Step into Yeo Workshop and you’ll find yourself transported into an elseworld of rubber tappers, plantations, and shiny, twisting arms. Priyageetha Dia’s latest new show forget me, forget me not is an immersive trip into the histories of the colonial labour of Indian rubber tappers in our region, as viewed through the eyes of a female Tamil artist.
There is an anxiety – laden percussive soundtrack by Indonesian band Kuntari that overwhelms you as you enter the room. Overlaid with the sounds of heartbeats and gasps, the whole gallery comes to life, framed by the painted arms on its walls which both encircle you and guide you to the centre of the room:
There, in the centre, you will find a fragile hammock made of latex, the end-product of the rubber tapping process, imprinted with colonial stock images of rubber tappers. It’s as much a precarious place of “rest” for the ghosts and legacies of these tappers, as it is a silent rebuke against the exploitation of their labour by colonial powers:
Soil bleeds out of the walls and spills all over the floor, a physical manifestation of the intricate video work that the artist has put together, and the whole thing feels like a sacred, intimate cave.
Curated by Anca Rujoiu, the artist and curator are candid about an intensely South Asian experience being presented by a non-Indian.
Says Priya (right): “Anca has all the knowledge about land, labour and capital. She has researched the area and is so bright, brilliant and intelligent….she really made me aware about working with archives.”
Says Anca (left), “I don’t think I could have done this if I hadn’t lived in Singapore for 9 years, I feel very honoured to be involved.”
The end product? A fiercely original exhibition, one which gives space to a minority artist to speak about a topic relating to her wider community and ancestry. It’s a thoughtful show, which prompts you to reflect on the history of a marginalised group in our region:
There are no easy answers to be found here, but an overload of sensory experiences which will stay with you long after you leave the space.
The show runs till 26 June.
