paradise is where we
walk peacefully amidst
a cocoon of trees
feasting on breathtaking vistas
and worm-eaten leaves

Progress Report #56 reflects on our relationship with nature and the distance between our ideals and our actions.

The fabrics are knitted on a Shima Seiki computer numerical control (CNC) knitting machine using algorithms developed in the Singapore University of Technology and Design. The optical colour mixing of discrete blue, yellow, black, grey, and white yarns trick the eye into seeing shades of green and grey. The multi-layered photograph and the variable spirals are knitted using algorithms that carefully control the placement of the knitted loops to create morphing geometries and perspective tricks, while the vegetation is knitted using an algorithm that randomly introduces defects that the knitting machine tries to self-correct.

Progress Report #56 was exhibited from 1-31 May 2021 at Art Encounters, an art exhibition organised by Art Outreach and curated by Natalia Tan.

The photograph of the last wild tiger killed in Singapore in 1930 is courtesy of the Tan Tuan Khoon Collection, National Archives of Singapore. The photograph is significantly altered to facilitate its reproduction as a knitted textile.

We would like to thank Hugh T.W. Tan of the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore for suggesting botanical sources of inspiration. We would also like to thank the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre at the Singapore University of Technology and Design for supporting the fabrication of Progress Report #56.