Gerai Tai Tai

Typology : Fortune-telling booth

Completed : June 2016

‘Gerai’- Stall or booth usually found in market.

‘Tai tai’ – Chinese colloquial term for a wealthy married woman who does not work.

Gerai Tai Tai was selected the grantee for the Krishen Jit Astro Fund 2015. Conceptualized as a pop-up gerai at an actual pasar malam (night market), the interactive installation revolves around the Tai Tai, who provides a one-to-one bespoke experience to her customers, in this case fortune-telling. The multi-sensory fortune-telling booth is covered on its sides and top, providing privacy in the otherwise busy setting of the night market; allowing customers to share their deepest secrets and qualms.

Divided by a window of coloured agar-agar made from ingredients sourced from the night market, each customer rolls six dices and then offered three different jellies by the Tai Tai. As one takes a bite of each jelly, the Tai Tai will do her readings, with different flavours, textures and colours representing facets of his/her past, present and future.