Discover familial ties reimagined at Marine Terrace MRT with Moses Tan’s latest public art work

22 Jun 2024

As part of the Art in Transit programme, Moses Tan’s newly commissioned work A seat at the end of the long, long, long table is on display at the new Marine Terrace MRT station for Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast line.

Tan’s installation explores familial lines, histories, and entanglements. Imagined as a family tree with the home as its central focus, the work reinterprets familial ties as constellations and personifies various pieces of furniture intended for rest and/or work. These illustrations were inspired by visits, conversations, and speculations with families living in the Marine Terrace area, with family portraits providing the initial inspiration.

“I was interested in how different family members have different parts of the house that they enjoyed,” mentioned Tan. Meant to reflect familial ties across generations and geographical zones, A seat at the end of the long, long, long table forms a constellation of histories, roots, and kinships.

This piece is commissioned by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) through Art in Transit, launched in 1997. The programme aims to celebrate local history and community by incorporating art into the architecture of train stations, recalling the memories and histories of the communities in which they are situated.

Image: Moses Tan, A seat at the end of the long, long, long table, 2024, etching on stone, Marine Terrace MRT station. Photograhed by Jonathon Tan. Courtesy of the artist.