For his debut solo show, Phong says that a scientific paper inspired him to create a science fiction-like narrative of future generations uncovering an archaeological site filled with chicken bones. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong
An art exhibition can go beyond showcasing works, transforming into a sci-fi journey where visitors peer back at “the 21st century”.
At A+ Works of Art gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Adam Phong’s debut solo show One Of Our Fossils features sculptures crafted from chicken bones and wire, creating a unique narrative.
Phong uses these unconventional materials to shape a larger, thought-provoking vision.
In a recent interview, the 22-year old shared that a scientific paper inspired him to create a science fiction-like narrative of future generations uncovering an archaeological site filled with chicken bones.
“In this paper, there was a group of scientists trying to figure out what would be left on Earth long after we have gone and they concluded that it would be nuclear waste, plastic and chicken bones. We consume so much chicken (these days) – billions of chickens a year – that their bones are in the trillions in the fossil records,” said Phong.
“So I wanted to use the chicken bones for the absurdity but also because they were a sort of a symbol of our times. They represented a world of cheapness and make everything faster. So our obsession with that has created this unintentional monument,” he added.
It’s the KL-born artist’s method of questioning today’s civilisation through the lens of future generations.
For the 'One Of Our Fossils' exhibition, Phong envisioned visitors as future explorers examining the bones, blending timelines. He designed the space to feel insular and disconnected, creating the sense of entering a different realm. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong
“I’m also using the bones as a way of speculating how future civilisations might interpret ours, just like how archaeologists dig up artefacts from the past and speculate how did they live and what sort of people were they.
“I think people in the future might dig up these chicken bones and ask the same questions about our civilisation. ‘What kind of civilisation are we making? What are we becoming?’ Those are the fundamental questions that this show is trying to ponder upon,” he said.
A palette of speculation
Visitors entering the gallery for Phong’s show are met with Relic 1, a conical sculpture resembling a sideways tornado, its gaping maw tapering across the room.
“The idea behind Relic 1 wasn’t the form but the scale. There will likely be more chicken bones than human bones, and while we talk about the ‘age of humans’, will it really be our remnants that remain? I wanted to create something so large that it would make you feel small. We’re used to man-made spaces, but I wanted to create something that felt made for this, not us – suggesting ‘monumentality’ and the persistence of life after humanity,” said Phong, a graduate of the Malaysian Institute of Art.
The adjacent gallery space of A+ Works of Art houses Relic 2, 3, 4, and 5, resembling stalagmites. These works are a hybrid of ancient monuments and alien plants, with each room exploring a different type of speculation.
A prominent yellow cast across the gallery was intentionally created to resemble real archaeological sites. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong
Phong and Indonesian curator Bob Edrian worked on structuring the exhibition as sort of a palette of speculation.
“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,” said Edrian.
For Phong, as the show took shape, numerous questions arose, prompting him to create a space that would encourage meaningful conversations.
“We think of the chicken as a part of nature but we consume the broiler chicken and the broiler chicken only exists because of human intervention – we genetically modified the red junglefowl and transformed it into broiler chicken for the poultry industry – so, is it nature or is it culture?” said Phong.
Working with sculptures
One Of Our Fossils marks Phong’s debut sculpture exhibition, following his work in painting and drawing.
“A lot of my work is site specific. I start the work by first looking at the space. So especially with this one (Relic 1), you couldn’t imagine this work existing anywhere else except this space (A+ Works of Art) because of the way it curls around the corridor, it’s very site responsive,” he said.
A close-up view of the 'Relic 1' installation, which dominates the main gallery space at A+ Works of Art. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong
“So I like to work that way. I like to take what I call a ‘big here’ approach so the work doesn’t just exist within the confines of the work, it expands outward which is why I changed the light and I changed the sound.”
There is a narrow passage way at the end of the gallery and there is where you visitors will find Relic 6 and 7.
“I created these incense holders (Relic 6 and 7) to suggest a future where these bones become so abundant and inexpensive that we’re forced to repurpose them – much like we use ancient liquid fossils to fuel our energy today. It’s another form of speculation.”
Bagging the waste
Phong, thoughtful and introspective, focuses on his personal growth, which in turn inspires his art.
“If you look at my previous works, I’ve done a lot of drawings and paintings. This is the first sculpture installation, immersive installation I’ve done,” he said.
His new work reflects a profound self-transformative process, as the bones were carefully collected and assembled over a 16-month period, each piece contributing to both the creation of the artwork and the artist’s own journey.
“I couldn’t afford to buy bones, so I’d visit McDonald’s and KFC with plastic bags, asking people to give me theirs. I wired them together daily, rolled them up, and left them on my balcony.”
Curator Edrian wanted to evoke a ritualistic atmosphere, with chicken bone compositions becoming smaller and more intricate. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong
The project, when viewed from this perspective, shifted focus from a broader question of what society is becoming to a more intimate one of personal transformation – what the artist is becoming.
“It’s a deeply personal and interpersonal exploration,” said Phong.
Under yellow lights
As one of the year’s most intriguing exhibitions, One Of Our Fossils welcomes visitors to a mysterious future archaeological site.
“In this exhibition, you’re like a visitor from the future looking at the bones so the timelines get mixed up which is why I wanted the space to feel insular; it’s very separated from the outside. It’s almost like you’re entering a different world,” said Phong.
A prominent yellow cast across the gallery was intentionally created to resemble real archaeological sites.
“The yellow lights were intentional, inspired by archaeologists using hazard lights, often yellow, when uncovering a site. I imagined visitors as the first to explore this discovery.”
Atmospheric music, composed by Phong on his iPhone using GarageBand, accompanies the exhibition, despite his lack of formal musical training.
“I know nothing about music theory, so I go by taste. I play a bunch of sounds, and if I like it, I cut and assemble them. There are eight speakers, each assigned to a different sound, creating a unique soundscape.”
He explains that what visitors hear is a single soundscape spread across the space. Typically, we associate music and sound with something flat against a wall, where moving away only softens it.
But here, the sound is dynamic and immersive.
“But in this case, moving around alters the entire sound. If you stand in one spot, you hear something different than if you stand elsewhere. It’s this three-dimensional, immersive experience I want to create for people,” concluded Phong.
One Of Our Fossils is showing at A+ Works of Art gallery in Kuala Lumpur until Dec 14. By appointment only. Call 018-333 3399 or email: info@aplusart.asia.
