Brandon Tay, Sangkalan (15 April–25 October 2026) at four regional libraries in Singapore
A musician and installation artist attuned to theory-fiction, Brandon Tay develops Sangkalan as a form of speculative anthropology: a fictional island where culture emerges through entanglement with nature. The title carries playful meanings across Southeast Asia: in Tagalog it means “chopping block”, while in Javanese it refers to a unit of time—reflecting the project’s love of shifting meanings and interpretations. Or, as Tay puts it: “This linguistic interchangeability and ‘mouth feel’ operates in the domain of phonetics—how I feel the objects form symbiotic links in form and context.” Beyond its linguistic intrigue and visual appeal, the project is also unusual in the way it’s presented: across four regional libraries—a rare pairing for this kind of speculative work and its audience. (Imagine a mix of gothic mystery and children’s storybook charm.) Sculptures, textiles and archival fragments will travel in relay, each given its own moment before coming together at the final location.
