Open Letter to the Nation of Josef Ng's
He lives in Shanghai now
and he’s doing fine.
He is a man of dignity and understands
about art and money better than most of you and me
i met him in the Shanghai gallery that he runs recently.
A stately gallery on the bund with a team of well educated ladies fluent in at least two languages
Well done Josef!! but
i can’t say if he is happy but he’s doing fine
in fact more than fine
cause he knows where to draw the line
the lines that draws blood
the lines of power and judge
the lines that speak from the artist’s heart
the lines that break the law and mother’s heart
“hey lee wen “, he gave me a line i will never forget,
“tell them i am fine,
i may have broken the law
but i did no wrong.”
he is fine dear
my dear nation of Singapore
a nation of fines
we lost a man of honour and sensitivity
an artist whose actions shook minds and hearts
asked questions of care and concern
intelligence and fair comment
with actions performed with unrehearsed theatre
of spontaneity in authentic plainness
real life in situ no need for skill nor dramatic art
what did we do to him?
it was 1994
enough enough
let us redress this error for ever more
he did no wrong
an individual of rare courage so strong
he dared to speak his mind while in silent apathy others watched on
did he really break the law?
must there be judgement based on the parallel of equations liken to math and algebra?
for are we not human homo emotional and, sapiens who knows what is what and what is not
what we saw were actions that knowingly knocked on questions hard and sore
surely not even a hint on erotic score?
surely non of obsessesion of flesh nor eros call?
surely the law is more than words on a page of thy holy queen long past their prime over our nation’s land and door?
surely we have come this far in higher consciousness and expressing our humane need to be of even higher heartfelt passion for our fellow beings even strangers in pain and suffering.?
surely Josef Ng’s actions were those that shook us for only our passionate return to those in need of redemption
when did he go wrong ?
where is the flaw?
it is now 20 years and 300 odd from when the queen gave nay pressed upon us that law
and surely had application not towards such a noble ritual that came forth on an eventful night of celebration
that our nation has arrived with the future
possible sons and daughters of hundred flowers
nay, a hundred sunflowers on one trunk
shall we not embrace what may be our rightful fortune of brightness
and cheerful pleasure yet to come
if only our hearts were open
that we should receive such genuine touch of risky edges of precocious flashes
instead of fearful thundering guns and canes
heavy insistence of absent intentions
to take aim and blame upon
Josef Ng
He is an artist
He is now a director of an art gallery in China
a human being with inquiry and responsibility
he is an important son of Singapore
with him i wish
with the future generation i pray
with the present optimism i want
to live on this land this home this nation
my nation in pride to walk in stride
with integrity and say i do yes i do
live in a fine country and people
maju lah!
Lee Wen
first published on 3 August 2013
http://republicofdaydreams.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/open-letter-to-the-nation-of-josef-ngs/
and he’s doing fine.
He is a man of dignity and understands
about art and money better than most of you and me
i met him in the Shanghai gallery that he runs recently.
A stately gallery on the bund with a team of well educated ladies fluent in at least two languages
Well done Josef!! but
i can’t say if he is happy but he’s doing fine
in fact more than fine
cause he knows where to draw the line
the lines that draws blood
the lines of power and judge
the lines that speak from the artist’s heart
the lines that break the law and mother’s heart
“hey lee wen “, he gave me a line i will never forget,
“tell them i am fine,
i may have broken the law
but i did no wrong.”
he is fine dear
my dear nation of Singapore
a nation of fines
we lost a man of honour and sensitivity
an artist whose actions shook minds and hearts
asked questions of care and concern
intelligence and fair comment
with actions performed with unrehearsed theatre
of spontaneity in authentic plainness
real life in situ no need for skill nor dramatic art
what did we do to him?
it was 1994
enough enough
let us redress this error for ever more
he did no wrong
an individual of rare courage so strong
he dared to speak his mind while in silent apathy others watched on
did he really break the law?
must there be judgement based on the parallel of equations liken to math and algebra?
for are we not human homo emotional and, sapiens who knows what is what and what is not
what we saw were actions that knowingly knocked on questions hard and sore
surely not even a hint on erotic score?
surely non of obsessesion of flesh nor eros call?
surely the law is more than words on a page of thy holy queen long past their prime over our nation’s land and door?
surely we have come this far in higher consciousness and expressing our humane need to be of even higher heartfelt passion for our fellow beings even strangers in pain and suffering.?
surely Josef Ng’s actions were those that shook us for only our passionate return to those in need of redemption
when did he go wrong ?
where is the flaw?
it is now 20 years and 300 odd from when the queen gave nay pressed upon us that law
and surely had application not towards such a noble ritual that came forth on an eventful night of celebration
that our nation has arrived with the future
possible sons and daughters of hundred flowers
nay, a hundred sunflowers on one trunk
shall we not embrace what may be our rightful fortune of brightness
and cheerful pleasure yet to come
if only our hearts were open
that we should receive such genuine touch of risky edges of precocious flashes
instead of fearful thundering guns and canes
heavy insistence of absent intentions
to take aim and blame upon
Josef Ng
He is an artist
He is now a director of an art gallery in China
a human being with inquiry and responsibility
he is an important son of Singapore
with him i wish
with the future generation i pray
with the present optimism i want
to live on this land this home this nation
my nation in pride to walk in stride
with integrity and say i do yes i do
live in a fine country and people
maju lah!
Lee Wen
first published on 3 August 2013
http://republicofdaydreams.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/open-letter-to-the-nation-of-josef-ngs/