The Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Stonehenge in Wiltshere, The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, are among many of the world's most famous monuments. These monuments are gazed in awe by millions of inhabitants of large cities and tourists everyday. People draw meaning through the symbolism derived from them.

Often we hear stories of couples proposing on top of the Eiffel tower. In July this year, Danny Way soared across the impenetrable Great Wall of China on a skateboard. Monuments are not the normal orgy of iron, brick and mortar. They are the subjects to be conquered by those who dare, and revered by those who don't. Monuments have become the pride of nations.

Back home, artist Nadiah Bamadhaj and activist Tian Chua find it hard to relate to any local monuments. To them, it seems that many local monuments inscribes values and ideologies in line with the powers-that-be which misrepresents the real symbolism and story behind such architecture.

"As soon as the building goes up it is history. It will represent you well past your death. If it represents you in a way you don't want to be represented, your thoughts, feelings and concerns die with you, and what stands in your place is the brick and mortar propaganda of what you are," they say.

And hence their pet project, 147 years after Merdeka, a cheeky digital artwork exhibition featuring a somewhat politically-correct glimpse of the most prominent architecture and monuments of Malaysia in 2012.

The duo, who are old friends, initially sat down and started talking about what this country would look like 100 years from now. They finally decided that since some architectural works would probably stand the test of time, they would paint a possible future of KL's many monuments.

The centrepiece of the exhibition, is a digitally enhanced version of the Prime Minister's office in Putrajaya, Perdana Putra. Gone are the glossy finish on the walls and the radiance from the blue dome on the roof. Instead, Nadiah and Tian envision in the future, the billion-ringgit architecture will become the Malaysian version of Angkor Wat, complete with overgrowth, copious amounts of green moss and cracks on the walls.

Tian explains that in this alternate reality, the people of Malaysia have abandoned and forgotten about the administrative capital, much like how ancient foreign invaders had when they conquered new territories.

"When archaeologists in the future uncover this 'historical monument', they would begin to study it and try to comprehend the civilisation that constructed it, like how we study ancient civilisations today," he says.

Perdana Putra, explains Tian, would ultimately give people in the future of this scenario, the wrong understanding of our civilisation. According to Tian, the middle-eastern and Malay characteristics of the building does not reflect Malaysia's multi-racial culture as a whole, and that people have trouble relating to it as it is.

Another piece, features the National Monument - Tugu Negara. At first glance, it doesn't look radically different from the real thing. However, Tian points out that all the domes in the background are missing and the wordings have been vastly altered.

"The Tugu Negara essentially shows Caucasian soldiers in Australian hats trampling over bodies of mata sepet (slitty eyed) communists, something rarely noticed by Malaysians. Similarly, we removed the domes in this picture to symbolise the secularism of Malaysia," says Tian.

Other notable mentions exhibited includes the hilarious take on the monumental wau (Malay traditional kite) that is arched over the North-South highway, and an artwork featuring a huge poster on University Malaya's Chancellor Hall, demanding an end to discrimination of foreign students.

What these two individuals are attempting here is not to belittle great works of the past, but encourage audiences to reflect on the true meaning and history behind them. Despite actually having seen Tugu Negara up close, I never have noticed that there was nothing really nationalistic about having foreign colonialists claiming glory for the nation.

Nadiah and Tian's piece on Tugu Negara also informs the spectator that this symbol of nationalism was in fact the creation of Austrian sculptor Felix de Weldon, who probably found it hard to truly understand the complexities of Malaysia in the 1960's when the monument was conceived.

Nadiah and Tian's brave works provides a opportunity for introspection of where we are today, and the possible pitfalls in the future, by avoiding viewing our social surroundings at face value.

147 Tahun Merdeka was first exhibited at Cemeti Art House in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2004. However, this is the first time the works are being displayed in Malaysia. The exhibition runs until 24 September 2005, located Reka Art Space, Kelana Jaya. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.