When a sculpture is torn down
Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
My View - The Sun Daily
July 12, 2016
ONE man's peak is another man's pits just about describes what is left of Puncak Purnama, or Lunar Peaks, the celebrated sculpture by National Art Laureate Datuk Syed Ahmad Syed Jamal.
Syed Ahmad was honoured as laureate in 1995 for his immense achievements in the world of Malaysian art and culture. He was 82 when he passed away at his residence in Gombak on July 3, 2011. Syed Ahmad is survived by his wife, Datin Hamidah Mohd Noor, and two sons.
His works are regarded as a "traditional treasure" or "heritage" that frame and affirm national and cultural identity of the country and its proud people. The themes that Syed Ahmad worked on reflect much of the country's well-being from its independence to that of national development in particular during the tenure of the fourth prime minister. He became a household name during the era of Malaysian modern art.
The sculpture, Puncak Purnama, was commissioned by the United Malayan Banking Corporation (UMBC) and was completed in 1986, and unveiled at UMBC Park in Kuala Lumpur before it was presented to KL City Hall as a "gift from UMBC to the masses".
"It was a wonderful piece of art, a sculpture so well-recognised in KL through the generations," Zain Azahari, former chairman of UMBC, was quoted as saying. He had hand-picked Syed Ahmad, then 56, for the commission.
Arguably, it was one of Kuala Lumpur's most prominent public sculptures and would be welcomed in cities proud of their heritage.
Lunar Peaks was linked to the history of aerospace technology and the lunar landing of 1969. The original material used was pyroceram glass allegedly developed by NASA. "The US embassy and Wisma Putra worked towards securing this material for Syed Ahmad to use," said Zanita Anuar, director of the National Visual Arts Gallery (NVAG).
The sculpture had made headlines in 1996 when modifications were made to it by altering the ceramic glass to stainless steel, allegedly without notifying Syed Ahmad or seeking his consent. He took the case to court and won a civil suit against the then KL mayor for infringement of "the artist's moral rights". The stainless steel facade was later removed, exposing the sculpture's concrete body.
When the current mayor reportedly declared that "the structure was in bad shape" he was reiterating its derelict state (despite claims of being "upgraded") rendering the sculpture reportedly "unsafe".
This and other statements from a minister the following day set the stage for the tragedy – the demolition of a cultural heritage dedicated to the masses. "A regrettable move considering the iconic status of the sculpture," lamented NVAG chairman Datuk Mahadzir Lokman on July 4 at a news conference.
One would have thought that there is a precedent to be learnt, but unfortunately not! Not just the physical and cultural loss is considered deplorable, more so the lack of adab. Many people were left speechless by what had happened, especially members of Syed Ahmad's family, who said that they were not informed of the move by City Hall and were upset when they found out that the sculpture had been destroyed.
Syed Ahmad's son Syed Nabil said that the family only found out on July 1 that his father's sculpture had been demolished. Hamidah admitted that there were no words to describe how she felt. The impact was understandably devastating.
The tearing down of an invaluable art piece dedicated to the people not only leaves behind a pile of rubble but also broken hearts and hurt feelings. The scars run deep and it will be difficult to forget this tragedy.
Resorting to legal argument may not be the end of it all if "the moral rights" of the artist are not given due respect. It is this issue that is today in short supply and makes the absence of decorum and etiquette a larger concern as the lack of adab becomes the order of the day even at the most august of places, and for the most sacred of issues. In this context, Puncak Purnama is one such manifestation where one man's "peak" becomes another man's "pits" sans adab. Sad indeed.