#E62217
#E62217 Concept Vishaka Mantri Lek Yi Xian
Vishaka Mantri & Lek Yi Xian #E62217: Red
Graphics Editor and Layout Editor Vishaka Mantri
Š 2013, Vishaka Mantri & Yixian Lek Self publishing for School of Art Design and Media Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Photography Vishaka Mantri
DV2006 - Designed Experiences
Copy Writer Vishaka Mantri Videography and Video Editor Lek Yi Xian Materials and Printing Lek Yi Xian
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
#E62217 Vishaka Mantri & Lek Yi Xian
contents
x Introduction x Discomfort x ccccc x love in Singapore x the choice x the score x sex for money x sex for love
The emotions that the colour red evokes is one of conflict, on one hand it represents life, birth, love, passion; on the other it represents pain, aggression, rage, war and shame. It is a colour that connects rape and love, a colour that connects the red light district to the red valentine. Why is it that this colour is associated with two things so fundamentally different? And what is it that most people in Singapore today think it represents - is it love or is it lust?
life heart PAIN shame
passion blood birth rage love viens
desire
beginnings
rape
sex
sex sex
e
x
x
x
x
“Red, is the color of life. It’s blood, passion, rage. It’s menstrual flow and after birth. Beginnings and violent end. Red is the color of love. Beating hearts and hungry lips. Roses, Valen- tines, cherries. Red is the color of shame. Crimson cheeks and spilled blood. Broken hearts, opened veins. A burning desire to return to white.” Mary Hogan, Pretty Face
Red connects dots, it explains a lot of things, does it explain our life and life choices? What variables define an adult life of satisfaction? Is it a good job, a well grounded family life, an intellectually driven and engaged mind, a sense of accomplishment, love, companionship or even financial security?
cide to have a sense of priority when it comes to these things. For example in today’s times, in Singapore, there is a lot of talk about the “5 C’s.” What are they? Why is it that we are letting an acronym decide our life choices. The question that needs to be asked is are people making choices today based on convenience or emotion?
Red is Passion but it is also a red light district. Red is a conflict while it is as clear as the never knotted viens and arteries in our, always red inside bodies. What is essential is that at different points in our lives we need each of these things and more, but sometimes we do de-
This is what this colour, red makes us questionit represents intimacy but also represents materialistic expectation from relationships. Would you marry someone for love or because that person has money, a car, a house and other materialistic things?
Red is love, it is also need and desire. Red is Passion but it is also a red-light district. Red is happiness it is also discomfort and disgust. Red is a conflict while it is as clear as the never knotted viens and arteries in our, always red inside bodies.
seem obvious for most people but when you consider variables of discomfort most people change their choice to something that seems more rewarding. How
Chose between sex for money and materialistic things versus sex and intimacy for love and passion and emotion.
To understand what it is that Singaporean’s and people living in this country think we designed an experience that forced them to chose between sex for money and materialistic things versus sex and intimacy for love and passion and emotion.What would you chose? Just a question that you should ponder on. The choice might
different is this compromise from prostitution and being an escort? How different is dealing with this chioce, one that is aptly represented by the colour that represents discomfort.
Red is also a colour that represents discomfort. When we get hurt we turn red, when our skin gets itchy it turns red. It is a universal colour that represents discomfort and disgust. Humans try to avoid discomfort at all costs. Sometimes even at the cost of what they believe in. Would you rather be uncomfortable for most of your life, not living lavishly, yet emotionally satisfied. Or would you rather get rid of the discomfort and chose to sacrifice on your emotional satisfaction?
com dis
mfort
cCCCC
X CASH X CAR
X CONDOMIUM X CREDIT CARD
X CLUB MEMBERSIP ** This is what Singaporean’s want, so that they may never be uncomfort- -able. What they look for in their potential partners.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
love in singapore
the choice
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
So when you have the choice between discomfort and comfort; a choice that comes with the sacrifice or the attainment of what you might believe in, what would you chose? To illustrate this choice as an experience we made our class chose between love/sex for money versus love/ sex for emotions and feelings. The discomfort was represented in the from of the tangible tactile feeling that a condom has. It is essentially a slime coated piece of latex that is looked down upon with tabboo in Singaporean society. So the participants were made to choose between being uncomfortable and reaping the benefit of a dollar or being uncomfortable and choosing emotions over money.
score
x 11
sex f
If you chose the $1 coin, it doesn’t mean that you are ready to sell your soul just for money. But if you think deeply, the reason why most of the people made this choice is because when we have to go through discomfort we try to justify it by the reason we did it for. Monetary gain is a valid reason to the pragmatic brain. If this is understandable, then what about people who trade sexual favours for money? If we use the same analogy we used to rationalize why we chose the $1 over the heart, we see that they need money to get rid of the discomfort they face in life and hence they have sex for money. But their decision is frowned upon by society. Extending this analogy to marrying someone because they have money, (or most of the 5 C’s) is that just an escape mechanism from discomfort or is it an informed choice? Are most of us then having sex/marrying someone for their money? Are we all sex workers - worse life worfers?
for money
sex
On the other hand if you chose the heart from the condom, does that mean that you are an emotionally driven and nonpragmatic person? The irony is that only 3 out of a group of 9 chose the heart from the condom. Only 3 felt that the heart was worth getting out of an uncomfortable experience
What we concluded is that Singaporeans complain about how they are not emotionally satisfied. How, they are unhappy with most things in this country, including their relationship with one another. If they choose to be pragmatic, and to pursue monetary goals, they must learn to live with that choice. Just how an escort and a prostitute choose to live the lifestyle that they do, and live with the label of being a sex worker. Singaporeans who choose to live life with monetary well being as their sole priority myst live the label of being the “money workers.�
for love