Sng Yi Xian Issa

Class of 2018

Final Year Project(s)


Cabinet of Ludicrosity at NTU ADM Portfolio

Cabinet of Ludicrosity is an interactive installation comprising various ludicrous contraptions and curiosities. Based on the Kunstkammer (‘art chamber’ or cabinet of curiosities) which flourished in 16th century Europe, the installation is simultaneously a workshop, collection and playroom. The seemingly diverse objects and devices are united by an underlying spirit of play and ludicrousness.

Innocently irreverent, the Cabinet of Ludicrosity seeks to celebrate the impractical, trivial and absurd amidst our preoccupation with utility and significance.


Cabinet of Ludicrosity at NTU ADM Portfolio

Paying tribute to the kunstkammer (‘art chamber’ or cabinet of curiosities) which flourished in 16th century Europe, the Cabinet of Ludicrosity is an interactive installation consisting of ludicrous contraptions and objects.

A precursor to the modern museum, the kunstkammer was historically owned by aristocrats or individuals with vast collections of natural specimens, antiques, automata and scientific instruments. While museums are often systematically organised, the kunstkammer resists any linear, categorical ordering. Instead, it invites visitors to create order by making their own associations. The kunstkammer also encourages experimentation, functioning simultaneously as a workshop, laboratory and playroom.

The Cabinet of Ludicrosity is a collection of machines, contraptions and specimens, united by an underlying spirit of play and absurdity. Visitors are invited to explore the inventor’s workshop and interact with the various curiosities. Innocently irreverent, the Cabinet of Ludicrosity celebrates the impractical, trivial and absurd amidst our preoccupation with utility and significance.