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As the city cranks up the volume for Singapore Art Week (SAW) 2026, one of its most beloved indie arts groups is taking us somewhere we've never been: onto the gem-named backstreets of Moonstone Lane estate.
OH! Open House has spent over a decade turning private homes and overlooked neighbourhoods like Jalan Besar, Joo Chiat, and Tiong Bahru into temporary, walkable galleries. For its 12th art walk, OH! Moonstone, it tackles an entire industrial-residential estate that feels remarkably frozen in the 1950s.
While the rest of Singapore celebrates "progress" and "the new", Everything Changes, Everything Stays the Same is a reminder to look back and take stock of what we have, what we've lost, and what we could lose. There's also a neat narrative here about how community will can shape a place, even against the authorities' best efforts to assert control.
Across Moonstone Lane, you'll step into working carpentry workshops, wander past shrines and old clan houses, and peep into private living rooms – all the while encountering art and picking up bits of history. It's a rare chance to look under the surface of what seems like an everyday, quiet, local neighbourhood. So, I went for a preview of the trail – here are the highlights you shouldn't miss.
Three highlights on the OH! Moonstone art walk:
1. 1 Topaz Road
What is it? It's a rare 1950s freehold home that feels frozen in time. It's currently the site of Robert Zhao's The History of Cows, an installation that pays homage to the pet cows that once roamed this estate.
Why we love it: It's a surreal look at the "old Singapore". This house is occupied by four siblings who've lived here for decades. Seeing Zhao's manipulated photography standing in for the pet cow this family once owned makes you reflect on what we've lost to urbanisation. The photograph also features the legendary, lonely Coney Island cow that died in 2016, a reminder of how we've forgotten to interact with nature in our manicured cities.
2. Sim Choon Huat Temple
What is it? A community-built temple with a rebel heart. While most things in Singapore are decided by the government, this was decided by the people and funded by Bachoo Singh, a wealthy businessman who once owned 90 percent of Moonstone estate.
Why we love it: For one, it's an utterly surprising (and colourful) find amidst the drab facades of office and industrial buildings. It's also proof of "ground-up" power, standing as a defiant middle finger to top-down urban planning. This is even as the nearby expressway swallowed up the neighbouring Lau Clan lands (another stop on this tour).
3. Daily Diecast
What is it? A hobby shop owned by a street broker that's packed to the rafters with diecast cars. It currently features Thai designer Jarupatcha Achavasmit's ethereal, fabric-like art, weaved from discarded aluminium shampoo tubes collected from a hotel in Bangkok.
Why we love it: The scale is mindblowing. There are 18,000 recycled bottles suspended above you, along with dismantled copper wires and rejected safety belts salvaged from industrial environments. It ties in nicely with the hobby shop's unlikely location in Poh Leng Building, and makes a masterful statement about waste, transformation, and renewal.
Tour tickets and timings
That was just a little taster of the delightful stops on the OH! Moonstone artwalk. Along the way, you'll encounter a Muslim tomb, a woodworking studio, large-scale installations made out of flowerpots, and more. If you like to stretch your legs while discovering secret corners, thought-provoking art, and niche local history, then this is the tour for you.
Venue: Moonstone Lane
Time: Mon-Fri 5pm-8.30pm; Sat & Sun 10am-8.30pm (last tour at 7pm)
Dates: January 18 to 25, 2026
Tickets: $40 by donation, claimable with SG Culture Pass credits
Book here
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