Bukit Bintang & Hypatia

Theme: Imagination is not equivalent to Reality

Interpretation of Hypatia:

Words told that Hypatia was a beautiful city, and the traveler knows it well, but things changed in time.

The traveler thought he would still able to find what he sought and indulge in Hypatia, where nature was

at its best and beauties were to be founded ahead. What awaits him were all gone when he visited and

this completely torn him down with what he expected, so much that he had to seek people from the

above for justice because what he seen were not he was told. Quoted in the paragraph, “Signs form a

language, but not the one you think you know.” Traveler had to free himself from the images which was

shown and announced to him in the past, only then he would understand the language of Hypatia. He

knows what he sought in this city has no longer exist. He left with great disappointment and his only

desire was to leave this city.

Interpretation of KL:

Same scenario depicted by the I.Calvino are happening in KL as well, taking its steps and slowly

shadowing the essence of the colorful Bukit Bintang. And as mention in Hypatia, ” , “Signs form a

language, but not the one you think you know.” This is relates to the idol chosen, Raphael who

suggested Platonism which to connect people to see only physical objects, but these physical objects do

not tell the intended interpretation of themselves. As many has publicized Bukit Bintang as part of a

prosperous metropolis due to its fast-developing township, diversity of multi-racial society, colorful

cultures and built structures that suggest activities has brought hassle into the place. More and more

development is done to give Bukit Bintang a brand new image in order to stay up trended and attracts

more people. The Bukit Bintang might look well developed, but slowly it deteriorate and take away the

true image and the real essence of the city.

KL is trying to portrait its best image of an organized and civilized city, but people living in this city still

remember the past where reminiscence echoes how colorful KL once was. New buildings are

constructed repetitively and replace the originality and the spirit of the space. The heritage buildings

were torn down and it was said to create spaces for better development. The demolishment and

reconstruction repeats with no control. The overwhelming structures become clusters of sky reaching

vertical giants, building up the walls and barriers the lights. The folks lost their direction in this labyrinth

of duplicated concretes and mirrors, and at the same time they are trying to find their way home in this

fast pacing city. Local cultures and business were replaced by foreigner workers. People lost the desire

to stay in this soulless city and started moving out of this city. The city’s image is being replaced and

losing it identity. How is it called a better image with all these scenes mentioned above? Imagine in a

century to come, the streets become invisible blinded by the built structures in repetition, covered by

overlapping layers of new signages and turning city into an apocalypse playground. In the search of a

utopian future, the devastation comes in the way and draws the city towards a dystopia instead. The

once colorful KL weeps in the noise of the busy voids. It becomes like what happened to the traveller,

where all these imagination of a better place in the past can be no longer found in the future.

LIM JIAN JUN 0316867