house with a story

old whitewashed "Bethany"

 Houses tell a story.

We made a visit to Villa Alicia, a project of art photography (portraiture) held in the old home of Dr. Nalla Tan, a well regarded and prominent physician. For a week from 6th August, the photography installation will be held at 43 Binjai Park, the family house of Dr. Nalla Tan. After this exhibition, the house sold by the family will be demolished.

a long driveway

The rustic house (1950s) is located two roads away from us, has always captured P's interest whenever we drive by. On its gate, it carries the name "Bethany".  Old houses like this, draw our interest as to its history and the stories they tell. We were delighted to know that an art exhibition is being held there and is open to public. We drove there on Saturday, late afternoon, the first day of the exhibition. Already there were a few cars parked along the road. The house has an extremely wide frontage with two gates, one to enter and another to exit. In its original condition, the external walls whitewashed in white and there are a few short trees and bushes sparsely situated around.

We were guided through the exhibits. Without the guide we may not be able to appreciate the art form.  We  walked through The Dining Room, where Dr. Nalla used to enjoy entertaining her friends, we see it in pictures left around; The Kitchen has a simple table with a single setting of a melamine bowl and a mug, Dr Nalla Tan has for many years been suffering from Alzheimer disease. She moves around in a wheelchair. The furniture in the rooms are old and rather forlorn, a chair with a broken back still kept in her bedroom. Why, asked one of the visitors. It's because she has lost most of her memories, she needs the familiarity of the oldness and the past.

family album on the paino

As we moved from room to room, we noticed on the walls, some pencilled scribbles, these are to remind her who are in the photographs. She was an avid painter and some of her works are displayed - her first oil painting. An old photo album with faded black and white pictures of the family, was placed on the piano for us to have a glimpse of their past.

scribbles on the wall

On a table, lay some of her personal records - a diary containing "those harried scribbles by hand, those precious remnants of her fast-fading thoughts in a time not from her Alzheimer's riddled days," (wrote the artist). Indeed the "musty smell of well-worn pages" waft as we gently turn them.

first oil painting

We are really impressed by this artist's installation, its originality and creativity convey vividly and intensely memories of the past. It tells so well the loneliness and sorrow of a brilliant mind ebbing away, much of it stolen by a dreaded disease.

P.S. Villa Alicia, is the title of a short novel written by Dr. Nalla Tan, aptly this has been selected to be the project name, by the artist herself named Alecia Neo.