PLAY! TOMORROW'S TROPICAL CITIES

In an age of exponential growth in digital technological saturation, the contemporary city has evolved into a largely scripted yet fluid system. This phenomenon inevitably puts ‘things’ into a state of flux with an impact on many levels, from our individual mental health to larger socio-economic fronts. Life in the future city hence becomes even more uncertain.

 

Cities within the tropical region have been characterised as the fastest growing areas in the world and are now progressing in a climate of disruption. The current pandemic has brought the flux to the surface and questions the level of resilience required in these cities. As a premise, we posit that ‘Play’ can build up our resilience and allow us to thrive in constant fluidity.

 

Is Play design?

Play is fundamentally nonlinear and advocates multi- dimensional thinking. It is also not a coincidence that play is a form of design thinking which favors testing and values emotional intelligence. If design thinking can evolve cities from being liveable to lovable, then play, beyond the boundaries of childhood playscapes, ought to be a crucial component in our everyday lives.

 

Under the four themes of Nature Play, Digital/Analogue Play, Nostalgia Play and Community Play, we have invited the voices of nine young creatives into this dialogue. Transdisciplinary in approach, their works vary from commentaries, and caricatures to speculative propositions, exemplifying how play could be incorporated in our daily lives.

 

Curation and design of exhibition in collaboration with Architect, Syafiq Jubri, co-presented by DesignSingapore Associates Network and National Design Centre.