A New Chapter by Kenny Toh,
March 2006
Every once in awhile, life needs a renewal, some sort of a new chapter.
Last week, Gone Fishing began yet another new chapter. Once again, it was
transformed into a new space with a new coat of paint and an amazing
collection of images detailing the journey to top of the world by one of
our regular patron and friend, Stefen Chow, a mountaineer and extreme
photographer.
I painted the graffiti-filled walls with mixed feelings. It was
heart-wrenching to watch these doodles that had been penned by patrons
over the years since we began in October 2002, gradually being concealed
beneath a new layer of white wash. At the same time, my heart was filled
with a great sense of renewal. The walls had never been that clean for a
long time (although remnants of the old graffiti is still visible). At
last, a new canvas is created for those who are longing to fulfill their
needs for the freedom of self-expression. After all, we were running out
of wall space and many had asked, “When are you going to repaint the
wall?”.
Part of me wants to preserve the writings till eternity, while another
part acknowledges that we sometimes need to give up the old stuffs to make
room for the new. I realized that what matters more is not the
preservation of the ‘physical wall’, but the spirit of freedom of
expression. The Berlin wall were once filled with great works of art, but
eventually gave way to freedom and unity.
Renewal is essential in our lives for it creates space for change and
growth. While it might be difficult to put our past in the past, let
bygones be bygones, it might well be the only sensible way to live. We may
cherish the memories of our past, but seek not to hang on to them or yearn
relive those moments. As Soren Kierkegaard once said, “Life can only be
understood backwards but must be live forward”, lets make the most of the
present to create a future that we desire which will soon also become our
past.
Meanwhile, do visit PhotoGallery@GoneFishing for a new
experience, and be awe-inspired by Stefen’s solo exhibition entitled,
“Climbing the Human Spirit ~ An Everest Journey”. Exhibition is on now
till 31 March 2006.
Have a great time with your
new chapter in life!