In the quiet lanes of Geylang, two carefully restored conservation shophouses have found a new purpose. Behind their pastel facades, the hum of creative energy signals a fresh beginning for Singapore’s photography community. This is Shop–House by DECK — the latest chapter in DECK Photography Art Centre’s ongoing journey to create a permanent home for photography and image-based art.

For the next three years, until DECK’s long-awaited return to Prinsep Street in 2028, these shophouses at No. 4 and 6 Lorong 24 Geylang will serve as the organisation’s beating heart — part gallery, part library, part residency, and, above all, a home.

Fittingly, the space opens with an exhibition titled “A Home Away From Home,” curated by John Tung. The show features 31 artworks by 25 artists from across Asia, including luminaries such as Daido Moriyama (Japan), Liu Bolin (China), and Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore).

But unlike a conventional white-cube gallery, the works here are displayed in the intimate setting of a lived-in home. Photographs hang on walls as if they belong to the residents, near dining tables, stairways, and reading nooks. The idea, Tung explains, is to dissolve the boundaries between art and everyday life, allowing visitors to encounter photography “as a neighbour rather than an artifact.”

The exhibition also doubles as an act of generosity. Every artwork has been donated to support DECK’s building fund, helping realise its long-term dream of Singapore’s first dedicated photography art centre.

DECK’s co-founder and director, Gwen Lee, sees Shop–House as a symbol of community support. “For an arts ecosystem to flourish, we need not only artists and arts workers, but also generous individuals who believe in the vision,” she says. “Shop–House is born out of such generosity.”

That spirit continues with Untitled Edition, a collectible box set curated by Robert Zhao Renhui and designed by Practice Theory. Featuring 30 prints by 31 emerging artists, the set commemorates a decade of DECK’s Undescribed programme — a platform for young photographers that has run since 2016. Proceeds from the edition will fund mentorships, new works, and exhibitions for the next generation of image-makers.

As Zhao notes, “Untitled Edition captures a decade of bold, young vision — a living archive of beginnings, and a statement that art here matters.”

Beyond exhibitions, Shop–House will serve as a multidisciplinary incubator for artists, curators, and publishers. The inaugural Open Page residency welcomes Kalev Erickson from London’s Archive of Modern Conflict (AMC) — one of the world’s most significant collections of vernacular photography. Erickson will lead workshops on archives and photobooks, and curate a special showcase, AMC × DECK, featuring rare and out-of-print titles. Selected volumes will also join DECK’s growing photobook library, enriching Singapore’s dialogue around independent publishing.

Inside, the three-storey shophouses are designed to host visiting artists, with bedrooms doubling as creative studios. A compact annex houses flexible galleries and a communal reading area — spaces where conversations, collaborations, and creative experiments can unfold.

To mark its opening, DECK will host a fundraising weekend from 7 to 8 November 2025, featuring its annual Benefit Dinner, an opening party with Guest of Honour Mr. Cai Yinzhou (MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC), and a series of art tours and fundraising activities. The goal: to raise crucial funds toward DECK’s permanent building, whose costs have grown amid rising construction prices.

So far, DECK has raised $1 million, but more support is needed. As a registered charity and Institution of Public Character, DECK is eligible for Singapore’s Cultural Matching Fund, which doubles every dollar donated. For Lee, each contribution represents more than just financial help — it’s an investment in the cultural fabric of the city.

“Photography,” she says, “is about how we see the world. To nurture this art form, we need a home where people can gather, exchange ideas, and grow together. Shop–House is our bridge to that future.”

Stepping into Shop–House, one senses that this is more than a temporary space — it’s a living experiment in how art can inhabit the everyday. The clatter of footsteps on wooden floors, the soft flicker of light against framed prints, the hum of conversation over coffee: all of it feels quietly revolutionary.

In the years ahead, DECK’s programmes — from artist residencies and forums to its Singapore International Photography Festival — will continue to shape Singapore’s photographic landscape. But for now, in this pair of Geylang shophouses, DECK has found something invaluable: a home where generosity, art, and community converge.

A Home Away From Home runs from 7th November to 14th December 2025, while AMC × DECK (Book Showcase) runs from 7th November to 14th December 2025, both at Shop–House by DECK, 4 & 6 Lorong 24 Geylang. More information available here