Recently, I photographed the art displayed along Singapore’s North East MRT line. The art is not only fascinating but closely related to Singapore’s History and Culture, and worth taking a look at.

Art was integrated into the North East line in 1997, with the work of many Singapore’s renowned artists, such as Teo Eng Seng and Milenko & Delia Prvacki. Art in Transit is a program that integrates art with transportation and architecture, you can look at pieces of art on your way back home and going to work, as it becomes an integral part of daily life. This program started with the North East line, continued with the Circle and Downtown Lines, and there are plans to make it part of every new MRT line.

This week, I checked the art along the North East line twice, first by myself and then with a group of fellow photographers. We started at Outram Park and walked along the corridors looking at “The Commuters” by Teo Eng Seng, which show people of different ages and backgrounds walking. You see wall reliefs portraying people, heads, legs and arms coming in and out of the wall in a mysterious dance, creating a very dynamic image that makes for interesting and unusual composition. Individual images don’t have a title and rely on open interpretation that for many of us is a refreshing change from the rigid schedule of everyday life. My favorite images are the ones that I interpreted to represent Singapore Shopping culture, one I like to think of as “Housing for Everybody,” and my favorite “Merlion City and Love”.

Our second stop was Chinatown, and although we photographed only one mural, it was full of images and color, giving us a chance to take amazing photos. The artwork is “Phoenix’s – Eye Domain” by Tan Swie Hian and depicts the arrival of Chinese immigrants to Singapore in the early days.

Our next stop was Dhoby Ghaut, where we were astonished by the size, color and design of “Interchange” by Milenko & Delia Prvacki. It is a beautiful display of earth and blue tones, a combination of ceramic and mosaics. The mural is huge, impossible to miss, both in size and presence.

After photographing images with lots of color, our next stop was Woodleigh station, which shows black and white images of commuters along the walls which makes for a stark contrast not only in pictures, but in experience. These images are almost life-size pictures of families, children and station employees and give the impression of a station full of people. I love the lines created by the ceiling, the canopies and rails, and the way they interact to create a subterranean 3D mural.

Our final stop was Hougang Station, which was definitely my favorite. The walls around the station are covered in hand prints of different sizes and shapes with detail all the way into the creases of the palm. These are hand prints from 3,000 people of different backgrounds, races and ages. They look very soft and inviting, you can’t resist the urge to lay your hands on the print, and to be a part of a weird kind of collective experience. This piece of art is named “Hands Up for Hougang” by Seck Yok Ying. I was impressed both at the execution and at the unexpected resonance it had with the audience.

While the trip was worth the while, even without the camera, the lighting was a bit poor. To remedy this I used a high aperture and ISO 400-800. A tripod would have been a big help, but unfortunately I didn’t have one with me and would advise you to be wiser! Most of the pieces of art are flat, so I tried to photograph them from different angles, and the change in perspective not only makes for nice pictures, but also give the artworks a new kind of dimension reached through your camera lens!

The art around the stations is amazing and it is free for everybody to enjoy, I know I will complete my journey and visit the stations that I haven’t seen. Join me!

PS: Since we spent more than 2 hours in the MRT, moving from station to station, we had to pay 2 additional dollars. A fun-fact even for aged expats like us who think we might know the ins and outs of this lion city.

 Visit Grafika Photography and Design page to find out more about Helga's work.

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