Shen Jiaqi’s Ascension reflects on Singapore’s iconic architecture and our visual memory. It depicts how modern redevelopment and evolving building standards are causing certain structures, such as bubble lifts or glass-enclosed capsule elevators, to disappear.

In this work, the lift at The Riverwalk in Clarke Quay is still running, a fleeting trace of a vanishing urban feature. Her work connects memory and reality, inviting viewers to reflect on familiar yet transient city spaces.

“To live in a city is to live the life that it was built for, to adapt to its schedule and rhythms. To live in a city is to take part in and to propagate its impossible systems.” – Shen Jiaqi

Ascension captures the tension between urban permanence and impermanence, evoking reflections on city life and human resilience.