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Glossy, technical, efficient: This is the obvious image that Singapore evokes at first. Yet something else also inhabits the architecture of the nation-state beyond its sleek appearance: spirits. \u201cSome Haunted Spaces in Singapore\u201d in collaboration with Marcel J\u00e4ggi, is an investigation of the collective imagination, and of the elements of the built environment believed to be occupied by ghosts, namely haunted spaces. Often dismissed as irrational, this mystical focus digs deeper than religious superstitions or teenage esotericism. Exploring the apparent contradiction between a city-state built up according to a rigid rationale of urban development and robust spiritual practices that endure to this day, the resilience of interconnected spaces and memories is uncovered, as well as forms of social resistance to the changes brought about by fast-paced urban growth and top-down national planning in Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The exhibition, by examining the paradox of modern urban planning and spiritual beliefs in Singapore, proposes a new reading of the territory and of planning approaches through the phenomenon of spiritual beliefs that can be expanded to other contexts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Structured in 3 parts, the material aspects and\nphysical forms of mystical expressions imprinted on the built environment are\nforegrounded. Introduced by a tropical jungle, the first part is a photographic\nessay of the expected, glossy side of the nation-state. But among the expected image\npeeks the unexpected, and the mirages of strange encounters and bizarre rituals\npoint at a hidden side of Singapore. The second element is a cabinet de curiosit\u00e9s<\/em> that presents\neight allegedly haunted spaces as case studies. Research artefacts depict the\ntangible and intangible through mixed mediums (newspapers clippings, archives\nimages, situation plans, photographs, etc). Announced by a black map, the third\npart of the work is presented in darkness: the meticulous, obsessive\nreconstruction of these eight spaces, misusing ad absurdum<\/em> classic architectural representations to show something\nthat cannot be depicted, that is perhaps not there. The black paper models of\nthe built spaces refer to the joss-paper used for honoring the deceased in\nTaoism rituals when the offerings are burned and sent to the afterlife. A\nghostly soundtrack accompanies the discovering of the models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n