GEORGE TOWN – What used to be a functional item has also become something that can haunt us. The plastic box used for takeaways is arguably the most used item during the movement control order (MCO) when it was forbidden to dine out.
The use of the plastic wares rocketed, with those trying to be environmentally friendly storing up wares, not knowing when they will be reused again.
When visual and performing artist Tan Lay Heong requested these plastic wares on Facebook for her art installation in April, she gave herself a timeline of one month to collect them. But in one week, she managed to source 1,500 from members of the public.
“Everyone was looking to get rid of these plastic wares. And even before I set up the installation, they were already asking me what I was going to do with the plastic. I was happy to communicate to them what I was planning to do for my installation, which was to depict our lives during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she told The Vibes.
Upon entry into the dimly lit hall at Jetty 35 along Weld Quay, you’ll see a collection of plastic wares floating about, illuminated by track lights with shadows of human figures made from compressed dried leaves of two species named Rhodesian Teak and Cempaka Putih that was picked from Penang Botanical Gardens before being compressed for a month.
Tan then cut these leaves into figures that portray different positions people are in when in lockdown.
“The pandemic made me feel like I was floating in space, unstable and not knowing what may happen tomorrow. We are all in our little boxes. We may see our neighbours and friends but we cannot touch each other.
"I used dried leaves because they are, like us during the lockdown, living things that are very fragile.
“People may think this is a negative connotation, but it is not. It is just the reality that we are trapped in our own space, but we can still see glimpses of each others’ lives and they are also suffering together with us.”
Visitors are encouraged to sit and reflect from different viewpoints at the installation to capture different perspectives of how the pandemic the public.
Tan received feedback that one person may look at a cutout of a hand and say that it is reaching out for help, while another may see it as a gesture to greet a friendly ‘hello!’.
Due to the various MCOs, the original show under George Town Festival (GTF) was postponed two times. Tan has been working on the installation since April for the show in July, but it had to be moved to September before finally opening its doors in November.
The original show included a live dance performance that had to be cut to abide by the SOPs.
However, Tan adapted to the change and had the dance performance recorded and set in a makeshift cocoon made from paper and cane to depict a rebirth from a pupa to a butterfly. Tan believes that after going through a tough time, things will get better.
Between 01 exhibition is part of the “Nine Days Eight Exhibitions” by GTF. It is free and open to the public until November 28 daily between 12pm and 8pm. Those interested in viewing must be fully vaccinated. Plan your visit and book an appointment here. – The Vibes, November 24, 2021
