Join the launch of installations by Reena Saini Kallat and introduction of participating artists Sumayya Vally and Firi Rahman in forthcoming seasons moderated by Suhanya Raffel, Trustee and Executive Director of M+ Hong Kong, at Lunuganga.
Mumbai-based artist, Reena Saini Kallat works with diverse media to deliberate conflict and co-existence. Anchored in archival research, Reena’s artworks probe critically into history, collective memory, identity, and perception through careful considerations of material such as official records, state-constitutions, maps, and archaeological surveys. With her keen attention to ecosystems and indigenous vegetation, Reena is invited to make an installation at the garden that builds on the themes of her practice.
Sumayya Vally is a South African architect and the principle of Counterspace. Sumayya’s practice centres narrative, identity, and memory in the city. She designed the 20th Serpentine Pavilion in 2020/1, the youngest architect ever to receive this prestigious commission. Sumayya is invited to engage with Lunuganga approaching the gardenas an initial instigator for the exchange of deeply rooted local practices,and the collaborative consideration of ecological and sustainability related heritage issues, as explored by Sumayya’s practice.
Firi Rahman is a multidisciplinary artist whose work considers the relationships that people and endangered species have with their environments. His work has questioned the rise of endangered species in Sri Lanka, and has explored the similarities between exploitationand cultural tradition. He is particularly interested in the interactions between animals and urban environments, and the responsibility societies share in protecting biodiversity. Firi is invited to conduct artistic research during two weeks at Lunuganga, responding to the garden and his experience to create an installation on site.