Not Much to See is part of a series of sculptural works by artist Chun Kaifeng whichexplore the significance of commonplace objects that exist in Singapore’s urbanenvironment. In this sculpture, a pair of ‘Tat Seng’ slippers (the popular and inexpensivefootwear of choice for many Singaporeans, easily recognised by their distinctive whitebase and blue straps) have been pared down and abstracted into their purest form.This everyday household item is conferred an iconic status by the artist, backlit by yellowLED lighting that forms a halo-like frame around the slippers. In addition, these slippers,which are more commonly seen in humbler circumstances – treading footpaths in HousingDevelopment Board (HDB) estates or left outside people’s homes, for example – have nowbeen elevated onto a gallery wall, as a work of art. Even so, the title of the work, Not Muchto See, seems to reference the object’s modest, diffident status, even while it is seeminglymade iconic by the artist.Although familiar and commonplace objects such as these slippers define and make upour everyday settings, they do not stand out, and are not meant to. Their functionalityrests on their invisibility and ability to fade into the background. However, the artistsuggests that these objects wield a powerful influence on the urban environment and thepeople who live in it, and that these apparently mundane objects and settings might bemore significant than they seem at first, being so intimately linked with our everyday livesin Singapore.