T HE E PLE AND THE P OLE ALONE
Tanoto Art Foundation, New Bahru School Hall, Singapore 2026
Black vinyl on walls and ceiling, site-specific installation
Dimensions variable
Drawing on the phrase “the people, and the people alone", the work refers to Mao’s claim that revolution is rooted in the people. It brings together texts from politicians, philosophers, and musicians that advocate uprising, revolt, and resistance against authority, forming a layered reflection on revolutionary thought.
At the same time, it confronts how such ideals are often distorted or transformed into something far from their original intentions. Through omissions, fragmentations, and irregular spacing, the text is deliberately disrupted, blurring meaning and unsettling recognition. The work holds a tension between challenging power and questioning the very ideas it invokes, asking whether all idealistic visions inevitably deteriorate into more violent and oppressive forms when enacted within human systems.
E VE R Y THING H ED I DW ASF OR A P UR POS E
A M OR ALLYCORRECTP UR POSEARIGHTEOUSPURPOSEADECENTP U RPOSEA SA I NTLYPUR POS E
THEPROGRESSTHEST AGNATIONTH EWARTHEPE A CE &THECONSCIOUSNESSOFFREEDOM
T HE Y DON’TSPEAK F OR US
THEPEOP LEAN D THEPEOPLEAL ON E
E VERY THINGYOUD I DEVERYTHINGTHE Y D ID
E NO UGHTO EATAROOFOVERTHEIRHEADSSECURITYGOODEDUCATION
N O TADINNERPART YORWRITINGANES SA YORPAINT IN GAPIC TURE
Y O UNEE D SIN CERITYA NDVIOLEN C E
C R USH THEE N EM Y
A HAM ME R
ENOUGHTOEATAROO F O VERY OURHEAD
Y O UA L WAYSTRIEDTOBECORRECT HEA L WAYSTRYTOBECO RRECT
P OLI T I CALL Y
C HOPOF FNOTCOUNTHEADS
N OT A PART YORPAINTINGAPIC T UR EO RDO I NGEM BRO I DER Y
S O METR I UMPHOTHER SAR EE LIMINATED
T HE I MMED I ATE A BOLITIONOFALLTHINGS
S OREFINED SOLE I SUREL YANDGENTLESOTEMP E RAT E
AG A ME OFCAR DSY OURLIFEHISLIFEHERLIFETHE IRLIVE S
H EW HO CONTR O LSTHE MEDI A
O PPOSE W HATEVERTHEYSUPPORT
T HET RANSM UTATIONO FS O ME THIN GGO O D
YO U NEED SI N CERITYANDV IO LEN C E
F OR CESH ETOFOLLOWTHE Y THEMFORCEH IM TOFOLLOW H ER
YO U ARESUCHAMON KE Y
W I T H ORWIT HOUTTH R EATS
F ORCE H IM FOR CEHER FORCEYOUFOR CETHEM FOR C ETHEPEO P L E
I F WEB U RN
HED E CI DEWHATISRIGHTANDTHEYDECIDEW HAT I SRIGH T
WI T HHIM FORHIM WITHTHEMFORT HE M
H EW HOCONTROLSYO U WHOARECONT ROLL ED
G I VE THEMB READ ANDCIRC U$E$ANDTHEYWILLN EVERR E VOL T
W HE NPEOPLEGETT O GET HE R
B O THPEOPLEANDINS T IT UTION S
T HEYDON TSPEAK F OR US
W H ERE T HERE ISP OWE R
W HE NTYRANN YBE COMES LA W
B RING D OWN THEGOVERN ME N T
I T ISDANGERO US
TO BE RIGHTWHEN T HE YAREWR ON G
T HER E I SRE S IST ANCE
T HEPE OPL EALONE
THEIN TERESTS O F THERULINGC L ASS ONLY
T HEC OLD M ONSTE R
THEO PRESS E D ON E
