Why do we hold on to things that no longer work?

What makes us cherish and keep possessions?

Can repair add new meaning and value to an object?

For ‘R for Repair’, designers from the UK and Singapore have been invited to repair adored but damaged objects donated by members of the public. From a broken camera to an antique sewing chest, to a children’s wall clock, these designers have breathed new life into personal possessions – using the idea of creative repair to add new layers of identity and preserve meaning in unexpected ways.

This exhibition sits within a growing landscape of initiatives designed to encourage a richer repair culture. By embracing the transformative power of design, it celebrates the possibilities of repair as a creative process – one that addresses the emotional as much as the functional.

"What interests me with this project is how we can create a richer understanding of repair culture. It celebrates the possibilities of repair as a creative process, something that adds new layers to an object’s identity and meaning – addressing the ‘emotional’ as well as the ‘functional’.”
Co-Curator, Jane Withers

“Though repair used to be the first response when something breaks down, current day hyper-consumption has diminished the transformative role of repair. It is important to reframe repair in the contemporary context through design, which I believe when done well, comes with a good value system for how we could consider ownership.”
Co-Curator, Hans Tan