Installation, photographic documentation and research construction of Riau Island's timber boat, Kolek. Exhibited in Looking at Institutions Look at Themselves: NUS Museum & NTU Centre of Contemporary Art Singapore. http://ntu.ccasingapore.org/residencies/dennis-tan/ ​ In 2016, an opportunity presented itself for Dennis Tan to attempt the building of kolek* at an artist residency with the Centre of Contemporary Art National Technological University (CCA-NTU). Entrusted with the custodianship of two derelict koleks named Pujangga (poet, author or thinker in Bahasa Indonesia)during one of his visits to Keban, Riau, Tan saw the residency as an opportunity to explore the rich heritage and craftsmanship associated with these iconic vessels that once populated the shoreline of Singapore waters. Tan reverse-engineered and took apart one of the derelict hulls and recorded the dimensions and forms. Hoping to utilise the parts as templates on the materials from Riau. The first of a series of failures presents itself in the inaccessibility to the selection process of suitable timber. Contemporary urban Singapore necessitates the importation of green wood; however, Tan was restricted from selecting the wood in Riau, and the task was entrusted to the Riau side exporter, who may not be an experienced boatwright or has as much vested interest in the project. In addition, the absence of proper hand tools, usually self-modelled by the artisans, added another layer of intricacy to the construction process. Despite these obstacles and the time constraints, the construction of a new kolek moved on with the unwavering dedication of assistants from Riau. The assistants are not shipwrights themself, but they all sail the third current Punjagga. Together with Tan, the construction progressed with some informed trial and error. While the primary focus was on creating a new kolek, the residency catalysed exploration, experimentation, and celebrating the artistry inherent in these traditional boats. At the end of the residency, the project stops short at just the completion of the hull. In its uncompleted state, the hull and the findings from the process were presented and shared through a talk and a show at the National University of Singapore Museum (NUS Museum). *Kolek, a specific wooden sailboat once typical in Singapore waters, now only seen in neighbouring Riau islands of Indonesia.