Tan Zi Hao's Linguistic Art Probes Malaysian Race Relations Through Language Distortions
In July 2024, Tan Zi Hao's exhibition titled 'The Tongue Has No Bones' at A+ Works of Art in Kuala Lumpur delves into Malaysia's racial complexities through the lens of language. One of his pieces, 'Anthropophagic Strategies II (2024),' depicts a kneeling figure dressed in denim adorned with terms like DELULU and Jawi script, highlighting the evolution of meaning across different languages. The artist critiques the national language policy that prioritizes Malay while sidelining Tamil and Chinese languages. The backdrop includes the 1969 Sino-Malay race riots, which resulted in approximately 600 fatalities. Additionally, affirmative action measures such as the New Economic Policy granted bumiputera privileges to Malays, who represented 70.1% of the population as of July 2023. Tan's works also allude to the 1967 Keranda 152 protest and feature a video recorded at Saloma Link Bridge.
Key facts
- Tan Zi Hao's exhibition 'The Tongue Has No Bones' was on view at A+ Works of Art in Kuala Lumpur during July 2024
- The 1969 Sino-Malay race riots in Kuala Lumpur resulted in approximately 600 deaths
- As of July 2023, 70.1% of Malaysia's population were classified as bumiputera with special privileges
- The Terengganu Inscription Stone is a 700-year-old artifact containing the earliest Jawi writing in Southeast Asia
- Malaysia's New Economic Policy was implemented for two decades to address racial tensions through affirmative action
- The 1967 Keranda 152 protest involved Malay language activists parading a coffin against English use in official proceedings
- Tan's video work includes footage from Malaysia's 1957 independence parade when Malaya gained freedom from British rule
- The artist's practice examines tensions between Malaysia's official Malay language policy and the country's multilingual reality
Entities
Artists
- Tan Zi Hao
Institutions
- A+ Works of Art
- Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
- Institute for Language and Literature
- Malaysian Parliament
Locations
- Kuala Lumpur
- Malaysia
- Terengganu
- Southeast Asia
- Sarawak
- Sabah
- Singapore
- Malaya
- Tanah Melayu
- Johor Bahru
- Bukit Timbalan
- Bukit Muda