Cybernetics is a field of study concerned with communications and automatic control systems in machines and living things. cycles explores the ways technology is shaped by the human anatomy and how we relate with others and the environment. It endeavours to uncover the complex web of connections between man, our physical environment and the abstract world of cybernetics.

The idea of connection and flow is central to living organisms and how cybernetic systems operate. The form of the cylinder—found in everyday objects that facilitate movement like tubes, tunnels and cables—is the building block for the exhibition. Inspired by the weaving technique used in traditional Chinese knots and rope knots, Chok constructs circuits from polyurethane tubes and power extension cords. These sculptural installations also serve to conduct electrical currents or facilitate the circulation of water and air. Chok envisions these material interventions in the Community Wall space as physical manifestations of the ways we relate with one another and extend our likeness into the systems we create.

Chok Si Xuan (b. 1998, Singapore) is interested in cybernetics and feedback systems between humans, living organisms and machines. She is curious about how industrial materials shape contemporary society’s understanding of itself. Chok experiments with different materials and methods of production, which reveal the unintended effects industrial materials hold.

Venue: Esplanade Mall Level 3 Community Wall

When: 26 May - 10 Sep 2023,

By: Esplanade