INTRODUCTION
At the turn of the twenty‐first century, the resurgent interest among artists in the archive can be attributed to digitalization and the contested meanings of memory, history, heritage and identity. The studio‐seminar course will critically examine the archive's purpose, role, organization, and underlying assumptions of its authority, power and veracity. It will draw from archival art's history and contemporary practices to speculate possible archival futures across different scales, media, and influences beyond the art world. Invited speakers, fieldwork, sharing sessions, and site visits complement in‐class readings and lectures.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. To be aware of the contesting and shifting definitions of the archive.
2. To understand the history of archival art and its contribution to art and design discourse and as a critical practice.
3. To explore the potential of the archive as a material and spatial intervention comprising of objects, spaces and social relationships.
4. To deploy muti-scalar architectural thinking in speculating the various archival futures.
RATIONALE FOR THE COURSE
The art-design nexus studio-seminar course offers architecture students an opportunity to traverse disciplinary boundaries. Through readings, engagements with works by artists, designers, urbanists, and cultural practitioners, as well as assigned projects, the course brings critical awareness of the contributions of the arts to the education of an architect.
ASSIGNMENT
Working in groups of two or three,
1. Select a concern or interest to frame the archival project.
2. Adopt the chosen artist’s approach to archiving and use of media and materials.
3. Select a space in the architecture department to present the project.
Deliverables:
1. An archival project in a medium appropriate to the chosen concern or interest.
2. A public presentation.
3. A report.
At the turn of the twenty‐first century, the resurgent interest among artists in the archive can be attributed to digitalization and the contested meanings of memory, history, heritage and identity. The studio‐seminar course will critically examine the archive's purpose, role, organization, and underlying assumptions of its authority, power and veracity. It will draw from archival art's history and contemporary practices to speculate possible archival futures across different scales, media, and influences beyond the art world. Invited speakers, fieldwork, sharing sessions, and site visits complement in‐class readings and lectures.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. To be aware of the contesting and shifting definitions of the archive.
2. To understand the history of archival art and its contribution to art and design discourse and as a critical practice.
3. To explore the potential of the archive as a material and spatial intervention comprising of objects, spaces and social relationships.
4. To deploy muti-scalar architectural thinking in speculating the various archival futures.
RATIONALE FOR THE COURSE
The art-design nexus studio-seminar course offers architecture students an opportunity to traverse disciplinary boundaries. Through readings, engagements with works by artists, designers, urbanists, and cultural practitioners, as well as assigned projects, the course brings critical awareness of the contributions of the arts to the education of an architect.
ASSIGNMENT
Working in groups of two or three,
1. Select a concern or interest to frame the archival project.
2. Adopt the chosen artist’s approach to archiving and use of media and materials.
3. Select a space in the architecture department to present the project.
Deliverables:
1. An archival project in a medium appropriate to the chosen concern or interest.
2. A public presentation.
3. A report.
Singapore District 2 Chicken Rice Archive
By Charleston Chan, Yen Tzu Yao and Navinkuma Palani
This archive focuses on documenting 20 chicken rice vendors situated in District 2, specifically in the Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown area of Singapore. The intention of this archive is to capture the disparity between the visual representation of food displayed on store signage or posters and the actual meals served. In addition, investigate the relation between public feedback (on Google reviews) and various food-related factors (such as serving size and cost)
By Charleston Chan, Yen Tzu Yao and Navinkuma Palani
This archive focuses on documenting 20 chicken rice vendors situated in District 2, specifically in the Tanjong Pagar and Chinatown area of Singapore. The intention of this archive is to capture the disparity between the visual representation of food displayed on store signage or posters and the actual meals served. In addition, investigate the relation between public feedback (on Google reviews) and various food-related factors (such as serving size and cost)
Iconoclash: The Consumed Tiger
By Bob Shi and Yang Kaiwen
investigates the dissonance between the flattened image of the tiger as an icon and the reality experienced by the endangered animal itself. By critically analysing this divide, we aim to reveal society’s ambivalent relationship with the tiger, where it is revered, commodified, and, simultaneously, distanced as a species facing critical endangerment.
By Bob Shi and Yang Kaiwen
investigates the dissonance between the flattened image of the tiger as an icon and the reality experienced by the endangered animal itself. By critically analysing this divide, we aim to reveal society’s ambivalent relationship with the tiger, where it is revered, commodified, and, simultaneously, distanced as a species facing critical endangerment.
Waste FULL
By Ashley Khoo Li Ann, Phoebe Tan Kit, Wang Liang En
The installation aims to archive discarded materials of architecture students as a critique of the wastefulness of the architectural ideation and production processes while reinstating value to ‘leftovers’ produced. It also explores the notion of the value of the archive as far more than the sum total of its parts, especially when it consists of objects originally judged as worthless.
By Ashley Khoo Li Ann, Phoebe Tan Kit, Wang Liang En
The installation aims to archive discarded materials of architecture students as a critique of the wastefulness of the architectural ideation and production processes while reinstating value to ‘leftovers’ produced. It also explores the notion of the value of the archive as far more than the sum total of its parts, especially when it consists of objects originally judged as worthless.
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My Digital Thing
By Huang Weijie, Ying Yue, Zhang Ronjie
Our project focuses on the close and unique relationship between Generation Z—those born between 1995 and 2010—and their smartphones. As a generation that has interacted with smartphones from a young age, mobile devices have become indispensable tools in daily life for Gen Z. The applications on our phones cover nearly every aspect of our lives, including self-expression and social connection, information access and learning, as well as entertainment and consumption. Our installation aims to explore the concepts of identify and individual and collective memory through these collections in the mobile phones.
By Huang Weijie, Ying Yue, Zhang Ronjie
Our project focuses on the close and unique relationship between Generation Z—those born between 1995 and 2010—and their smartphones. As a generation that has interacted with smartphones from a young age, mobile devices have become indispensable tools in daily life for Gen Z. The applications on our phones cover nearly every aspect of our lives, including self-expression and social connection, information access and learning, as well as entertainment and consumption. Our installation aims to explore the concepts of identify and individual and collective memory through these collections in the mobile phones.
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Archiving Architectural Student Life: A Reflective Exploration of Daily Routines and Creative Resonance
By Hou Xinyao and Sarah Tan
Architectural students are always one of the busiest.This archival project delves into the everyday experiences of architectural students, who grapple with demanding studio design projects, continuously producing intricate models and drawings, resulting in architecture becoming one of the most rigorous majors. Amidst this intense workload, the question arises: Can our daily routine, despite its weightiness, offer a trove of enriching moments, or does it merely burden us with stress? As designers, we should have come up with various interesting and meaningful ideas. How does our daily routine offer us such
many sparkling moments?
Receipts: You Are What You Paid For
By Deng Hanyue and Zhou Kehan
By Deng Hanyue and Zhou Kehan
Receipts serve as valuable records of our consumption patterns, playing a pivotal role in our daily lives. They are highly individualized, reflecting our personal habits, routines, interests, geographic locations, and social connections.
While we often disregard these humble pieces of paper, they contain a treasure trove of information. Beyond the printed list of items and their associated prices, receipts bear marks left behind intentionally or unintentionally by their holders. These marks may include handwritten notes for splitting bills, the gradual fading of ink over time, or the inevitable creases acquired when carelessly stuffed into a pants pocket, only to be rediscovered when laundering the garments, eventually leading to the disposal of these seemingly messy scraps. In essence, documents like receipts serve as unique annotations of an individual's life, offering an intimate glimpse into their daily existence. This exhibition seeks to illustrate how these unassuming receipts can serve as a powerful tool for recognizing and gaining a deeper understanding of strangers on a more profound and personal level.
We sought out five unfamiliar volunteers and reached out to them through our friends. They come from different majors and different regions, and have different living conditions and social circles. The five participants were instructed to submit their recent semester's receipts, documenting their various activities. With meticulous attention, we examined these receipts to extract valuable insights about these individuals. Subsequently, we conducted interviews to delve into the narratives behind these transactions and obtained photographs that captured the essence of their activities. The receipts we initially collected were chaotic and fragmented. During the processing phase, we organized them by categorizing, sorting by time or type (clothing, food, housing, and transportation), highlighting key elements, identifying commonalities, and finally summarising the
unique characteristics of each participant.
While we often disregard these humble pieces of paper, they contain a treasure trove of information. Beyond the printed list of items and their associated prices, receipts bear marks left behind intentionally or unintentionally by their holders. These marks may include handwritten notes for splitting bills, the gradual fading of ink over time, or the inevitable creases acquired when carelessly stuffed into a pants pocket, only to be rediscovered when laundering the garments, eventually leading to the disposal of these seemingly messy scraps. In essence, documents like receipts serve as unique annotations of an individual's life, offering an intimate glimpse into their daily existence. This exhibition seeks to illustrate how these unassuming receipts can serve as a powerful tool for recognizing and gaining a deeper understanding of strangers on a more profound and personal level.
We sought out five unfamiliar volunteers and reached out to them through our friends. They come from different majors and different regions, and have different living conditions and social circles. The five participants were instructed to submit their recent semester's receipts, documenting their various activities. With meticulous attention, we examined these receipts to extract valuable insights about these individuals. Subsequently, we conducted interviews to delve into the narratives behind these transactions and obtained photographs that captured the essence of their activities. The receipts we initially collected were chaotic and fragmented. During the processing phase, we organized them by categorizing, sorting by time or type (clothing, food, housing, and transportation), highlighting key elements, identifying commonalities, and finally summarising the
unique characteristics of each participant.
What Is In Your Bag?
By Chen Fangqi and Chen Xiyun
By Chen Fangqi and Chen Xiyun
In today's digital age, we are continually hit by social media trends and challenges, and the "What is in my bag" challenge was among the most popular. People’s strong curiosity about what's hidden within the depths of someone's bag, the personal treasures, daily essentials, and unique quirks that lie beneath the surface, made this challenge went virus online. However, many of the posts served as advertising purpose, or as a carefully designed tool to create the blogger’s perfect persona. As such, they stand for an ocean of carefully maintained facades that often leave us longing for something more real, purer, and more lifelike. We found this topic interesting because we believed that what a person carries everyday can somehow reflect his or her personality. We decided to take this topic and make our project a response to the pervasive digital facade. We believe that by carefully documenting and archiving the real contents of personal bags, we can reveal a truer picture of their lives and motivations. Our project will lead us to explore unfiltered, authentic lives. In choosing our objectives, we turned our attention to architecture students, who are always described as “special” and “unique” from other students. It is this description, or stereotype, that intrigued us, making us decided to choose architecture students as the main objective for our project. By doing so, we wished to find out if we architecture students really share some common characteristics that set us apart from others, and if so, what these characteristics are. We tried to extend our project beyond mere archival documentation; it also invites viewers to find out the differences between architecture students and their peers from other academic departments. It also prompts a fundamental question: Can one truly judge a person's essence through the contents of their bag?
The photographs taken were organized to ensure they were easy for subsequent analysis. This phase of the methodology involved several key steps. Firstly, to improve the accessibility and retrieval of the photographs, color borders were also assigned to each bag and its contents. This identification facilitated quick and efficient referencing. In addition, we listed of all the items in each bag and categorized them into different groups, such as stationery, personal items, tools, etc. This categorization process allows for a clear and systematic organization of the contents of the bag.
