It has been 10 years since Objectifs started its flagship photography program Shooting Home, which has helped aspiring photographers gain a foothold in the field through mentorship and exhibition. To celebrate its anniversary, the visual arts centre has put forth an exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore, showcasing some of its finest works by the people who have benefited from the scheme.The opening ceremony for the exhibition was a quiet, intimate affair. Nespresso, a supporter of the exhibition, had set up a booth for the event, serving up their latest concoctions with its new and very chic U machine. I’m not big on coffee (they give me the jitters), but it was cold (I forgot my jacket) so I thought a nice, hot cuppa should warm me up quick. I asked for the new macadamia nut coffee with milk, which was smooth and not too rich.Onward to the exhibition: it’s small and you’ll quite possibly finish it in about 10 minutes if you took just a glance at every image. But of course, you should take time to read the description and study the images. Curated around the themes of home and identity, the pictures that the 10 alumni photographers shot were vastly different. Some were visually arresting, some provocative and some will stir emotions. All of them gave me a different perspective on Singapore’s landscape and its people. I went home thinking about how I see my home country and my sense of place. Then, I reminisced about my photography class back in university, which was lovingly taught by Chris Yap, one of the mentors and curators of Objectifs (I’m a proud student).10 Years of Shooting Home runs through Dec 27.
