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She says, “The arts have always been a part of my life. I have a bachelor’s degree in art and then I went on to do graphic design at Parsons.” While working in the arts wasn’t something Ms. Quek sought out to do immediately after graduating, it managed to make its presence felt when she opened the first SPRMRKT at McCallum Street in 2012. The place doubled as an art gallery, in addition to being a restaurant/retail concept. “I believe it has now come full circle since Telok Ayer Arts Club is located where the first SPRMRKT was,” she reveals. “When I started my own business, I knew from the start that I wanted to incorporate what I was really passionate about, and that’s art.”
Tell us how the idea of Telok Ayer Arts Club came about. Was it something you always had in mind?
When SPRMRKT left McCallum Street, an opportunity presented itself because the original space it occupied was still there and I wanted to revisit that culinary-cultural concept we initially had at SPRMRKT. I placed that concept in the forefront and wanted to explore what that meant for the company. That’s the moment where Telok Ayer Arts Club came into the fore, along with the team that came naturally together.
This all happened quite fast. Everyone was positive and very much enthusiastic about the idea. I came up with the name because I envisioned a space that’s like a new version of the community center, where it’s heavily programed with art and music events, but at the same time, going back to the concept of the supermarket, where art is made accessible to a wider audience.
I understand there are several individuals involved at Telok Ayer Arts Club. Who are they and what do they bring to the table?
We have two curators on board. One of them is Ms. Anmari Van Nieuwenhove, who is already working with The Supermarket Company, and the other independent curator is Ms. Kamiliah Bahdar. Both of them are involved in the arts programing side. They will be reaching out to young and emerging artists who are multi-disciplinary in their fields, and working with them in a way that they can respond to Telok Ayer Arts Club's space.
This also where our music director, Mr. Hasnor Sidik, comes in. He speaks to the curators on a weekly basis, allowing him to come up with a fresh take – almost tongue-in-cheek – on playlists for specific nights. We also have our beverage manager, Mr. Din Hassan, who is coming in with a very interesting take on Southeast Asian cocktails. Meanwhile our head chef, Mr. Bertram Leong, will be bringing to the table his take on French-Mediterranean cuisine, but making it more rustic and approachable.
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