The Archipelago
Site-specific multi-sensory experience, 2019
Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears,
even if the thread of their discourse is secret,
their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful,
and everything conceals something else.
Like a pendulum, the world oscillates between two states, a withdrawal onto oneself around the concept of Nation, and a world of openings, through the trade of goods, services, ideas, cultural products. Globalisation is an ancient phenomenon, and a global archipelago of cities have always been the engine at its heart; they are intrinsically the most powerful creation of mankind and the source of positive outcome throughout history, with their capacity to produce stability and opportunities through economies of scale and exchange. They provokes the temporary death of Nation States by being closer to each other than to their national hinterland. At the same time, they carry the germs that will ultimately provoke their own decrepitude, and throw the pendulum back towards its equilibrium.
If Nation-States exemplify the immediate post-Babel world, the rise of Global Cities signify their death in the age of globalisation.
Global cities don't belong to their nation-states: New York City isn't the USA (it didn't vote Trump), London isn't the UK (it didn't vote Brexit), Paris is full of gilets jaunes coming from its periphery and Hong Kong is still a SAR of China. Singapore is the only example of a consistent and pure global city: not a Nation State but a City State.
Global cities are home to the global citizen (what's the value of a passport?), where a new unified, universal language is spoken: globish. The world is flat again as Babylonian used to see it, a return to modern Babel world: cities of dotted by modern ziggourats, humanity's hubris. Humanity comes full circle.
Cities, likes Nations are powerful products of Mankind's imagination.
Global cities of yesterday and today.
Global Cities have been a triumph and deserve to be celebrated as such.
Cautiounaty tale
The work is inspired by Italo Calvino's "Invisible Cities", and is the second part of a "Post Babylon" trilogy designed with Anthony Chin.
Curators: Sophy Tio, Kirti Bhaskar Upadhyaya
Material: Connected speakers, connected bulbs, books, curtain (material), cocktail kit, spirits, traditional tea set, Mongolian outfit, red jacket, mannequin, vénitien mask, motorised blinds, vénitien louvers, Seabreeze scent, Oriental scent.
Soundscape: Texts by Italo Calvino, voices by Sharon Lee and Christophe Mayol.
Dimensions (Joo Chiat): 21m X 9.4m X 3.1m
Exhibited: Live performances on 16, 17, 23, 24 March 2019, OH! Open House presents PASSPORT
Venue: Private apartment on Everitt Road, Joo Chiat, Singapore
With the support of Sharon Lee, Chong Gua Khee and Anthony Chin, and the active participation of Lim Su Pei, Chang Cheng Mum and Sherryl Goh. Video by Chris .
Processes & design & details
Book material - Photos/videos of details (books, table, tea,...) - 360 - binaural recording
