Research Methodology : Post Qualitative Research
During my artist residency at Ghetto Playground in Klang, Malaysia, I embarked on a research project focused on representations of power and their manifestations within current societal structures. The aim was to transform these observations into an Economic Fiction, a subset of Speculative Realism that explores speculative socio-economic landscapes.I conducted an interview study involving middle-aged blue-collar workers from the manufacturing and logistic sectors.[1]
In my research methodology, I aim to collect fragments through dialogues and use them to construct a metafictional framework. Following this direction in mind, I stumbled upon Yee I-Lann’s show at ILHAM Gallery KL, titled Lift the Tikar. For this show, she collaborated with local minority communities, having them participate together as part of the artwork, through this intimate presence of working together. This participatory aspect dissolved the cultural boundaries previously existing which differs from past western academic approaches and this invokes a sense of decolonising the cultural sphere and thus returning the ownership of knowledge back to the people. I recognized that dialogue was not merely a means of indexing transcripts but rather a collaboration with my research subjects. This approach prompted me to reimagine data analysis and the construction of subjectivity, ultimately enhancing the richness of my research findings and capturing subjugated knowledge.
[1] The economic landscape in Klang Valley has been heavily sculpted by the manufacturing industry and logistics since 1901 with the completion of Port Swettenham. During the era of British colonial rule,the port was owned and operated by British companies such as Harrison & Crossfield, Guthrie & Co, Socfin Co, Boustead & Co, The East Asiatic Co, Harper & Gilfillan & Co, Sime Darby & Co, and Paterson Simon & Co.
Inquiry : Different groups produce different sets of knowledge and practices.
My inquiry is to disrupt the Power/Knowledge by including the knowledge of the dispossessed. One of the points that weaved my economic fiction is the concept of labor. Labor is a term to demonstrate identity,production, craft, skill, social status, knowledge, wisdom, effort, time, power and most importantly value. My research involved retired workers, lorry drivers, mechanics, poets and sculptors to explore the concept of labor within a speculative context, challenging conventional understandings and incorporating non-mainstream perspectives.By actively engaging in dialogue and conversation with them, I have been able to collect valuable insights and narratives that serve as the raw material for constructing my economic fiction.
Field Study: Observing and Collecting
To gather materials and observation as a starting point to simulate storytelling, I started with field studies around Ghetto Playground, scrap yards and industrial areas. Within the area, a peculiar sight unfolds: workers diligently laboring amidst the absence of factories, empty conveyor belts, and abandoned machinery. The scene raises profound questions about the nature of labor, highlighting the paradoxical existence of workforces without a discernible purpose or productive outcome. In my artistic exploration, I found an abandoned conveyor machine at the scrap yard and used it as a starting point to engage with my potential collaborators.
During my walks in Klang, I couldn't help but notice the abundance of chandeliers adorning the houses, government halls, museums,lighting stores, and even scrap yards. 1 kilometer away from Ghetto Playground,I found a chandelier at the entrance of Mr DIY, a popular Malaysian budget hardware store. The juxtaposition of a chandelier in such a context piques curiosity and invites reflection on the intersection of aesthetics, economic value, and the local culture.It is worth noting that the admiration for chandeliers in Klang stands out compared to other parts of Malaysia, making it an intriguing subject for further exploration.
Lastly, all of the above events were more on a macroscale and thus lastly I look into daily life of the lorry drivers which makes up the largest segment of the labor class, from my observation I discovered that Mountain Dew Pitch Black was a common phenomenon amongst them as the preferred drink to stay alert for their long drive. I went on to research the ingredient list of this particular type of Mountain Dew and discovered that it contains caffeine and citicoline. Caffeine is commonly found in energy drinks as it helps the users to stay alert, whilst citicoline is a naturally occurring chemical with help to improve the brain function, both of these differs from a regular energy drink which usually aids in the release of energy for laborious works, the responsibilities of a lorry drivers requires them to stay alert whilst performing long duration monotonous duties.
Object 1 : Conveyor Belt & Mountain Dew Pitch Black
During our dialogues, my collaborators shared their personal experiences within various workplaces, shedding light on the intricacies of the labor landscape. They reflected on the economic burst, resulting in changes in power dynamics within the workplace.My collaborators and I deconstructed the conveyor belt machine and modified its engine to operate with just one turning wheel. Placed on the ground, the conveyor wheel endlessly rotates without any practical purpose, prompting a critical examination of the meaning and significance of labor.
In the video work, I decided to juxtaposed the imagery of the Mountain Dew together with the conveyor belt, as the belt seemed to create that long monotonous trip that they are going through but yet serving as a discourse.
Object 2 : Chandelier & Lorry
Intrigued by regional admiration for chandeliers, I engaged in conversations with my collaborators to understand the significance behind these elaborate light fixtures. One particularly interesting encounter was with a lorry driver who recently renovated his house and acquired a new lorry. He proudly shared the details of his shiny magenta lorry, adorned with tinted silver decorations. However, what caught my attention was when he mentioned the presence of a large chandelier in the parking lot of his house.
It is important to note that the chandelier is a byproduct of colonialism as historically, it traces its roots back to the 9th century of European history, and for most colonial establishments, the presence of such architectural details are closely tied with the sense of superiority. Realistically speaking, the majority of the population at the time were mainly laborers who stayed in poorly furnished living quarters. As such physical installations only exist in the homes of the elites, thus this simple piece of ornament highlights a sense of elitism as well as a display of wealth. In the contemporary sense of the chandelier grounded in the space of Klang, these ornaments are now a sign of surplus as well as fatigue. Firstly, only when one has the surplus of monetary means, he is able to install a chandelier, but yet he was not able to make up the understanding of the aesthetics of it, for it has now become an ornament prefabricated with the sole purpose of highlighting his social status with it as a installation in the most prominent area which is the house. And this could be viewed as a sense of post colonial fatigue, in which the audience unconsciously fell into the past glorious heydays of colonialism.
I embarked on a creative endeavor to construct a chandelier using spare parts from lorries, along with elements such as lights, fans and lorry ratchet belts. Lorry is a symbol of Klang's industrial and logistic history, intertwined with the colonial legacy.
Creating my fiction- The Burst, 2023
Approaching towards the end of the residency as well as the contexts that I had gathered thus far, the body of the proposed economic fiction narrative is now divided into the textual recollections of information and physical objects of interest. This division of the texts and physicality would eventually form a collision which would be the culmination of this residency and the final two works created.
The Chandelier, LCD screen, Cable, Found lorry parts , Stickers
I first looked into the economical history of Klang, and I discovered the “Banana note” currency which was implemented during the Japanese occupation. It gets its name from the distinctive banana tree imprinted on the notes. This banana tree not only served as a visual motif but it was also one of the more important economic plants in the region. However due to the lack of supervision, these banana notes suffered inflation and depreciation due to overprinting, resulting in an economic bubble across the Malaya and this reference makes up the narrative textual fabric serving a certain degree of authenticity to this residency. It was one of the earliest incidents of market inflation in the region and despite the comical nature of the events, it has a certain degree of authenticity towards it. Thus making it a very relevant point of incursion for the later storyline development of the works that I proposed
In order to further enhance the narrative aspect of the works, I also looked into contemporary sense of narrative making and for this my collaborator introduced me the meme “Kancil Terbang[1]”. Perodua Kancil was marketed as an affordable mode of transportation for Malaysian families, providing mobility at the lowest cost available. However, it became a controversial meme due to the failure of “Vision 2020” whereby they imagined a flying car which could be realized in the year 2020, but despite all the efforts, it eventually exists within a literary utopia of the politicians.
The third aspect of this narrative would be the “Bank Lelong” which was a prominent sight in the street of Klang, the word ‘Lelong” comes from the Malay word auction. The banking scene within Klang suffered a economic recession in the form of a bubble due to the post covid circumstances, and this helped to add on to the speculative nature of the economic narrative.
The idea of an economic bubble forms the very backbone for the economic narrative within this project, but as hard as one tries to visualize and feel. All of these could only lie between a fictional and non fictional literature realm, for me, what was lacking in the physicality of the texts and images collected. Thus, therefore, I decided to give the textual fabric a physicality by using the conveyor belt and chandelier juxtaposition. The appearance of the chandelier itself often lies closely with abundance, wealth, whilst the conveyor belt’s constant motion is a reference to the turbulence motion of the economy. The staggering motion of the conveyor belt with the broken down chandelier represents a myth, one that is like the economic bubble, realizing the final physical manifestation of textual power.
[1] www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Kancil terbang Wawasan 2020. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98J306ooyTg [Accessed 12 Jun. 2023].
Conclusion
For the culmination of this residency, I have created two artworks based on the economic fiction narrative that I had created from the various sources that I had recollected as well as my understanding. In order to fuel the facilitation of the fabrication of the works. Dissecting the link between the power of text and the physicality of objects, I looked into the micro-narrative that challenges the dominant narrative of labor and opens up alternative ways of conceptualizing its meaning and significance. The physical object and the textual narrative collected from the concerned personnels comes together to form a visual collage of the meta-fiction narrative that I had seemed to compose for this project.