flock

flock is part of an ongoing exploration which looks into tactics of appearance and demeanor, specifically in considering the relationship between objects, bodies, and community, and their effect on safety. The series title presents itself as response to the frequent mass extermination of pigeons that takes place in broad daylight in Singapore. Reportedly led by licensed pest-control contractors with approval from local authorities, these operations have provoked much debate about the ethics of this method of dealing with “pests”. There are uncanny parallels between the perceptions of pigeons—often vilified as persistent, contagious disease carriers whose copulation is constantly monitored—and orthodox representations of marginalized identities. Like the pigeons, those residents of Singapore who do not conform to rigid social expectations must survive under constant surveillance, in an environment hostile to their very existence. They must navigate guilt, shame, and desire, all while code-switching on a daily basis simply to survive.

This series of photographs portrays a group of youths enjoying moments of leisure while adorned in heavily embellished headgear. Ubiquitous objects like potted plants, badminton nets, and assorted balls appear as props in close proximity to these masked and unidentified bodies. To create the headgear, the Singaporean artists Khairullah Rahim and Angela Guo used welding masks, an object which functions to protect a user’s eyes, face, and neck from flash burn, ultraviolet and infrared light, sparks, and heat. The materials were sourced from Boon Lay, a working-class neighborhood in Singapore, and later manipulated to appear desirable, fabulous, flamboyant, and sparkly, especially in the shade. While many associate light with safety, it often shines more intensely on some than others. Under close scrutiny, other elements on the headgear reveal themselves to be light-reflective objects that enable safety and protection—road reflectors, blind-spot mirrors, and handrails, for example. Here, Rahim and Guo are drawn to how light and hyper-visibility may be turned into diversionary strategies for disadvantaged communities, by shielding individuals instead of disclosing or outing them, or giving them away. By virtue of their garish beauty, the headgear pieces attract attention while simultaneously masking those who wear them, thus acting as a kind of diversion or decoy.

Khairullah Rahim works across mixed-media installation, object-making, painting, photography and moving image. He is a graduate of Rutgers University with an MFA in Visual Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts in 2023.

Angela Guo is an artist who straddles between commercial, editorial, and fine art photography. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from LASALLE College of the Arts in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London.