Have you ever put yourself in a position/positions where you could have been looked down upon by others like these folks around KL city centre? If you want to challenge yourself to experience how it may feel to be looked down upon you are welcome to come to an exhibition to be held at Lost Generation Space ( at 11 Jalan Permai, off Jalan Syed Putra, Robson Heights, 50460 KL Enq.019-6838397 Refer to map on top) from Feb 1st-3rd (refer to here for full details of entire exhibition) I have put up a small exhibit at the exhibition called `Bangun'(`Wake up!') where you can try sleeping on the floor of the exhibition, to see how passer-bys may look at/look down/treat you! You can do so till the next person take over from you! Then you are welcome to blog about your experience in this blog through a lap top provided on site by adding comments to this post. Who knows your live account may attract all the active bloggers in Klang Valley to swarm in to the exhibition to try out your special experience? Certainly you will look at the homeless differently from then on!
Generally the `public' reserve a special `looking down' attitude towards people who sleep on the floor in the open -is this justified? Or could it be a convenient way to sweep the issues of homelessness and housing rights under the mental carpet so they feel right not to deal with it? If you feel that the floor is not an `appropriate' or `dignified' location to sleep on should you not inquire from the person or find out the circumstances which lead to the situation? Could they suspect that the person sleeping there is an artist looking for inspiration-or there are good reasons for their actions? Jumping into a conclusion too quickly may cause a person to miss out on what really happens...
Of course you will be doing this in a controlled environment -but don't be surprised if there are still some ill-concealed `looking down' attitudes on some supposedly more `discerning' members of the exhibition-going public. You can only find out by going through it yourself!
Broadly the idea of the exhibition is get people to take a more critical view, or improve their `resolution' of the radar in their mind/sensitivity on what goes around our society: eg there is a general `pantang'(inhibitiveness/sensitivity) about being looked down by others, especially by Malaysians. People are driven by this sensitivity to don the trendiest dress, buy the latest hand phone and gadgets, sport the latest hairstyles etc. But how about the unfortunate folks who are unlikely to have all these -and even the basic needs like a roof over their head? Won't they be at the bottom of the heap in this `I have the best/latest' high nose value? Do we consider if they could be talented in some ways, or able to contribute much to society, if given a chance?
The above `pantang' on being looked down is amply irrational when you notice that the same `public' are ever willing to overlook the vices of politicians and business people known for amassing their riches through questionable means-but donning the latest and the most fashionable of items. Think about Zakaria Deros the Klang Councilor with a million-dollars `palace', and many many more. Arguably their actions deserve your looking down/condemnations compared to the folks who have to live below a bridge?
So what if circumstances lead you to not live in the best housing or wear the trendiest of cloth? Every time you look at the `cool' ads don't they try to make you feel deprived, excluded, lacking and diffident as a human being? You would be mad to try to live up to others' gaze/values! Then do you need to feel depressed under the gaze of the `public' who are quick to look down on others? Well, If you feel that the looking down attitude is questionable may be you may purposely choose to provoke their prejudices by dressing down even if you can afford better? Why be so superficial and insecured anyway? May be you may think that so long you know what you are doing inside your mind what the hack with all these `surface scans' by the `society'?
In short we need to look at people in all their individuality and circumstances, and not to be judgmental-both for those who look and those who are looked upon. Reaching such a critical attitude generally is perhaps the requirement for building a better, happier society! That is the point of the exhibition. So folks: Are you game enough to try it out? Are you able to give an intelligent answer when asked why you are there? Do you think the homeless have a better or genuine answer to similar questions?
Good luck to your experience. You are provided with a clean mat, a hat and a sheet to go through the experience if you choose to do so! Give yourself a try! New Malaysians boleh! See you there!
Ong BK,
Exhibitor
11 comments:
Lying on the mattress smoking, I felt surprisingly at ease in the debris around me.
As people came in and peered at me, wondering what I was doing, I found it interesting that one person asked:
"Are you smoking drugs?"
Did I look like a drug user, reclining on my wicker mattress in this abandoned house?
What does a drug user look like?
What does a homeless person look like?
Interestingly I felt a familiar emotion at another point of my life. Lying on the uncomfortable surface reminds me of dreaming on my own bed.
A man took a picture of me; I felt I was on display - not as a person but an object.
Ironically familiar emotion I had at another point of my life
the ground was wet thanks to the rain earlier in the day and the loose pieces of flooring were cluttering the floor. i felt myself inching into the straw mat to avoid the dirt, being used to a clean environment.
i also noted how i felt being 'looked down' upon. was very strange..kind of like how an animal feels like being looked at in a zoo i think...on display and different....
nobody came and looking down on me yet...
Thanks folks for leaving your words/experience/memory from sleeping on a mat next to the exhibit featuring 9 `residences' of KL's homeless. The interesting comments must mean that the mat does has some power when you sleep on it! So readers of this blog: come and check it out!
I hope the experience of being `looked down' by the exhibition goers will prove positive to all of you especially on how you may look at the homeless around this `prosperous city'!
To mightyjahj: your `are you smoking drug?' comment is so typical of the `public': homeless are equated with sins and criminalities so keeping them away in their mind can be `justified'!
To moozammohd2: homeless became `objectified' -it is getting worse right under our nose!
To redrosesburning: now homeless become an animal on display -can't be worst!
To Rahmat: your turn will come-the stereotypical views on the homeless are not urban myth! The folks concerned really think so about the homeless! But then again some other enlightened souls may cross your path if you come back to sleep on the `magic mat'!
Hope more folks will come tomorrow to try the magic mat to experience how it feel to be sleeping on the floor at the Bangun Exhibition!
80 sen buys nothing these days. not even gratitude. get orf!!
It was raining whole afternoon and the exhibition site did become a bit close to the sad scene where homeless have to battle through to get a place to lie down. Water was seeping through the plastic mat-despite a piece of linoleum intercepting between the porous plastic mat and the wet floor. Rain was pouring down from one corner of the roof which had collapsed and cause a `flood' within the room. The organiser seems to have a way to get a right weather to put this `set' together -thanks to the Bangun Exhibition organiser! When I took over from a women (she was in one of the pictures in this blog)I found 80 cents on the mat -and she told me that perhaps one guy who was taking video unloaded the coins as his `natural reflex' when seeing some `helpless' `homeless' folks. Well what do you folks think about such generosity which may never address the issues of housing rights or the lack of it?
Come to experience it ! It is great fun!
The 2nd time was a different experience, more people came and look. I offered them to replace but none would.
It's blatant it's a situation they never want to experience, being homeless, sleeping on a damp, unclean mat. Real homeless people perhaps, have no choice but to condone to these circumstances & it gives us a new perspective being on their side of the world.
Some ignores me, some said hello, I asked for change but they only took pictures. Observing without giving any benevolence except for having pictures taken for them to show everyone.
Heh.
i need cigarattes........that's the only feel i got.....i dont need food...dont need drinks.....i just need cigarattes......pls........
The last comment was not me but someone who used my name to leave his comment. I have to commend him though as he took up the challenge thrown to him by the exhibitor to lie down on the mat to experience -may be once in his life time, how it feels to be `look down' by the `public'. Many declined to take up the challenge though some feel the urge to take photos of the `homeless'! One girl sat beside me to take a photo while she and her friends engaged with me in a conversation on the exhibition. That is much better than some others who spoke in hush voices when they entered the exhibition room, and then leave the room quickly like a crime scene!
At least one girl I met at Y4C admitted she wasn't emotionally prepared to sleep on the floor in (semi)public glare!
How would such unwillingness to take up the challenge to just physically sit on the same side as the homeless, sit in the finding of solutions towards homelessness?
There are a few cynical voices who asked me if anyone had taken over my place -and thought that I'd been sleeping here for a long time! They were slightly surprised to hear that there had been a stream of people taking up the challenge to sleep here. In fact I had just been here for 30 min while waiting for the battery of my lap top to recharge!
By this time of writing -away from the Bangun Exhibition, the exhibition must have finished. Thanks to all those who took up the challenge to lie down on the mat to experience partially how the homeless experience on a daily basis!
Consolation: for those who lied down on the mat the small participatory theatre action actually put you as the privileged single occupancy audience of a show where the folks coming in to look at the exhibition `played' the diverse `public' who passed by someone sleeping on the floor -sporting various expressions. I must congratulate the `public' for playing their roles really well! What a wonderful performance from all! We really enjoyed it!
On the 2nd day of the exhibition there was a lively discussion on the exhibition where this exhibit come out for some mentions. This means that there are fellow exhibitors/exhibition goers who took serious note of the message of this less than refined presentation that straddled between social action and arts!
Anybody can repeat this theatre idea in other locations to check out the local culture on homelessness!
Thanks to all helped and participated!
Ong BK
Exhibitor
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