This artist explores Singapore’s electoral boundaries in his new exhibition

Multi-disciplinary artist and filmmaker Green Zeng is known for thought-provoking works that explore identity and historiography. His latest work, Shifting Dioramas, features photographs of SG50 billboards, taken at night, with superimposed representations of Singapore’s evolving electoral boundaries. The collection of 11 images is now on display at a solo exhibition at Chan Hampe Galleries until April 10.

Tell us about the inspiration behind Shifting Dioramas.

I have always been interested in the relationship between power, individuals and society. The National Day billboards, especially those in the Jubilee year, serve as a good entry point to examine this.

How did you use the electoral boundaries in your work?

In the art works, I have superimposed electoral lines of a Single Member Constituency (SMC) or Group Representation Constituency (GRC) from different years onto the billboard and landscape. Some photos feature a single line; others feature lines from different years. These lines appear as random shapes drawn across the photographs.

For example, the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC photograph features two electoral lines, one from 1997 and one from 2011. The two lines show how the shape of the GRC has evolved over time. For Aljunied GRC, the line I’ve used is the 2011 Hougang SMC line instead of the 2011 Aljunied line. The reason is to show the close relationship between the two constituencies.

How do you find a balance between delivering political commentary while ensuring that your work isn’t subject to censorship or exclusion?

Censorship is not my focus when I embark on a new series of artwork. The objective of examining how we understand, perceive and order our world has always been my focus.

How has your work been received by Singaporeans? Has the response from overseas audiences been different?

I believe local and foreign audiences will be able to appreciate the art works as power play, the focus of the series, is an intrinsic element in all human relationships.