What do islands dream of? What happens when they wake? Dreaming Islands passes through George Town like a dream in the night. Anchored by John Clang’s ongoing Reading by an Artist project, Michelle embarks on a curatorial research journey into the histories and stories, hopes and dreams that connect the people of two former Straits Settlements—Singapore and Penang. It is a mapping of time and memory, living in a shared community.

As part of Dreaming Islands, we set up John Clang’s Table of Inquiry (George Town, Penang, 2026) in the beautiful COEX space within the old Hin Bus Depot.

The intention was to give form to the inner heart of the George Town community, and to gently shine a light on its place in the world.

On New Year’s Day, we began reaching out to people in and from Penang, as well as friends and family around the world who were following the passage of Dreaming Islands as we moved between Singapore and Penang. On 7 January 2026, we laid out a blank canvas across a long wooden table, anchored by nine white stones found by the roadside on the day we arrived. Over the days that followed, from 8 to 12 January 2026, the table was gradually covered with handwritten text. On 13 January 2026, we completed our sojourn.

We wanted to open a small little space in time for healing, care, and meaningful connection. A garden for hoping and dreaming.