Sounds of the Earth 「大地回声 穹天有目」 is set in the shadow of Lornie Highway, which splits Bukit Brown Cemetery into two.
The memorial installation showcases an elliptical design, with the 81 exhibited artefacts arranged across three concentric ovals. These artefacts not just stand as a set of exhibited historical relics, but resonate together through one collective soundscape.
Conceptualized by visual artist Sai (Chen Sai Hua Kuan), the installation is acoustically alive. Visitors are encouraged to speak from the centre-point of the ovals, where they can observe how their voices echo back, merging with the highway's roar and the cemetery’s natural sounds. This is an intentional juxtaposition, highlighting the tension between modernity, heritage and nature.
Conceptualized by visual artist Sai (Chen Sai Hua Kuan), the installation is acoustically alive. Visitors are encouraged to speak from the centre-point of the ovals, where they can observe how their voices echo back, merging with the highway's roar and the cemetery’s natural sounds. This is an intentional juxtaposition, highlighting the tension between modernity, heritage and nature.
The Chinese name of the memorial installation, 「大地回声 穹天有目」, is in the style of a traditional Chinese couplet typically etched on Chinese tombs. The Chinese characters chosen connects the elements of earth (大地) with echo (回声) and sky (穹天) with sight (目) respectively. The naming symbolizes how the earth has been affected by the destructive forces of exhumation and construction, and how the sky has witnessed these disruptive changes.
More than just a visual-based exhibition, Sounds of the Earth 「大地回声 穹天有目」 invites visitors to listen. It uses sound to encourage reflection on what has been lost, and consider the cemetery’s future.
More than just a visual-based exhibition, Sounds of the Earth 「大地回声 穹天有目」 invites visitors to listen. It uses sound to encourage reflection on what has been lost, and consider the cemetery’s future.
About the Artist
Chen Sai Hua Kuan is an internationally exhibited Singaporean artist known for his artworks that attend to the everyday - spaces, sounds, and sensations that often go unnoticed, using space and interactivity to create moments of awareness and contemplation. His practice spans sculpture, sound, installation, drawing, and film. Educated at LASALLE College of the Arts and the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, Chen has held residences in Japan, Germany, the UK, and Singapore. His works are held in both local and international collections, including the Singapore Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art Busan.