Dana Lam, Tan Wee Lit, Joy Lee, Tania De Rozario, Hazel Lim
When: 02 Mar 2004 (Tue), 6.00 AM - 31 Mar 2004 (Wed), 12.00 AM at the Citylink Showcase, Esplanade
Pockets, associated mainly as functional extensions of the clothes we wear, often house the simplest objects. These objects however, are narrative of their carrier’s lives. Keys unlock doors that lead into homes, wallets contain proof of one’s identity, handphones connect their owners to loved ones miles away. The pocket, a simple piece of cloth sewn on to make room for convenience, inevitable becomes a space for possessions personal to oneself. It creates a literal barrier between one’s body and the world, letting only the hand that wishes to extract these possessions into its private space.
Don’t pick my pocket is a playful take on the notion of these hidden spaces; a physical analogy paralleling the many ways which human beings keep secret their most private thoughts feelings and anormalies; how so many of these are embodied in objects and how skilfully (or unskilfully) they are kept. Visually, it plays on notions of suggestion and invites viewers to come to their own conclusion of the pockets on display.
What happens when a private space is re-appropriated for public viewing? Does it lose its function? Does it become displaced?
Can one be accused of picking a pocket left open for mass display?
