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Market Cycles
Discover Market Cycles, a light art installation by Singaporean designers Tan Mei Yee and Ng Choon Wee
Last updated on 4 June 2026
Market Cycles
Tan Mei Yee and Ng Choon Wee (Singapore)
Location: Mist Walk
Plastic crates moving daily between suppliers and vendors in wet markets are assembled into an architectural enclosure. Their perforated sides, designed originally for ventilation, are reconfigured to let light pass through, producing layers of colour, texture and pattern.
Market Cycles brings into focus what typically goes unnoticed. These crates are built for movement, yet they fade into the background of everyday commerce. Temporarily borrowed from their ‘working lives’ and later returned to their distribution networks, the installation invites a shift in perception: What if everyday objects received the same attention as art? What might change if the mundane reuse, adaptation and continuity of such objects became the centre of our focus?
At its core, Market Cycles echoes the DesignSingapore Council’s Design 2035 Masterplan which calls for responsible resource use and recognises the power of design to transform how we see and relate to the material environment.
Market Cycles is part of i Light Future 2026, a new mentorship initiative presented by the DesignSingapore Council to nurture emerging design talent from tertiary students to early-career creatives. Participants in this inaugural edition are mentored by Craig Neo, Lead Mentor and Founder of digital design studio, A&C Atelier.
About the artists
Tan Mei Yee, an alumna of the Master of Architecture at the National University of Singapore, and Ng Choon Wee, a recent graduate of NAFA, University of the Arts Singapore, are Singapore-based interdisciplinary designers driven by curiosity and an appreciation for the ordinary. Their practice explores how people experience the built environment across scales — from objects and garments to interiors and architecture.
Grounded in observation and research, they examine how individuals interact with one another, objects, and space. Keen to heighten awareness of often-overlooked moments through thoughtful design, they work across spatial, retail, and brand experiences, translating insights into immersive narratives shaped by everyday rituals.
