Faris Nakamura

But Let There Be Space For Us  

To Frolic In This Unlikely Place

Emulsion on Wood, Plexiglass,

Dried Pods, Light

2017​​

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But Let There Be Space For Us To Frolic In This Unlikely Place is a work that reflects on the lived experiences of queer individuals and the vital importance of safe spaces.

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A deep sense of attachment to certain places often stems from their architectural form and the way buildings are arranged and how space is carved out. Stairwells, void decks, and tucked-away areas offer much-needed privacy, shielded from surveillance and scrutiny.

Visually, the work draws from the familiar architecture of Singapore’s public housing, the HDB. Its forms echo the everyday spaces many grow up in, yet often overlook. A visible slit built into the work allows the viewer to peer inside, but only just. This limited vantage point frames the viewer as a voyeur, evoking the very tension between visibility and vulnerability that queer individuals experience when navigating public space.

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Yet even these hidden corners can carry risk. In the most extreme cases, individuals discovered in such spaces may face legal consequences and are detained, deported, or forced to sever ties with the place they have come to call home.

These spaces, however fleeting, become sanctuaries. Within them, queer individuals find moments to be with others like themselves, to frolic, to imagine, and to feel, if only briefly, that this world holds a place for them too.

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But Let There Be Space For Us To Frolic In This Unlikely Place was presented as part of the UNTAPPED Emerging 2017 exhibition at Shophouse 5, organised by the Visual Arts Development Association Singapore (VADA).