"Kolong-kolong Tidak Makan Orang" ("The Kolongs Do Not Eat People") is a three-channel expanded cinema installation that represents the culmination of Kenenza's year-long research into the speculative and alternative history of tin mining in Singkep, Riau Islands, and the subsequent post-colonial and economic migrations of her family, all within the context of the island’s landscape.

 

Kenenza's investigation into tin mining migration was triggered by the revelation that her great-great-grandfather, Tan Sin Kiat, who was born and raised in Semarang and later migrated to Singkep, is buried in Bukit Brown, Singapore, while the rest of her family remains on Singkep Island.The film presents fragmented visuals and a poetic narrative concerning the remnants of tin mining in Singkep, including the Kolong—abandoned, water-filled mining pits believed by locals to be alive. These visuals are juxtaposed with archival images and contemporary scenes from the island.

 

The film is divided into three parts: it begins with vivid descriptions of the grave’s discovery, progresses to evocative discussions among the tin miner’s family about Tan Sin Kiat and preparations for the Qin Ming rituals on the island, and concludes with a reflective response to a speculative critical letter that had never been received.The traces of mining history explored in the film form the basis for Kenenza's speculative and narrative exploration, weaving together historical and contemporary threads in a cyclical manner.

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In the collection of Woon Brothers Foundation, Singapore