brigette teo

Lament for the Anthropocene

2025Electrical wire, dead electronics

Adopting a multidisciplinary and symbolic approach to critique the socio-cultural and environmental challenges of contemporary society, the artists reflect on the profound cultural and environmental shifts characteristic of the Anthropocene — a term signifying the current geological age shaped predominantly by human activity. Through drawing from the long standing intertwined history of fibre work and technology, the installation seeks to preserve and celebrate the analog methods of creating ‘slow art’ as a counterpoint to the accelerating pace of technological advancement and its implications on human identity, as the pursuit of efficiency is prioritised over the wellbeing of people.

The work extends into research and text based practices, embodying a radical act of protest against institutional and societal norms that value speed over critical reflection and community, serving as both a tribute to traditional craftsmanship and a reflection of the artists' sentiments. Through the work, the artists hope to evoke critical dialogue on sustainability, community, and the often-overlooked histories and processes behind technology and art-making.

This project was done in collaboration with Nicky Josephine Tjandra for our Final Year Project in NTU ADM, and installed at the ADM SHOW in New Bahru in May 2025.

Crocheted over the span of 2 months, the text reads:

This body of text was written by living minds.
This body of work is created by living bodies.

In an institution that upholds itself
on progress and opportunity
At the expense of its own body
The system will eat itself alive

I cannot change the world
So I start by being true
To what it means to be
a creature here on earth

They say
I will do great things.
That this is the way forward.
And yet the world does not have a place for me.

To cry and laugh and sing and dance
And go home to my grandmother
Ask her how things have changed.
Can she keep up with this? Can you?