From Now On You Will Not Be Alone

This architectural model is based on Shaw Lodge Dormitory, one of the foreign worker dormitories that were declared as isolation areas during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore in 2020.  The emergence of large clusters of infected workers in these dormitories brought to light the crowded and unsanitary living conditions in such facilities. The intense public debate that followed such revelations also forced officials to reconsider how public policies relating to migrant workers might be improved.

In From Now on You Will Not Be Alone, (2020), Nakamura retains the architectural features of the original building but blacks out the windows to reflect not just the isolation and loneliness experienced by the workers during the first wave of the pandemic but also the public’s seeming lack of awareness for the sacrifices and contributions of these foreign workers to Singapore over the years. For the artist, the work is a message of reassurance to these workers that despite the suffering they had to endure during these dark days, the pandemic has also shone a light on their plight.