Langkawi’s Old Hospital Fragments Reborn Through Art

By Mohd Afiq Zulkifli

LANGKAWI, May 23 (Bernama) -- Piles of timber, aged beams and construction debris left behind at the site of the old Kuah Hospital and Clinic may appear worthless to some, but to young architect Muhammad Ismail Rahim, they carry stories waiting to be told.

Through his installation artwork titled ‘Nafas Tanah’ (Breath of the Earth), the 34-year-old artist breathes new life into the physical remnants of the old building, transforming them into a medium that revives memories and reconnects the community with a space slowly disappearing from Langkawi’s landscape.

Muhammad Ismail, who hails from Kemaman, Terengganu, said witnessing the demolition of the old hospital firsthand left a deep emotional impact on him and prompted him to salvage pieces of the structure before they vanished forever.

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“I often talk about how we frequently demolish old buildings with historical value, but when it happened right before my eyes, I felt compelled to do something.

“The most immediate thing I could do at that moment was to gather as much physical evidence as possible, such as wood, stones and construction materials, before everything disappeared,” he told Bernama recently.

‘Nafas Tanah’ is being showcased as part of the 29th edition of Bakat Muda Sezaman (BMS29), organised by the National Art Gallery, which runs until July 26 at several locations around Langkawi, including Pantai Taman Lagenda, Pulau Tuba Jetty, an abandoned building near the Kuah night market site and the Teluk Kedak Lake Recreational Park.

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Muhammad Ismail, who holds a Master’s degree in Architecture from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Puncak Alam, said his background as an architect strongly influences the way he interprets spaces and structures.

To him, the old Kuah Hospital and Clinic was far more than an abandoned building. It embodied layers of memory, history and long-standing community connections.

“When I attended the BMS29 workshop in November last year, the building was still standing although it was no longer in use. But throughout my time in Langkawi, the demolition continued gradually.

“When I returned in February, the entire site had already been flattened. By then, I managed to collect some of the wood and materials that could still be salvaged. The challenge was figuring out how to give them a new meaning,” he said.

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Muhammad Ismail initially planned to build a wakaf or traditional resting platform for public use, but various site limitations eventually led the idea to evolve into a temporary installation instead.

He said the artwork took about five days to complete beginning April 29, with assistance from local craftsmen, while also requiring him to carefully reorganise and reconstruct the uneven pieces of reclaimed timber.

“For me, this artwork serves as a bridge before something disappears completely and before it transforms into something new.

“It is like a temporary monument marking that phase of loss,” he said.

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The father of two added that the installation also functions as a “memory holder” for a place gradually fading from Langkawi’s physical landscape.

Even after the exhibition ends, the installation structure will be repurposed into a resting platform and handed over to the Langkawi Senior Citizens Activity Centre (PAWE) for community use.

Admitting that the greatest challenge was not merely technical, Muhammad Ismail said the emotional aspect was far more overwhelming as he witnessed how a place filled with stories and memories could disappear in an instant.

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“If these materials had not been collected, everything would simply have vanished without a trace.

“At least through this artwork, something remains to remind us that the place once existed,” he said.

For Muhammad Ismail, ‘Nafas Tanah’ is more than an artwork made from old timber. It is a modest effort to ensure that the memory of the old Kuah Hospital and Clinic continues to breathe in a new form.

-- BERNAMA