A conversation with Aqsa Arif, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Research Residency, in which she speaks about the work she has produced during her residency at the BSR from September to October 2024, ahead of the Winter Open Studios.
My residency at the British School at Rome focused on expanding my ongoing research into cultural hybridity, syncretism, and embodiment of artefacts through the lens of migration and trade. The starting point of this inquiry was the “Pompeii Lakshmi”, a 1st-century CE ivory statuette from India discovered in Pompeii in 1938. I was intrigued by the potential of its syncretic origins—blending Indian and Greco-Roman artistic motifs—symbolising the ancient cultural exchanges facilitated by Indo-Roman trade networks. This resonated with my broader practice, which explores themes of archetypal characters, assimilation, and hybrid identities.
Building on my previous project, Anam Ki Almari (The Trophy Cupboard), which explored the human embodiment of South Asian artefacts and the cultural loss tied to their displacement, I examined the Pompeii Lakshmi not just as an object but as a representation of cultural assimilation. The artefact’s transformation into a Romanized context, mirrors the fluid and often unequal cultural exchanges that occur through migration and displacement.
My research investigated the journey of the artefact from its origins in South Asia to its eventual discovery in Pompeii and its current display in the Secret Room of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (MANN). This inquiry included mapping how interpretations of the artefact evolved across cultures from academic theories since its discovery. I also explored the parallels between Greco-Roman and Hindu mythologies, particularly focusing on depictions of Dionysus and Shiva, two figures linked by themes of transformation and conquest, which highlight the deep interconnections between these traditions.
Another critical element of discovery during my residency was the Baroque practice of creating hybrid sculptures. During this period, fragmented ancient statues were reassembled into composite figures, often resulting in entirely new representations. For me, this process became a metaphor for the layered identities embodied by displaced artefacts, capturing how meaning shifts when objects traverse different cultural and temporal contexts.
To anchor my research in the tangible historical contexts, I conducted site visits to key locations that offered connections to the narratives I was exploring. Cycling along the Via Appia vividly embodied the phrase “All roads lead to Rome,” evoking the road’s central role in exchange. At Ostia Antica, I was captivated by the port city’s intricate textures, where remnants of ancient trade were vividly depicted in floor mosaics, frescoes, and architectural forms. Visiting Naples and Pompeii allowed me to engage directly with the “Pompeii Lakshmi”, exploring the complex interplay between its museum curation in a sexual context and the Roman reinterpretation of the object as akin to a fertility goddess. These experiences enriched my understanding of hybridity, materiality, form, and texture, grounding my research in the physical layers of history.
As my residency was only 6 weeks, I focused primarily on these site visits and research rather than production. It became a time for collating materials through photography, filming, writing, and collage to capture the resonances I experienced during the site visits. This process allowed me to reflect on and materialise the artefact’s journey and transformation, setting the stage for further exploration and discovery in my Glasgow studio and laying the groundwork for future production.
The experimental video work for the Open Studios is an exploration of the evolving landscapes from my site visits, intertwining historical textures and timelines to depict the layered and eroded dynamics of assimilation. Through this interplay, the work examines how cultural identities are simultaneously built upon and fragmented over time.
I explore the imagined experience of entering the Roman world as a luxurious curiosity. Embodied by a female silhouette, she transitions from an exoticized “other” to a Roman reinterpretation, assimilating but losing her own shape in the process. This narrative speaks to the larger themes of displacement, hybrid identity, and the layered histories embedded within artefacts.
Through this experimental work in progress, I aim to evoke a sense of fluidity—both in the materiality of Rome’s landscapes and the cultural identities of artefacts as they shift through time and space. This work forms the foundation for further exploration upon returning to Rome, where I hope to collaborate with performers to further develop and realise this embodied narrative.
