Between Memory and History 2006

Navjot Altaf created this environment installation using organic material to suggest a feeling of enclosure. The wall’s surface is made up of repetitive, rough marks that appear both regular and irregular, a bit like cells that have been multiplied and layered. The wall looks thick, almost impenetrable, yet the neutral tones and the slightly irregular distribution of marks give the impression of porosity. The color palette, so subtle, reminds me of the restrained palette of Eva Hesse's sculptures. This area surrounding the video installation could be read as the enclosure of our minds, as we reflect on our memories. Or, in a broader sense, of the ways we use our histories to build barriers and protect ourselves from the outside world. It’s a reminder of how history itself is a construction, a process of accumulation and careful arrangement. Like art.