IMPERMANENCE

IMPERMANENCE

Team members

Teo Shao Tian (ASD), Benjamin Chong Mun Choen (ASD), Simon-Kyle Rocknathan (ASD), Choo Jun Heng (EPD), Teng Yong Xiang (EPD), Lau Ruiqi Rachel (ASD)

Instructors:

Nagarajan Raghavan, Bige Tunçer

Writing Instructors:

Nurul Wahidah Binte Mohd Tambee

Teaching Assistant:

Pujani Abayatilake

The Singapore Night Festival (SNF) is an annual event organised by National Heritage Board (NHB) as a means of promoting arts and culture. The 2020 edition of the festival aims to showcase a series of installations and performances that creatively explores innovation in the space of tradition and the future of heritage. The proposed art work should draw inspiration and take reference from the contemporary and historical context of the Bras Basah/ Bugis District as well as to encourage festival-goers to experience a showcase of light installations that interact with and transform the urban spaces within the area.

Impermanence aims to draw from the site's rich history in the form of the three interwoven elements: the Stamford Canal, Bras Basah's development as a district, and the Convict Labourers who laid its foundations, will be brought to Stamford Road in a display of light and sound. This is realised through the spatial formalisation of a modular, parametrically-designed structure.

The Design

Starting with a curved profile, inspired by the lapping waves of the Stamford Canal, we created a basic module which could be arranged in different configurations to fit different sites. The modules were panelised for the ease of fabrication and to accomodate the LED array which would convey our narrative.

Three simple animations were designed to represent the three selected elements of Bras Basah's history. On the vertical LED arrays, undulating waves evoking the Stamford Canal and rising buildings reflecting Bras Basah's evolving skyline. On the base LED arrays, wandering footprints, representing the convict laborers who were responsible for most of the built infrastructure in the area.

As more festival-goers approach the installation, the waves fall to reveal the rising buildings. Concurrently, the stumbling notes which protrude from the soundscape pick up speed and becomes a driving melody.

Due to the circuit breaker measures and limited access to fabrication equipment, a single module was chosen to be fabricated to showcase the key aspects of the installation. The full installation is digitalized as a virtual model.

Virtual Model

The virtual installation was built using a 3D modelling software and realized in Unreal Engine. This allows us to simulate the intended light and sound interactions with an additional function of spawning avatars to replicate varying crowd conditions.

With the virtual model, anyone can experience and interact with the installation along Stamford Road regardless of time of day.

Click here to enter the Virtual Experience

(not mobile compatible, use Google Chrome for optimal experience)