This photo exhibit flows with Klang River's stories, climate challenges

A fishermen proud of his haul for the day in the Klang River. This photograph is part of Pagano's 'Klang River - Wandering Along The Water' exhibit at Alliance Francaise in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Serge Pagano

A fisherman, knee-deep in the river, proudly hauls his day’s catch in a net. An old television set is nestled among a riverbank’s rocks. A Muslim cemetery, looking quiet and peaceful, can be seen nearby.

These are just a few of the 30 black and white photographs (50cm x 70cm) taken by Kuala Lumpur-based French photographer Serge Pagano, which are currently on display at cultural centre Alliance Francaise in KL.

Pagano’s solo exhibition, titled Klang River - Wandering Along The Water, which runs until March 8, offers a photographic survey of the Klang River, from its source to the mouth, with the goal of better life in the margins of the capital city.

This is a monochromatic show that gives viewers a rare glimpse of urban communities not usually seen or mentioned in relation to Kuala Lumpur’s contemporary story, which is often told through colourful murals and light show projections.

Stream of life

In that sense, Pagano’s study is not so much about the river as it is about the people, life, sights, and surroundings that he discovered along the Klang River.

An abandoned TV set is seen by a riverbank, a glimpse of the rubbish and debris clogging up our urban rivers. Photo: Serge Pagano

“I loved doing this work on the Klang River, I was able to get in touch with the inhabitants, discuss with them, observe them and see how much the river has a great importance on their everyday life.

“This exhibition is a tribute to the beauty of the natural resources and the biodiversity of the Klang River. The river is a landmark of identity, it is the memory of a place,” says Pagano, 54, whose career has included stints at press agencies and international publications.

The nearly 120km long Klang River, which flows through the densely populated Klang Valley, was once dubbed the dirtiest river in the country. But since 2016, efforts such as the Selangor Maritime Gateway project have been introduced to clean and rejuvenate the Klang River.

Pagano, however, was not necessarily interested in highlighting the state of the river for this exhibition.

“I was more interested in everything that was within a radius of 200m around the river – people, housing, road, vegetation, bridges.”

The Klang River originates from the Klang Gates Quartz ridge in Gombak, 25km northeast of Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Serge Pagano

When possible, he took photographs every 100m along his walking route.

“Stroll, observe, stop. My walks along the river made me discover the changes of atmosphere and the waltz of the clouds. I admired the ease in which the Klang River threads its way through Kuala Lumpur... to come out more powerful and, alas, (also) polluted,” says Pagano, who has been living in KL since 2018.

He started photographing the Klang River in September 2019 and within the span of a year, he amassed nearly 35,000 photos. He used a digital camera and film cameras, such as a rolleiFlex, the mechanical medium format hasselblad 501c and a panoramic 6x12.

A wider ecological message Pagano’s photo exhibit also conveys an environmental message that goes beyond the gallery space.

The monorail line at Kelana Jaya line runs over the Klang River. Photo: Serge Pagano

“Malaysia holds this treasure, this ecological heritage of water, in a world in full demographic expansion where nearly a billion people do not have access to drinking water. It becomes more than urgent to protect and clean up the rivers.

“With its enormous ecological potential, the Klang River should be seen as a good resource to turn to. By respecting the river, we are also looking to the future,” says Pagano.

In light of the flash floods that devastated many parts of the country last December, especially in the Klang Valley, this series of photographs also point to the massive task ahead to rehabilitate and keep our rivers clean.

“Humans must realise that they themselves are dependent on the world in which they live. But it must be taken into account that human behaviour shapes the terrestrial environment. Man does not live in nature as evolution has forged it, he lives in a transformed natural environment and in a social and cultural environment that he has forged.

A fisherman wading through the water in the Klang River, near Jalan Enggang, Taman Keramat in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Serge Pagano

“When I look at the people who live near the Klang River they are mostly happy, they are in direct contact with their environment.

"And it is in interaction with the terrestrial environment that life appears and is maintained. The Klang River is part of their life. This is what I try to show in my photographs,” says Pagano.

His dream is scale up this exhibit in the future, with the 287 photographs, handpicked from his vast collection.

“A large exhibition will allow Malaysians to marvel at the beauty that surrounds them.”

To coincide with this exhibition, Pagano has also published a photobook, Klang River - Wandering Along The Water, which includes all 287 images from this project.

Klang River – Wandering Along The Water is on at Alliance Francaise, Lorong Gurney, off Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra in KL until March 8. Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday (10am - 5pm).