Monday, October 26, 2015

Potraits of Singapore...

Singapore is in the middle of celebrating its Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of the country's status as an independent republic. Since its founding in 1965, the city-state has grown from a tiny trading port to a bona fide economic power. Its also acquired a reputation for strict laws—chewing gum is banned, for instance, and in 1994 the American student Michael Fay was caned for committing vandalism—along with its cleanliness and wealth.

To find out a little more about this elusive place I asked four photographers who hail from Singapore to contribute images and statements on youth culture and how they avoided canings while clubbing.

I moved to Singapore from Jakarta, Indonesia after the riots in 1998. Our family had visited Singapore a lot, as it was a popular vacation destination for the region. Unlike most of Southeast Asia, Singapore was stable and modern.

I became a resident of Singapore rather unwillingly. My parents had decided for me that I should go to school in a country that was not actively trying to kill us every couple of decades. Most of my time in Singapore was spent during the night. We drank a lot (mostly beer, liquor was and is too expensive), went clubbing a lot (only bands like Hoobastank would come play, but I saw Linkin Park that one time), and played a lot of DOTA in LAN shops even though I was really bad at it.

A home that isn't really home, Singapore has maintained a dear place in my memory. For better or worse, the city-state, even with it's glaring issues, has allowed me to walk the streets at night without worry. I made friends who told me about Descartes, went to punk shows with Malay skinheads, and threw up all over the inside of a cab. More + photos...

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