View Road Hospital

"1975 - The first batch of 35 patients set foot in View Road Hospital, a psychiatric facility with 250 beds for the rehabilitation of patients with chronic schizophrenia. Ward 21 of WH was converted into a new psychiatric Outpatient Department while Ward 23 became a medical ward."
- Taken from IMH Online website.

Most everybody knows about Woodbridge Hospital, but little is known about View Road Hospital. Situated at the end of View Road, off Admiralty Road West, it's the kind of place that you'd easily miss, even IF you drive past that area every day. Even in today's highly urbanised and developed Singapore, the hospital site is still very secluded, so you can imagine how far-off from everywhere it must've been some 30 years ago. The only other mental institution more isolated could've been the one that was situated on St. John's Island.

Addendum:
Not long after I shot this series, I found out about this site: http://adoseoflight.com/overdose/xiaokang.html

It's very, very well done. Very poignant. One of the very few that makes the hairs on my back stand on end. Apparently the photographer committed suicide while shooting that roll.

I recognised that some of the images were ones that I've seen on some local website, and admittedly, I paid scant attention to those then. I went to the site to capture images of the place, just to have a feel of how people must've felt under those circumstances. I had absolutely no idea of the tragedy that happened there, nor the knowledge that such a genius once frequented those grounds, perhaps looking for solace, or certain answers in his life. It's kinda spooky knowing that I may have treaded upon his footprints that were left there not long ago.

My initial discovery of Xiaokang's tribute site was one of "Wow! Holy sh*t! This is great stuff!" But as I read more into the photographs I see, I feel as if I'm suddenly encased within a cloud of silence. I've never been made to think so deeply about photographs before.

I was simply speechless. Stunned. And still am.

***SECOND ADDENDUM - 02 July 2007***
The Wu Xiao Kang Hoax

Last night, my colleagues and I were just talking about this "Xiao Kang" character, just as a conversation topic about photography, about life, and such.

I like taking pictures of the old and forgotten places in Singapore, not because I like to chase spooks like the good folk at SP*, but to make a link between our present and our past. If I could, I'd try to imagine what it must've been like when these complexes were functioning during they heyday. That's the reason why I often shoot alone.

View Road Hospital was a real find for me. I hadn't known about Xiao Kang yet. But it was tucked away at some corner of Singapore and I knew I had to go there because surely, there would've been stories to be told within those walls. Shortly after the shoot, I found out about "Xiao Kang". I was profoundly and immensely affected by what I saw and the intensity of these thoughts and feelings never subsided whenever I had a chance to think about that day when I explored the compound.

And now, the revelation (Straits Times, Monday July 2nd 2007, Life! Section page 7) that the whole thing was a hoax has left me with feelings that range from utter disgust and disappointment right down to utter disillusionment about all I've been trying to do. To those "artists" concerned, no matter how you want to slice it or dice it, as far as I am concerned

YOU GUYS ARE LIARS. Liars through and through.

You've toyed with the emotions and feelings of many, and have EXPLOITED the mentally ill for your own sick, selfish, personal gains. For the sake of art? For "giving exposure" to the plight of these people? That's just all bullshit that you're spinning to justify your perverted actions. You've played everybody for a bunch of saps. The only thing you've now achieved is to increase scepticism and cynicism that is already endemic in this population. In my book, you guys are no better than those who peddle child pornography.

So who are you helping now, huh?