Amusement arcades are noisy and chaotic places with colors that flood my senses and mind. When I was younger, I would visit the arcades with my friends - not as a participant in the playing, but an observer. Somehow, I was contented by watching people play, especially drawn to the lonely ones in the arcade. I am always curious as to what goes through their minds when they were playing, but never had the courage to ask.
Coming back to the arcade more than 15 years later with a camera, I found the familiar sounds and flashing neon visuals; myself, drawn to the same people. Those who are alone at the arcade; feeding coins to games which has no end. I finally understood why I related so much to them in my youth: I saw myself in them. Perhaps the arcade is one of the places where the lost ones go, to pass their time, to feel like they belong among others who are there. After all, an arcade is a space and loneliness a place from within.
This series is the outcome of the Noise Art Mentorship (Photography and Moving Images), which ran from June to December 2016, under the mentorship of Jean Qingwen Loo. The exhibition was held from 16 February to 12 March 2017, at Objectifs: Centre for Photography and Film. Noise Singapore is an initiative of the National Arts Council, which dedicate to make noise about the creative talent of young people aged 35 and below.