A collaboration between Sharmin Parameswaran and Studio Sayang, the re-collection project seeks to engage in new ways of learning from the collection of her late father, Dato N. Parameswaran. Beginning with a selection of Malaysian artists who have passed, the project and exhibition hopes to act as a bridge of understanding between different generations by engaging and collaborating with our contemporary art community.

Because of our unfamiliarity with these late artists, the curatorial process began by compiling general and biographical information on them. During this process, we were reminded of familiar contemporary artists who share parallels in artistic practices, subject matters, and/or stories with them. This led us to think about all these artists in pairs, each with their own unique connection.

With the premise that we would share and exchange more information on the late artist whom we’ve paired them with, we encouraged the contemporary artists to follow their own organic paths of inquiry. We saw this as an exercise in learning together, or a collective effort to connect with people from the past by considering the perspectives of the artists and people around us today.

In an effort to begin an intergenerational dialogue between artists, the re-collection project: an exercise in learning at HARTA features, in pairs: Dzulkifli Buyong + CC Kua, Grace Selvanayagam + Nia Khalisa, Khaw Sia + Syahmi Syazwin, Peter Harris + Amani Azlin, Yong Nyean Keow + Ang Xia Yi, and Yusof Gajah + Ping. Presented are twelve distinct artistic practices and identities, and within each pairing a duet of ideas, perspectives, and styles.