More than just an interactive event, FREE SCAN JOB foregrounds artistic labour in the public realm. From scanning and sketching to the physical construction of the mural, the artists work in full view, transforming the act of making into a communal experience. The mural that emerges is not simply installed — it is assembled, layered, and shaped by those who pause, participate, and co-create.
For several days, the artists immerse themselves in George Town, engaging with passersby in moments of exchange and image-making. Visitors are invited to participate in live scanning sessions, receive a personalised portrait to take home, and observe the creation of a communal mural constructed on-site.
More than just an interactive event, FREE SCAN JOB foregrounds artistic labour in the public realm. From scanning and sketching to the physical construction of the mural, the artists work in full view, transforming the act of making into a communal experience. The mural that emerges is not simply installed — it is assembled, layered, and shaped by those who pause, participate, and co-create.
The project originates from Copies of Copies, a collaboration between E.S.L. Chen, Frelan “Pakz” Gonzaga, and Jonathan Baldonado. Following its iterations at Art Fair Philippines 2024 and the PAF Intersections Art Summit 2025 in Bangkok, FREE SCAN JOB reflects on the value of art in the digital age. Through repetition and physical mark-making, it embraces manual processes as gestures of resistance, care, and connection.
Free Scan Job is the second installment of FOR THE LAB, a pop-up exhibition series by Belarmino&Partners, realised in collaboration with Art Lane and ChinaHouse, and featured as part of the George Town Festival. Created as a platform for artistic experimentation, FOR THE LAB explores how a single work can evolve through subject, material, and form in an intimate, process-driven approach.
The Artist Collective
TRIANGULUM (est. in 2023, Quezon City) is an artist collective and independent-run space dedicated to exploring the roles of art and culture in a rapidly changing world. Founded in 2023 by E.S.L. Chen, with key contributions from Frelan "Pakz" Gonzaga and Karina Broce Gonzaga, it fosters open expression and collaboration. Rooted in photography and the physical print, TRIANGULUM values these media as creative origins. Its vision is to export Philippine art and culture through international exchange, publications, and public engagement. TRIANGULUM is currently working towards establishing a modern printing workshop and artist residency focused on the evolving role of print in artistic practice.
Participating artists: E.S.L. Chen, Frelan "Pakz" Gonzaga, Karina Broce Gonzaga and Paige Señeres
VENUE
Art Lane is a public art space by China House, inspired by laneways and pop-up parks in Penang and Lisbon, situated within two connected pre-war shophouses.
127 Beach Street, 10450 George Town, Penang
FACE SCANNING SESSIONS
2–6 August | 11 AM – 6 PM
Sit for a free face scan and take home a printed portrait, enhanced with playful, hand-drawn doodles by the artists.
MURAL CREATION
6–10 August
Watch as a collective portrait of Penang’s people comes to life on the walls.
Opens 10 August | On view until further notice,
or until it peels
See your face — and the faces of many — reimagined as part of this evolving installation.
EXHIBITION