In Venice, minimalist Singapore show speaks volumes

Continued from Page 20

A crucial section of Pulp III deals with vanishing languages of the world, such as kristang, which was once commonly spoken by Singapore and Malacca's Eurasian communities. Rao says: "I don't know how many people realise this, but we lose a language every 14 days. That's a major form of extinction that's almost impossible to roll back."

The accompanying film at the exhibition features Singapore writer Melissa De Silva reading aloud from a book of idioms in kristang. There are also conversations with Singapore researcher Faris Joraimi on the cultural politics and intellectual history of the Malay world, as well as an interview with the Italian professor of book history Mario Infelise on the historical connections between access to knowledge and political power.