As part of Singapore Art Week (22 to 30 Jan), art takes over SMU’s Li Ka Shing Library with an exhibition by students using art photography as a medium to communicate and share their personal perspectives.
Twelve students from last year’s Open Call participated in a ‘Digital Photography: Visual Diary’ workshop with Objectifs Centre for Photography & Film, where they explored the art of visual storytelling and developed their photo projects in December 2020.
Now they present their photo projects in an exhibition titled Annotations at Li Ka Shing Library. Their photographic narratives—that share stories on loneliness, resilience, connection with nature, the life of a migrant worker, and journey of self-discovery amongst others—are embedded across the Library on the 2nd and 3rd floor. Like notations in the margins, they reveal an exchange within and between themselves, the city, and campus life.
The exhibition is on view till 28 February 2021, and features the photo projects of Andrea Vincent, Celeste Wong, Dhriti Trehan, Jerald Heng, Makarios Tang Way, Meutia Ananda, Prarthana Chandani, Shabbir Akhtar, Tan Huei Suen, Vishakha Choudhary, Xu Moyu, and Yap Ying Ying.
Email artcollection@smu.edu.sg to register for your guided walkthrough.
What do our students think about the project?
“This exhibit was the first time that I used photography as an artistic expression, one with the intention of looking at the lives of migrant workers in Singapore. I initially planned to meet migrant worker photographers in person and take pictures of them, but due to Covid-19 restrictions it was logistically unfeasible. As a result, WIMBY (@welcomeinmybackyard) linked me up with Ian Iqbal, one of the migrant worker photographers in Singapore and began a virtual collaboration. It was an eye-opening experience to explore the intimacy that art requires, as well as recognizing that with art, one can shape the audience experience and perception but the validity of their interpretation must be respected. Deanna and her team and Objectifs were crucial in helping me navigate the curation and presentation of the images to be aligned with my intended message.
I am beyond grateful how this turned out, whether it's presenting the view of migrant workers from our perspective, or giving Ian the opportunity to showcase his pictures as well. The one picture that will always be etched in my memory is the one that features my brother and Ian's friend at the sink. Personally, I had always found my sink too cluttered which seems like a welcome contrast with the clean white walls of the sink at the dorm, until one takes a closer look and sees the cockroaches crawling on the walls. Yet, their smiles remind you of their humanity in this weird clash of experiences. I always think about the prejudiced comparisons we sometimes make of people of different backgrounds every time I look at this picture.” – Makarios Tang
“I was once a film student from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design. Photography has always piqued my interest and has developed over the years as for my adoration for filmmaking. Although this opportunity was meant to be a solo-photography project, there was no limitation to the number of people who could’ve been involved as subjects of my photos.
I was inspired by the fact that SMU currently doesn’t have campus-wide yearbooks, which I hope will be an initiative that happens in the near future. You would be surprised how eager the participants of this project were at the idea of an SMU Yearbook! Had COVID-19 been non-existent, I would’ve shot an entire collective as a yearbook to capture the nostalgia of growing up. However, as this was not possible, the idea evolved into Westernised solo-yearbook photos. My greatest takeaway, other than the reward of witnessing the exhibition go live, was the overflowing amount of love and support from my amazing family and friends, as well as all the participants whose photos are part of SMU Yearbook 360°. I am so grateful for this opportunity, and I cannot wait for more future photography projects!” – Andrea Vincent