One of Our Fossils

A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, 2024

Relic 1, Chicken bones, wire and pencil rod, 140 x 1650cm

'One of Our Fossils' is a multi-sensory installation combining sound, scent and sight. It is inspired by a scientific paper predicting that humanity's lasting remnants will be plastic, nuclear waste, and chicken bones.

I chose chicken bones for their absurdity and as a symbol of a world focused on cheapness and speed. The exhibition imagines how future civilizations might interpret these bones and the myths they could create.

Despite our power and foresight, our focus has narrowed. We live in a short now. We feel too exhausted by the present to imagine the future.

'One of Our Fossils' presents a space to reflect on the deep future. The bones prompt us to consider what future civilizations might make of our world. It’s an invitation to think about who we are now and what we are becoming.

Installation shot: Relic 1 (top) and Relic 5 (bottom)

Installation shot: Relic 1, Relic 3, Relic 4 and Relic 2 (left to right)

Detail shot: Relic 2 and Relic 4

I started collecting chicken bones in July 2023, visiting fast-food chains and restaurants, asking people for the bones on their plates. Most of the bones have been in other people’s mouths. One of Our Fossils is a portrait of consumption.

Relic 6 (right) and Relic 7 (left)

Relic 6 and Relic 7 are incense holders. I imagine a future where chicken bones are so cheap and abundant that future civilisations will use them for everyday objects. Just like we use fossils fuels for energy.

Process

Chicken bone preparation, 2024. Music composed by the artist and played during the installation

Calendars, 2024

Before starting One of Our Fossils, I weighed 40kg. I was sleep-deprived and underfed. I needed a project so physically demanding that it would force me to get into shape. So, I set the goal of collecting, cleaning, and wiring 60,000 bones by the end of the project. To achieve this, I created calendars to structure my year leading up to the show.

Every day had a specific task. I either had to go to the gym, clean bones, or meal prep. This process was repeated daily for 500 days. Creating and marking these calendars became an obsession. I surrendered to the labour and time that the project demanded of me.

This eventually became a way of life. I was no longer asking, "What can I make now?" but rather, "Who can I be now?" It became a process of personal transformation through art-making.

Sketchbook, 2023-2024

Diorama, 2024

The artist's studio, 2023-2024

Selected texts, interviews, and lectures available upon request

Photography by Alvin Lau, Hariz Raof and the artist