RE-VISIONING HISTORY

'Re-visioning history' is the second thematic section in 'Rising Voices: Contemporary Art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific' (2026–27), a landmark collaboration between the V&A, London, and QAGOMA, Brisbane.

These works offer various perspectives on how past encounters have influenced peoples and cultures, and how artists reflect on conflicts, social and political conditions that have shaped their lives. Pioneers of contemporary art movements – such as Svay Ken, Heri Dono, Brenda Fajardo and Matthias Kauage – respond to key aspects of their histories. Others – such as Pala Pothupitiye, Michael Cook and Elisabet Kauage – explore the ongoing presence of colonial pasts and their impact on contemporary identity. From histories of migration and cultural exchange to domestic conflicts and social upheaval, these artworks interrogate how the legacies of these events and encounters have been written.