222km is the distance between the railway junction in and its In 2016, Projek Keretapi Kita was initiated to begin documenting terminus in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore. The ‘Southern Line’ was opened the history of our railways. The project has since travelled across the in 1909, cutting deep through the interior of . British interests country photographing railway stations, recording memories, and doc- were eager to develop the rubber industry, and connect the Federated umenting the lives of men and women of our railways. Malay States(Perak, Selangor, and Pahang) with Sin- gapore. This venture saw the opening of vast new rubber estates, and Objects numerous settlements along the entire line. The railways were built on three elements: wood, steel/iron, and For more than a century the railway network across the peninsula labour. ‘222KM’ is a new collection of contact prints made in the remained relatively untouched. A land-swap deal between the govern- darkroom, which were then toned, varnished, and framed into blocks ments of and Singapore in 2011 shortened the line first to of kranji wood with stainless steel plates. The first row is a permanent Woodlands, and later . 222km is now 195km. record of station signboards on the Southern Line, while the second With the impending second phase of the double tracking project, features various railway scenes. most of the old stations along the southern line will be upgraded, and the single track replaced with two parallel tracks. Mahen Bala 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

Order of series 222KM 1. 562.5 Gemas 21. A line gang working on the tracks 2. 572.8 in 22. Old Johor Bahru station Artist: Mahen Bala 3. 588.25 4. 597 23. Segamat bridge Year: 2017 5. 606 Tenang 24. Temerloh 6. 618 25. Tenang station Size: 5” x 4.3” x 1.5” (x38) 7. 626.5 Lenek 26. Work in progress Material: Silver gelatin, stainless steel, kranji wood 8. 633.9 27. A small sign in Rengam 9. 647.8 28. Shuttle train waiting to leave the Edition: Unique 10. 655 new Gemas station 29. Arriving in First exhibited at the National Art Gallery as part of 11. 671.5 Kluang KL Biennale 2017 12. 678.2 30. ‘Awas - Kawasan gajah melintas’ 13. 690.2 Rengam 31. Rescue crane 14. 703.1 Layang-layang 32. Terkurung 15. 716.6 33. A final look at the single track 16. 726.4 Kulai 34. Family portrait in Paloh 17. 747.32 Baru 35. Rubber processing in Chamek 18. 757.9 Johor Bahru 36. Level crossing in Sedenak 19. 773.9 Bukit Timah 37. Old Gemas station 20 784.5 Tanjong Pagar/Singapura 38. Driving a diesel locomotive 5” 1.5”

67mm

54mm 4.3”

front view side view