GEORGE TOWN – Putting the arts on the ignition again after a long hiatus is a show birthed from a collaboration between visionary Ch’ng Hui Koon, artist Lim Anuar and ZXC Theatre Troupe co-founder Tan Hock Kheng.
Entitled Ikat, the showcase weaves a story that details human connection with mother earth and mother tongue.
According to Ch’ng, she was moved to create the art concept that encompasses contemporary dance and drama performance and art exhibition when she caught a glimpse of a mother toiling on the paddy field with her baby strapped with a batik shawl.
“It was a moving scene, and I had this urge to tell a story about familial ties that never break. It then expanded to how these ties are also seen when it comes to humans and nature and families with their mother tongue,” she said.
Lim, a deaf artist famed for his batik creations, was also roped in to tell this connection through his batik art. His pieces are being showcased at the Hin Bus Depot gallery, and a large tapestry depicting a mother caring for her child is part of the outdoor art installation.
Tan, who is also the producer of the opening performance told The Vibes that he aims to bring the concept of mother tongue into the play. And language will be brought into discussion during the performance.
He said the Chinese community is slowly losing their mother tongue, especially when it comes to dialects like Hokkien and Teochew. In 20 to 30 years, very few people will converse in these dialects, and it may slowly become extinct.
Tan explained that most Chinese families have lost the interest to pass the dialect down to the next generation, though mother tongue is the link that strengthens familial ties. If the ties are lost, then the connection between the new generation and the former generations will also be lost.
Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace) Yeoh Soon Hin, who was present at the exhibition preview, also spoke of his concern about the disappearing dialects.
“I firmly believe that our dialects, whether it is Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka or Teochew, are important elements of retaining the Chinese culture.
“However, it is a pity that though society has advanced with the times, dialects have not been incorporated into the learning syllabus, and Internet terms are used more rampantly in this era.
“Today, if a person does not understand popular Internet terms, he is regarded as old-school by netizens. But today, I want to say that if people don’t learn dialects, there will be a great loss. Mastering a dialect is intangible and precious when it comes to cultural preservation,” he said.
He hopes that through this exhibition, parents and elders will take the initiative to converse with their children in their dialects. Even if it is just a few words, and mixed with the languages spoken by Malaysians, it would still be effective to get the younger folks to feel comfortable using them and later, to learn to love the dialect.
The art exhibition and installation will be at Hin Bus Depot until December 31, but the one-hour opening performance will be staged from October 29 to 31 at 8.30pm. It is a ticketed event at RM48 for one and RM78 for two tickets.
Those interested to get the tickets are encouraged to contact Wong at 016 294 1203. – The Vibes, October 31, 2021
