Construction in Every Corner
City renewal divides opinion. Advocates celebrate new construction as progress, while detractors mourn the loss of heritage — both built and ecological. Efforts to balance these perspectives often draw criticism from both sides.
Construction in Every Corner offers a reflective platform on this debate. At NTU, three new MRT stations are under construction, set for completion in 2029, long after most current students have graduated. The NTU Museum has invited three sets of NTU-trained artists — Marvin Tang, Debbie Ding, Sarah Choo Jing and Mathias Choo — to explore the experience of existing amongst perpetual construction work. Their works examine liminal spaces, human connection, and the representation of nature amid Singapore's constant self-renewal.
Through installations featuring photography, video, construction hoarding, virtual reality, and drawing, the artists question whether a singular view of urban life can exist and ponder the significance of urban redevelopment on individuals and communities.
Artworks and Artists
Wastelands by Debbie Ding
Wastelands—vacant plots awaiting development. Devoid of human presence, these spaces hold untapped narrative potential for Ding, who catalogues elements found on these plots, such as hand-drawn plants, to capture their “uncurated” quality. She then presents her finds in a multimedia work that includes a video game for viewers to explore. Her work invites us to see such empty landscapes not just as mere spaces in transition, but as places with untold stories.
Debbie Ding (DBBD.SG) is a visual artist and technologist whose interests range from historical research and urban geography to visions of the future. Prototyping serves as a conceptual strategy for artistic production, iteratively exploring potential dead-ends and breakthroughs. She has had solo exhibitions at The Substation Gallery (Singapore, 2010) and Galerie Steph (Singapore, 2013). Selected exhibitions include Radical Gaming (HeK), Wikicliki (Singapore Art Museum, 2021), President’s Young Talents (Singapore Art Museum, 2018); After the Fall (National Museum of Singapore, 2017); Singapore Biennale (2016); Radio Malaya (NUS Museum, 2016). Ding received a BA in English Literature from the National University of Singapore and an MA in Design Interactions from the Royal College of Art, London. She is currently pursuing a practice-led PhD at Nanyang Technological University on the NTU Research Scholarship.
Further Reading by Marvin Tang
Further Reading investigates how urban construction shapes our encounters with nature, by examining the industry practice of featuring greenery images on construction hoardings. Tang presents photos and videos amidst an installation akin to a deconstructed construction site, aiming to “lift the veil” that construction hoardings serve. This invites viewers to observe and question the often-hidden processes behind these practices.
Marvin Tang is a Singaporean artist who uses photography, moving images, and objects to visualise phenomena that surface through acts of control. His research questions the linearity of historical narratives, examining notions of collective identity. His works explore the causes and effects stemming from political decision-making and shifting social structures. Tang is particularly interested in applying this research to Singapore, attempting to investigate its historical account and relationship to its expanded narratives across the globe. His works have been shown in Alliance Française de Singapour, DECK (Singapore), Mizuma Gallery (Singapore), Thessaloniki PhotoBiennale (Greece), Noorderlicht International Photofestival (Netherlands), Odesa Photo Days (Ukraine), and Dali International Photography Exhibition (China). He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of Art, Design, and Media (NTU) and Masters in Photography at the University of the Arts London.
A Walk in the Park by Sarah Choo Jing and Mathias Choo
In the video installation, A Walk in the Park, siblings Sarah Choo and Mathias Choo present one beach park in Singapore, a liminal space between land and sea, where solitudes exist in a shared environment. Like Tang’s, their work draws on construction aesthetics, but with a focus on the fragility of social constructs. By alluding to the hidden thoughts and inner lives of strangers, they challenge the ideals of transparency and enforced unity, highlighting the power of respectful silence.
Sarah Choo Jing is known for her interdisciplinary approach to photography, video and installation. Concerned with the gaze of the flaneur, voyeurism and the uncanny, Choo has since exhibited internationally at The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (2023), Turku Art Museum in Helsinki (2019), National Museum of Singapore (2017), Busan Museum of Art in Korea (2016), ArtParis at The Grand Palais in Paris (2015), the START Art Fair at The Saatchi Gallery in London (2015) and Photo London at The Somerset House in London (2015). The artist was recently commissioned by Maison Valentino to present a series of works at Soho House Residency for the Singapore Art Week 2024. Choo earned her MFA at the Slade School of Art in London in 2015 after graduating from NTU’s School of Art, Design and Media with a BFA in Photography and Digital Imaging in 2013.
Mathias Choo is a filmmaker based in Singapore. His creative focus revolves around constructing evocative cinematic experiences that transcends conventional storytelling boundaries. His latest short film, Rocketship, received recognition for Best Live Action at the 7th National Youth Film Awards and was selected for competition at the 31st Singapore International Film Festival. In addition, his films Rabbit Hole and STATE OF DOGma were featured in the official selection at the Alexandre Trauner Art Film Festival in 2019. He completed his BFA in Digital Filmmaking at School of Art, Design and Media (Nanyang Technological University).
Video
Info
Construction in Every Corner
14 January - 17 April 2025
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm
* Exhibition will be open on these special weekends:
- Exhibition Opening: 13 Jan 2025
- Singapore Artweek: 18-19 and 25-26 Jan 2025
- NTU Open House: 1 Mar 2025
Location: The Art Gallery at NIE NTU – 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616
Take Bus 199 to NIE Blk 2 bus stop (Stop ID 27219) or take Bus 179 to Lee Wee Nam Library bus stop (Stop ID 27211)
Other NTU Museum events:
