions for folks like myself who prefer to receive guidance from human beings. Otherwise, the directional signs are clear enough to lead visitors to the Marina Bay Financial Centre. At Tower 3 of the Marina Bay Financial Centre, there are clear signs to confirm that we are at the right place. By the way, visitors who are hungry would be pleased to find a food-court that serves food at Marina Bay Financial Centre, Tower 3, Level 2.

For visitors travelling above the ground, look out for the towering blue skyscrapers with the Standard Chartered Bank sign! You will know that you have reached the Marina Bay Financial Centre when you catch the sights a sculpture of two water buffaloes by British sculptor, Dame Elisabeth Frink.

Water Buffaloes. By Dame Elisabeth Frink.

While I was waiting to purchase tickets, it came to my attention that this event is largely volunteer-driven. I felt appreciative of their efforts to make OH! Open House possible. Thanks to the team of people who have made OH! Open House possible!

Before the start of the tour, participants were asked to wait at an auditorium. I did not quite like the experience of waiting in the auditorium as it just felt like a space that is corporate and impersonal. Can we really find happiness in such spaces?

Without spoiling the surprise elements and the excitement for potential visitors, I shall reveal what had caught my interest and/or attention at this year's OH! Open House.

Joy Oh's work at the OH! Open House reminded me of one of Gosia Wlodarczak's works at the Singapore Biennale 2011. Joy Oh's drawings on the window panels seem to be interacting with the spaces in the DBS' Super Social Hub as well as the bigger world outside the Marina Bay Financial Centre's building. Maybe there is joy found in interacting constantly with our internal and external world.

The surprise performance created by Spell#7 brought a sense of nostalgia and heart-warming spirit to the otherwise cold and impersonal spaces of the DBS' Super Social Hub. What is a social hub without people who are feeling alive and in love with the present moment? When the performance caught you by surprise, be present and experience the moment! Happiness can be found in the present moment!

Nguan's works. OH! Open House 2013.

One part of the tour brought us underground to the Marina Bay Link Mall. I wonder whether it was the intentions of the curators to make us participants be aware of the stark contrast of walking underground and above-the-ground. Walking underground, I felt a sense of being stifled although I was protected from the rain and the sun. The entire experience somehow prepared me to identify deeply with Nguan's works that were exhibited at a part of the Marina Bay Link Mall. Through these works, Nguan seems to be bringing the heartland to the city. Looking at the photographs that were taken at open spaces above-the-ground, I felt a desire to move out of the underground spaces so that I could finally delight myself in the loving rays of the sun. Maybe the spaces that we live our lives in could influence our happiness index?

Frayn Yong's Fragile Structures. 

Sheer delight could be felt when participants saw Frayn Yong's Fragile Structures. This piece of art installation was made out of fine and thin graphite! Maybe a sense of awe in what could be possible could trigger a sense of happiness in us human beings? Our wonderful tour guides shared with us that the artist was exploring the potential of negative spaces through this work.

Evil Empire's performance at OH! Open House was baffling. I have had no clear clue what was going on. The experience felt rather eerie. It did not help that I have yet to read and will still need a lot of help to appreciate Kafka's The Trial which I understand had greatly influenced Evil Empire. If you could understand how this performance could help us find out more about our Happiness Index, please enlighten me.

Marina Bay's Past and Present
During the tour, our guides gave us a quick introduction of the history of Marina Bay. The land at the Marina Bay Financial Centre used to be a part the sea. I tried to imagine how life would have been sailing and fishing out at the sea in those days in the distant past.

Subsequently, after the land reclamation project of the Marina Bay area was completed, for a period of time,  before the skyscrapers were built, the area of Marina Bay was used for various leisure and recreational activities. I vaguely recall that it was a place for kite-flying and a place for barbecued cuisine as well as seafood.

I looked about the present Marina Bay and realized what a transformation this area has went through. Would  the existence of a large financial district that will be larger than Wall Street when it is completed in any way add to our Happiness Index? I do not have the answers.

A visit to Deutsche Bank
I have heard about how some financial institutions acquire their own private art collections. It was a pleasant piece of news to learn that one of the venues of OH! Open House 2013 was a visit to Deutsche Bank. Two representatives from Deutsche Bank warmly welcomed everyone in the tour group. I love their hospitality. It somehow reminded me fondly of my experiences during OH! Open House 2012 and the year before whereby some of the home-owners actually made time to welcome participants to their private spaces.

We had the opportunity to take a look at some of the private art collections of Deutsche Bank during our visit. However, photography of its private art collection is not permitted.

In the meantime, I was happily admiring the view outside the office of Deutsche Bank as well as appreciating Shubigi Rao's Blotting the Ledger. For this work, the artist soaked text books with text and drawing in ink. This is quite a thoughtful piece considering that it is placed in the boardroom of Deutsche Bank.

I was looking out of the window.

My personal favourite
In a legal firm in Far East Finance Building, Tan Peiling's And They Gathered Them Together In Heaps left a positive impression on me with sounds reminding us of a time before the Marina Bay Financial Centre existed. Somehow, I felt it was very therapeutic to be in the space of a not-so-new office experiencing the sound-scape from this work. Happiness could be felt when I listened to the sounds of the ship-horns and the sounds of the waves?

At Google's office
One of the stops was at the office of the company that is associated with one of the most well-known search-engines of our time, Google. Would it be easier if the search for happiness could be made faster with the use of a search-engine?

At Google's office in Singapore, Eeshaun's giantic and colourful abstract paining The Search for Happiness explores the search for happiness, and he concluded that "The search for happiness is inside".  My interpretation is that we have to look within ourselves to find happiness.

My conclusion
I prefer the more lively venues of OH! Open House of the previous years. Somehow, the Marina Bay Financial Centre felt like an impersonal neighbourhood for me. At a first glance, things looked so orderly that they appeared non-spontaneous. Then again, if happiness can be found from within us, maybe it does not matter how the external circumstances were?

Looking back, I will still attend OH! Open House 2013 nevertheless. It is such an interesting local art event and the best way to see it thriving is to support it.

Make your way to the Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower Three these upcoming weekends. For security clearance, please bring along a photo identification card to access the banks.

OH! Open House 2013
5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 January 2013
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
(Last tours leave at 3 p.m.)
DBS Asia Central 
Marina Bay Financial Centre
12 Marina Boulevard, Tower 3, Level 3
Tickets at the door, $20 per person
http://www.ohopenhouse.com


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You may also like to read:- Preview: OH! Open House 2013: The Happiness Index at Marina Bay, by Gwen Pew, published on TimeOut Singapore.
- OH! Open House Marina Bay: The Happiness Index, by Teoh Yi Chie
- A quick look at OH! Open House Marina Bay by Mayo Martin, video by Sion Touhig, TODAY Online.
- There's art in this concrete jungle if you know where to look by Mayo Martin, TODAY Online
- OH! Open House: The Happiness Index, City Nomads.
- Review: Open House! Marina Bay by Adeline Chia
- http://www.indiegogo.com/ohopenhouse/ (To order a special tour package)

Occupy Tiong Bahru, the OH! Open House

These two weekends, OH! Open House has arranged for the works of 15 artists to occupy six houses and a temple located in the Tiong Bahru estate. The OH! Open House is Singapore's only art walkabout. Other than enjoying interesting artworks, participants will enjoy an interesting walk about the Tiong Bahru estates.

Built in the 1930s, the Tiong Bahru estate is one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore. I learnt that the name "Tiong Bahru" means "New Cemetery". I was attracted to the visually pleasing design of the flats in the Tiong Bahru estate.

Tiong Bahru Community Club.

The art walkabouts by OH! Open House 2012 start at Tiong Bahru Community Club, at 67A Eu Chin Street. The nearest MRT station is Tiong Bahru MRT station. The nearest landmark to the Tiong Bahru Community Club is the Tiong Bahru Market. I would suggest that participants of OH! Open House could head for a delicious meal at the Tiong Bahru Market before heading for the OH! Open House.

Tiong Bahru Market. The place for affordable and delicious food.

I visited the OH! Open House Facebook Page and learnt about the queue system. First, participants purchase their tickets at the Tiong Bahru Community Club. The tickets will have the allocated time printed on it. According to the allocated time, participants will join the designated queue to wait for their tour. To maximize the participants' experience of the art walkabout, each tour will have no more than 15 participants onboard. Before the start of the tour, please listen carefully to the house rules announced by the guides.

Here are some of the snapshots of the artworks and glimpses of the Tiong Bahru estate from my OH! Open House walkabout on 18 Feb 2012:

This work by Isabelle Desjeux reveals the countless failures behind each successful scientific discovery.

I find this artwork attractive because of its colours. Yet it looks eerie.

One of the works by Zhao Renhui. It reminds visitors that Tiong Bahru was once well-known for its bird-singing aviaries. Bird lovers used to gather with their songbirds every morning to catch up with fellow bird lovers over coffee and tea.

Did you notice the slogan on the windows?

Heimlich by Jying Tan. These are all made from tapes!

Stephen Black, who identifies himself as Kwaytologist. This artist has written materials about Tiong Bahru, and he is looking for a publisher to publish the materials on Tiong Bahru into a book. http://bookmerah.weebly.com/index.html

In one of the houses, I found an artwork reminding me of
the Tanjong Pagar Railway station that is no longer in operation.

The tour concludes at The Monkey God Temple.
Here,  participants will see the works by Gilles Massot.

I have found OH! Open House 2012 an interesting event that combines a walkabout the Tiong Bahru estate, house-visiting of a few of the conserved houses, with art appreciation. This event is a must-see for lovers of the Tiong Bahru estate and ardent art lovers who enjoy viewing artworks in the private spaces of residential homes.

Many thanks to the house-owners for their hospitality and generosity. Special thanks to OH! Open House team for putting this event together.

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Please also visit:
https://www.facebook.com/ohopenhouse
http://www.ohopenhouse.com/
http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/aroundtown/feature/artists-home-invasion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiong_Bahru_Estate
http://yesterday.sg/art-discover-more/get-ready-to-occupy-tiong-bahru-at-oh-open-house/

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OH! Open House
18, 19, 25 and 26 Feb 2012
From 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
(Last tours leave at 8 p.m.)
Tickets at $15 per adult, and at $10 per child, only available at the door
Sales start from 3.30 p.m. at Tiong Bahru CC, 67A Eu Chin Street.


Curator: Alan Oei
Assistant Curator: Kimberly Shen

Adventures at OH! Open House

Thanks to a series of network via Facebook, I got to learn about OH! Open House last weekend. Initially, I was rather hesitant whether to attend OH! Open House. Afterall, the east region of Singapore is fairly out of the way for me. Then again, I figured that it would be a special experience for me. As such, I took a bus and travelled slightly less than an hour to get to Marine Parade Community Club where the tour would begin.

I was feeling thankful that I had got myself a ticket to one of the OH! Open House tours. When it was time for the tour to start, I was feeling excited and was looking forward to see art in people's homes. It felt like art would be brought into the homes. Inspirations from art would soon transform the familiar dwelling spaces into creative spaces.

Off we went on our art walkabout. On our way to the first home, we heard some ghost stories. That seemed to be the opening to one of the works that we would get to see at our first destination. As I walked past the public housing which we fondly refer to as the HDB (Housing & Development Board) flats, I could imagine a fairly strong community spirit lingering in the Marine Parade estate.

I saw a number of interesting works at the five different homes whose owners have so kindly opened their homes to the OH! Open House event. Many of the artworks seem to take into consideration of the spaces of the owners' home and of the owners' personalities.

I was particularly intrigued with the eulogies. There was an eulogy in each and every home. The eulogies me made wonder how I would like my own eulogy to be if I were to leave this world. I suppose if I would like to have my eulogy written the way I would like it to, I would have to be living my life meaningfully first. That somehow reminded me if we are preparing to die meaningfully, we have to first start by living our lives meaningfully.

I was also pretty captivated by Mark Wong's sound installations at some of the homes. The sound installations somehow seemed to transport me into Mark Wong's interpretation of the vibes and persona of the owners of the homes. I would only wish I had a bit more time to listen to his sound installations because before most of the time I would be reminded by our dedicated tour guide that it was time to visit the next house. Music and sounds, admittedly, do require some time to appreciate.

Teng Yen Lin's works were pretty interesting to me too. I simply like the ways she play with lines and perception. I have also found the last work to be viewed during the tour, Angel, by Clare Marie Ryan and Marc Gabriel Loh to be a thoughtfully conceptualised installation. I like most of the artworks that were being showcased at the OH! Open House. Some of the most interesting works at this event are best seen in person. As such, I have decided not to show too many photographs of the OH! Open House. Afterall, it is better to attend OH! Open House to experience art in the familiar homes in the heartlands than to look at photographs of the event.

OH! Open House is not just about art and more art. The tour also offered a glimpse to the social history of Marine Parade. I learnt about the dolphin mascot of Marine Parade and saw a number of them! I also found out where the first Bengawan Solo in Singapore is located. I have found out that there is this website that offers an insider's scoop on Marine Parade: http://www.ohmarineparade.blogspot.com.

Each tour takes approximately 1.5 hours. Please do wear comfortable shoes that can taken off easily. Respect the house rules, the owners and the guides. Last but not the least, be inspired by the art!

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OH! Open House 2011 is held on 8, 9, 15 and 16 Jan 2011. Each tour ticket costs $10. Tickets to the event can be purchased from Marine Parade Community Club, located at 278 Marine Parade Road.

The first OH! Open House tour for each day starts at 4 p.m. The last ticket sales is at 7 p.m. The houses close at 8 p.m.

This event is supported under the National Heritage Board’s Heritage Industry Incentive Programme (HI2P).