///1 0/// Exhibition Guide & Essay

1

The Animal that became a God

Single Channel Video on Projection

300 x 300 x 360cm 2023

2

The Storyteller

Size: 86 x 90 x 244cm

Metal Wire, Flannel clothes, LED Stripes 2023

Lee

Size Variable

Mirrored stainless steel, acrylic sheet, vibration motor, wire, spring, motion sensor, wooden bench, vibration motor, sensor , convex Mirror Dome, Acrylic Sheet, Wood 2023

Lee Mok Yee

*Projection partner with Abdul Shakir & Filamen

Lee Mok Yee

*Collaboration with Lantern Art Master, Lawrence Kee

A Murmur

Mok Yee

*Physical Computing by FABU

To Garden

Main Hall

MezzanineFloor

4

5

A Singer

Lee Mok Yee

Single Channel Video, Mini Projector, Electronic Baby Cradle, Spring, Plywood, Light sensor

318 x 64 x 35cm

Music:

Ave Maria by Franz Schubert, 1825 Time is a Weird Song by Ng Siu Yee, 2021

Vocal: Everlyn Toh

*Physical Computing by FABU

5

Reading Comment

Lee Mok Yee

Single Channel Video on TV

0///: Daylight to Moonlight, Exhibition and Performance in Constant Transfiguration

Essay by Amanda Ariawan, edited by Valencia Winata, April 2023

Photo by Ho Ai Ling

Maneuvering between an exhibition space in the daytime and a performance site in the evening, '///1 0///' is a multidisciplinary collaboration between visual artist Lee Mok Yee, composer and musician Ng Siu Yee, and dancer and choreographer Steve Goh. This experimental project challenges conventional methods of showing and experiencing art, and questions the spaces in which they are presented. Through a transfiguration of space and time – which allows a constant shift and oftentimes an overlap between visual and performance art – '///1 0///' invites visitors to explore the dynamic interplay between art, technology, and storytelling.

The project explores how technology has expanded the possibilities of storytelling through art. The artists, who witnessed the dawn of the digital era, find enjoyment in the process of tinkering with tools, machines, and codes, to expand traditional art forms. The artists view this approach as an attempt to explore the possibilities that exist beyond our usual way of thinking and seeing. The space of Temu House is divided into four sections that allow visitors to encounter a range of techniques, including interactive video installation, light sculpture, and kinetic sculpture.

When the sun sets, the monsters come to live; the artworks transfigure as sounds and movements activate them during the evening performances. Here, the idea of a monster – a creature embedded in many narratives yet remains abstract and undefined – echoes the mythical, fluid, and imaginative nature of the show. In the context of '///1 0///', the monster also becomes a multi-interpretable symbol that encourages visitors to engage with larger and sometimes difficult themes: the fears and anxieties that

In the corner of the first floor of the exhibition space stands a triangular wall, creating the illusion of a pyramid. Here, viewers are greeted by The Animal That Became a God (2023), a single-channel video projection that explores humanity's relationship with the natural world. Through a series of images capturing various attempts to control and manipulate natural elements, such as drilling into wood or turning on a faucet, Mok Yee prompts contemplation of our influence over nature. The daytime exhibition features an audio accompaniment synchronized with the video, while at night, a dance and music performance One Zero (2023) takes center stage. As Steve moves around the space, a kinetic sensor detects his movements, which in turn alter the sequence and speed of the video projection.

Located in the same room is a vibrant sculpture in the style of a typical Chinese New Year decoration in temples in Asia, entitled The Storyteller (2023). The sculpture takes the form of a monster's hand and claw that grips the floor of the exhibition space. During the performance Skin (2023), this sculpture is complemented by a black-and-white projection of Mok Yee's charcoal drawings on the surfaces of the sculpture, creating a new visual experience that transcends its initial kitschy appearance. This transfiguration invites viewers to engage with the artwork in a more multifaceted manner. Meanwhile, Siu Yee fills the atmosphere with her Vibraphone, exploring new sounds in a departure from her more classical instruments. Steve’s awaited choreography and dance unfold in response to the surrounding environment of the sculpture. This performance takes place in parallel with a few others, creating an immersive and multi-dimensional experience that visitors can choose from.

The Storyteller (2023)

Skin (2023)

One Zero (2023), dancer: Steve Goh

The final room on the ground floor, The Murmur (2023), is treated as a hidden chamber where Mok Yee displays an installation that delves into the concept of the inner monster within everyone. As visitors enter the room, a sensor detects their presence, causing the mirrors – placed next to metal bowls on the walls –to vibrate. Additionally, chairs with vibrators installed are provided for visitors to sit on. To the artist, vibration corresponds to unrevealed emotions that are kept inside one’s heart, which may eventually resurface. The only sound heard in the room is the vibration itself, excepting for the time of the performance. The performance, entitled Secret Room (2023), once again sheds light on the duo musician and dancer, Siu Yee and Steve, as they respond to the visual artwork’s themes.

On the second floor of the exhibition space, visitors shall encounter two works. The first is A Singer (2023) which involves creating an experimental kinetic sculpture that projects. For this, Mok Yee has chosen to attach a projector onto a baby swing. The video work that is being projected from the constantly moving device features a soprano singing Ave Maria. However, their voice will turn out of tune whenever the light sensor – hidden behind the screen –receives direct light from the passing projector Mok Yee explains that “The song, composed by Schubert in 1825 was not created for spiritual purposes, but is widely recognised and treated as a religious hymn.” The work puts the audience in an uneasy position, as they experience two elements of opposing nature: technology and spiritual belief.

Secret Room (2023)

The Murmur (2023)

Secondly, still on the second floor, a single-channel video on TV presents a critical examination of the world of social media. By collecting comments from Instagram covering a range of topics and handles, Reading Comment (2023) highlights the way we consume information on these platforms without much emotional investment. The video featuring Mok Yee reading comments collected from Instagram in a flat, indifferent manner underscores the impersonal nature of online interactions. The artwork prompts reflection on the concept of online identity and the anonymity it affords us on social media platforms. During the live performance aspect of the artwork, Whispers (2023), Siu Yee combines various sounds made by objects and conversations, as well as Mok Yee’s voice reading the comments, into music. This piece encourages critical discussion on our relationship with the Internet and how we navigate the excessive information that flows through it.

Despite what visitors might think as they reach the end of their journey inside Temu House, the party is not over yet. A unique installation in the gallery's parking lot awaits. A modified car, transformed by Mok Yee into a musical instrument by adding lights and sounds is activated as a performance tool. The activation of the car as a performance occurs in parallel to Whispers (2023), leaving the audience with a choice of experience to immerse in. This unconventional piece entitled Boxes (2023) once again offers visitors a fresh perspective on experiencing art, which perfectly embodies the exhibition's aim to push boundaries and challenge perceptions.

Whispers(2023)

Boxes (2023)

About the Artists

Lee Mok Yee (Visual Artist)

Lee Mok Yee is a Malaysian visual artist born in Klang, a port town near the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, where he currently lives and works. A graduate of Fine Arts from first the Dasein Academy of Art and later the Middlesex University of London, Mok Yee is an artist whose work is primarily concerned with the entanglement between the conceptual and the material.

His work is process-focused and often interrogative of the aspect of “materials” in art-making, choosing to work with ready-made or store-bought objects. Mok Yee re-arranges these materials as an act of interrogation against uniformity; pushing against the boundaries of function in mass-production, and in the re/arranging he questions the idea of moving within structures as an exploration of change and its futilities.

Recently Mok Yee has been focusin on collaborative projects and art residency. In 2021, he was a grantee of the British Council Connections’s Culture Grants and received an online residency from British artist Laura Porter. In the same year, he formed a temporary collective named Labour and Weight, together with local art and cultural workers Okui Lala, Yeo Lyle and Koe Cheng Gaik. The project was funded by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA) under the City Public Art Commission Project. He is also the Gold award winner of the UOB Painting of the Year 2021. Mok Yee’s work has been exhibited internationally in Germany, France, London, Singapore and Korea. www.leemokyee.com

Ng Siu Yee (Composer and Musician)

Siu Yee started to perform in the traditional Chinese performance arts 24 Festive Drums at the age of 14, in which she played organ and percussion instruments. In 2001, she joined the Malaysian group Hands Percussion as a musician. For more than 10 years, Siu Yee also received training on the traditional Javanese instrument Gamelan from musician Susan Sarah John. In 2014, she began learning the instrument Marimba from Tan Siu Yin, who is currently a percussionist under the Malaysian Philhrmonic Youth Orchestra (MPO). Her curiosity also drove her to explore West African music from US-based Burkinabe master, Olivier Tarpaga, back in 2015. In the same year, she also learned Balinese Gamelan from Prof. I Wayan Sudirana. Since 2016, she started to delve into the world of music composition through her aprentissage with the Malaysian music composer, Yuan Leow Yunn.

Siu Yee’s versatile music journey across various cultures inspired her to combine different elements as part of her composition. Siu Yee served as Music Director for the Hands Percussion from 2015-2020.In 2020, she decided to become an independent musician and composer, launchingher first album entitled ‘[Route in Transit]’.

Throughout her career, Siu Yee has composed and collaborated with International musicians including the Light Surgeon (United Kingdom), SISU percussion (Norway), Yuganada (Bali) and Manifesto Poetico (France). Outside of Malaysia, she has performed in Singapore, Taiwan, China, United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Turkmenistan, Qatar. www.ngsiuyee.com

Steve Goh (Dancer and Choreographer)

Steve Goh is a Sabah native dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. He received a scholarship to study dance at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. An award-winning performer and hailed as one of Malaysia’s best male dancers, Steve has won numerous awards at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, including Best Performer, Best Choreographer in a Mixed Bill, Best Choreographer in a Feature-Length Work, and Best Group Ensemble. Steve is known as a creative, passionate, and dedicated artist, who constantly develops his vision to further explore the dance idustry through private and community contexts. As a performer, Steve has performed with various local and international dance companies including in Austria, Australia, Belgium, China, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Paris, Singapore, and Taiwan.