Asim Waqif: Artist Statement for “Megacities Asia”

Bringing together traditional practices with contemporary technology, Delhi-based artist Asim Waqif shares a vision for a sustainable future where they’re seen as complementary mechanisms rather than working against each other. His “Venu” (2012) installation, on view in “Megacities Asia,” is an accumulation of bamboo poles held together with rope, which Waqif learned to hand knot in part by working with Bengali migrant laborers. Visitors’ proximity and touch, as well as changes in light, trigger electrical relays and motors that vibrate or make sounds. The more people explore the work, the more it responds.