Aroundabout

A roundabout: Blooming mementos, towards monument

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Research and curatorial team

Hyphen— About (Andri Setiawan, Grace Samboh, Rachel K. Surijata)

“A roundabout: Blooming mementos, towards monument” is a research showcase by Hyphen— About, commissioned by [Jim Thompson Art Center] for [The Shattered Worlds: Micro narratives from the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the Great Steppe]. Showcasing works of Arie Syarifudin, Basoeki Abdullah, chitarum, Edhi Sunarso, Ki Tjokrowasito, Kustiyah, Nadiah Bamadhaj, Nasikin Ahmad, Paduan suara Dialita (Dialita choir), Paduan suara Lembaga Kebudayaan Rakyat (LEKRA choir), Siti Ruliyati, and Viroj Chiam-Chirawat.

This showcase is part of Hyphen— About’s research trajectory titled The planet from where we stand. Departing from the 1955 Asian-African Conference (Bandung Conference), we revisit the event not as a static moment in history, but as a living site of inquiry. We trace what remains, what has been exaggerated or erased, and what is yet to come. While the conference is often celebrated as a symbol of global solidarity, without critical reflection, it risks being reduced to mere nostalgia. Strikingly, no official group photograph of all the delegates, only silent floral arrangements appear again and again, bearing quiet witness to the occasion. From the quiet presence of mementos and monuments, we drift through histories that are deeply entangled, between nations, ideologies, and the memories that continue to shape our understanding of the present.

Published by Hyphen—

in conjunction with A roundabout: Blooming mementos, towards monument as part of The Shattered Worlds: Micro narratives from the Ho Chi Minh Trail to the Great Steppe] 3 April – 6 July 2025