ADMISSION: 
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP in the program schedule below, beginning Thursday, October 1, at 10 a.m. 

DESCRIPTION: 
Step into an immersive world blending projection, spoken word, and dance. Inspired by South Asian Ragamala painting traditions, this three-night series will transform the USC Pacific Asia Museum courtyard into a dynamic landscape of light, sound, sculpture, and movement.  

Created by artist Gautam Rangan, Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Ramya Harishankar, and environmental scholar Devavani Chatterjea, Living Landscapes explores themes of emotion, nature, migration, and memory and reimagines ancient storytelling and visual traditions as a shared, participatory experience. 

PROGRAM SCHEDULE 
RSVP for the events beginning on Thursday, October 1, at 10 a.m. 

Opening Night
Thursday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. 
The immersive opening night features live poetry, Bharatanatyam dance by Arpana Dance Company, and interactive projections and sound that transform the museum courtyard into a vibrant digital landscape. Explore the evolving environment, connect with fellow guests, and enjoy light refreshments.

Conversation with the Artists and Collaborators
 Friday, November 20, at 6:30 p.m.
Discover how art, culture, technology, and storytelling come together in the project and gain new perspectives on its themes of ecology, memory, and connection in a conversation with Ramya Harishankar and Devavani Chatterjea. 

Self-Guided Evening of Living Landscapes: Ecology of Rasa
Saturday, November 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Explore Living Landscapes: Ecology of Rasa at your own pace during this self-guided interactive experience. Wander through an evolving landscape of light, sound, and digital art, and engage with the installation in ways that spark reflection, curiosity, and connection.

Bios: 
Gautam Rangan is a Los Angeles–based multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of technology, perception, and environmental storytelling. Using projection mapping, interactive systems, and spatial design, he creates immersive installations that examine relationships between body, language, and place. Drawing on backgrounds in engineering, design, and large-scale experiential environments, he has contributed to public, commercial, and cultural projects for global audiences. Since 2020, his independent artistic practice has focused on installation as a medium for perceptual inquiry. Recent works, including Light Unshapes, investigate optical illusion, sensory instability, and the fluid relationship between form and flow. @gautam_rangan 

Devavani Chatterjea (she/they) is a Bengali American scientist, educator, writer, and policymaker whose work explores the connections between bodies, environments, and health. Their research is shaped by collaborations with artists, poets, filmmakers, and choreographers. In 2025, Chatterjea joined Carleton College as Director of Environmental Studies after serving on the faculty at Macalester College, where they co-founded a leading interdisciplinary program in community and global health. Most recently, they served as Deputy Director for Chemical Safety at the White House Council on Environmental Quality during the Biden-Harris administration, leading efforts to address harmful “forever chemicals." 

Ramya Harishankar is the artistic director of Arpana Dance Company and School, one of the premier Bharatanatyam institutions in California. An empaneled artist of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, she has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, and World Arts West. For more than five decades, Harishankar has performed internationally across India, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America while sharing her art with generations of students throughout Southern California. A California Arts Council Legacy Artist, she has received numerous honors recognizing her contributions to the cultural landscape. 

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by the USC Pacific Asia Museum. Co-sponsored by Kaya Press (pending). 

Photo (Devavani Chatterjea): Ackerman + Gruber
Background Art: Gautam Rangan