Dhavinder Singh

Test Tanah
Moutou Artist Run Space 2019

Tower cranes, often seen as symbols of progress, take on a darker meaning in my work as symbols of destruction and loss. In Kuala Lumpur, a city shaped by relentless overdevelopment, these cranes represent how greed and corruption often overshadow the need to preserve history and heritage. In my work, the crane becomes a paradox: a tool of precision and ambition, but also a cause of fragmentation and erasure. As historic buildings and cultural spaces are destroyed, the city is left in a state of flux—caught between the ghosts of its past and empty promises of its future. This piece questions the cost of rapid urbanisation. What is lost when cultural memory is erased for short-term profit? Can a city truly thrive if it forgets its roots? By focusing on destruction rather than construction, my work challenges the romantic idea of progress. It invites reflection on the delicate balance between development and preservation—and the deeper consequences of prioritising profit over identity and place.

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