ABOUT THE WORK

Shelter

As part of the Civil Defence Shelter Act of 1997, every new house in Singapore must be provided with a household shelter, in order to ensure adequate provision of emergency shelters for every Singaporean in times of emergency. To people in most other countries, this might sound more like science fiction, but for Singaporeans this household shelter is an almost invisible part of nearly every Singaporean's home.

The household shelters are built with increased thickness of their concrete walls reinforced with welded steel fabric mesh and hot rolled steel bars, light protective steel door, and ventilation ducts. No hacking or permanent modification is allowed in the room, and all additions have to be temporary and removable within 48 hours notice, otherwise it may incur “a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $250 for every day or part thereof during which the offence continues after conviction”.

The essential characteristics of the “Shelter” were first defined through the official rhetoric of civil defence, but what do people make of this room that cannot be customised, occupied permanently, or used privately? With limited ventilation and our hot and humid climate, you can imagine that this windowless room is not ideal as a private everyday space.

Although it is supposed to be a shelter, it usually lacks amenities that would allow it to be used as a long-term emergency shelter. And if you ask around or look online, you will find many inventive Singaporeans devising inventive ways to conceal the standardised air vent and steel door of the shelter, or finding ways to repurpose the space despite the many rules and conditions surrounding the "allowed uses" for the space. It is frequently used as a storeroom, but rarely discussed in public is the more complex issue of how the Household Shelter is often used as living quarters for maids.

What if we take the shelter out of the context of a HDB flat, giving it a bit more visibility and giving people space to think and talk about it? Using the technical requirements and dimensions for the shelter, a live-sized. replica of the Shelter is being built.

As a site in which we categorise and represent the past, present, and future; a museum seems fitting site for a replica of the household shelter to be located. As a "part of another building" within a building, the windowless shelter is a mirror of itself, in which we can observe it to reevaluate the functions of our domestic spaces.

A series of hypothetical escape devices are present within this shelter: An emergency hatch leading to a black hole. A tiny door too small for a person to fit through, reminiscent of the architectural miniaturisation of shrines for Tudigong/土地公/Datuk Gong/Datuk Keramat.. Paper ribbons over an vent intended to create the rustling sounds of leaves which remind one of nature – ultimately unable to rustle for the lack of ventilation through the vent.

As it turns out, perhaps none of the escape devices lead anywhere, but their purpose are to be psychological devices, bringing with them the possibility of allowing us to access a different universe of our imagination – like an atlas of mirrors.

THE BIG QUESTION
As part of the Civil Defence Shelter Act of 1997, every new HDB flat in Singapore must be provided with a household shelter, in order to ensure adequate provision of emergency shelters for every Singaporean in times of emergency. The essential characteristics of the Household Shelter have been defined through the official rhetoric of civil defence, but what do people make of this room that cannot be customised, occupied permanently, or used privately?
ARTWORK IMAGES
EXHIBITION VIEW

PROCESS / BEHIND THE SCENES