P3 Learning Journey to the Void Deck Art Gallery 2024

20 - 22 March 2024

The learning journey to the void deck art gallery at Pipit Road marked the Primary 3 pupils’ first learning journey of the year. One of their STELLAR units is titled Camille and The Sunflowers. It’s a story about Vincent van Gogh’s brief stay in France where he created some of his most iconic paintings. The story is told with the perspective of a young boy and his family who befriended Vincent van Gogh despite the discrimination he faced from the other townsfolk.

Through the learning journey, the Primary 3 pupils did not need to travel all the way to Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh Museum. The void deck art gallery, within walking distance from our school, showcases replicas of van Gogh’s most famous artworks such as Sunflowers and the unforgettable Starry Night. Seeing and admiring these replicas up close provided a context for the STELLAR unit. Prior to and after the learning journey, the teachers took time to delve deeper into the various artworks to uncover more intimate details about van Gogh and his motivations.

It was heartening to know that the murals at the void deck were not commissioned works but an initiative by Social Creatives, a social enterprise that works with community leaders, residents, students and volunteers. To our benefit, it was refurbished earlier this year by one of the original artists and other public-spirited volunteers.

On all three days, we were blessed with good weather, making the leisurely walk there a pleasant experience. Along the way, the teachers paused and drew the pupils’ attention to the different signages and community amenities, such as playgrounds and recycling bins, around the MacPherson estate. This is in line with the Primary 3 Social Studies syllabus whereby pupils have to recognise common public signs.

3 Graciousness and 3 Tenacity were especially privileged on 20 March. One of the artists, who helped with the refurbishment, lives at the exact block we were at. She happened to hear the healthy buzz created by us and to our pleasant surprise, she approached us and offered to play tour guide. She whipped out an iPad and told us passionately about how she and her fellow artists did up the space. What an unexpected surprise!

Pupils keen to find out the
titles of the paintings

Pupils making a vote on their favourite
Van Gogh artwork

The pupils viewed the paintworks and those with a keen eye for detail noticed some interesting Singaporean touches to a few paintings. For example, there was a picture of the crescent and five stars in the replica of Vincent’s Bedroom.

Overall, it was a meaningful learning journey. The pupils grew to appreciate van Gogh’s artworks and the importance of collectively owning and having pride in a shared space. On a more personal level, the pupils’ eyes were opened to the beauty of van Gogh’s paintings and for some paintings, a backstory of a struggling, misunderstood man who was ahead of his time.