Arts @ MacPherson
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Arts @ MacPherson
 

 

 

Welcome to Arts
Trail @ MacPherson!

🥳 Introduction to Arts @ MacPherson

Arts @ MacPherson is a series of art initiatives which aims to create delight in everyday experiences through pops of unexpected art around the neighbourhood of MacPherson.

Since its inception in 2018, there has been a total of 12 community arts projects co-created by the MacPherson residents. These artworks are inspired by the residents’ own memories and stories of their beloved neighbourhood.

The Arts @ MacPherson programme is funded by Tote Board and the National Arts Council, and is supported by the MacPherson Citizens’ Consultative Committee and organised by Participate in Design.

 

🏡 About the MacPherson neighbourhood

  • One of the oldest neighbourhoods in Singapore, with the oldest flats built in 1961.

  • Now in 2022, the old meets new as there are new BTO blocks built in the estate, which brings younger families into the estate! There is also better connectivity to the neighbourhood now, with the building of Mattar and MacPherson MRT.

  • Circuit Road — the name of a road, namesake of the place we are in — brings back memories of a time when life was simple. Because this estate had a loop of a road, people named it Persiaran Keliling, which translated to English, simply means Circuit Road.

  • Let’s go on a journey to discover the hidden gems of this neighbourhood! 🥳

Memories of
the Future

by Susanna Tan and youths from
Care Community Services Society

  • As these block of flats in Merpati Road go through the en-bloc process to make way for new developments, can art capture the memories residents have of this space?

  • Memories of the Future was co-created by the artist, Susanna Tan, and the youths from Care Community Services Society, who are present today and will share with you their co-creation experience!

  • Unfortunately, Susanna cannot be with us today, but we have her close friend, a fellow artist Leow Wei Li, who was involved in the Arts @ MacPherson programme back in 2020, who will bring us through the artwork and an exciting mini activity!

About Memories of the Future

Memories of the Future is inspired by the upcoming en bloc exercise of blocks 12, 13 and 14 on Merpati Road. Built in 1961 as one of the first HDB projects in MacPherson, the imminent loss of these blocks will inevitably affect the living, working and playing lives of its denizens.

With intertwined lives and memories as such, the youths of Care Community Services Society were asked to remember their time and activities spent and experienced during their childhood and teenage years in the neighbourhood.

And though the forged memories would be displaced once the HDB blocks are demolished, Memories of the Future focuses on making new collective present memories through co-created artworks that remembers for the future.

Photo on the left taken from MacPherson Youth Network Facebook Page


🤔 More about the MacPherson neighbourhood

  • The flats in MacPherson have recently been repainted, and it’s sure to brighten up anyone’s day. It’s hard to imagine that these structures are a mix of housing blocks that were built back in the 1960s and 70s!

  • Correct me if I’m wrong, but there probably isn’t another estate with such colourful shades and shapes donning their façades! I personally have not noticed any HDB blocks as bright and colourful as MacPherson.

  • MacPherson is not only an old estate, it’s also an ageing estate — around 1 in 5 residents who live here are above 65 years old! But with the new BTO blocks built just opposite MacPherson MRT, there has been a dynamic mix of young couples and families in the neighbourhood.

 

🚧 Happy Streets, 2015

  • The pavement that you are walking on is the very first ‘Happy Streets’ painted back in 2015 by Participate in Design.

  • It is an initiative to temporarily transform the public sidewalk into a visual diary of what matters most to the people of MacPherson.

  • It is a build on from earlier efforts of ‘Safer Streets’, where people came together to rethink how we could make our streets safer and more liveable for all. The project sought to continue the conversation in a more visual, tangible way through art.

  • As part of the process, stories were collected and translated into sketches together with young residents of the neighbourhood. Residents or passersby were also encouraged to pick up a paintbrush and contribute to the street mural!

  • This artwork that we are walking on today is the effort of residents, artists and volunteers, to create awareness of ‘Selfeet’, to bring about awareness of sharing the walkways alongside cars on the road.

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Bridging the Gap

by Fish Jaafar and MacPherson Citizens’ Consultative Committee

  • Everyday, things are changing at a rapid pace. Especially so in Singapore. The places you go to and the faces you see today, will not remain the same for the next 5 to 10 years.

  • Fish Jaafar, aligns his expression of art to his viewers’ sense of uncertainty. He leans on large-scale artworks that reflects a sense of the current times.

  • We are in for a treat today because we will have the opportunity to mark our presence in his artwork, Bridging the Gap.

About Bridging the Gap

Situated next to the Pelton Canal, Bridging the Gap is a standing billboard cut-out mural. It is inspired by the historical “Hollywood” sign landmark and vintage American postcards from the 1930s to 1950s.

Using the classic large letter postcard style, the artwork works with communities to create a colourful mural featuring local landmarks, history and culture of MacPherson.

Like its title, Bridging the Gap seeks to co-create public art that will capture the pride of MacPherson residents for their hometown and spark the interest of residents and visitors from out of town — a co-creation experience that is made by MacPherson, for MacPherson.

 

🏃🏻‍♀️ More about the MacPherson neighbourhood

  • Did you notice the expanse of space that can be felt in the MacPherson neighbourhood? How many estates in Singapore today can claim to have this much space for residents to lounge, run or play football in? The luxury of spaces in and around Circuit Road, this estate ought to be named Estate of Open Spaces!

  • Even the basketball court, notice anything about the make of the basket and its structure? We haven’t seen a wooden boarded basket since the 2010s.

  • Many things that exists in the MacPherson neighbourhood ring bells of nostalgia. What does that say about the lifestyle of the residents living here?

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This Is Us

by Stacy Huang and Youths with Special Needs from Harvest Care Centre

  • With COVID-19, our habits have changed. We don’t touch foreign places or spaces anymore.

  • Our next friendly artist awaiting us is Stacy Huang. She describes herself as an artist, educator and mediator.

  • She mediates and facilitates us to be in touch with our spaces, reminding us to rely on our sense of touch, in the form of tactile, interactive works of art.

About This Is Us

Through the language of line, shape and colour, This Is Us is an expression of the relationship the youths of Harvest Care Centre have with basketball as a sport. Co-designed as a basketball team, the floor mural spanning the basketball court near MacPherson Community Centre is inspired by the aspirations, values and little sparks of passion of the youths of WAD! Club.

WAD! Club stands for the We Are Different Club!

 💛 More about the MacPherson neighbourhood

  • So far, we have just been talking about Circuit Road. But did you know that the neighbourhood of MacPherson also extends to Geylang East, where we are heading to next. How many neighbourhoods are there in Singapore that are divided by an expressway?!

Garden at Geylang East Home for the Aged (GEHA)

  • Designed entirely with senior residents in mind, the pathways are designed for wheelchair users.

  • The activities of growing flowers and edible flowers are to connect with the residents and their pace of life.

  • The hands-on volunteer work available here connects the seniors back to the ground, and gives them the responsibility of tending to the beauty and usefulness of a plot.

WOBY

  • Welcome to our Backyard, a project done back in 2015 between Participate in Design and Geylang East Home for the Aged.

  • The project was to reimagine the use of under-utilised spaces in MacPherson. Through a series of participatory activities between residents, grassroot leaders, senior citizens and employees of GEHA, this space has been transformed into a loveable space that has become a landmark for residents of MacPherson.

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Blooms of Wisdom

by Artist Duo, Joanne Lio and Karen Koh and Seniors from Geylang East Home for the Aged

  • Similar to what the garden does for the residents, our next artist, Artist Duo, uses education and therapy to create art that communicates, inspires and provide relief for the mind, soul and heart of the residents.

  • Let’s invite the artist themselves, Joanne and Karen, to share their heartwarming stories in the co-creation process with the seniors! 👏🏻

About Blooms of Wisdom

Inspired by the zestful community garden of Geylang East Home for the Aged, Artist Duo invited seniors for MacPherson to share their everyday knowledge and stories about the neighbourhood’s foliage and flowers. Through shared conversations with the seniors, common life values and wisdom were reflected from their collective consciousness.

Co-creating creatively with the community in writing, drawing and painting, Blooms of Wisdom is a visual voice to celebrate the goodness and generosity passed down through generations of humanity — also a reminder for future generations.

 Thank You!

  • Thank you everyone, for braving the weather today and for joining us on an Arts Trail in one of our beloved neighbourhoods in Singapore.

  • Often, we think we know Singapore. Besides showing off MacPherson and Circuit Road in all of its glory and myriad of artworks, old and new, we hope this refreshes everyone’s lenses to reimagine, relook and rethink the way we interact, see, touch and feel our surroundings.

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