A Silence That Sits
Conversation
About
How can we speak about silences that endure for decades? Are some erasures best left untouched or tenaciously unearthed? Journeying through themes of migration, histories and inheritance, A silence that sits invites participants to bring family photographs and share stories through song, writing and speech.
Responding to Sim Chi Yin’s One Day We’ll Understand 有那么一天 — a multimedia performance and exhibition investigating family history, archive and memory against the setting of the Malayan Emergency (1948-60) — this event is led by artists Sim Chi Yin and Nikki Lam. It will delve into family silence and hidden histories and explore the many temporalities and migratory conditions that occupy this collective space.
The non-hierarchical Long Table format creates a space for meaningful dialogue around complex issues. Audience members can bring their own stories of migration and family history and participate in the conversation, or they can simply listen and witness.
Collaborators
Presentation History
2025 Immigration Museum [March 2]
Partners
A silence that sits was presented as part of Asia TOPA's 2025 Knowledge Program in partnership with Museums Victoria, supported by the City of Melbourne and Creative Australia. It is an associated event for One Day We’ll Understand, a live performance work by Sim Chi Yin produced by CultureLink Singapore in partnership with Chamber Made and presented in 2025 by Asia TOPA and Footscray Community Arts.
