In the latest artwork of light artist Jun Ong, the amorphous sprawl of Klang Valley is reframed into a picture of whimsy and wonder. Neon beams and discarded shapes transform familiar locale into surreal, otherworldly landscapes. The interplay of scrap metal, electronic boards, and plastics erects an elevation of artificial crystals, blurring the lines between the natural and the man-made.
Krystal Valley, an immersive topographical artwork at the National Art Gallery’s Hanya Satu: Single exhibition, reimagines the urban agglomeration as a place not for the disposal of waste materials but of mineral abundance. Drawing inspiration from the morphology of crystals and the memories of found objects, Ong establishes a profound connection between humans, history, and geology.
Adding depth to this unique display, the 36-year-old exercises his lighting prowess to give it a space-age ambience and incorporates understated sound elements to connect the physical aspects of the installation. The result, mirroring Ong’s spotless track record, is expectedly extraordinary. In attendance for the opening night of the showcase, we sat down with the artist for some trash talk.
Can you tell us what initially sparked the idea for this piece and how the concept evolved?
The National Art Gallery invited me to participate in this program that they’ve been doing for the past few years, Hanya Satu: Single. There is no brief but usually, you would do something that the artist is known for. For me, my work usually revolves around lighting. That being said, I wanted to showcase something completely different. That’s why I came up with the idea to focus on crystals. It’s an interest of mine that I never had the chance to explore. I wanted to look at how the concept of geology can be presented through lighting and found objects.
Do you believe in the metaphysical properties of crystals or is their significance in Krystal Valley purely symbolic?
I don’t know. It’s kind of an exploration to understand what it does to us humans. I mean, we like to think that it fixes our problems but I haven’t really experienced that yet <laugh> But I think that’s why I’m doing this. A lot of my works are just reasons for me to explore a certain subject matter. That said, I do own some crystal pieces—moonstones, amethysts, and fluorides—and I do feel like they help in some ways. I mean, they are next to my bed for some reason. Whether it’s a placebo effect or whatever, I like to think that they calm me down.
What does the use of found objects mean to you in the context of memory and transformation?
I kind of looked at the idea of how crystals are formed. You know, they are very much part of the earth, we’re standing above them. They are formed through a combination of factors—nutrients, time, pressure, and the right kind of recipe to create what you see today as minerals. It’s a journey. For me, the process of making this artwork was a journey in itself. Nothing here is made out of real crystals. These found objects belonged to people at different times of their lives. They had been disposed of for certain reasons. So for me, it’s about putting together all of these different artefacts that had different stories and then giving them a new lease on life through these crystal objects.
Is there anything from your own wastebasket, so to speak?
Some of them are actually remnants of my past works. The materials are still there and I wanted to incorporate them here so that there is a continuation of those artworks. Others are quite personal. There is a pink crystal here that is peppered with charcoal from the temple across my house and the amethyst features torn-up photos from my childhood—I have my dad to thank for that. He helped remind me of the objects from when I was growing up. So it’s like a “if you know, you know” kind of thing and I wanted to make it very subtle.
What were some of the unique challenges in creating Krystal Valley?
I wanted the crystals to be in a size that is also comfortable to look at. I didn’t want them to be too big. So the first challenge was to think about how to present this work. I also wanted to incorporate the rockscape part of the crystals, instead of just putting crystals on typical gallery planes in this open space. Another challenge comes from the location itself. This space is super cool, it has a high ceiling with a lot of sunlight streaming in. But how do we make this light installation stand out? I wanted the work to look good when it’s dark and also when it’s bright, as in during daytime.
Light and sound play a significant role here. How did you approach integrating these elements?
Lighting plays an important role here because I want these textures on the crystals to come to life. I mean, if you look closer, some of the lights are actually embedded into the material itself. It very much becomes part of the relics, the found objects. As for the sound, there’s a soundscape built into this installation. I work with sound artist Jonah to curate this crystal bath sound that is very meditative but with a twist. Like, it’s got glitches, it’s got noises. The idea here is to intertwine city sounds synonymous with Klang Valley with the so-called calming vibrations from the crystals.
How do you balance the futuristic aesthetics and the theme of history in your creative process?
I’ll give you an example: There is one crystal piece here called fluoride that features an old motherboard from landline phones and CD players. There are also some blank CD-ROMs in the pink rhodonite. I wanted to incorporate this idea of old technology into the work. I want this experience to be multi-generational. The younger generation might see the work very differently as they might not be familiar with CD-ROMs. But for us, seeing those would bring a different feeling altogether. We know what they are and they remind us of that bit of history.
You have explored various mediums and techniques. How does Krystal Valley fit into your broader artistic journey and what discoveries did you encounter while creating this piece?
In terms of discovery, I’d say working with new materials. To create these crystal textures and skin, we had to explore different ways of making—by using resin, acrylic, foil, and incorporating the found objects. There’s also that learning curve in using colours as a lot of my works are kind of monochromatic, just white lights. I think this is probably the most labour-intensive and detail-oriented project that I’ve ever done. Everything was handmade; we fabricated every element ourselves in the studio.
How do you hope this exhibition will resonate with the viewers?
I want them to take an interest in the environment. I think that’s the most important takeaway here. Geology, save for the topic of crystals, is something that people don’t discuss much. It’s about our earth, and we should know what we’re standing on. It definitely teaches me to be more mindful of how I use my materials. I wouldn’t say I’m the greenest artist out there but it’s a step in the right direction. I’d like to be cautious about the materials I use and what happens after that as I do a lot of big-scale installations. So I need to think about where they all go after the period of commission.
What’s next for you?
Aside from the bunch of super cool activations that I am curating for Krystal Valley, I’m also handling a couple of public art projects overseas that will launch in the next few months. There’s the floating installation in Amsterdam, which is under construction as we speak, that is so exciting as it marks my first European project. I’m also spearheading a commission work in Shenzhen for a new waterfront development. But the scale of these two projects, unlike Krystal Valley, is a bit different, so I had to work with a bigger team to do it. But I’m pretty excited about them nonetheless.
Krystal Valley will be on view at the National Art Gallery until 11 November 2024, from 9 AM to 5 PM daily, with complimentary admission. For further details, visit www.junong.co or www.artgallery.gov.my.