How long has it been since you left school? Stepping into the parade square, climbing those shallow stairs and pushing the doors into the classroom. If you’ve been out working for many years, perhaps it’s time to revisit a school again. What better way to do that than an adventure in the school with many doors of wonders.

8Q-Rate: School features eight young contemporary Singaporean artists: Donna Ong, Tan Kai Syng, Jason Wee, Phunk Studio, Jahan Loh, Grace Tan, Ahmad Abu Bakar and Chong Li-Chuan. Together they created eight exciting and sometimes unconventional new works for the exhibition including installations, new media, sound works, and street-inspired art.

From the bottom of my pencil case by phunk studio

I grew up in the chalkboard years when I was in school. I remember how I enjoyed doodling and pretending to teach when no one was in class. I loved special days and celebrations where the entire class will help decorate the chalkboard with many colours, drawings and wishes. In this installation, I got to relive those days. There’s a huge chalkboard with chalks and dusters in the room, you’ll get to doodle and leave your mark, till someone erases it away with the chalky duster.

I continued my exploration at 8Q up the stairs. (Yes! Be prepared to climb, climb, climb! Just like back in school!) I felt like a kid attending class for the first time. I peeped into each room and wondered what could be behind those doors. Some rooms led me to simple yet beautiful things like the the one below…

by Jason Wee

I also realised one thing which I should have tried back in school, but I didn’t…

Escape School by Johan Loh

It was an amazing experience pushing open the glass door and taking that first peep into the exhibition room. There were two rooms which sent shivers up my spine. The Caretaker by Donna Ong is close to my heart as I love dolls and figurines. But when I lingered longer in the room, enveloped by the ticking sound from an unknown source, and by the old cupboards with boxes neatly labelled and photos of toys surrounding the doors, I felt this strange tingle from my spine right down to my back and even my fingers! The experience was surreal. It was as if someone was watching you…

Yes! I felt that!

When I was just about to recover from that surreal feeling from the previous room, I entered yet another room which immediately caught my attention and felt uncomfortable. I had entered the work of film and sound by Tan Kai Syng.

Tan Kai Syng filmed herself wandering through the various rooms in the premises. The recording had been transformed by the artist’s manipulation of the final images and addition of a soundtrack to create an experience that was at times, absurd, fun and even haunting. I sure felt the haunting effect of the film. I had to cut across to another room to find out what was the continuation of the story, but something held me back for awhile. The unknown is always frightening.

Door to the other side

When I had accumulated enough courage, I exited through the inner door, out to the back corridor and entered another door on the left – just like in Kai Syng’s video. I felt a strong wind blowing at me when I opened that new door. And the sound and image that was in front made me shut the door immediately. I didn’t want to continue. I turned around, into the previous back door and ran out of the front glass door. (I know this sounds hilarious to some, but that’s what I did!)

Don’t believe it? Go try it for yourself! Take on the discovery of these eight amazing rooms and experience the creations on your own.

8Q Rate: School is on till 9 January 2009. You’ve got plenty of time! Find out more about the exhibition here.