On 4 June – or was it 3 June? – two gentlemen walked into Valentine Willie Fine Art KL. Its gallery manager, Snow Ng, did not move immediately to greet them. This fell to Erna Dyanty, curator for one of VWFA’s then-ongoing exhibitions, the group show Rock Kaka.

“One guy was happily taking pictures,” Snow says. His target: a piece by artist and filmmaker Fahmi Reza, entitled Najib’s Head Stolen From Billboard. The photographer’s friend, quite loudly, asked: “So, this is art?”

“It was verbal abuse,” Snow says. “It sounded as if they wanted to intimidate us.”

Fahmi Reza’s Najib’s Head Stolen From Billboard, detail

Fahmi’s work was a two part installation. The first was a Youtube video of unknown persons, climbing up a billboard. These vandals removed the likeness of Datuk Seri Najib Razak from the advert, which had been congratulating our new Prime Minister upon his ascension.

Erna, dealing with her rowdy visitors, asked one of them whether he would like to watch the video. “I don’t have to see it!” was his reply.

The second part of Fahmi’s work was fixed to the wall and floor of VWFA’s Project Room. It was a huge printout of Najib, apparently the same one that was stolen from the billboard. The face had its eyes black-lined out, a la the cover of Fahmi’s acclaimed documentary Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka – which itself was a shout-out to the Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen.

“When I proposed it to the gallery, I wanted to do an exhibition on rock music,” Erna says, when I ask her about how the Rock Kaka was conceived. “It was intended to break boundaries and rejoice in free spirit mode of the music genre itself.”

Fahmi’s Najib was also behind yellow police tape. “So, basically it means that our PM is behind a crime scene, is it?” asked one of the men.

The one taking pictures merely shook his head. Snow says: “It’s as if he was saying: ‘Oh, we’ve caught you guys, now!’ ”

The two men did not identify themselves, but Snow and Erna say that one of them was Rusdi Mustapha, an aide working in the Prime Minister’s office.

On 6 June, Blogger Pasquale, writing for BarkingMagpie, comes down hard on Fahmi and VWFA, saying:

“Art expression is one thing but for a respectable gallery not respecting the present prime minister by exhibiting the smut disguised as an art piece is another!”

Pasquale, it should be noted, has categorically denied being related to this Rusdi character in any way.

Curator Erna Dyanty; pic lifted from BarkingMagpie

Prior to this surprise visit, VWFA had been prepping for several events in the coming week – most notably the launch of Karim Raslan’s Ceritalah 3: A Dream Deferred, slated for 8 June. The gallery had received a visit from Karim’s personal assistant, who had heard that there was a work featuring Najib on exhibition.

“I asked her to come and see it,” Snow says. “She came, looked at it, and laughed.”

According to Snow, Karim’s personal assistant told her that they had been getting calls from the PM’s office.

“So I brought these visits up to (gallery owner) Valentine. I asked him what we should do,” Snow says.

Rock Kaka, which was meant to run until 13 June, was un-installed on the morning of 8 June. Karim’s book launch, later the same day, was well attended by the ruling elite from both sides of the political divide: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and PKR parliamentarian for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar were among those sighted. A mixed hang were on the walls that night.

Given the circumstances, observers would naturally conclude that the gallery had taken down the show because of political considerations. When I ask Snow whether this was the case, she answers: “I think its a bit grey. I would say no.”

According to Snow, neither Rusdi’s histrionics nor Karim’s dignified guests had intimidated VWFA; the decision was made because of pure logistics. “The show was an installation show. We needed the space for the crowd. The opening had more than 80 pax. It was crowded!”

Was it standard practice for the gallery to take down art for the functions it hosts?

“No. Usually we try to persuade the organisers to keep them on the walls,” Snow says. “But it just wouldn’t have worked to have Rock Kaka up for the launch.”

Snow expresses some regret at the decision to bring down Rock Kaka. “It really didn’t cross my mind that we would be expect that big a crowd.”

“If I were more alert, if I had been able to piece the two things together, I would have I would have tried to get the launch rescheduled.” The gallery, after all, had planned Rock Kaka months in advance.

Since Rock Kaka went down because of a day-long event, would it have come back up again?

“It’s staying down because of logistics,” Snow says, explaining that it wouldn’t be feasible to re-install the Rock Kaka’s installations for another mere three days. She points out that Jonathan Ching’s Days of Thunder, a painting show in VWFA’s main gallery, had also come down for the book launch. Ching’s works were rehung on 10 June.

Excerpt from Fahmi Reza’s letter of protest to VWFA

Erna began calling the artists involved with Rock Kaka on 5 June. Most, being informed of the situation, agreed to the show being taken down. Some expressed sympathy.

“Callen (Tham) and Fairuz (Sulaiman) were very concerned, when I talked to them,” Erna says. “They were worried that I would lose my job.”

However, according to Erna, the gallery had been unable to reach Fahmi.

On 8 June, Fahmi arrived at the gallery with a protest letter.

“I was never informed or consulted regarding this decision,” Fahmi’s letter said. “There were also no discussion or negotiation on how I would be compensated.”

According to Snow, Fahmi had been upset. “He told me that if he had be told that the show was going to be taken down, he would have been considerate to have said yes to it,” Snow says.

“No comments,” Fahmi says, when I query him about Rock Kaka. “The letter itself is what I have to say.”

He also declines to comment about his intentions behind Najib’s Head Stolen From Billboard.

“Talking about the work gives it finality,” Fahmi says. “I don’t want to stop discussion about it. Leave it open, and let people talk about it.”

When I ask Fahmi whether he was open to installing the work again, whether at VWFA or at any other venue, he answers: “Yes, I would.”

Fairuz Sulaiman, right, showing off his homemade projector

Fairuz Sulaiman tells me that he expected Rock Kaka to come down early, when he saw some of the work being put up.

“I was surprised it was allowed at all,” Fairuz, whose contribution to Rock Kaka was a homemade projector, says. “We’ve to credit Erna for that. To have that kind of show – they’ve got balls, both her and Fahmi.”

Fairuz says that he wasn’t upset when Erna informed him of the show’s truncation. “This is a show that doesn’t have to have an impact. I’m looking at the reaction it’s caused, and I feel it has worked really well.”

“For me, the show coming down validates what Fahmi was trying to prove,” Fairuz adds.

Fairuz stressed that VWFA was a commercial enterprise. “So it’s understandable that they have to juggle their image.”

However, Fairuz believes that the gallery has earned some positive publicity, with Rock Kaka.

“The VWFA name dah macam: Wah, not bad, can put up this kind of show,” Fairuz says.

Saiful Razman’s Ada Di Mana-Mana, also part of Rock Kaka

I ask Erna how she feels about the show she curated, and its fallout. “Overwhelming. Thumbs up to everyone for creating such chaos.”

“But it’s taken a funny turn. Everybody is playing the blame game,” she adds.

For Erna, Rock Kaka wasn’t about politics – or, rather, just politics. “It was supposed to be a fun show. Now, I feel people have lost the entire essence of doing Rock Kaka.”

She points out that, following Fahmi’s Najib head and the show’s early retirement, no one is talking about any of the other works. “I’d really like people to talk about the show, and review the artworks.”

She is open to a re-showing. “This exhibition is not owned by the gallery. It can venture out and be exhibited elsewhere.”

However, Erna is doubtful whether there is space for Rock Kaka, considering what happened to it. “Ada venue ka? I don’t know where it’s safe to put up the show without people wanting to burn it down.”

(ZS)

(corrected)