Commissioned by Objectifs Centre of Photography and Film for Coast Proximities.
A View from the Coast draws inspiration from colonial postcards in the artist's collection. One such postcard bears an annotation: “The sea is here and lots of ships,” referencing a distant sea view that remains hidden from the postcard’s perspective.
In this work, the artist traces the western coast of Singapore, both literally and metaphorically, exploring how coastlines have been reshaped over time. Here, industrialisation projects in the 1960s - 1980s have left little of the view to be seen, yet seemingly justified by their economic gains.
A View from the Coast serves as an introduction to the edges of a landmass that, despite being an island, is rarely seen from its periphery. With expectations of sandy beaches and seabreeze, we are met with fences and the scent of rust - mirroring the postcard where much of the seaview remains hidden a century later.
