“Eh, the cyborg cockroaches,” Pann Lim chortles, “were one of my favourite exhibits!” During our discussion about “The Unnatural History Museum of Singapore” exhibition, curated by Kinetic Singapore for Singapore Design Week 2025 by DesignSingapore Council, he asked what I liked (or didn’t) about it.
“We were considering having live cockroaches, but we worried about people freaking out, so we settled for a model. Oh no, you think it’s gross?”
The “cockroaches”, as he explains, were created by Nanyang Technological University, Home Team Science & Technology Agency, and Klass Engineering & Solutions. They are fitted with navigation sensors and cameras, and have been used in post-disaster search and rescue missions in countries like Myanmar.
Our discussion shifts to the six-metre-tall “fossil” of the Merlion, and Lim offers another intriguing tidbit: “Someone asked, ‘You mean, this is the Merlion? I thought it was not real!’ That was the point of this exhibition. We took it as a compliment.”
Arguably one of his most significant projects this year, “The Unnatural History Museum of Singapore” parodied natural history museums that emphasised the notion that our nation had evolved unnaturally.
As the triumvirate of clients, peers, and the public expressed their positive response, it demonstrated the way Lim navigates the tension between accessibility and aesthetics. “It’s like listening to a song. While it may appeal to the masses, it lacks soul for the musicians. Even so, we always strive to do our best.”
As a result of this approach, Kinetic’s “School of Tomorrow” exhibition won Design of the Year at the President’s Design Award 2025 in July. The immersive experience at New Bahru, a refresh of its original showcase from 2023, was set in classrooms where “students” examined environmental issues such as pollution, energy, and waste.
Lim co-founded Kinetic in 2001 with his friends Carolyn Teo, Roy Poh, Adrian Tan, Sean Lam, and Benjy Choo. “I told them I was happy in my job, but Carolyn persisted. ‘Come, lah, we can hang out, have fun, … whatever’, so I figured, if I didn’t like it, I could always return to my old job.” That never happened.
Beneath his rocker-cool demeanour—he is the lead guitarist of local 1990s indie band Concave Scream, which hasn’t played for a while—is a strong work ethic that’s shaped his leadership style. It is rooted in humility, discipline, resilience, and collaboration.
Having dealt with long timelines, unreliable suppliers, and sudden changes, he knows how erratic the creative process can be. He’s also learnt to expect—or respect, depending on how one sees it— that “something’s gonna come”. So, no, he’s not the type to celebrate early: “After we clear stage one, we proceed to stage two.”
If something doesn’t work for me, what’s more relevant is why it didn’t work.
Pann Lim, on dealing with failure
Lim’s role at Kinetic is to empower and encourage others. The team is structured like an orchestra, with a conductor overseeing the project and “concertmasters” leading each section. Even he must follow instructions and meet deadlines. What if he doesn’t agree with their decisions? “You have to trust their judgment.” Each conductor is selected through a rigorous internal pitching process the team has used for more than 10 years.
It helps that Lim is comfortable with failure. “If something doesn’t work for me, what’s more relevant is why it didn’t work. Instead of saying who is at fault, I want to know how to improve the next time.”
He caps the year as Head of Jury (Design) of Gongs 2025 Awards. Ten categories are recognised for creative excellence. With the theme The Creative Source Code, this edition seeks to highlight the irreplaceable role human creativity plays in our time of AI.
Lim, who has a 22-year-old son and a 19-year-old daughter, understands the importance of work-life balance for younger creatives. He knows he must learn to roll with it because it is part of life. “We must adapt to the rapid changes in our world, like AI. While I’m not sure how this will turn out, I’m one semester into my Master’s in Design, and I’m trying to learn as much as I can!”
Photography Mun Kong
Art direction Ed Harland
Hair Jenny Lee, using Organethic Pure Care
Grooming Rina Sim, using Chanel Beauty
Photography assistant RJ Teo
