The Office, Disrupted Exhibition
May 2021
National Design Centre, Singapore
The Office, Disrupted was an exhibition organised by Paperspace in partnership with DesignSingapore Council. The event discussed the shifting definitions of the workplace as evolving through the pandemic whilst sketching out the future of knowledge work.
As a collective member of Paperspace, Graphite Studio was part of the design team that designed and delivered the exhibition in a short 8 weeks. We knew that we wanted to curate a visitor-led experience, one which derives its meaning from the visitor’s own understanding and introspection. With that in mind, Graphite Studio conceptualised a physical and interactive centrepiece exhibition to bring out memories, emotions and experiences of working through the pandemic in the last year.
The installation was designed to be experienced with a partner, performing a series of tasks to get a ball from the journey start to finish. The various stages of the task ranged from opaque and difficult to transparent and efficient. The challenges during the journey recalls the frustrations of not being able to be together, while contending always with ‘something between us’.
Keeper’s Event 2018
Graphite’s Year End Greeting Cards
Reflections
When I was first tasked with the brief, I was really excited to work on it. I’ve been watching installations come and go in the main atrium of the building for the past 3 years and it was finally our chance to do something!
The process was not an easy one, working with multiple design studios and stakeholders. I had to make sure our installation worked well visually with the other zones, and there was a timeline to keep up with. We faced multiple rounds of budget cuts. I had to balance between saving money, and ensuring that the experience was not compromised.
As the project had a short timeline, I didn't have time to do a proper set of construction drawings. I had to do quick hand sketches and verbally explain them to the contractors. We were fortunate to have partnered with Crown Construction, as they really understood our design intent and made sure that the experience was achieved.
After the installation was built, we got some feedback on the first day that there was a wall that seemed unfinished, and Narita had asked me to do something about it. However, we didn't have the money to add any more sticker graphics to it, so I decided to take a sketch that I had digitally done, project it on the wall and trace over it.
But there was one problem, we didn't have a projector!
So I was left with no choice but to just do it and freestyle on the spot. It was frightening as I have never done a mural before, let alone an 8- metre long mural.
With our office situated on the third floor, it has been nice watching the exhibition come to life with visitors day by day.
Seeing the finished mural set within the installation felt very special as I’ve never thought of myself as an artist before, but this made me feel a lot more confident about my capabilities as a designer-artist.