London show spotlights the art of South Asia

Shared memories and layered histories tie the region together

Moonis Ahmad- All that you make disappear in my fret is but immortal Birds that walk on earth have eyes on the sky-II Print on Dibond.jpg

This print by Kashmiri artist Moonis Ahmad is one of the many works by South Asian artists being shown at "(Un)Layering the Future Past of South Asia," which runs from April 11 to June 21 at the School of Oriental and African Studies Gallery in London. (All photos courtesy of Dhoomimal Gallery)

BINDU GOPAL RAO

April 11, 2025 08:00 JST

LONDON -- A six-foot-long tapering speaker opens into a 60-centimeter mouth, its narrow end containing a hidden Bluetooth speaker through which the word "listen" is played in a continuously repeating sequence of 50 languages. This installation by Nepal-based visual artist Amrit Karki is called "Whisper," and it is the artist's voice that speaks to the audience, the dizzying variety of languages creating a sense of mystery instead of the comprehension that the urgency of the delivery seems to demand.