One of You Has Expired presents the Chinese internet expression “又双叒叕” (yòu shuāng ruò zhuó) in the format of a couplet (with The Right Hand of You). The expression is a duplication of the character “又” (yòu), meaning “again”. With ten “又” in total, the phrase refers to the idea of repetition to the point of frustration. The internet expression was first used by the online Chinese-language edition of The Asahi Shimbun (a Japanese media platform) in 2012, following the persistent change of prime minister in Japan. The expression has since gained wide currency for its inventiveness in articulating a phenomenon that repeats itself, again and again. One of You Has Expired extends the artist’s commentary on the recursive nature of contemporary politics and culture. In tandem with the earlier installation You Again (2022)— produced in the midst of political crisis in Malaysia (2020–2022)—this piece reiterates the ambivalent experience of repetition through the living finish of patinaed copper.

*The calligraphic style of One of You Has Expired is digitally constructed based on select works of Tsue Ta Tee (1903–1974), a Nanyang calligrapher known for his innovative combination of ancient and modern scripts.