Wayang Spaceship : Ming Wong

Abstract

Commissioned by Singapore Art Museum’s public art initiative, The Everyday Museum, Ming Wong’s Wayang Spaceship was first shown at SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark in July 2022. Challenging conventional forms of public art, the artwork draws on speculative fiction and Cantonese opera cinema, situated within the context of Southeast Asia, to explore themes of migration, memory, and futurity. Later, it was relocated to the lawn in front of Victoria Theatre as part of Light to Night Singapore 2024. This publication serves not only as documentation of the public artwork’s iterations, but also as a discursive companion, featuring a curatorial essay by Syaheedah Iskandar, a short creative text by the artist, and a contribution by Dr Jeannine Tang.