Fragment of a Story
In Conjunction with Singapore Night Festival
August 21 - October 4
Akai Chew
Opening | August 21, 5 - 9pm
LOY Contemporary Art Gallery
36 Armenian Street, #01-06, Singapore 179934
Singapore Night Festival 2026
Gallery Hours during 21, 22, 28, 29 Aug & 4, 5 Sep: 5 - 9 PM
Explore a highly conceptual historical showcase hosted at the LOY Gallery along Armenian Street, designed as a direct metaphorical mirror to the narrative structure of the Sejarah Melayu, or the Malay Annals. Rather than presenting history as a seamless, linear timeline, this curated exhibition treats ancient records as a mythological repository composed of distinct, poetic, and surreal fragments that collectively define the soul of our land. The evocative presentation highlights how these classical stories reflect centuries of shared maritime histories with regional neighbours. To physicalise this deep plane of knowledge, a fragment of the gallery floor is symbolically lifted up, with a thread of text pointing significantly toward Fort Canning Hill.
Visit the LOY Gallery on Armenian Street to experience a conceptual historical showcase inspired by the classic Malay Annals.
Marvel at a symbolic installation where a piece of the gallery floor is lifted, revealing text that points directly toward the historic heights of Fort Canning Hill.
Artist-Led Tour
by Akai Chew
Join Akai Chew to explore hyperlocal mythologies and their erasure through urban development. The artist will take an observational, conversational approach to discussing the role of micro and personal mythologies in city life, from the white beach under the Padang , the Singapore Stone site, and the 1972-2003 Merlion site.
Akai Chew (Singapore, b. 1987)
Akai Chew examines urban memories and hidden histories through photography, maps, and installations. With a background in urban planning, he has exhibited globally, including Dark MOFO 2018 and an urban intervention Fragment of A Shoreline 2023 commissioned by National Gallery of Singapore for Light to Night 2022, uncovering the unseen layers of place and identity. His ‘Obituaries’ series – documenting Singapore’s lost landscapes– has been preserved by National Heritage Board, Singapore.
He studied architecture at the University of Tasmania, where there is an ever present hidden history of the First Nations, and such an engagement is strong in the curriculum. His practice is engaged in a site specific, observation and research based methodology.
LOY Contemporary Art Gallery
Unconventional- even radical- spirit
Transcending the usual gallery experience, LOY Gallery bridges the gap between multi-disciplinary art communities in Singapore and beyond.
LOY was founded in 2023 and is located in Tudor Court along the Orchard Heritage Trail. The 2nd location is located at Armenian Street next to Peranakan Museum of Singapore.
Media Enquiries
JYE-MIIN: +65 8213 3541 / jyemiin@loygallery.com
More information, please click here (credit as indicated in the captions)