Author Information
Chung Oi Kok, Independent Scholar, SingaporeAbstract
A critical challenge in historical scholarship involves limited public engagement associated with traditional academic texts. Visual art offers a compelling alternative methodology for translating complex heritage narratives through a visual lexicon that fosters public accessibility and connection to the past. This paper details an interdisciplinary art education exhibition that re-contextualises historical scholarship through practice-based visual art. The project employs a Practice-as-Research (PaR) methodology, involving the qualitative, documentary-based translation of Associate Professor Stephen Dobbs’s The Singapore River: A Social History 1819–2002. Nine interpretive acrylic paintings utilise semiotics of place, employing symbolic colour palettes and structural forms derived from architectural heritage to articulate the river's diachronic and synchronic narratives. A key feature is the introduction of narrative personae, “Ah Huat” (past) and “Wei Wei” (present), establishing a visual dialogue across eras. Each artwork is supported by a synopsis and scholarly quotations, grounding the artistic interpretation in historical rigour. Sited from August 16 to September 29, 2025, at The Fullerton Hotel East Garden Gallery, the exhibition utilised its location to enhance experiential context, supported by a bumboat workshop and artist talk. Functioning as a pedagogical resource and a contribution to PaR, this study demonstrates the viability of interdisciplinary collaboration for revitalising academic content and establishing new modalities for historical discourse.
Paper Information
Conference: SEACAH2026Stream: Arts - Visual Arts Practices
This paper is part of the SEACAH2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
Full Paper
View / Download the full paper in a new tab/window
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress