Dreaming Islands
DREAMING ISLANDS. A GEOMANCY OF TIME.
A project by Michelle Lim and John Clang
8-12 January 2026
George Town, Penang
What do islands dream of? What happens when they wake? Dreaming Islands passes through George Town like a dream in the night. Anchored by John Clang's ongoing Reading by an Artist project, Michelle embarks on a curatorial research journey into the histories and stories, hopes and dreams that connect the people of two former Straits Settlements—Singapore and Penang. It is a mapping of time and memory, living in a shared community.
Table of Inquiry by John Clang
This extension of Reading by an Artist transforms the performance table into a space of intimate encounter, collective reflection, and evolving dialogue. The participant sits with the artist at one corner, preserving the one-to-one reading experience that lies at the heart of the practice.
The remainder of the table is covered with a handwritten canvas, weighted by nine stones, on which questions submitted by prior participants are answered by the artist. Visitors are invited to approach the table, locate their questions, and witness their answers in person. Those who chance upon the installation may also submit questions on the spot, which will be recorded and answered in turn, allowing the work to grow and evolve as a living archive of inquiry.
The canvas and stones form a ritualized surface, grounding personal curiosity, attention, and care in tangible form. As questions accumulate, the table becomes both a portrait of collective reflection and a space for individual encounter, where curiosity, presence, and attentive listening converge.
