Pink Chilli in a Bowl

A love letter to Singapore, Pink Chilli in a Bowl is a personal archive of forgotten places and time-honoured buildings, many of which are rapidly fading amidst the backdrop of a city built on unrelenting change. Neither a tourist guide nor a work of historical records, this book documents and weaves connections about the essence of a nation through the lens of food, history, and place. 

Collaborating closely with authors Manuel and Isabelle Der Hagopian, Practice Theory crafted the content architecture and design of this intimate endeavour.

Consisting of four distinct alternating elements—Constellations, Stars, Essays, and Archive—the book invites readers on a multi-sensory journey through Singapore’s culinary and cultural landscape. Constellations comprise a network of local eateries and architectural landmarks, all of which can be found within a twenty-to forty-minute promenade, while Stars spotlight specific locations independent of Constellations. Contributed Essays are also sprinkled throughout, complemented by the Archives which feature categorised and reframed photographs encountered earlier in the book.

Encased in a removable plastic sleeve, the transient cover features a “hidden” list of all the Stars and Constellations. This nod to the vanishing state of many eateries and landmarks reminds readers of a culture worth preserving. Upon unwrapping, the book’s credits are physically removed, transferring authorship to that of the reader’s. No longer passive observers, they are encouraged to similarly reconstruct their mental map of the island-nation in their own creative vision.

Faced with the task of translating the contrasting raw material—Isabelle’s spontaneous observations as she roams around then-unfamiliar Singapore, and her meticulously organised list of eateries—the palpable tension between chaos and structure emerges as the driving force that permeates both form and content. This push and pull echoes that of the flâneur, described by Walter Benjamin as one who wanders the city, and the archivist, responsible for cataloguing crucial information.

The dichotomy of opposing impulses governs the flow of the book’s content and pages. As the book unfolds, the visual interplay amidst light, paper, and space transverse between its strong typography and structured layout. Readers may now envision themselves as flâneurs, similarly navigating through the abundance of pages at their own pace.

This tension is further reflected in its grid-based design juxtaposed with varying paper stocks. The use of translucent paper dispersed throughout the book not only enhances the play with folds and light shining through, but also mimics the effect of a journal layered with writings with its unique reverse printing. Subtle lines further demarcate the grid, forming tangible “stars” that interconnect throughout the layout.