When curator Tunty Chauhan approached V Ramesh for a journey down the silk route of China, the Visakhapatnam-based artist immediately said yes. Ramesh reserved the summer of 2006 for the China tour on which he was accompanied by fellow artists Atul and Anju Dodiya, Amit Ambalal, Gargi Raina, Gulam and Nilima Sheikh. “I had heard a lot about Chinese culture and like India, its history and art are connected to deep rooted religious beliefs where Buddhism played an important role,” says Ramesh.

Not too long ago, similar reasoning had convinced Paramjit Singh to undertake a nine-day trip to Greece in November 2005. The artist went with Rameshwar Broota, Vasundhara Tewari, Gargi Raina and Natraj Sharma. They trekked across the Acropolis at Athens, Poseidon temple at Attica and the famous theatre of Epidaurus. “We enjoyed being part of the group but our perspective was based on individual sensibilities,” notes Delhi-based Singh.

Art apart, the common ground between the two excursions is that both were organized by Delhi-based Gallery Threshold and have now culminated in a joint exhibition titled Mapping Memories, currently on at the newly opened 2,500 sq ft gallery space at Lado Sarai. “The aim was to seep in the culture of the countries and translate it onto art,” notes Chauhan, as she looks at the creations that adorn the walls of her gallery. The outcome is varied: While Atul Dodiya has painted an oriental script in the Song of the South, Gargi Raina has taken inspiration from Buddhist caves at Kashgar for the gouache When the back door led to Kucha Kashgar. The Greek odyssey, meanwhile, has been projected in black and white in Raina’s Flight and thin brushstrokes on Singh’s canvas. “Unlike the usual art camps, was no one painting on the trip,” states Chauhan.

The strategy seemed to have gone down well with the artists. States Ambalal, “This allowed us to rethink.” Painted in 2007, his acrylics on canvas are reminiscent of the Kashgar caves and the art of calligraphy. He has on his canvas the nine coloured deer from the Buddhist folklore superimposed over Mao Zedong’s portrait. “China is often associated with Mao but I realized that Chinese society has moved on,” explains Ramesh.

While artists seemed to have enjoyed the excursions, they did have suggestions for the organizers of art camps. “It’s important that like-minded artists are put together in a group,” notes Ramesh. Ambalal chips in, “An off-beat destination is ideal.”

Meanwhile Chauhan’s artistic escapades have not come to a halt yet. Up next is an exhibition showcasing creations that are an outcome of sojourns to Burma and Bali. The title, not surprisingly is Mapping Memories II.