"In sft crsh ctrl, a series of different works form a space in which textures and sounds play out in diffused disorientation. With reference to short forms of keyboard control as well as onomatopoeia, the title alludes to the desire for contingency plans as well as digital mediation of the senses. ASMR, a textural sound-based stimulation sought after largely to relieve stress, was sampled in the soundtrack that ran through the space, creating a constant cadence. 

The translucent, layered latex sheeting in the three frame pieces veil bone, translucent night and translucent flesh  stretches and drapes to comprise the major element of these three screen-like fixtures partitioning the room, and are echoed by other ‘skins’ within- among which are the silk-printed details of a snake’s shed (slipping into smooth shed), the spectre of a silicone spill (spectre) and the fresh wilt of slightly crushed petals (softwarp) forming a set of three large textile pieces that billow down from the ceiling. 

​Underlying hints of unease alongside tactile lusciousness and an atmospheric, precarious coexistence unite these objects within the environment of the installation."[1]

​Commissioned by the Singapore Art Museum, the installation won the President's Young Talents 2018 Grand Prize 

_{[1] WeiXin Quek Chong, “Sft Crsh Ctrl,” tropicalghosts, accessed April 1, 2024, https://www.tropicalghosts.net/sft-crsh-ctrl.}

"This triptych features scanned imagery of an orchid under latex bondage; the stretched and oiled latex skin revealing/ concealing the plant pressed against it in both abstract and recognisable form. It was created with the display collection of 19th century botanical books in mind, which the work references in both concept and context.

The ability to print in multiple editions meant being able to publish and share botanical information gathered throughout the 1800s period of European colonial enterprise in the tropics. Copperplate etching, engraving and lithography were technologies allowing intricate botanic drawings to be reproduced and preserved in striking detail, in many instances even in vivid colour. The delicacy and beauty of these laboriously published botanical volumes inspired the artist to create an installation that would bring out the fine details of hand- printed etchings, engravings and lithographies using the contrast of large, abstract visuals and evoking immersive liquidity. 

The availability of periodicals such as Curtis’s Botanical Magazine  & L’Illustration Horticole fed rising European interest in tropical plants- encouraging amateur botany as a pastime as well as scientific pursuit- one that unlike most others was socially acceptable for women to take up.

Looking through the Curtis magazines one may encounter descriptions of various tropical plants, as well as recommendations for cultivating imported specimens. While reading these written descriptions the artist was struck by how often the plants were praised or evaluated for their decorative qualities and potential to adapt to the very different climate they would be exported to.

In these horticultural fantasies of collection , the plants become exotic items of decor and objects of a partially scientific gaze of desire, specimens from other worlds removed from their context both physically and conceptually.

​Formats and layouts of the botanical periodicals and volumes that form part of the showcased collection also showed interesting parallels, with plants and their parts arranged on the pages similarly to how clothing and parts of clothing were arranged in the pages of equivalent era fashion periodicals. This inspired the artists treatment of the glass panels, referencing material trade and shop window displays through the draping of silk fabric and inset of the smaller aluminium prints within.

Some details of the orchid are still visible; in other areas, the swell of its form and texture beneath the natural latex stretched over it is all that can be deciphered, creating an abstract, otherworldly atmosphere."[2]

_{[2] Weixin Quek Chong, “Deep Blue Mode,” tropicalghosts, accessed April 1, 2024, https://www.tropicalghosts.net/deep-blue-mode.}

"A series of soft sculptures in the theme of morphing and transformation, with influences from fashion evolution & body modifications, the plant-mimicking Orchid Mantis and science fiction author Octavia Butler's visions of future humanness.

Butler’s trilogy Lilith’s Brood describes a post-apocalyptic world where humanity struggles to adapt to its new environment by merging with alien species and taking on new forms. The voluminous traditional robes of the Korean Joseon dynasty, as depicted by painter Shin Yun Bok, often overpower the shape of the human body with a plant-like excess, bringing to mind Han Kang’s The Vegetarian, in which her protagonist yearns to become a tree and subsume her humanity. Avant-garde contemporary label Blindness challenges the performance of gender, sampling from clothing past and present with a sculptural boldness. 

The mantid hybrids mix these influences, as a hermaphroditic alien body/ shell/ skin that blends insect with mammal, as well as a harness/ prosthetic that hints at being worn.[3]" 

_{[3] WeiXin Quek Chong, “Mantid Hybrids,” tropicalghosts, accessed April 1, 2024, https://www.tropicalghosts.net/mantid-hybrids.}

Beige Dreams (2017) serves as a counterpoint to conventional notions of tropicality, offering a response to the abundant vegetation of Gillman Barracks. In this mixed-media installation, created for the Nanyang Technological University—Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU-CCA) exhibition The Making of An Institution in 2017, the artist used images and diverse materials to highlight flesh-like qualities in flowering plants. This meticulous portrayal, upon close examination, unveils lush details of petals, leaves, fluids, and finishes.

The installation comprises a photographic series of floral portraits, layered stretched mesh fabric and vinyl lettering. These images challenged the prevailing practice of sanitising and taming the wildness of tropical nature by juxtaposing the colour beige against the vibrant green backdrop. Beige Dreams becomes a visual inquiry into the pervasive desire to control ecosystems.

Weixin Quek Chong's work reflects a deliberate departure from the lush density of the tropical environment surrounding NTU-CCA. The photographic series captures flowering plants adorned with cosmetics, emphasising their flesh-like qualities. This exploration of the intersection between nature and artificial interventions prompts contemplation on humanity's ongoing attempt to mould and control the wild, even in seemingly unspoiled tropical landscapes.