Coastal Proximities
An exhibition by Marvin Tang and ila
Coastal Proximities presents studies of narratives, landscapes and representations of Singapore’s shoreline by artists Marvin Tang and ila. In their explorations, they attempt to grasp how our access to, experience and perceptions of the coast have been shaped, through historical documents, field research and neglected stories and presences.
The artists focus on the west coast, offshore islands, and river mouths. Largely terraformed by land reclamation, drainage projects and urbanisation, these sites bear little resemblance to their original geographies, altering our views, the ecology and ways of life. As Singapore continues to expand its coast and the sea recedes from our lives and memories, Coastal Proximities surfaces our relationship to the environment, our cultural connections to water bodies, and how we value land in the past, present and future. It asks what we can glean and what we have lost from these changing contours, and posits gestures for restoration and recovery.
Animacies of Absence (ila, 2025)
Animacies of Absence traces the flow of water inward and along the coast through stories of embodied knowledges, fractured kinships and impacts of displacement on the spirit and the body. What persists and perseveres in a continuously changing coast and what endures in its absences? Adapted from oral history interviews, newspaper articles and conversations during site visits, these narratives offer alternative pathways to map the coast beyond the geographical.
A View from the Coast (west) (Marvin Tang, 2025)
A View from the Coast draws inspiration from colonial postcards in the artist’s collection. One such postcard bears an annotation: “The sea is here and lots of ships,” referencing a distant sea view that remains hidden from the postcard’s perspective.
In this work, the artist traces the western coast of Singapore, both literally and metaphorically, exploring how coastlines have been reshaped over time. Here, industrialisation projects in the 1960s – 1980s have left little of the seaview, yet seemingly justified by their economic gains.
A View from the Coast serves as an introduction to the edges of a landmass that, despite being an island, is rarely seen from its periphery. With expectations of sandy beaches and seabreeze, we are met instead with fences and the scent of rust – mirroring the postcard where much of the seaview remains hidden a century later.
About the artists
Marvin Tang (b.1989) uses images as a tool of investigation.
His research questions the linearity of historical narratives and the notion of collective identities. His works stem from the effects of policy-making to shifting social structures. He is particularly interested in applying this research to Singapore, attempting to investigate its historical account and relationship to its expanded narratives across the globe.
Marvin’s works have been presented at the Alliance Française de Singapour (Singapore), DECK (Singapore), Mizuma Gallery (Singapore), Thessaloniki PhotoBiennale (Greece), Noorderlicht International Photofestival (Netherlands), Odesa Photo Days (Ukraine), and Dali International Photography Exhibition (China).
With a practice that encompasses performance, photography, moving image and sound, ila (b. 1985, Singapore) create alternative entry points for experiencing the peripheries of lived experience and unspoken narratives. She often reconfigures and merges speculative fiction with factual histories to conceive sites for empathy and connectivity in her work. She has participated in group shows in Singapore such as Singapore Biennale 2022 named Natasha, Proposals for Novel Ways of Being, National Gallery Singapore (2020) and in festivals such as ASEAN-EU Cultural Festival (2022).
Exhibition
Objectifs Chapel Gallery
Related Events
Opening | Fri 22 Aug, 6.30pm – 8pm
Artist tour and sharing | Sat 30 Aug, 7.30pm – 8.30pm
Objectifs Film Club: A Man Trembles
Objectifs Workshop Space
Tue 23 Sep, 7.30pm – 9pm
Free Admission