Roots and Routes is a group exhibition by four artists who have been on a residency program with CULT gallery from 2022 to 2023. Each artist was sent off to two locations – Kimberley Boudville and Nia Khalisa were hosted by Bon Ton Locale in Langkawi while Mati flew to Yogyakarta where they stayed in Lohjinawi. Mati’s residency in Jogjakarta is supported by Ahmad Zakii Anwar and Valentine Willie. New spaces are meant to nurture renewed possibilities, thus exposing artists to fresh stimulants that can challenge set values, routines and practices. These residencies are not meant to emphasise on the end result but rather reflection that comes from being present in one’s surroundings. Although these artists have produced a body of work that has been showcased in the forms of exhibitions and talks, the results of this excursion are not measured by its end date, but rather by the layers of practice built upon over time.
This show is a check-in – a revisit – a how are you to these four artists. To look into the works they are producing now and reflect on ways their practice has transformed – each at their own pace. We invite you to look at these pieces not in the vacuum of their current isolated spaces – but as a dance of individuals over time.
