Lan Fang Chronicles is a project inspired by the histories of the 18th century Lan Fang Republic (1777-1884) founded by Hakka Chinese in Chinese in West Borneo. Today it is nothing more than a fading legend for its living descendents. The project investigates the concept of ‘insignificant histories’, and its obscure parallels with the Singapore story. Lan Fang Chronicles 2012 will present perspect
ives of the Republic’s existence through an installation performance surrounding a series of speculative artifacts, archival materials and audio-visual installation. While the installation performance traces the path the Republic takes, it also meanders into the future and a pseudo-mythical past to explore Lan Fang’s potential. Likewise, each narrative draws from fact and fiction, memories and forgeries, history and myth – all to reconstruct what is and ultimately, to tell the story of what was, and what could have been the Lan Fang Republic.
