Khawaab Mahal and Absent Presence
Exhibition
How do museums tell stories? What do we leave out? How was/is power used?
These are some of the questions asked by Khawaab Mahal and Absent Presence, two works from artist and writer Nasia Sarwar-Skuse, commissioned and co-created with Ways of Working, an arts and community platform for social change.
Both pieces began their journey in South Wales, where Nasia and Ways of Working are based. Through the exploration of collections at National Museum Wales and Powis Castle and working with the communities of Cardiff, a new series of works were made responding to Welsh, British and global history of empire.
Tracing a line of enquiry which found many tributaries – from Tipu Sultan to the industrial wealth of Wales, to Clive of India to a call for prayer which echoes inside the tent of dreams – these works explore if museums can ask the questions that lie dormant in their collections.