Background
DDMMYYYY: “EXPIRED”? is a mixed media interactive installation that aims to explore the subjectivity of expiry dates through the case study of Pulau Ubin. |
Scope Interactive Installation Role |
In today’s context, the value of perishables is dependent on its expiry date. Products close to an expiry date become “worthless” as they can no longer generate profits for supermarkets while expired products are immediately discarded because they are no longer fresh for consumption. What comes after the expiry date? Does the worthiness of an object or person decrease in value as it closes in on its expiry date? Given this common presumption of expiry dates, the project aims to look at the value of Pulau Ubin. The installation questions the meaning of expiry dates through the residents of the last Kampong in Singapore, Pulau Ubin.
Through a series of “expired” objects collected from the island, the installation uses “expiry dates” as a metaphor for the subjectivity of perceived value in objects, people and/or spaces. The visitor scans the barcode of the object allocated and triggers a video interview with residents as well as visitors of the island.
Some objects featured are: a 10-dollar bill a visitor holds onto for “luck”; a pestle and mortar to grind citronella leaves to bits (serves as insect repellent); a pail used to collect rainwater; clock used to complete a painting of sunrise. Each object reflects the “expiration” of lifestyles and culture, challenging the viewer to question the “value” of the Pulau Ubin community. Is there life after the expiry?
