by Kay Curry
Northwest Asia Weekly
Natalia Di Pietrantonio (Photo by Natali Wiseman)
The Seattle Asian Art Museum (SAAM) sees itself as a source of diversity, inclusion, and a rich historical and contemporary curriculum, and this vision is on full display in its latest exhibition, Embodying Change: South Asian Art Across Ages, which will continue until July 10, 2022. New Assistant Curator and SAAM’s first South Asian Curator, Natalia Di Pietrantonio’s inaugural exhibition, “Embodied Change,” showcases works from the museum’s permanent collection, as well as newly exhibited loans and impressive acquisitions. Building on SAAM’s themed gallery concept announced when it reopens in 2020, the exhibition focuses on the female body and all it contains, as well as art from South Asia and the South Asian diaspora.
“It focuses particularly on modern contemporary artists, who are radical artists who have the guts and try to change social norms,” explains Di Pietrantonio. “I decide the subject based on current events, and what I think Seattle audiences will be drawn to at this particular time.”
Showing changes over time through the body, especially the female form, is part of the diversity and equity work that Di Pietrantonio was originally drawn to SAAM. Di Pietrantonio, formerly a PhD professor at Cornell University specializing in South Asian history and modern art, lists some of her research interests as Islamic art, imperial history; cross-cultural dimensions of Southeast Asian and South Asian art; and feminism, gender and sexuality Research. She has worked with institutions such as Cornell University and the Metropolitan Museum on art history work, and revels in Seattle’s opportunities to connect with the community, working with two other SAAM curators, Xiaojin Wu and Feng Feng.
There are many common threads throughout the exhibition, such as the use of the garden, which is a symbol of heaven in Western traditions, where the Bible is the main religious text; while in South Asian traditions, there is no doubt that this is an idyllic place and one that can change and liberating place. Instead of being kicked out, we are encouraged to return and transform into something better. Gardens can be found everywhere, in historical and contemporary works. A notable example is Chitra Ganesh’s video artwork at one end of the “Concrete Changes” exhibition titled “Before the War,” which shows violence, but if we can make this transformation better, it could also be a utopia. Another theme of the exhibition and South Asian life highlighted in the video – the earth goddess, has a prominent place in ancient South Asian art, and today’s artists strive to redefine and reconnect.
Miss Macho (Self Portrait) by Mithu Sen (by SAAM)
This idea of transformation is fully embodied in the goddess Kali, who, as described by Di Pietrantonio, destroys us so that we can be liberated. The exhibition begins with Chila Kumari Burman’s dynamic neon work “Kali (I’m a Mess)”, which showcases contemporary efforts to seek spiritual sustenance, and in a prominent female goddess tradition, also transformed by new social demands. Di Pietrantonio called Burman a “democratic artist” because she “wanted everyone to have access to her work”. When the work was exhibited in the UK, where Burman lived, it was placed outside so the public could still admire it without having to buy tickets.
Destruction, war, unpleasant rituals in our ups and downs in our lives, and in a world that is undergoing tremendous change are harrowing, but can ultimately lead to freedom from violence, prejudice, and self-doubt. Liberation is the main theme of “Embodied Change,” liberating from expectations about gender, race, how we use our bodies, and what our bodies mean. In the works shown by Mithu Sen, the artist asks others to take pictures of her, then decorates them with sequins and, in the case of “Miss Macho (Self Portrait),” also has a mustache. The idea that we can freely use natural and imagined elements in art and life runs through Embodying Change, as does the challenge to conservative traditions. Sen confronts what it means to be a woman and the injustice of colorism faced by many people around the world, something the artist has experienced in her own family where she is considered “too dark”.
Inviting others to participate in art is another trend in “embodiment change” and the museum itself, which aims to engage the public, finding themes to fill vacant niches, while taking care to provide space for smartphone conversation and accessibility. Careful attention is paid to the best way to tilt the artwork for the best viewing, and the label features customer feedback announced during the museum’s 2020 reopening. SAAM and its curators recognize the enormous impact art can have on residents who may visit repeatedly over the years, and retain fond memories of what they saw and learned within its walls (and the camels outside!).
“These objects are not only part of the museum, they are part of the community,” said Rachel Eggers, associate director of public relations at the Seattle Art Museum.
Guests are welcome to interact with the museum’s other galleries during a visit to “Emboded Change” as part of an ongoing program to change the artwork on display every six months (largely to keep light-sensitive objects unharmed), Both new and familiar works are exhibited. Abstract works by Filipino-American Alfonso Ossorio have recently been added to fill a relative gap in Filipino artistic representation; or three royal portraits showing the importance of pearls in the ancient kingdoms of South Asia. By popular demand, the fan favorite commonly known as the “raven screen” has also resurfaced.
All in all, “Embodied Change” is an exhibit that asks the question, “How can we make things better?” both in the world at large, and in our Seattle community. How can we strive to be fairer, more diverse, and freer? In some cases, it also answers this question.
South Asian artist Naiza Khan will be speaking to SAAM members on March 9th and is scheduled to open on March 25th for the “Emboded Change” free community.For more information visit seattleartmuseum.org/visit/seattle-asian-art-museum.
Kay can reach info@nwasianweekly.com.
