The more I live, the less I know (2022)
synthetic polymer, wire, arduino, motorised with sound
(H) 38 x (W) 7x (D) 20 cm
bamboo turntable: (H) 9cm x (W) 29 cm (Dia.)
cable: 2m
speakers
Sound description: Sound of ocean waves, faint vocal of Zhang Zhanbo (Hui Tribe folk song) , 10 mins duration on loop
synthetic polymer, wire, arduino, motorised with sound
(H) 38 x (W) 7x (D) 20 cm
bamboo turntable: (H) 9cm x (W) 29 cm (Dia.)
cable: 2m
speakers
Sound description: Sound of ocean waves, faint vocal of Zhang Zhanbo (Hui Tribe folk song) , 10 mins duration on loop
In "The more I live, the less I know" (2022), Mah reflects on the uncertainty surrounding his pluralistic identities. The work is inspired by the artist's deceased paternal grandfather, who may have been from the Hui community. The grandfather migrated from China to colonial Singapore before World War II but passed away at a young age without imparting much of his cultural and family knowledge. This left Mah to grapple with the ambiguity of his heritage.
The artwork rotates when the viewer pushes a button, revealing a concealed camel from a certain point of view. Earphones play looped sounds of crashing oceans and a faint Hui folk song, expressing the artist's severed cultural connection. The text "GO THE FU CK BACK" moves from ear to ear, reflecting the sentiment expressed by strangers towards Mah and his family in their adopted country, Australia. The text "Paiseh, I can’t go back where I come from," written in a combination of 閩南語/Minnan (Hokkien) and English, highlights the artist's linguistic hybridity. These elements come together as a lament for the artist's uncertainty about his cultural identity.
The artwork rotates when the viewer pushes a button, revealing a concealed camel from a certain point of view. Earphones play looped sounds of crashing oceans and a faint Hui folk song, expressing the artist's severed cultural connection. The text "GO THE FU CK BACK" moves from ear to ear, reflecting the sentiment expressed by strangers towards Mah and his family in their adopted country, Australia. The text "Paiseh, I can’t go back where I come from," written in a combination of 閩南語/Minnan (Hokkien) and English, highlights the artist's linguistic hybridity. These elements come together as a lament for the artist's uncertainty about his cultural identity.