Imagine if your house or room is turned into an artwork.
& No, a pile of dirty clothes on the floor of a messy room is not art nor is it artistic (your mom would definitely agree with me).
I’m talking about a room completely taken over and repackaged as an art exhibit. No bed, no cupboard, nothing in its proper place, nothing that is usually found in a HDB flat. What if you step into the corridor and realize that that too has been art-ified and revamped into something way cooler than just grey cement?
While that would be a pretty cool sight, you don’t need to just imagine – you can actually go around walking into other people’s (actual!) houses and see the transformation & artworks for yourself!
OH! Open House (OH!) returns for the 3rd time this year! Pretty exciting because this year, they feature one of the oldest housing estates in Singapore – Tiong Bahru!
If the only Open House you know is during the festive time when people invite you to their house and you have no idea what OH! Open House is all about then here’s some information to keep you in the loop (so no one can call you swakoo): OH! is the only art walkabout in Singapore and have been bringing people and art fans into real homes that have been turned into art for the past 2 years.
Yes, real homes.
This year, 15 artists will take over 6 real homes (+ 1 temple) and make it their own (art).
These artists re-imagine the homes and turn it into some pretty spectacular art. Spanning over 4 days, OH! will delight 1,200 people as they take these strangers around to explore the 6 homes & 1 temple around Tiong Bahru.
Talk about stoking the kaypoh streak in us! Walking around in another person’s home is definitely a secret desire of Singaporeans (I admit, I’m mighty curious too).
Some of the works that you will see include a reconstruction of a bedroom using only plastic tape; an interactive light display that explores the life and structure of a house; an installation in a bathroom that mimics a scientific lab dealing in (you guessed it), waste management, just to name a few.
I think this is the best opportunity for us to experience art & explore Tiong Bahru! It’s probably going to be the only time you’ll get to be invited into a stranger’s (or many strangers’) house.
Have fun occupying!
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OH! OPEN HOUSE is an annual art walkabout usually held in various neighbourhoods and “put art in people’s houses”. OH! OPEN HOUSE: OCCUPY TIONG BAHRU is happening from 18, 19, 25 & 26 February from 4.00pm – 9.00pm. Tickets cost $15 & can be bought at the door (Tiong Bahru Community Centre, 67A Eu Chin Street). Sales start from 3.30pm, last tour leaves at 8.00pm. Check out their website or FB page!
