Virginia Hilyard on Collaborating with Varsha Nair and joining Womanifesto
Womanifesto Way Anthology
By Virginia Hilyard
Suggested citation: Virginia Hilyard, 'Virginia Hilyard on Collaborating with Varsha Nair and joining Womanifesto', in Low, Yvonne, Varsha Nair, Roger Nelson, Phaptawan Suwannakudt, Nitaya Ueareeworakul and Marni Williams, The Womanifesto Way, Power Publications, 2026.
Your Hand Opens and Closes and Opens and Closes — Preparation (Set of 9 Photographs). Asia Art Archive (AAA), Womanifesto Archive, Photographic Documentation, 1999 Womanifesto II, Exhibition. https://aaa.org.hk/archive/263485, accessed 2 November 2025.
I met Varsha during my Asialink Artist Residency in Bangkok in 1998-99, finding her to be a breath of fresh air in the mega-city. I felt we immediately synced up on many levels.
We turned daily activities and curiosities into material to shape and share. I seem to remember we dropped into making Your Hand Open and Closes and Opens and Closes effortlessly—filming Varsha’s masseur one home visit.
My curiosity about Muay Thai boxing took us to Bangkok’s Lumpini Stadium, a memorable experience filming the young boxers.
We both organised exhibitions and screenings of this work—the first was organised by Varsha who installed the hands video for 'Womanifesto II', projected on a floating screen in Saranrom Park in 1998.
Varsha Nair and Virginia Hilyard, Your Hand Opens and Closes and Opens and Closes, 1999. Video projector and screen stretched horizontally on the pond, Installation view. Photograph: Asia Art Archive (AAA), Womanifesto Archive, Photographic Documentation, 1999 Womanifesto II, Exhibition. https://aaa.org.hk/archive/263485, accessed 2 November 2025.
Varsha Nair and Virginia Hilyard, Your Hand Opens and Closes and Opens and Closes, 1999. Video projector and screen stretched horizontally on the pond, Installation view. Photograph: Asia Art Archive (AAA), Womanifesto Archive, Photographic Documentation, 1999 Womanifesto II, Exhibition. https://aaa.org.hk/archive/263485, accessed 2 November 2025.
Varsha Nair and Virginia Hilyard, Your Hand Opens and Closes and Opens and Closes, 1999. Video projector and screen stretched horizontally on the pond, Installation view. Photograph: Asia Art Archive (AAA), Womanifesto Archive, Photographic Documentation, 1999 Womanifesto II, Exhibition. https://aaa.org.hk/archive/263485, accessed 2 November 2025.
