Based on the classic block-stacking game, Progress: The Game of Leaders is a highly interactive sculpture that depicts Singapore’s current socio-political landscape. Through the form of a game, the artwork invites visitors to ponder some of the fundamental values that are necessary in the name of progress.

The blocks of Progress symbolise elements we’ve strengthened in order to build a first world country – the stacking of blocks simulates building skyscrapers with our own hands, much like how societies are constantly constructed and seeking upgrade. However, alongside progression, some compromises have to be made.

Sam Lo (aka SKL0) is a self-taught Singapore-based artist whose work revolves around social commentaries fuelled by daily observations of her surroundings and research into the socio-political climate. Her intrigue with the concept of culture and bold execution in some of her earliest forays into street art got her dubbed the ‘Sticker Lady’.

Progress: The Game of Leaders, Sam Lo, 2017. Image courtesy of Sarah Walker & Melbourne Festival