Most of people used to be sarong cloth cradle or yao lan (摇篮) cradle babies.
Via the yao lan as a cultural icon for interviews, this body of work focuses on family bonding, Singapore’s shared values, and ties in with a sense of collective cultural heritage by exploring memories of the family unit.
For the first time, get to see an upsized cloth cradle made for an adult, as well as authentic vintage items and childhood photographs contributed by user-communities. This interactive exhibition is presented as a series of pit stops within the new Tampines Regional Library, where all are invited to a session of 'treasure hunt' while learning about this fading tradition.
Still in keeping with her moniker of ‘I Shoot Habits’, local photographer Zinkie Aw hopes that viewers imagine that experience that we could never remember as a baby in the cot, as well as appreciate a seemingly archaic trend.
Especially in an increasingly urbanised environment, this unique practice is diminishing along with modernisation of more Asian countries. For instance, I realised that my sister never adopted this tradition for my nephews; peers also preferred to purchase a ‘proper’ babycot in their new homes. For the few who still opt to use this traditional ‘yao lan’ to coax babies to sleep, they do so with the aid of a remote-control automatic spring that is deployed from a portable stand, unlike in the olden days where it was suspended from the ceilings of kampung attap houses.
It is hoped that through sets of photographs made in documentary and conceptual styles, viewers imagine that slice of memory lane that people could never remember as a baby in the cot, as well as appreciate an old trend that increasingly gets labelled as archaic.
No registration is required.
This project is supported by Our SG Fund, Noise Matchbox, and Young ChangeMakers
Credit: image of Zinkie Aw Photographer
Age
6+
Price
Free
Links
Address
Singapore31 Tampines Ave 7 Singapore 529620
How to get there?
Nearest MRT: Tampines
Bus Interchange: Tampines
Buses: 8, 15, 18, 19, 27, 28, 29, 37, 38, 81, 168, 291, 293