The future is a period that promises both dreams and concerns. Therefore, the future for humans represents a form of projection of desires and unwillingness to live in the present. In the world of art, strangeness/uniqueness is often interpreted through ideas that are considered to transcend time. Many avant-garde works that are misunderstood or difficult to accept can be categorized as pieces that are ahead of their time (or ‘may’ make sense in the future). This way of thinking is quite similar to what shamans or fortune tellers do and is certainly different from the method scientists use to predict the future. Scientists do it by collecting and analyzing data, while shamans make predictions through imagination based on metaphysical or natural phenomenons. The world of art seems to exist in between, though it tends to lean toward the latter category. The art world, or the artistic world in general, largely relies on intuition and taste.
Regarding the future, prophecy, ritual, and matters of intuition and taste, Adam Phong’s solo exhibition titled One of Our Fossils presents a speculative artistic method related to the potential traces of today’s humans in the future. Just as we study and recognize a series of events related to past civilizations through history and archaeological findings, One of Our Fossils positions the audience as future humans imagining today’s civilization. The audience, being from the present, is then transported to the future only to trace back what is happening today. As absurd as it sounds.
Absurdity is another key point that Adam aims to convey in his solo exhibition. Humanity is often in awe of the wonders of past civilizations, such as discoveries of dinosaur fossils or remnants of past grandeur like massive monuments. In One of Our Fossils, Adam highlights the chicken bone as a marker of our era. Today, poultry meat is one of the most consumed foods globally and is predicted to continue increasing in the coming years. One of Our Fossils raises a profoundly absurd question: what if chicken bones were one of the clues to trace a period of human civilization?
When we revisit the topic of soothsayers and prophecies, there are numerous shamanistic cultures, particularly in Southeast Asia, that use chickens as a medium in rituals. The chicken (in the form of eggs, alive, or even as a prepared dish) is a fascinating phenomenon today that could potentially shape the future of humanity. Adam views chicken bones as a specific object capable of traveling beyond space and time, both from a scientific and imaginative perspective.
One of Our Fossils presents three sections of a space, each displaying a different composition of chicken bones. Viewers are greeted by a large installation in the first room, resembling both a wave and a time-travel tunnel—a dynamic and monumental form that leads into the next room, where several smaller, randomly placed monuments stand. The final room evokes a ritualistic atmosphere, with chicken bone compositions becoming smaller and more intricate. The arrangement of the rooms and the formalist shapes of the chicken bones project how future humans might attempt to trace back and understand the civilization of today. One of Our Fossils becomes a fascinating speculation on how humans strive to grasp the concept of space and time. What is space and time? What is the future, the present, and the past?
In this exhibition, Adam presents his future relics (or past relics within the context of the future?) alongside his sound compositions that represent an imagined space. The combination of various frequencies creates an immersive experience, allowing viewers to explore the caves of the future as if they were archaeologists. In this sense, Adam positions himself as an artist aspiring to be a future archaeologist, while simultaneously orchestrating natural environments within a gallery setting.
One of Our Fossils represents Adam Phong’s latest expression of his artistic anxieties. Adam positions himself as an artist who seeks to grasp the meaning and significance of art through his creative practices. Is art a way to remember the past, savor the present, and predict the future in a more imaginative and democratic manner? One of Our Fossils is an effort to interpret the present by first exploring remnants from the future. Chicken bones serve as a symbol of today’s human creativity.
(Curatorial Essay for One of Our Fossils, A Solo by Adam Phong, 16 November–14 December 2024, A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)