CK's House of Stars
Most of my pals know that im too selective to attend any exhibitions and write a review, but CK's work is an exception. I took some time drafting this before i leave for my logistic,recee mission for INSAF. This piece will be published in his catalog. Have fun reading.
Act One - The Rock
Stars
This time CK’s lovable characters is playing the
irreplaceable Freddie Mercury, the late Prince, Bowie, Slash and of course our
local hero - Sudirman[i].
Their album unites half of the world population, we memorize their lyrics, sang
their work loudly in the car, in the shower, stop whatever we are doing when
radio played their tracks. Not forgetting making us weep in cold silent grief
when they left us.
So what is the connection between these rock stars – which
is painted on our Astro[ii]
dish, displayed in the iconic now forgotten Chinese New Village set-up[iii]?
The answer lies in technology and music. Both of them have a
magical power that any politicians doesn’t have which is uniting us mortal humans.
The invisible phantom democratic power tool that able to unite and destroy us.
When we are in a rock concert, we couldn’t care less asking where you come
from, asking what race are you except giving nods of approval and rock gestures
while waiting for our cultural god to appear and bring us to heaven.
How wonderful when technology able to make a 30-year-old
Mexican and a guy from Subang Jaya joined in unison to have an argument through
Youtube’s comment section. The power of the Internet.
When these rock icons music appear, any divisive lines that
separates us are gone. Our religion is Purple Rain, we sang whole-heartedly
Mama….i killed a man in Bohemian Rhapsody. We screamed in union “where do we go
now” in Sweet Child O Mine, people just start to sway to the crowd - gyrating
when Bowie’s legendary track Let’s Dance is on.
Technology invades us, becoming part of us - interesting to
see that technology too making us becoming less human. People no longer pick up
their smart phones to answer a call but instantly replying to whatsapp. Our
local mamak shop getting silent as everyone staring blankly at his or her smart
phone.
Act Two - Teletubbies.
Therefore, from rock stars we jump forward to meet the
Teletubbies. Seriously, im not a huge fan of these colorful scary characters, I
find it disturbing when it became a huge hit, children from all around the
world can sing along to their songs. I cannot be judgmental as my late dad
wondered too when I hummed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song.
CK placed these Teletubbies[i]
a form of commentary based on our local political scenario. What I need to
highlight here is CK does not criticize; the Teletubbies here are filled with various
cultural tit-bits, lingos, gestures and props, which I find sly and intelligent.
Anyone who follows our local political narrative can be
easily depressed; we are taken to a huge ride to nowhere, filled with heartaches,
terrible plot twists, betrayal and reunion, which George RR Martin will
approve. It’s just too bad we don’t have flying dragons. So when I gave up on
finding logical sensible answers to these, I will head home.
Act 3 - Home
There is a big difference when we have a place of our own
and a place we call home. A home is where everything is right even though if
it’s not perfect. A home is our sacred place. You can’t change this. Same thing
with our country, so if I’m born in Malaysia, I can’t change it. You can be in the foreign land for years,
learning their language, being an expert but you will never be one of them.
That is the fact.
When people starts to enquire, discourse, to find a formula
or a standardized form, image or language to represent Malaysia. It’s futile.
This notion helps to shape as a grand narrative for this exhibition. How? Let’s
put it this way, Malaysia is CK’s and my HOME, both of us are born and working
here. We listen, can talk English with a weird accent, wear the latest season
of ZARA, have sushi for dinner, shop at Daiso won’t change the fact that we are
still Malaysians. Let’s not confuse about being patriotic, nationalistic and
loving your country ok.
Home is the place where you return, everything is familiar,
where everyone knows you and loves you. For me - it’s the place where my
parents are. When I opened the gates and these two familiar loving faces
greeted me, I feel good. The smell, those little objects, the furniture doesn't
change or if it moves to a spot, you will notice it immediately.
Home is your spiritual ground, football players goes to the
extra mile when they play at their home ground, the opponents sense a different
vibe just when they step unto their space, so winning against them is something
to cherish upon.
Home - the place you grow up - where you invested half of
your formative years to form your identity, your outer and inner self. You can’t
change that. Just like Superman always flies back to Smallville rather to
Fortress of Solitude when he needs the extra support. Like how Peter Parker
always returns home after battling the Sinister Six to the comfort and warmth
of Aunt May instead of Mary Jane.
That is why, we always will return Home either to heal, to
get something we need.
So we listen to Bowie, to Prince, we come from different
races but at this present moment we are standing here, we grew up and invested
years of our lives here in Malaysia. There is no absolute need to tattoo the
flag on our forehead, dress, shouting, thumping our chest, dress up to say we
are Malaysian. Honestly, we can’t run to any foreign country as centuries ago –
our great awesome forefathers battled the waves, armed with concrete willpower
set their foot unto this land and call it home.
My notes here are simply to conceive a plot - cobbling all
these images together to be like a music album. What is nice here, we are now in CK playful
imaginative home which he called………………..House of Stars.
click here to read CK's other exhibit
[i] Teletubbies
is a British pre-school children's television series created by Ragdoll
Productions' Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport. The programme focuses on four
multi-coloured creatures known as "Teletubbies," named for the
television screens implanted in their abdomens. Recognised throughout popular
culture for the uniquely-shaped antenna protruding from the heads of each
character, the Teletubbies communicate through gibberish and were designed to
bear resemblance to young children.
[i] Dato'
Sudirman bin Haji Arshad (25 May 1954 – 22 February 1992) was a Malaysian
singer and songwriter. He had started his career after winning the Bintang RTM
on 11 August 1976. Also, he is the title holder of "Asia's No. 1
Performer" on 19 March 1989 as he won the '‘Asian Popular Music Awards'’
competition in Royal Albert Hall in London.[4] He was known as the
"Singing Lawyer", the "People's Singer", the "Patriot
Singer" and the "Elvis Presley of Malaysia".
[ii] MEASAT
Broadcast Network Systems Sdn Bhd (or better known as Astro) is a Malaysian
direct broadcast satellite (DBS) Pay TV service. It transmits digital satellite
television and radio to households in Malaysia and Brunei and has operations at
the All Asia Broadcast Centre located in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur and MEASAT
in Cyberjaya. We will scream in agony as the connection signal will be lost due
to heavy rain.
[iii] The
purpose of the new villages was to segregate the villagers from the early
Malayan Races Liberation Army insurgents, which were led by the Malayan
Communist Party, during the Malayan Emergency. It was part of a military plan
devised by British General Sir Harold Briggs shortly after his appointment in
1950 as Director of Operations in the anti-communist war in Malaya.
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