NEO_ARTEFACTS is an experimental initiative by Fazleen Karlan that looks into the intersection between art and archaeology.
Drawing from her past experience as a post-excavation technician, NEO_ARTEFACTS seeks to reassemble fragments of material from different timeframes, constructing personal and cultural realities. Growing up as a millennial, the works conflate a variety of influences including the rise of the Internet and its material culture. NEO_ARTEFACTS has presented in several group exhibitions in Singapore and was an Artist-in-Residence with NTU Centre for Contemporary Art between April - August 2022.
collaborations/say hello: info[at]neoartefacts.com
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Lingkaran Kenangan
[OH! Open House Kampong Gelam Artwalk]
Lingkaran Kenangan is an exercise in unearthing the untold stories and material culture associated with the V. S. S. Varusai family, who have been part of Kampong Gelam's landscape for generations. The installation comprises artefacts shown on the storefront of V. S. S. Varusai. The storefront features a glass display consisting of shelves that resemble stratigraphic levels, and these shelves contain an assortment of artefacts. It includes a collection of necessities that V. S. S. Varusai sold, presented as found and archived artefacts. These artefacts have an influence on how the pilgrimage is recognised and practised. Objects that were used long ago can still help us understand people’s lives better through encounters with it. The stratification is predicated on the frequency of object usage, specifically whether the artefacts are employed daily, regularly, or exclusively during the Hajj pilgrimage. The removal of debris from the artefacts is an ongoing process. Encapsulating it in time, the work delves into V. S. S. Varusai as an archaeological site.
Additionally, there is a passport documenting the pilgrimage and the family's business. Lastly, a curated fragrance presented in an empty bottle bearing the label "Kampung Spirit" is displayed, encouraging visitors to contemplate the manner in which it has been marketed to the extent that its very essence is nearly depleted. The experience is designed to familiarise the process of travelling to Hajj, reflecting Kampong Gelam's role as a meeting point for pilgrims across Southeast Asia back when travel regulations were enforced from the Dutch East Indies to Mecca during the colonial period. To circumvent the colonial administration, pilgrims would first arrive in Singapore to seek employment before continuing on to Mecca. Despite these limitations, many still made the journey.
Intertwining the family narratives with the artefacts, Lingkaran Kenangan reinterprets archiving methods to offer an experience into the layers of Kampong Gelam. It is a question of the conventional, often colonial, ways of archiving that tend to limit accessibility and neglect the essence of human experiences. Through this, the artwork hopes to document V. S. S. Varusai through the lens of material culture and communal memory.
>>> Commissioned as part of OH! Open House Kampong Gelam: Palimpsest, 2024
︎ Exhibition ︎ OH! Kampong Gelam: Palimpsest
Additionally, there is a passport documenting the pilgrimage and the family's business. Lastly, a curated fragrance presented in an empty bottle bearing the label "Kampung Spirit" is displayed, encouraging visitors to contemplate the manner in which it has been marketed to the extent that its very essence is nearly depleted. The experience is designed to familiarise the process of travelling to Hajj, reflecting Kampong Gelam's role as a meeting point for pilgrims across Southeast Asia back when travel regulations were enforced from the Dutch East Indies to Mecca during the colonial period. To circumvent the colonial administration, pilgrims would first arrive in Singapore to seek employment before continuing on to Mecca. Despite these limitations, many still made the journey.
Intertwining the family narratives with the artefacts, Lingkaran Kenangan reinterprets archiving methods to offer an experience into the layers of Kampong Gelam. It is a question of the conventional, often colonial, ways of archiving that tend to limit accessibility and neglect the essence of human experiences. Through this, the artwork hopes to document V. S. S. Varusai through the lens of material culture and communal memory.
>>> Commissioned as part of OH! Open House Kampong Gelam: Palimpsest, 2024
︎ Exhibition ︎ OH! Kampong Gelam: Palimpsest
found objects embedded in concrete, paper pulp, dye, and white glue; zine; empty perfume bottle
2024
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Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
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Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
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2024
Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
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Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
Photo: Axel Toh for OH! Open House
Installation Assistants: Isyraf + Azril
Graphic Designer: Jenji Tong
Project Manager: Redzuan Zemmy
