| Abstrak/Abstract |
This visual sociology article explains a photography exhibition entitled “Through The Lens of Our Migrant Workers” at Bayfront MRT Singapore Station as an effort by the Singapore government to represent migrant workers as part of the color of the population. In collaboration with Holdinghands Studio, this exhibition invites 20 migrant workers as artists, most of whom worked in domestic work and building construction ahead of the National Day of Singapore in August 2023. This study uses the Visual Discourse Analysis method by encoding and decoding visual objects, namely several photos from migrant workers who take pictures of their daily lives while living in Singapore. The findings of the article state, first, that public space as public art is a representational political strategy for the Singapore government to show the public the inclusiveness of migrant workers through exhibitions at the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Station near the tourism centers. Second, the exhibition portrays Singapore from the perspective of migrant workers, which varies from daily activities, human interests, nature, buildings, and heritage. Third, photography is a space for dialogue between residents in Singapore to reduce othering and stigmatization of blue-collar workers, thereby encouraging cross-cultural and ethnic dialogue by selecting public spaces to facilitate a wider audience.
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