Study of watercolour and drawing of local heritage temples, Thian Hock Keng

Abstract

A painting, through sensory stimuli of colours, texture and visual composition can convey semiotically various emotions—from passion, loneliness, to nostalgia. However, other than the aesthetic object’s tonal cues of affect, dialogue, the narrative experience, and the written word can also influence emotional responses and hence decision-action, according to Vygotsky’s Psychology of Art. Similarly, in social theory, the ‘affective turn’ coined by Patricia Clough points to how emotions are culturally incited but biologically registered, acknowledging unique individual’s sensory and emotional responses and impulses yet also raising the potential of these emotional responses to be commonly shared experiences socially and historically. Capitalising on the possibility of curating common emotional responses through the aesthetic objects’ representation of affect, dialogue, and the narrative, I would like to propose a multimedia art exhibition to revitalize the affect of traditional Chinese Hokkien temples in Singapore-- important cultural heritage architecture that is gradually being lost in time. Research methods employed include secondary literature data collection of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site Thian Hock Keng temple and its paintings, visual analysis of paintings, artist interview with Mr Tong Chin Sye, case study and design and exhibition proposal.

Keywords: Dialogue, narrative experience, written word, affective turn, Vygotsky’s psychology of art, emotional responses, aesthetic object and representation, Hokkien Heritage Temple, Exhibition