Get ready to stroll by the Civic District on a new public art trail featuring six bench artworks. Titled Benchmarks, a play on the words landmark and benchmark, six Singapore-based artists have created playful yet functional works that the public can rest at, pose with and take the time to reflect on their own memories.
As you walk by the monuments in the city, don’t forget to pause and take a break on the benches well worth a second look.
Benchmarks: Six Benches to Rest Your Weary Legs, Mind and Heart at Civic District
#iykyk , Jubilee Walk outside Esplanade
Families can take a seat and figure out what the benches convey.
Spot the five circulate benches mimicking the Morse code for the letters iykyk. The popular internet slang is about an inside joke. The work is a nugget of internet slang written in Morse Code. The playful mix of two kinds of communication systems reflect the differences between generations.
Artist Jason Wee certainly makes his mark on the city with a dash of humour. The fibreglass bench serves as a functional rest stop while challenging visitors to figure out the slang.
Sayang! Satay Sayang! near Esplanade Park
Do you remember the Esplanade Satay Club?
This bench is dedicated to the memories of the Satay Club which used to be sited at Esplanade. Get transported back to the bustling food centre and the stories of dating couples. Bear in mind this was before reclamation took place and it was a seafront promenade popular for skewered meat grilled over charcoal.
Artist Jeffrey Tan was inspired by the traditional hot charcoal pit and the satay seller’s bench. Take a break with your sayang on the bench.
all the King’s men, Queen Elizabeth Walk
Can you think of a nursery rhyme from the title of this artwork?
That’s right, it’s the infamous line from Humpty Dumpty. Like how Humpty landed, this bench pays tribute to a broken artefact which was known as a notable marker in Singapore’s history.
Ceramic artist Yang Jie re-imagines the Singapore Stone using weathered granite bound together by staples stitched painstakingly.
The bench takes the shape of a fragment, like the Singapore Stone, which was blown to pieces to make way for Fort Fullerton.
Restore / Neural Artefact Black, Asian Civilisations Museum
This double-toned bench sitting outside Asian Civilisations Museum makes use of artificial intelligence to help regenerate a recycled bench. Look closely and you can see the bench with two sides and two tones. This was intentional to show the limitations of AI as well as an aesthetic decision.
It was amazing to know that the bench is made from old Sampan boats, with 6000 triangles of recycled wood all handmade by artisans and glued together piece by piece. The bench is a furniture, sculpture and even landmark fusing the characteristics of heritage furniture and sampans in Asia.
Clearly, this synthesis of AI, human creativity and craftsmanship is an apt tribute to the Singapore River’s role in the rapid development of Singapore and urban developments.
A Micropolyphonic Stage, Near Stamford Raffles Statue
Look for the frangipani tree and you would see musician Joyce Beetuan Koh’s work.
The uniquely shaped benches look like water droplets and punctuation marks sheltered by a Frangipani tree. Aside from offering shade, the pair of benches provokes passers-by to reflect .
The words on the benches “to understand is to become” can also be read by braille on the bench. The benches welcomes people to sit, watch, listen experience the sensations of life.
Situated right next to the Singapore River, the bench colour is a reflection of the sky and the river and this spot offers solace from the soundscape and the busyness just across the river.
This is Not a Bench, The Arts House
This artwork redefines a bench and challenges our perspectives of the form and function of a singular bench. One can sit, lean, hug or even use it like a life buoy. Lua Boon Kai created the duo bench inspired from the text “This is Not a Pipe” in Rene Magritte’s iconic painting The Treachery of Images.
Annual StoryFest in October
The public can look forward to an outdoor roving experience at three art benches where storytellers will perform original stories inspired by the artefacts and their locations. Keep a look out for more details.
Expect a lot of Sitting & Walking at the New Art Trail
Families can check out the new art trail consisting of six art benches till 31 July 2026. Explore the monuments peppered around the district and uncover the stories of others through their works.
Get details about Benchmarks.
