MRT viaduct space near Bukit Gombak station turns into art display

When artist Quek Jia Qi got a call from the National Arts Council (NAC) in November 2024 that her proposal to decorate the space under the MRT viaduct in Bukit Gombak was selected for Singapore Art Week 2025, she was excited to explore a neighbourhood that she does not live in, and to tell the stories of its residents.

Her month-long effort to gather images of around 100 artefacts – among them, vintage bus tickets, a cathode-ray tube TV and old black-and-white photographs – from Bukit Gombak residents to show what the estate means to them resulted in an art installation titled A Living Museum For Bukit Gombak.

Ms Quek, 28, spoke to residents and shop owners in the estate to learn about their daily lives. She then set up a website where residents can upload images of personal artefacts that tell their story of Bukit Gombak.

Inspired by cabinets of curiosities – early forms of museums where collectors displayed objects they found fascinating or significant – she created digital community cabinets of curiosities filled with artefacts that the public can view to learn new things about Bukit Gombak. Residents can also contribute to the cabinets.

Ten art wraps featuring the cabinets now cover the pillars of the viaduct near Bukit Gombak MRT station.

The art installation was unveiled on Jan 17 by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling at the launch of Art Under Viaduct Spaces as part of Singapore Art Week (SAW). The annual art event runs from Jan 17 to Jan 26, but the wraps will remain on display until June.

This is the first time that MRT viaduct spaces have been transformed into canvases for art.

“The artwork is a vessel for personal memory, a carrier of tradition and also a bridge between generations,” Ms Quek told reporters, adding that the many objects showcased represented different periods of time.

Speaking at the launch of Art Under Viaduct Spaces, Ms Low said that the initiative by NAC and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) puts art on display in an often-overlooked feature in Singapore neighbourhoods.

“The goal is to transform the daily commute into a vibrant cultural journey, allowing residents to experience art in familiar but often-overlooked spaces,” Ms Low added.

Each of the 10 pillars is partly covered with a 2.5m-tall wrap featuring a cabinet that displays images of items contributed by residents, including traditional food, such as Malay kueh and Nyonya steamed fish, and everyday items, such as bicycles and stamps.

Each wrap has a QR code that passers-by can scan to visit a digital interactive site that relates the stories behind each artefact. Bukit Gombak residents can continue to upload their artefacts to this online site. The website will be managed by Ms Quek herself.

Among the 100 artefacts featured in Ms Quek’s installation is a car’s L-plate contributed by resident Aaron Lim. He said the L-plate brings back memories of driving lessons at Bukit Batok Driving Centre.

“The L-plate represents more than just learning to drive. It is a rite of passage shared by many residents in Bukit Gombak and beyond, each with their own story on these familiar training circuits,” he added.

Other artefacts include a sign for the butterfly garden in Bukit Gombak Park and a Singer sewing machine used by a resident’s late mother to make her baju, or clothes, for Hari Raya.

As part of this effort to bring art to public transport spaces and to mark Singapore Art Week, LTA has unveiled a SAW-themed train on the North-East Line (NEL) and murals at eight MRT stations, including Harbourfront, Little India and Bugis.

The interior of the NEL train has been transformed into an immersive artwork titled Wishes in the Wind, which showcases handcrafted and transcribed wishes by the community.

At Raffles Place MRT station, commuters can view DIGIkat, an LED projection of animated art inspired by soundwaves that capture the rhythm of communal life.

And at the Thomson-East Coast Line’s Orchard station, commuters can find Cosmic Strangers, a work that blends particle physics, photography, poetry and sound art to create an immersive experience.