Photo-Audio walk along site-specific installations hidden away in Geylang with Dorothy Wong Ka Chung & Benjamin Ryser.

Is home to be found in a coffee shop? In the taste of canned fried dace with salted black beans? Or in the ringing of an old telephone?

People said those who come to Geylang are searching for something. The residents of Geylang shared with us snippets of their lives growing up here: of romantic encounters in a soya milk stall; of craving a childhood comfort food late at night; of the distant home still under construction; of two trees at dusk, sheltering hundreds of crows; of sailing across the South Seas in search of a place to settle; of souls that had to walk 18 kilometres to return to their beautiful homeland; of business encounters in coffee shops and at street corners. In the alleys and on the main streets, we heard and saw others’ stories of home.

The photo-audio walk “Passing by Paradise” invites you to stroll through Geylang’s Lorongs, streets and back alleys. Accompanied by an audio track and images, the sounds in your ear become your viewfinder, framing the everyday scenes along your route: Laundry in the wind – the crows are watching over you – palm trees like fireworks – a glowing phone screen in the dark – a cafe with a secret menu. Along the way, you’ll discover photographic installations in local shops, homes and public spaces that transport your imagination deeper into the neighbourhood.

Where is the place where we can grow our roots? Can you find the secret code leading to paradise?