Beyond the Seas Blue:
Proposal for Virtual Museum

Asma Kazmi’s work examines the poetics and politics of space and the exchange of material culture in South Asia and the West. Her current project, "Beyond the Seas Blue," explores the ancient and politically fraught Sar-i Sang lapis lazuli mine in remote Northeast Afghanistan, which has precipitated trade throughout the world for three thousand years. This installation takes the form of a speculative and experimental museum, using drawings, sculptures, and virtual elements to transport viewers to the remote mine and embed them in the complex histories of this precious gemstone.

In 2022, Kazmi exhibited an early iteration of "Beyond the Seas Blue" at Galerie Cité internationale des arts in Paris (pictured, above). The installation featured a series of drawings depicting the Sar-i Sang mine that were painted with the aquamarine blue pigment derived from lapis. These were displayed on rehal - traditional folding Islamic book holders situated on the floor. The installation encapsulated a place beyond the past and present, echoing various narratives that extend from the ancient mines, the cultural exchange of South Asian and western art, and the artist's personal entanglement with these histories.

Kazmi envisions a larger-scale iteration of "Beyond the Seas Blue" that extends the 2022 installation. The project proposes an immersive experience where viewers will encounter drawings and large-scale sculptures of lapis stones displayed on traditional Islamic rehal, accompanied by a virtual reality component that transports them to the inaccessible mine. Reconstructed from historical documents, geographic surveys, and visual archives, this virtual gallery will feature 3D renderings of ancient Western and non-Western lapis artifacts displayed in alcoves inspired by Islamic architecture. The virtual gallery and the physical space will be accompanied by poetic sound, text, and maps that reveal the knowledge inherent in the material and cultural history of this precious gemstone.

Kazmi's proposal aims to question the extractive nature of Western museums and their appropriation of cultural objects. The virtual mine is the antithesis of the white cube, offering an opportunity to return dispersed materials to their original subterranean source, the ultimate provenance.

3D model produced by Maria Pattis, 2023

Through the poetically fraught lapis mine in Afghanistan, "Beyond the Seas Blue" opens up a space for complex and diverse narratives, illuminating the connections between ancient trade routes and contemporary artistic production. Asma Kazmi's project not only explores the histories of lapis-lazuli, but also engages with the ways in which these histories are linked to Western art, colonialism, and cultural exchange. Ultimately, "Beyond the Seas Blue" offers a reflection on the profound impact of material histories and the ways in which they shape our understanding of the world.