Ship Engineers: Masters of the Machine

Exhibit by Errold John A. Lim

September 5, 2025 - Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Article by Errold John A. Lim

Life at sea mostly pictures the captain on bridge or sailors at deck but there’s heroes beneath that keeps the engine alive– the ship engineers. They do not wear capes, but they possess sheer willpower to keep the floating city running. 

Introducing the “Build me up, Plastic cup” featuring the masters of the engine. Experience being an engineer through this exhibit. 

The game is played by 2 players, each player must pull the strings of thread tied in a rubber band and safely place the cup into their respective positions. The numbers at the top of the cup and their respective ranks can be used as a guide.

The “Build me up, plastic cup” is a simile of engine operation. The cup represents the “engine” while the players represent the “engineering team” that facilitates it, and the station where the cup will be transported represents the “port”. Moreover, this game satisfies the meaning of “close coordination” in the engine department. 

Exhibit by Errold John A. Lim

At its core, the work in the engine area is crucial thus, the engineering team must have close coordination to maintain smooth voyage. Moreover, adherence and best practice must be applied to ensure safety of the operation especially upon the arrival and departure to the port because failure to do so might compromise the safety of each passenger.