Tuan Andrew Ngyuyen’s sculpture Temple evokes the sound of reverence made through forceful transmutation; metal alloy once intended for violence, reshaped into new forms. A gong, long bells with blunt noses, a flat disc. When hit, the dense metal reverberates in deep, humming tones. When struck, especially hard, its vibrations can be felt by the bodies that share its space.
The work is the embodiment of a paradox, that oddity in reality when two opposing ideas are reconciled and lightly held. It is made largely from defused unexploded ordnance (UXOs) recovered from Quảng Trị province in Vietnam where controlled detonations blasted the air every hour. A terrible and necessary act made banal – sounds inflicted so regularly that it has become part of a land’s own rhythm, insinuating itself into the commonplace. Perhaps then, only paradox can interrupt this loop.
meditations: IMAGINE A SPLINTERED STAR brings an exploration of what this interruption might look like, and what sits in the quiet afterwards. Framed in the guise of guided meditation, this performance blends spoken word, cycles of movement and music to nudge the audience into a space that holds multiple truths.
The arching orange beams of Tuan’s Temple are the trajectories of falling ordinance, the bowing shapes of benevolence that is also a shelter and the heat of explosion; like the vivid colour of marigolds to honour the dead, fierce profusion of petals representing the sun which life must surrender itself to.
The performance will move between spaces before culminating at Temple. The audience becomes participants in this collective meditation. A marigold given and then held in each hand of the participant is the star split in half; the paradox, impossibly large but must be held.
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When: 15–16 Aug 2026, 5.45–6.30pm - Suitable For: Adults, Families, Visitors with accessibility needs, Students and Educators, Young Adults
- Where: City Hall Wing, Level 2, Singapore Courtyard & Level 5, Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden Gallery
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Ticket Information: Free admission
About the Artists
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