Sim Chi Yin

Artist text follows.

 

More information on the body of work:

In the long-term project “Shifting Sands”, Sim Chi Yin documents not only the logistics and spectacle of the extraction and transportation of sand across countries but also the consequences: landslides in countries with rampant extraction and artificial islands popping up elsewhere, made from imported sand. Pressing economic crises have many faces: one of them is the shrinking of resources. As one of our most used commodities, it might seem counter-intuitive to think that sand is running out. Unlike other materials, sand is non-renewable, which has made its price spike. States import and export sand like they do with any other goods. One of the largest importers of sand per capita is Singapore, where artist Sim Chi Yin was born: her interest in the topic was sparked by the fact that this largely invisible problem speaks volumes about how we treat our environment. The rapid urbanisation in Asia accelerates the need for this commodity. In consequence, rich nations quite literally buy and move land and territory – often from their poorer neighbours – to wherever they need it.

 

A video is available for this artist in our media library.  

Biographical information

1978

born in Singapore

2000

Bachelor of Arts in History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London

2001

Master of Science in History of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London

since 2018

PhD researcher, practice-based PhD, War Studies at King’s College London

lives in New York City and Berlin