Kindred Spirits: Jayashree Chakravarty and Lam Tung Pang in “Memento”

Chakravarty’s Personal Space (2001) is a monumental paper scroll that unfurls in mid-air, suspended several feet off the ground. The surface bears the lines and markings of a topographic map but possesses a veinous, gossamer texture that recalls reptilian shedded skin. Viewers can walk inside of the scroll’s main fold to be nearly enveloped by the grand, curtain-like swathes. Lam’s A day of two Suns (2019) consists of four projectors that cast images of mountains, flowers, and birds on both sides of an upright paper screen. Human figures drift alongside the projections of pale, slightly transparent wildflowers and fluttering birds that appear and then fade, momentarily forming atmospheric landscapes that recall Chinese ink shanshui paintings. Chakravarty’s and Lam’s fantastical yet slightly melancholy sceneries are unexpected representations of Kolkata and Hong Kong—two places more associated with rampant urbanization than nature.

“Memento” is one of the Asian Art Museum’s inaugural exhibitions, unveiling part of a USD 38 million expansion and rebranding project that includes a robust contemporary art program. The double feature of artists from Kolkata and Hong Kong marks the institution’s dedication to historically underrepresented regions in contemporary art. Creating artistic dialogue between India and Hong Kong suggests interest in postcolonial subjects, given their intertwined political and economic histories as British colonies. In writing, however, the exhibition barely mentions any macro-historical context. As the title implies, “Memento” focuses on the shared nostalgic sensibilities of Chakravarty and Lam.

The word “memento” denotes seemingly unassuming objects that hold deeply personal meanings. Indeed, both installations contain minuscule details that highlight Chakravarty’s and Lam’s childhood memories and interests. Walking along the length of Personal Space recalls traveling across the roads inscribed on the surface. It inspires a “choose your own adventure” experience. The map resembles one found at the beginning of a storybook or even a video game, where the viewer chooses one of the thin, black lines labeled “HOPE LANE” or “CONVENTIONAL STREET” that physically guides them around the scroll to signposts such as “HOME I,” “HOME II,” and “HOME III.” Minuscule drawings of bicycles and fish nestle between the lines, which spark connections to Chakravarty’s childhood memories of the jungles of Tripura and her journey to the urban sprawl of her current base in modern-day Kolkata.