A Love Song: This Photo Exhibition Reveals Rare Snapshots Of Our Local Band Scene Shot Across Decades
Our local scene history can’t just be heard; it needs to be seen (Credit: Mary-Ann Teo)
Documentation is crucial for preserving a scene’s legacy; something we wholeheartedly indulge in ourselves. But self-tooting the horn of our editorial endeavours aside, photography is another core archival medium that immortalises pivotal moments and memories. How do you best depict the Force Vomit mania of the ’90s or the chaotic fervour of more recent upstarts like The CB Dogs? Photo-artist and scene zealot Mary-Ann Teo steps up to share her personal experiences and industry highlights, all coming together in an upcoming photo exhibition aptly called “A Love Song”. Through her lens capturing the frenzied energy of local gigs over the decades, we get to see a passionate and unfiltered affection for our scene.
Mary-Ann Teo deems this exhibition “part-documentation, part-tribute” (Credit: Mary-Ann Teo)
Running from 25 October to 18 December at the Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film, “A Love Song” will feature storied snapshots of influential bands, venues and eras that carved the cultural topography of our scene. Captured in fully black-and-white photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to traipse down memory lane witnessing the live music circuit from the early ’90s to today, with rare images of performances from The Stoned Revivals, Hanging Up The Moon, Force Vomit, True Anger and more. But if you need some audio cues to enhance your visual nostalgia trip, you’d wanna head on down when the exhibition kicks off.
On launch day, the Objectifs Courtyard will host performances from a handful of scene icons, some of whom are featured in Mary-Ann’s portfolio. Starting early at 6.30pm, there will be diverse performances from Typewriter, Leslie Low, Ashvind Ramani, The Oddfellows, Hanging Up The Moon, The CB Dogs, and Piblokto; with some acts selling exclusive merch to add to your collection. And if you wish to hear more from Mary-Ann herself and her perspective on documenting the scene and how it’s progressed, there will be an exhibition dialogue on 13 November, perfect for that repeat visit.
(Credit: Mary-Ann Teo)
A Love Song: An exhibition by Mary-Ann Teo, 25 October (launch day with performances) to 18 December 2025, Objectifs Courtyard, 155 Middle Road, Singapore 188977, RSVP here. Follow Objectifs and Mary-Ann Teo on socials for more information.
