The discarded, being witness
Ang Song Nian
Neighbourhood: Bukit Panjang

The discarded, being witness was created over the course of twelve hours on 16 June 2025. Each image was taken with a pinhole camera made from a single discarded object, found in the same pile of rubbish. The process began by selecting one item from the heap, transforming it into a functional pinhole camera, and using it to produce a single photograph.

After each exposure, a new object from the same pile was chosen to build the next camera. This continued until six unique images were made—each shaped by the flaws, textures, and character of the object it was seen through. The result is a chain of vision built from waste—an exploration of impermanence, reuse, and seeing beauty in what’s overlooked. Captured within a single day, the series becomes both a meditation on time and a quiet resistance to disposability.

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BACKYARD explores the phenomenon of how events become news. This collection of reports seeks to create a spatial tapestry of “news” contributed by artists living in different parts of Singapore. By inviting them to document the happenings within their neighbourhoods within specific windows of time, BACKYARD presents artists’ documentations as news reports spanning across 12 months. Each report contributes to a year-long narrative map of Singapore, positioning the artist as reporter. BACKYARD is an art space that takes place in the form of dossiers containing news reports by Singapore based artists.