Arts + Literature Laboratory presents Sita & Other Sisters, an exhibition featuring the work of BLUE NAGA on display from Tuesday, March 3 through Saturday, April 18, 2026.
An opening reception for the new exhibitions at Arts + Literature Laboratory will be held Friday, March 13, 2026 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
BLUE NAGA will perform her piece at the Reception on Friday March 13 at 7:00pm as well as Saturday March 21 at 3pm and Saturday April 4 at 3pm.
Sita and Other Sisters is a 15–30 minutes live, multimodal performance that weaves together poetry, embodied gesture, and audience participation. At its center is the figure of Sita, the heroine of the Ramayana epic, whose story has circulated across South and Southeast Asia in countless retellings. Sita is born from the Earth, wed to Rama, after being rescued from her abduction to Lanka, her purity was questioned. Though she walks through fire to prove her chastity, she remains doubted, ultimately exiled by Rama.
In Thailand, Sita has been reappropriated as a symbol of resistance in the #MeToo movement, an emblem for survivors who refuse to carry the burden of shame imposed upon them. Drawing from this lineage, Sita & Other Sisters transforms performance into ritual. The artist stages a burial, inviting the audience to grieve collectively—not only for Sita, but for all women who have been subjected to violence, disbelief, and erasure.
The work unfolds as both mourning and refusal. By gathering the audience in a shared act of lamentation, Sita & Other Sisters disrupts the isolation of trauma and insists on the power of communal witness.
Sita & Other Sisters
BLUE NAGA is a Thai interdisciplinary artist who works from a place of feminist haunting to create rituals that resist patriarchal and colonial narratives. Her works often animate female entities who refuse to forget violence through site-specific and participatory performances, installations, and video art. BLUE is currently a Fine Arts MFA candidate at UW-Madison. Her work has been showcased in multiple parts of the world, from London to Dubai, including at the UN Climate Meeting, COP28.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.
Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.