Cover Vir Kotak, Simran Kotak, Jim Amberson
Vir Kotak, Simran Kotak, Jim Amberson
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A significant portion of the funds raised will directly benefit the artists the organisation works with to tell alternative stories of Singapore through site-specific art
For its fundraising gala on September 9, Oh! Open House brought its guests Back to School at Gillman Barracks, which was once home to the Bourne Grammar School in the 1960s and ’70s. Everyone came dressed in their own interpretations of the uniform, in anticipation for a night of art, food and stories.
The evening kicked off with several Art x Food experiences, pairing eight artists and chefs together to design four experiential art installations and hors d-oeuvres in response to the site’s history, while evoking memories of childhood.
Performance artist Ezzam Rahman ruminates on the act of healing in I feel much better when you are around, using latex gloves to delve into memories of cuts and accidents one may have experienced back in school. Meanwhile, performing artist Inch Chua, in her culinary pursuit with Spectre, puts her own spin to the sick bay experience with mozzarella balloons, finished off with smoked cherry wood inspired by cough syrup.
Above Performance artist Ezzam Rahman in "I feel much better when you are around"
Performance artist Ezzam Rahman in "I feel much better when you are around"
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In These Children are Dead, painter Huang Wei’s sombre collection of oil portraits, depicting the children of war (missing limbs and all), are paired with pickled beetroot and raw ground beef tartare prepared by Restaurant Eclipse’s chef Samuel Quan in an ode to the wounds suffered.
Bringing the outside in, interdisciplinary artist Robert Zhao Renhui’s installation, part of The Owl in Daylight, comprises archival, photographic, found materials and objects, and is an extension of his investigative research into secondary forests around Gillman Barracks. In his response, Law Jia-Jun of Province restaurant reflects upon a fallen log in the forest with produce from a local spores farm, prepared in three various ways, culminating in a mushroom tartlet of home-made mayonnaise and "soil", a mix of umami ingredients.
Above Paintings by Huang Wei in "These Children are Dead"
Above Mushroom tartlet with home-made mayonnaise and "soil" by Law Jia-Jun of Province
Paintings by Huang Wei in "These Children are Dead"
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The final presentation sees cross-disciplinary artist Marla Bendini and culinary anthropologist Nithiya Laila of Brunch Bandits explore encounters with first love in Soul Staining, offering guests a treat for the senses. For Bendini, the guzheng, the first instrument she learnt in school, embodies unconditional love, while Nithiya presents a contemporary take on the paan, an Indian after-dinner betel nut treat, reimagined in a tart shell.
Guests were later invited to the tuck shop, where they were welcomed by Oh! Open House chairperson Linda Neo and co-founder and executive director Alan Oei, who both thanked donors for their support, which has been integral to the organisation, before everyone savoured the main course and dessert prepared by chef Quan.
Alan Oei, Linda Neo, Albert Neo
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Chaos later ensued at the Live auction led by Oei, where artworks as well as art experiences were put on auction. Among them are works by Singporean artists Kayleigh Goh, Ezzam Rahman and Alvin Ong. This was quickly followed by the Chaos auction where guests were encouraged to bid as high as they were willing to pay with the top 10 highest bidders getting to pick their choice work, paying only the lowest qualifying bid. Over $350,000 was raised from the evening, with a significant portion benefitting the artists the organisation works with directly.
As Senior Editor of Tatler Singapore, Hashirin champions and refines the storytelling across platforms—curating and crafting compelling profiles, cover stories and features that spotlight visionaries shaping culture, business and impact. Driven by curiosity, she draws inspiration from the artists, changemakers and trailblazers she encounters through her work. Beyond the pages of Tatler, she is an avid supporter of local theatre and delights in seeking out art in every city she visits.
