The Final Lesson by Syed Ahmad Jamal
Intro
This is will be a long note - edited again thoroughly. Before i begin, this writing will touch on an individual goes by the name of Syed Ahmad Jamal ( our National Laureate ) who passed away on 2011 and DBKL - stands for Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council.
My heart dropped when Syed Ahmad Jamal public sculpture entitled Puncak Purnama ( Lunar Peaks, 1986 ) was destroyed by the local KL municipal council DBKL few days back. DBKL stands for Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur - actually is quite notorious for a list of bad PR moves by cutting off trees, blocking the Pertiwi Soup Kitchen ( which been feeding the homeless ), their zealous traffic summons - but seriously they broke the camel's back by destroying the modernist, geometrical - clean cut sculpture.
The Battle of Non Permission
This sculpture was highlighted in 2010 as "someone" decided to pimp it up, changing it's appearance without Syed Ahmad Jamal's permission.This is how it looks like......
It looks like a poor man's cousin - mutated, pathetic version of Frank Gehry's MOMA in Spain. Anyway Tuan Syed dragged DBKL to a court battle, asking for 5 million bucks and got RM750K in compensation. Money is not a issue here, but what he did is - fighting for integrity and RM750K is an expensive price for NOT ASKING PERMISSION.
Maybe it's not the money at all - it's public's money - right....no sweat. Plus the sculpture was commissioned by a bank, its not our money - who cares.
Today in 2016 - Puncak Purnama is GONE.
Going- Going and Gone
of course everyone turned emotional when this went reported in the social media - again people point fingers - reading their comments is a sickening joy, scrolling down coupled with voyeuristic observation ( plus shaking my head ) reading their REACTIONS....but for me - it's NO POINT as it's been DESTROYED.
Its like as if we having a discourse trying to rejuvenate the dead. Common sense questions raised - whoever commissioned this work must at least have some legal rights with them. They must have a say as they are one that PAID this sculpture.
Again all stuffs related to creativity and copyright issues is still subjective and debatable. Its ironic observing someone trying to kick-start creative industry here. Before i rant something else - let me bring you back to this action - again speaks louder than words - destroying this is equivalent to the book burning ceremony and the bombings of The Bamiyan Buddhas ( circa 4 -5th century ) in 2001 by The Talibans, before they were bombed by the US....
As usual, FB flooded with the photos of the destroyed sculpture, but let me ask you guys a question, who paid a visit the sculpture? When? Its freaking annoying seeing people appreciate when things are gone. As if they know the sculpture at the first place. Few cant even bothered to see what is those 2 triangles in the middle of the town until this incident.
Just like Guy Debord mentioned - The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.
spectacle = the demolition
social relation = comments about the demolition, anger - non constructive comments
mediated by images =
Thank god, Syed Ahmad Jamal has few other notable sculptures under the collection displayed in Asean Sculpture Park and national collection archives. Besides sculptures, Syed Ahmad Jamal is a prolific artist too, he produced tons of wonderful paintings which until today i can recall, pleasantly oogling at his methodical/balanced strokes.
I just hope this embarrassing act will remind everyone that we have a parliamentary act safeguarding all our nation's tangible and intangible heritage for other generation to view - here you can click this - Akta Warisan
Growth in Spirit
Dada or Dadaism was a form of artistic anarchy born out of disgust for the social, political and cultural values of the time. It embraced elements of art, music, poetry, theater, dance and politics. Here we have authorities demolishes a public sculpture because it's deemed as an "eyesore".
The Laocoon, considered as a symbol for the Greek's culture ( The Hellenistic era ), - before that all the sculpture were static, bored and stiff. Plundered by Napoleon - who brought it back to France establish the Neo Classic era ( and the Louvre ) for the French to refer and build unto. Here - we have people demolish it as it's an EYESORE due to lack of maintenance.
Lack of maintenance.
Common sense prevails here : my question is they cant even manage to maintain civilian road, we are talking about sculpture.
WTF MAN?
Of course when i mentioned this - people will say, they need to be educated. Education? Hmmmmm....Well we have tons of university and tons of professors here, but again - these sort of stuffs happens. Penang and Melaka was classified as Unesco Heritage City - what they did to safeguard this?
a) by building more shopping malls - maybe to encourage them not to experience the intangible/tangible cultures ( food )
b) By having tons of people crowding a small road to snap a photo with this.
Random shits happens, idiots happens, idiocy doesn't need any justification - it happens. It's all matter of perspectives.
Here check Maslow's Hierachy of Needs. See the highest order of the pyramid - self actualization.We need this only after several bases are covered. Then only we can marvel, celebrate and appreciate people's creation ( or here in this case a sculpture, a concerto, a painting )
Let the Dead bury the Dead.
There will be a press conference for this monstrosity - so whatever reasons DBKL will give to the public - it will fall unto deaf ears as its a joke. No point apologizing You know why? Your actions speaks louder than words. Tuan Syed Ahmad Jamal - you are AWESOME and you WON AGAIN because you SUED their ass for not appreciating it - yet renovating it - NOW they have to face the public's ( me included ) wrath and disgust for this barbaric act. Therefore your work Puncak Purnama gave us a beautiful lesson on immortality!!!
Rest Well Tuan Syed.
This is will be a long note - edited again thoroughly. Before i begin, this writing will touch on an individual goes by the name of Syed Ahmad Jamal ( our National Laureate ) who passed away on 2011 and DBKL - stands for Kuala Lumpur Municipal Council.
My heart dropped when Syed Ahmad Jamal public sculpture entitled Puncak Purnama ( Lunar Peaks, 1986 ) was destroyed by the local KL municipal council DBKL few days back. DBKL stands for Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur - actually is quite notorious for a list of bad PR moves by cutting off trees, blocking the Pertiwi Soup Kitchen ( which been feeding the homeless ), their zealous traffic summons - but seriously they broke the camel's back by destroying the modernist, geometrical - clean cut sculpture.
The Battle of Non Permission
This sculpture was highlighted in 2010 as "someone" decided to pimp it up, changing it's appearance without Syed Ahmad Jamal's permission.This is how it looks like......
It looks like a poor man's cousin - mutated, pathetic version of Frank Gehry's MOMA in Spain. Anyway Tuan Syed dragged DBKL to a court battle, asking for 5 million bucks and got RM750K in compensation. Money is not a issue here, but what he did is - fighting for integrity and RM750K is an expensive price for NOT ASKING PERMISSION.
Maybe it's not the money at all - it's public's money - right....no sweat. Plus the sculpture was commissioned by a bank, its not our money - who cares.
Today in 2016 - Puncak Purnama is GONE.
Going- Going and Gone
of course everyone turned emotional when this went reported in the social media - again people point fingers - reading their comments is a sickening joy, scrolling down coupled with voyeuristic observation ( plus shaking my head ) reading their REACTIONS....but for me - it's NO POINT as it's been DESTROYED.
Its like as if we having a discourse trying to rejuvenate the dead. Common sense questions raised - whoever commissioned this work must at least have some legal rights with them. They must have a say as they are one that PAID this sculpture.
Again all stuffs related to creativity and copyright issues is still subjective and debatable. Its ironic observing someone trying to kick-start creative industry here. Before i rant something else - let me bring you back to this action - again speaks louder than words - destroying this is equivalent to the book burning ceremony and the bombings of The Bamiyan Buddhas ( circa 4 -5th century ) in 2001 by The Talibans, before they were bombed by the US....
As usual, FB flooded with the photos of the destroyed sculpture, but let me ask you guys a question, who paid a visit the sculpture? When? Its freaking annoying seeing people appreciate when things are gone. As if they know the sculpture at the first place. Few cant even bothered to see what is those 2 triangles in the middle of the town until this incident.
Just like Guy Debord mentioned - The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.
spectacle = the demolition
social relation = comments about the demolition, anger - non constructive comments
mediated by images =
Thank god, Syed Ahmad Jamal has few other notable sculptures under the collection displayed in Asean Sculpture Park and national collection archives. Besides sculptures, Syed Ahmad Jamal is a prolific artist too, he produced tons of wonderful paintings which until today i can recall, pleasantly oogling at his methodical/balanced strokes.
I just hope this embarrassing act will remind everyone that we have a parliamentary act safeguarding all our nation's tangible and intangible heritage for other generation to view - here you can click this - Akta Warisan
 |
| Syed Ahmad Jamal - Growth |
Growth in Spirit
Dada or Dadaism was a form of artistic anarchy born out of disgust for the social, political and cultural values of the time. It embraced elements of art, music, poetry, theater, dance and politics. Here we have authorities demolishes a public sculpture because it's deemed as an "eyesore".
The Laocoon, considered as a symbol for the Greek's culture ( The Hellenistic era ), - before that all the sculpture were static, bored and stiff. Plundered by Napoleon - who brought it back to France establish the Neo Classic era ( and the Louvre ) for the French to refer and build unto. Here - we have people demolish it as it's an EYESORE due to lack of maintenance.
Lack of maintenance.
Common sense prevails here : my question is they cant even manage to maintain civilian road, we are talking about sculpture.
WTF MAN?
Of course when i mentioned this - people will say, they need to be educated. Education? Hmmmmm....Well we have tons of university and tons of professors here, but again - these sort of stuffs happens. Penang and Melaka was classified as Unesco Heritage City - what they did to safeguard this?
a) by building more shopping malls - maybe to encourage them not to experience the intangible/tangible cultures ( food )
b) By having tons of people crowding a small road to snap a photo with this.
Random shits happens, idiots happens, idiocy doesn't need any justification - it happens. It's all matter of perspectives.
Here check Maslow's Hierachy of Needs. See the highest order of the pyramid - self actualization.We need this only after several bases are covered. Then only we can marvel, celebrate and appreciate people's creation ( or here in this case a sculpture, a concerto, a painting )
Let the Dead bury the Dead.
There will be a press conference for this monstrosity - so whatever reasons DBKL will give to the public - it will fall unto deaf ears as its a joke. No point apologizing You know why? Your actions speaks louder than words. Tuan Syed Ahmad Jamal - you are AWESOME and you WON AGAIN because you SUED their ass for not appreciating it - yet renovating it - NOW they have to face the public's ( me included ) wrath and disgust for this barbaric act. Therefore your work Puncak Purnama gave us a beautiful lesson on immortality!!!
Rest Well Tuan Syed.
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