In Things Happened on the Island, Lam paints a scene for his audience, who can use the toy blocks provided to create their own ideal cities as an extension to the scene. Once this first city is established, the next audience can build his on top of it, or demolish it and start over again. It is through this “construction” and “destruction” by various participants using their imaginations that the artwork is gradually completed, leaving behind the traits of a city. Through Lam’s nostalgia as well as the wishes of the audience to the future, this joint creation is truly a blend of imagination and reality.