[category]
[title]
Singapore has unfortunately been saying goodbye to many old places – from the beloved Punggol East Container Park to the iconic Tan Boon Liat Building, and more. But while a building might be demolished and a business might shut its doors, the stories, skills, and memories built around them don’t necessarily disappear too. That’s the idea behind Departures, a new programme by independent arts organisation OH! Open House that sends artists into places facing closure, redevelopment or transition to explore what prevails – before they’re gone.
Through art, food, archival material and conversations with the people connected to these sites, Departures explores the less tangible things that can disappear alongside a physical place. It invites us to look beyond the buildings and monuments themselves to the people, knowledge, relationships and everyday practices that gave them meaning in the first place, asking the big question: what’s actually worth carrying forward when a place changes?
Its first two editions are headed to two unconventional sites of Singaporean heritage: Kelong E63, one of Singapore’s last working kelongs, from October 23 to 25, followed by Sin Siong Lim Sawmill, the country’s last operating sawmill, on November 7.
First stop: the sea. Once part of a much larger offshore fishing industry – there were more than 250 licensed kelongs operating in Singapore in the 1940s – Kelong E63 was acquired by the late Timothy Ng, better known as Uncle Timothy, and his wife Maureen in 2004. They ran the kelong and an adjoining floating fish farm for more than 20 years, until it ceased operations in 2025.
For this edition, you will get to see artist-curator Daniel Chong work with remnants from the kelong, including fishing nets and wooden floorboards given to him by Uncle Timothy, exploring how everyday objects can pick up stories simply by being used, handled and passed on. You'll also get to dine on a meal prepared by Kenny Lek, co-founder of Pasarfish, while he shares stories about Singapore’s evolving relationship with seafood – from kelong-based wild catch to fish farming – and what that shift says about biodiversity, food security and the city’s changing waters.
On November 7, Departures moves from the sea to Sin Siong Lim Sawmill, which has roots tracing back to Siong Lim Sawmill, established in 1912. The century-old business has evolved with Singapore’s changing timber landscape, shifting from processing imported logs to working increasingly with locally sourced wood, including trees removed as part of urban landscape management.
Witness how artists Robert Zhao Renhui and Lewis Choo interpret the sawmill, its timber and machinery, as well as the knowledge passed down through the Lim family, through their respective practices – Zhao through image-making, and Choo through sculpture and ceramics.
Departures will continue in 2027 with a third edition focused on a vinyl business in Golden Mile Tower.
Departures: Kelong E63 runs from October 23 to 25, with two-hour sessions at Golden Mile Tower. Tickets are $108.
Departures: Sin Siong Lim Sawmill takes place on November 7, with sessions from 9am to 11am, 1pm to 3pm, and 4pm to 6pm. Tickets are $68.
Tickets and more information about both editions are available here.
READ MORE
The ultimate guide to Singapore’s first Indie Bookshop Day
Joo Chiat Car-Free Day: the full guide to October 3's street takeover
National Gallery Singapore transforms four artworks into original music pieces