Dwell:ing

After two years of estate hopping, treading through mud, chased by residents, and even a minor car accident, Shin-Young Park, armed only with an iPhone, was finally able to present her view of public housing in Singapore through an installation of 100 photographs.

Having borne witness to the deplorable state of public housing in other countries, Shin-Young Park was not expecting anything different from Singapore’s public housing. She was pleasantly surprised to find that the HDB flats in Singapore trumps other public housing developments she has seen. 

Shin-Young identifies the mismatch of colors of the buildings with the mismatch of different races and cultures that have come to live and thrive in Singapore. The incoherent combination of colors of the estates reflects the unique characteristic of Singapore’s multicultural society. 

Through her time working on this project, it has nurtured her sense of belonging tremendously. Shin-Young believes that it's time that HDB flats be considered as canvases for arts to flourish in neighborhoods, to allow artistic development and education of the general population. Professionals and students alike will be able to vitalize the art scene in the heartlands of Singapore.