What it means to find Keys Under the Sofa

To find keys under the sofa is to find an item of value in the most unexpected of places. This is also where one can find Keys Under the Sofa, a one-of-a-kind exhibition located in a quaint, second-hand furniture store. 

What is Not Art?

Many from the younger generation may find themselves unacquainted with a setting like this. I certainly was—much of my visit was unanticipated, starting from the open-aired space and the copious amount of pre-loved furniture that filled it. Also surprising to me was the fact that the store, Hock Siong & Co., is to remain open for business even during the lifespan of the exhibition. Weaving through refurbished dining tables and antique chinese pots, one is likely to overhear staff members discussing furniture orders, or customers inquiring about various objects of desire.

The shop boasts two large showrooms, each flanking a smaller corridor in which a staff office sits. Artworks in the exhibition are interspersed throughout these two spaces, amongst pieces of furniture and various bric-a-brac. In this way, viewers are led in a treasure hunt around the store. Some works were easy to miss amongst all the clutter—one iteration of Jaxton Su’s Musical Chairs (2024), a single channel video infinitely looping on a hologram device, was inconspicuously tucked in the corner of a low-lying cabinet. The many modules of Cynthia Delaney Suwito’s Things/Objects/Stuff (2021-2024), consisting of digitally-printed paper sculptures resembling filled plastic storage boxes, also camouflaged themselves amongst other shelved ornaments.

This means that in the search for artworks in the exhibition, viewers may start to recognise non-exhibition objects as art as well. As my eyes scanned each object in an attempt to tick off the Is this Art? checkbox in my mind, I began to have the startling realisation that these rules may be faulty. Gradually, I found myself stopping to admire pieces of furniture instead—an intricately-patterned armchair here, an aesthetically-pleasing wall arrangement there. Further imbuing the space with a mystical sense of aesthetics and craftsmanship was the store’s specialisation in furniture refurbishment. Hock Siong certainly seemed to hold more works of art than the exhibition may have initially intended.

Sound makes the Experience

As I wandered along a raised section of the store, next to the quietly-poetic panels of Geraldine Kang’s work Off-stage (2024), I slowly became conscious of something else. Sat in the corner facing the street was a vintage radio, out of which streamed 91.3FM’s afternoon segment, The Sweet Escape with Carrie Chong. This fuzzy sound, familiar enough to go unnoticed even by the lingering viewer, would’ve been relatively unremarkable if not for its unique context: pervading every nook and cranny of Keys Under the Sofa was the presence of sound.

We don’t often think about sound in an exhibition. Aside from the noise that some artworks may emit, museums conventionally strive to be ‘soundless’. Galleries are often closed spaces, with the only audible noises being ambient music or those made by visitors. This is symptomatic of a larger assumption that artworks are best experienced in a sterile environment—one which, besides the presence of other nearby works, exerts minimal external influence—such that viewers may experience the artwork singularly.

Defying these conventions, Hock Siong finds itself fully open-air. Nestled in an industrial area in Tai Seng and surrounded by roads on all sides, sound makes itself a prevalent character in one’s experience of the exhibition. As I began to pay attention to what I could hear on the radio, I also started to hear noises from the street: cars driving by, construction works around the corner, fighter jets from the nearby Air Base. Even when walking further into the store, one is always accompanied by the indistinct buzz of warm air, or the whirring of fans overhead. While seemingly mundane, the presence of these sounds is what recreates feelings of familiarity and nostalgia. Allowing viewers to experience each work within this shared context deeply roots Keys Under the Sofa in a sense of the home and the neighbourhood.

Community at the Core

During my visit, I was lucky to run into Yang Jie, a local artist part of Keys Under the Sofa. His works in the exhibition feature a futuristic mix of tradition and innovation, combining old-school found chinaware with modern technology. Having a prior background in engineering, his interest in kinetics shines through in pieces like Gone fishing (钓鱼) (2024), …life is but a dream (2024), and Walk on/walk away (2024), which each use a direct current motor to replicate repetitive motions such as dipping a tea bag into an old-fashioned mug. Viewers, drawn in by the tinny sounds that often emanate from his works, may find his sculptures in possession of a larger presence than expected. With a lovingly handmade yet slightly eccentric appearance, each object transforms into an independent character who diligently performs their unique task.

In a conversation about the exhibition’s inception, Yang Jie shared that his relationship with Hock Siong started years ago, when he first started patronising the store in search of found objects to use in his works. After the used furniture store was taken over by its younger generation—three sisters with a background in and love for art—it started offering its space up to arts initiatives seeking out a unique site. Hence, when approached with this project, Hock Siong came onboard with easy enthusiasm. 

Not all retail establishments may find such coexistence agreeable. This is entirely understandable, given the scores of exhibition visitors who flood the space, yet possess no guaranteed interest in Hock Siong’s offerings. Nonetheless, in welcoming art enthusiasts into their premises and allowing artworks to be positioned close to—or, in many cases, on top of pieces of furniture—Hock Siong has demonstrated a humble open-mindedness and steadfast confidence in their own craft.

Yang Jie recalled how the team had been nothing short of lovely to work with, consistently going the extra mile to offer assistance and even anticipating needs before they arose. It is clear that mutual care, trust, and firm allyship towards a common cause form a solid foundation for this symbiotic relationship. Certainly, both parties have found ways to benefit—without Keys Under the Sofa, many may never step foot in a hidden gem like Hock Siong. Yet, without Hock Siong, the wholly unique experience that is Keys Under the Sofa may never have come to life.

Keys Under the Sofa will be exhibited at Hock Siong & Co. Pte Ltd until 18 February 2024. Opening hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Mondays to Saturdays, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM on Sundays. Admission is free for all.