Home House Homeland

As part of the Future of Imagination International Performance Arts Festival, this collaborative performance art piece was borne out of numerous discussions between Juliana and Wilson about the perception and construction of identity. In this case, they were both exploring the sense of self being established by the space one calls home. This work is meant to challenge the varying degrees to which one identifies with home: from a mere physical space (a house), to a state of mind (home), and possibly a meta-concept of home as a shared heritage amongst a collection of people (homeland).

Built upon a series of Singapore's national songs that Wilson sings, and Juliana's physical interaction with several props, the work aims to provoke a reaction to the concept of where one belongs. The national songs are immediately identified with the National Day Parade, which is when they are usually heard, and questions the concept of ‘homeland’ while Juliana moves around on a wheeled-platform, alluding to the fact that Singapore is a nation of migrants. With that in mind, the singing of the national songs is at times meant to jar with a tinge of propaganda, and at other times, the lyrics of the song provides the motivation for Juliana's actions, such as when she rolls about the space supposedly looking for home, the song 'Chan Mali Chan', provides the impetus with the lyrics, “di mana dia, anak kambing saya” (translated as “where are you, my little lamb?”).

The audience had earlier been asked to write down their reaction to the performance title, and when Juliana leaves the platform to pick up the kite, Wilson begins to read from the responses and also pre-selected poetry about home written by Singaporean poets. As a physical manifestation of the spoken words, Juliana then proceeds to write 'HOME' on the kite, and the cuboid kite quickly becomes a representation of the four white walls of a house. The audience is then asked to write on the kite with either home in their native language or a word that they identify with home.