The Tongue Has no Bone

An exhibition to interpret the diverse nature of ‘language’ by Tan Zi Hao, a Malaysian artist.

The formation of one ‘national state’ is, of course, inevitably an important element of ‘diversity’. Whatever the variety of ethnicities, cultures, and languages, despite the commonly agreed rules of mediation, there are strange variations in different locations.

Many times, diversity has shaped the identity of the nation as a central nucleus, but there are not many cases where diversity is critically questioned under the lens of “peace.” Many times, there is a central agency that sets such a criterion. 

And the art exhibition ‘The Tongue Has no Bone’, Tan Zi Hao’s second solo exhibitions at the A+ Works of Art gallery, invites visitors to explore the definitions of linguistic diversity that affect social diversity in various parts of Malaysia. 

This exhibition, ‘The Tongue Has no Bone’, is inspired by the dialect of the mantra that ‘Lidah Tak Bertulang’ or ‘boneless tongue’ describes the nature of speech transmitted through uncontrollable organs. It is a reminder to think before taking any words out every time, but, on the contrary, society gives back confidence to this uncontrôlable speech through the tongue that can be both you and the guilty. Step across the diverse language and cultural walls of the Mantua people. 

Every time in Malaysian society, the subject of controversy over languages awakened people from sleep about their expertise in Hindi, their interest in the constitution of schools teaching local languages, and the visibility of the multi-language public badges, resulting in fierce contention. As a well-known tool to bridge gaps, languages have planted conflict unintentionally. This frustration is often caused by a fundamental failure to enforce a unified language throughout Malaysia.

The diversity that has been laid as an obstacle to peace can be transmitted, as well as reputation, power, and sudden murder, to a mixture of expert languages, which can lead to interpretations that lead to confusion in the end.

And even if the speaker has a sincere intention, the language cannot guarantee that he can present the message honestly. To be honest, it is the nature of the language of uncertainty and the struggle to determine where it is clear that it must always be ‘translated’. Tan Zi Hao, the exhibition artist, wants to communicate the awareness of self-understanding and to understand that language and self-interpretation are not always correct. It is necessary to have an open mind, to listen honestly to the identities of others and oneself, to be gentle, and to touch the real flesh. 

Although human beings have been using languages for hundreds of thousands of years to communicate, in one sense, they are far from being the most powerful means of understanding each other. Languages and cultures indicate the origin, attitudes, and notions of the speaker at a time, especially in Malaysia, with its immense linguistic, ethnic, and cultural diversity, where different languages can become dangerous, and it can be something that builds peace and understanding if we consider the nature of ‘languages’ and ‘langues’ with a gentle heart and understanding. 

Artist history

Tan Zi Hao (born 2532 in Malaysia) is an artist, writer, researcher, and scholar. His work covers a wide range of topics, ranging from cross-language practices and imaginary creatures to posthuman entanglement. As an active artist in various disciplines, he also holds a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore. His academic work has been published in ARTMargins, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, Indonesia and the World, the Malay Journal of South Asia Studies, Bijdragen de Land en Volkunde, etc.

Recent exhibitions include: Prosthetic Memories, A+ Works of Art, Malaysia, 2023; Dream of the Day, Ilham Gallery, Malawi, 2023; Synthetic Condition, UP Vargas Museum, Philippines, 2022; Kathmandu Triennale 2077, Nepal, 2022; Phantasmapolis: 2021 Asian Art Biennial, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan, 2021. In 2023, Tan’s work was selected for the Singapore Art Museum S.E.A. Focus Art Fund.