Synopsis:

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals for Chinese communities around the world. It is believed that the moon is at its brightest and roundest during this time. It is an occasion for gatherings with family and friends, as the full moon symbolises joyous union and togetherness with loved ones. Other popular customs associated with the festival include the lighting and carrying of lanterns, as well as the consumption of mooncakes with family and friends.

Produced by Hong Kong collectible label, 78JO, in collaboration with the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, "Rolling in Abundance" is an outdoor installation featuring four large roly-poly fish lanterns. In Chinese culture, fishes ("yu") symbolise completeness and abundance, as it is a homonym for the Mandarin word for "abundance" ("yu").

The rounded nature of the design is doubly symbolic, as roundness ("yuan") also sounds similar to the Mandarin word for "reunion" ("tuan yuan"), and pays homage to the full and bright mid
autumn moon.

"Rolling in Abundance" utilises wordplay to present traditional beliefs and values in a modern context, and encourages deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty of the Chinese language. More importantly, in these trying times, the installation embodies our hope for more abundant years to come, and gives thanks as we reunite with families and loved ones during Phase 2 of Singapore's circuit breaker period.

The installation will be on display on the lawn of the memorial hall from 15 September to 11 October 2020.