Republic of Pulau Semakau0
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“Republic of Pulau Semakau” Photo Exhibition by Zinkie Aw
14 March ~ 29 April 2012
The things we throw away tell much about who we are.
Dustbins are, essentially, a part of one’s personal space, almost akin to
a type of ‘identity autopsy’. Through photographs of trash and their
environment,viewers are exposed to things owned and disowned
by different people.
Pieced together, this body of work anchors to issues of waste management
in Singapore — to realise things that we as individuals discard, will collectively
contribute to Singapore’s only landfill on the offshore island of Pulau Semakau.
In 1999, after having exhausted the landfills on mainland Singapore, Singapore
then created a Semakau landfill by enclosing Pulau Semakau and a small
adjacent island with a rock bund. In this light, we, could all be considered
‘Founders’ of this reclaimed portion of the island.
It has never occurred to us where all these rubbish end up in land-scarce
and over-populated Singapore. Hopefully these dustbins will form a reality
check for all of us.
- Zinkie Aw, 2012 (Singapore)
