If your heart broke when the iconic Pearl Bank Apartments was demolished and you're worried about the fate of similar buildings in Singapore, throw your support behind the new heritage group Docomomo Singapore by joining its first fundraising film screening on August 26 at The Projector.
Formally established just this year, Docomomo Singapore is the local chapter of the international Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighbourhoods of Modern Movement. Brought together in 2018 by the fate of Pearl Bank Apartments, its members now fight for the conservation of post-independence modernist architecture (spanning art deco, modernism, brutalism and post-modernism) in Singapore and the piece of built heritage they represent.
At the fundraiser, get thinking about topics of community and the built environment through the screening of 2020 Cannes Official Selection Gargarine. The French film focuses on a group of youth, who put up a resistance against the demolition of Cité Gargarine, the social housing project they live in. Weaving in elements of urban fantasy, it echoes the issues of conservation and redevelopment that Singapore grapples with today.
This is followed by an in-depth panel discussion on Community and Conservation. Expect to hear from community voices such as Dilip Doshi, who is working with Docomomo to conserve The Arcadia; Darren Soh, recognised for his stunning photographs of Singapore's architecture; and Tan Bee Hiam, most recently the director of the film Tiong Bahru Social Club. They will discuss the fate of modernist buildings in Singapore, sentiments on the ground, and ways to thoughtfully conserve and reuse our precious built heritage.
Find out more about Docomomo's fundraising film screening at docomomo.sg/fundraising-gargarine and click through to secure your tickets ($30).