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District 14: Associates' Rehearsal 1

Updated: Nov 18, 2020

| Documentation by Syarifuddin Sahari |


10am - 1pm, Geylang Serai


The associates met inside Joo Chiat Complex, and Haizad briefed them on their first task for the rehearsal:

  • To stand at the railings on any level and remain in that spot for 20 mins.

  • Watch “live performances” that pop in and out.

  • Observe the behaviour, movement, shadows, sounds.

  • Take notice of when they get bored.

  • To not write down their findings.

  • What to say if they are approached by security.


Birds perched upon the indoor railings inside Joo Chiat Complex.


Some thoughts from the task:

- We seemed to be noticed as we entered / heads turned when we came in.

o Was it because we were “strangers” who are not from the area?

o Does it happen to everyone that enters, a general curiousity to see a new presence

entering the building?

- We were the only ones leaning on the railings, everyone else was walking, besides those who

were waiting momentarily for someone to catch up.

- The conscious effort to blend in, a [personal] challenge of stepping out of a performer / artist hat and to be pedestrian.

o Compelled to look at the phone to seem more “natural” and had to resist doing so to stay true to the task.


Everyone then moved over to a coffeeshop at the back of Joo Chiat Complex to share their observations, and Haizad requested them to choose only 1 sight / performance out of all they have witnessed:

- Haizad: People taking the escalators to go down, while taking the stairs to go up.

o An interesting occurrence in Joo Chiat Complex as it is usually the other way around.

- Syimah: Stillness when nobody was crossing the central area.

- Valerie: Entering and exiting the space to stillness to 4 people who were planted.

- Jonit: Security uncle sitting in his booth drinking coffee.

- There was a common “performance” of the cleaner who mopped the floor; everyone agreed that he was the “main lead”.


With that in mind, Haizad then invited the associates to write a love letter to Joo Chiat (could be the space or the people) or to someone who will watch District 14.