Singapore Exhibitions Explore Defensive Architecture's Social Control Mechanisms

Two exhibitions in Singapore critically examine defensive architecture, a set of design strategies intended to control public behavior. The Substation presents 'Discipline the City,' curated by artistic director Alan Oei and the article's author, which investigates how defensive culture operates across social spheres. Works include Chen Sai Hua Kuan's 'Something Nothing' (2017), a disorienting white enclosure, and Taiwanese artist Kuang-Yu Tsui's videos depicting unconventional activities in public spaces. The exhibition physically altered the gallery's access to highlight its own complicity in control. Jason Wee's recently concluded 'Labyrinths' at Yavuz Gallery focuses on the materiality of control, repurposing crowd-control barriers from events like Singapore's Pink Dot festival and the 2015 queue for Lee Kuan Yew's lying in state. His work 'Living Rooms' (2017) juxtaposes modern barriers with traditional ornamental window screens. Defensive architecture encompasses design elements like subdivided benches, anti-skateboarding devices, thorny shrubs, and sonic repellents that subtly discourage certain uses of public space. These techniques often operate privately, blurring lines with state-imposed building codes justified by security concerns. Controversial examples include anti-homeless spikes in London and the Camden Bench. The article originates from the Winter 2017 issue of ArtReview Asia.