Explore why free events in Singapore draw crowds for consumption, not art appreciation, and its impact on the local arts scene.
Why do we only value art when it’s free? What events like Cj Hendry’s Flower Market reveal about S’poreans’ mindless consumptionMost Singapore ans would rarely give the arts and culture scene a second look on a regular day — but once it’s free, suddenly we’re all lovers of the arts.
Let’s drop the act. The snaking queues and mad rush to grab what’s free gives it away — it’s a clear sign of what patrons are there for, and it isn’t the art or the artist. Telegram As a keen supporter of the arts, I was excited to experience the installation, given its novel concept of recreating the calm, serene flower-picking experience. But I was quickly turned off when I saw the crowds.
It was no longer about the art. These moments exposed how quickly artistic appreciation can give way to consumer instinct when something is offered for free. Is human behaviour the main exhibit? Amidst the chaos, I wondered if this was what the artist intended.
Was human behaviour meant to be the main exhibit? Perhaps these responses to her art were just different ways visitors chose to engage with the work, and from another perspective, they might even be a perfectly valid way to experience art. Hendry’s own vision offers an interesting point of comparison. A peek at the exhibition’s press materials summed up the impetus behind the exhibition — to make art genuinely for everyone.
What struck me was that it was originally intended to be a nod to slow living, where visitors are encouraged to browse blooms as they would at a real flower market and create a bouquet of their own.the artist also explained her decision to keep the exhibition entirely free and offline, saying she felt it was important people “leave their couch when they come and experience something”.
“I’m not saying it’s all going to be good things you’re experiencing and feeling, but you’re going to feel something,” she added. A 31-year-old art educator and long-time fan of Hendry’s work similarly found it disappointing to see people attending purely for the hype while showing little regard for the art itself.
“I believe that at least half of the visitors didn’t see it as an artwork or artistic experience,” she said, adding that she felt others had just treated the flowers as “commodities”. The obsession with something “free” has bigger implications than we think.
It erodes the respect for artists, where art needs to market itself through complimentary items and discounts because people don’t see the inherent value in it.drew massive queues around the Central Library building, prompting people to question if patrons were there because they cared about reading, or if they simply wanted to snag a good deal. A French impressionist exhibition by the National Gallery in November 2025, Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, similarlyBut does funnelling discounts and freebies into the sector really cultivate appreciation, or does it reinforce the idea that art only becomes worth engaging with when there’s something tangible to take home?
Accessibility is important — but so is appreciationRecent performances I had the chance to catch, such as the Orchestra of the Music Makers’ rendition of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, were both played to full houses. That said, the arts should not exist solely for those already invested in them. Accessibility is important, too — paywalls and high prices can sometimes deter others from participating.
Unfortunately, lower barriers to entry often draws people who cross the boundary into mindless greed and over-consumption. Instead, let’s take time to learn about the person behind the art, step into their world and experience it as they intended. It’s not always just about the material things we can get from an event. Hot Takes are opinion pieces written by Stomp journalists, based on their personal experiences and viewpoints.
They reflect the writer’s perspective and do not necessarily reflect the views of SPH Media.
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